Tokyo Vice (TV series)

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Tokyo Vice
GenreCrime drama
Created byJ. T. Rogers
Based onTokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan
by Jake Adelstein
Starring
Composers
  • Danny Bensi
  • Saunder Jurriaans
Country of originUnited States
Original languages
  • English
  • Japanese
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes18
Production
Executive producers
ProducersRalph Winter
Satch Watanabe
Production locationsTokyo, Japan
Cinematography
  • John Grillo
  • Diego García
  • Katsumi Yanagijima
  • Daniel Satinoff
Running time54–63 minutes
Production companies
  • Gerson Saines Productions
  • Grisbi
  • SRO Productions
  • Boku Films
  • Forward Pass
  • Wowow
  • Fifth Season (formerly Endeavor Content)
Original release
Network
ReleaseApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07) –
present (present)

Tokyo Vice is an American crime drama television series created by J. T. Rogers and based on the 2009 memoir of the same name by Jake Adelstein. It stars Ansel Elgort, Ken Watanabe, Rachel Keller, Hideaki Itō, Show Kasamatsu, Ella Rumpf, Rinko Kikuchi, Tomohisa Yamashita, Miki Maya, and Yōsuke Kubozuka. The series centers on Adelstein (Elgort), an American journalist investigating the yakuza in Tokyo.

The first season of Tokyo Vice premiered on April 7, 2022, on HBO Max, and the second season premiered on February 8, 2024, on Max. The series received generally positive reviews, with praise for its setting, aesthetic, and characters.

Premise[edit]

In 1999, American investigative journalist Jake Adelstein relocates to Tokyo and secures a job at a major Japanese newspaper, becoming their first foreign journalist. Taken under the wing of a veteran detective in the organized crime squad, Adelstein delves into the dark and dangerous world of the yakuza whilst living under the city's (and the newspaper's) official line that "murder does not happen in Tokyo".

Cast and characters[edit]

Main[edit]

  • Ansel Elgort as Jake Adelstein, an American journalist from Missouri who moves to Tokyo. The longer he stays, the more he delves into the corruption of Tokyo's seedy underworld, where no one is as they seem.
  • Ken Watanabe as Hiroto Katagiri, a detective in the organized crime division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department. He acts as a father figure to Adelstein and helps guide him through the thin and often precarious line between the law and organized crime.
  • Rachel Keller as Samantha Porter, an American expatriate living in Tokyo and former Mormon who makes her living as a hostess in the Onyx Club of the Kabukicho district, and later starts her own club. Her clients vary from salarymen to high-end clients and yakuza.
  • Hideaki Itō as Jin Miyamoto (season 1; guest season 2), a vice squad detective who is Jake's first contact in the Tokyo police but who is secretly working with the yakuza.
  • Show Kasamatsu as Akiro Sato, an enforcer in the Chihara-kai yakuza clan who collects protection money and is Samantha's handler at the Onyx Club. He secretly has a crush on her and is disillusioned by the yakuza lifestyle which he sees as anachronistic.
  • Ella Rumpf as Polina (season 1; guest season 2), an Eastern European migrant, and a spendthrift hostess at the Onyx Club with Samantha. A kind-hearted but naive young woman, she came to Tokyo to work as a model but was pulled into the seedy underbelly of Kabukicho.
  • Rinko Kikuchi as Emi Maruyama, Adelstein's supervisor and a senior journalist for the Meicho Shimbun newspaper. Maruyama is a composite of the various colleagues and supervisors who worked with the real-life Adelstein during his career.
  • Tomohisa Yamashita as Akira, Polina's boyfriend who works at a host club.
  • Miki Maya as Shoko Nagata (season 2), a detective from the National Police Agency assigned to Tokyo, who seeks to create a new task force to permanently eradicate organized crime in the city.
  • Yōsuke Kubozuka as Naoki Hayama (season 2), a high-ranking yakuza in the Chihara-kai, who is newly released from a 7-year imprisonment and is appointed as Ishida's second-in-command.

Recurring[edit]

  • Shun Sugata as Hitoshi Ishida, the leader of the Chihara-kai yakuza clan
  • Takaki Uda as Jun "Trendy" Shinohara, Jake's handsome friend and co-worker
  • Kosuke Tanaka as Makoto "Tintin" Kurihira, Jake's witty friend and co-worker
  • Masato Hagiwara as Duke (season 1), the owner of the Onyx hostess club
  • Kōsuke Toyohara as Baku, Jake's by-the-books, racist nationalist boss
  • Masayoshi Haneda as Yoshihiro Kume (season 1; guest season 2), Sato's direct superior within the Chihara-kai who is later revealed to be a mole working for the Tozawa organization
  • Eugene Nomura as Kobayashi (season 1; guest season 2), Ishida's right-hand man and a high-ranking member of the Chihara-kai
  • Kazuya Tanabe as Masamune Yabuki, the second-in-command of the Tozawa yakuza clan
  • Nobushige Suematsu as Gen, a member of the Chihara-kai who has an internal conflict with Sato
  • Koshi Uehara as Taro, a high-ranking member of the Chihara-kai
  • Noémie Nakai as Luna (season 1; guest season 2), the most prestigious hostess at the Onyx club
  • Rosaria Mokkhavesa as Malee (season 1), the most esteemed hostess at Onyx
  • Ayumi Tanida as Shinzo Tozawa, the leader of the Tozawa yakuza clan, a rival organization to the Chihara-kai, who is trying to establish himself in Tokyo while suffering from an incurable health condition
  • Yuka Itaya as Junko Katagiri, Hiroto's wife
  • Chisato Yamasaki as Natsumi Katagiri, Hiroto's elder daughter
  • Kaho Yamasaki as Shino Katagiri, Hiroto's younger daughter
  • Motoki Kobayashi as Haruki Ukai (season 1; guest season 2), a writer and meth user who publishes articles about the Tozawa organization, with their approval
  • Jundai Yamada as Matsuo (season 1), a cultured man who becomes one of Samantha's clients and later reveals that he was hired to track her down
  • Ayumi Ito as Misaki Taniguchi, Shinzo Tozawa's mistress and a former model
  • Bokuzō Masana as Ozaki (season 2; guest season 1), Baku's supervisor and an executive at Meicho
  • Keita as Kei Maruyama (season 2; guest season 1), Emi's mentally ill brother
  • Makiko Watanabe as Kazuko Tozawa (season 2; guest season 1), Shinzo Tozawa's wife
  • Yohei Matsukado as Hagino (season 2; guest season 1), a high-ranking member of the Tozawa organization and a confidant to Kazuko and Misaki
  • Masaki Miura as Funaki (season 2; guest season 1), a senior detective and Katagiri's friend
  • Atomu Mizuishi as Kaito Sato (season 2; guest season 1), Sato's eager younger brother, who seeks to reconnect, despite their parents' qualms
  • Syû Sekimoto as Etsuo (season 2), a low-ranking member of the Chihara-kai
  • Takayuki Suzuki as Masahiro Ohno (season 2), a wealthy architect and one of Samantha's best customers at her new hostess club
  • Hyunri Lee as Erika (season 2), the retired former owner of Club Destiny, where Samantha first worked as a hostess, who goes into business with Samantha
  • Ukyo Nakamura as Daichi (season 2), Erika's son
  • Soji Arai as Shingo Murata (season 2), Emi's lover and an editor for the Tokyo Weekly newspaper
  • Yoshinori Miyata as Kenji (season 2), the barman at Samantha's club
  • Aoi Takeya as Jason Aoki (season 2), a Japanese-American working at the U.S. embassy and Trendy's lover

Guest[edit]

  • Jessica Hecht as Willa Adelstein, Jake's mother
  • Sarah Sawyer as Jessica Adelstein, Jake's sister who sends him audio letters on tapes and has been in mental health treatment
  • Hiroshi Sogabe as Sugita (season 1), the head of the Suzuno insurance company, which manipulates people into debt with the Tozawa organization
  • Nanami Kawakami as Yuka (season 1), a young woman Jake hooks up with while hanging out with Sato, later revealed to be a prostitute
  • Fumiya Kimura as Koji (season 1), Sato's first recruit within the Chihara-kai
  • Renji Ishibashi as Noboru Nakahara, the chairman of the Tozawa organization, and Kazuko's uncle-in-law
  • Toru Shinagawa as Koichi Tanaka, an elderly yakuza sōsai
  • Sotaro Tanaka as Dr. Shimizu, an underground doctor, who treats members of the Chihara-kai
  • Miyuki Matsuda as Inaba, the owner of a host club who pays protection money to the Tozawa organization
  • Hajime Inoue as Jotaro Shigematsu, the Minister of Transport, who gets blackmailed by the Tozawa organization
  • Kojun Notsu as Ide, a police captain and Katagiri's supervisor
  • Akiko Iwase as Rie Sato, Sato's mother
  • Danny Burstein as Eddie Adelstein, Jake's father
  • Nadia Parkes as Claudine (season 2), a classy, but brazen British hostess and Samantha's biggest earner
  • On Nakano as Tats (season 2), the leader of a Bōsōzoku biker gang, whom Jake investigates after a series of motorcycle thefts
  • Hinata Arakawa as Chika (season 2), Tats' younger sister and member of his gang
  • Geraldine Hughes as Lynn Oberfield (season 2), an FBI agent working with the U.S. Foreign Service at the U.S. embassy in Tokyo
  • Kouichirou Kanzaki as Hishinuma (season 2), the elderly leader of the Hishinuma-kai yakuza clan
  • Takao Kin as Ota (season 2), a former member of the Chihara-kai, who was exiled to Nagano
  • Shoken Kunimoto as Ichikawa (season 2), Hishinuma's lawyer
  • Yayoi Sanmi as Sakura Igarashi (season 2), Tozawa's new, younger lover
  • Yuta Koga as Shinjiro (season 2), a former member of the Hishinuma-kai, who is hired by Tozawa for an assassination
  • Vincent Gale as Dean Kudisch (season 2), the senior editor of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in America
  • Marcel Jeannin as Dr. Edward Walker (season 2), the chief of organ transplantation at the Southern Minnesota Metropolitan General Hospital, where he secretly treated Tozawa
  • Shoken Kunimoto as Ichikawa (season 2), the leader of the Ichikawa-gumi, a yakuza organization
  • Kako Kariya as Yayoi Taniguchi (season 2), Misaki's mother
  • Koshiro Asami as Noguchi (season 2), the CEO of Suzaku Financial and an associate of Tozawa's

Episodes[edit]

SeasonEpisodesOriginally released
First releasedLast released
18April 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)April 28, 2022 (2022-04-28)
210February 8, 2024 (2024-02-08)April 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)

Season 1 (2022)[edit]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
11"The Test"Michael MannJ. T. RogersApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)

In 1999, Jake Adelstein, an American criminal investigative journalist, begins working at the Japanese newspaper, Meicho Shimbun, under the taciturn Emi Muroyama. Jake finds out a recently murdered man was in deep debt to a seemingly non-existent company, but is refused by his superiors from publishing the information.

Jake visits the Onyx nightclub with vice squad detective Jin Miyamoto, a Meicho Shimbun contact, and encounters the American hostess Samantha and members of the Chihara-kai yakuza clan. Jake and Jin travel to Kabukicho to report on a man attempting suicide: they witness the man burn himself alive. Jake visits the suicidal man's wife, who tells him her husband was also in debt. Jake then decides to secretly investigate the matter further.
22"Kishi Kaisei"Josef Kubota WladykaKarl Taro GreenfeldApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)
Jake struggles to find a sufficient story to placate his superiors while he tries to investigate the deaths. With the money earned working at Onyx, Samantha plans to open her own nightclub. The protection racket led by Chihara-kai in some neighborhoods is challenged by the Tozawa clan: their oyabun, Hitoshi Ishida, refuses to retaliate, believing an open war with the Tozawa clan would attract significant police attention. When Jake photographs an attempted peace meeting between the clans led by police detective Hiroto Katagiri, he is spotted and prohibited from reporting it. Later, Jake presses Hiroto to give him a story in exchange for keeping quiet.
33"Read The Air"Josef Kubota WladykaArthur PhillipsApril 7, 2022 (2022-04-07)
Hiroto reveals to Jake the budding tension between the Tozawa and Chihara-kai clans, saying the police fear it will escalate to an all-out war. Hiroto invites him to the arrest of two low-level members of the Tozawa clan, which he uses for his story, causing Jake's standing in the office to increase. Hiroto indirectly gives Jake the police's case file on the loan company, which reveals that Aoki's wife was planning to sue the company before he was murdered. Jake finds contact information for the company, but before he can act, he is picked up by members of the Chihara-kai.
44"I Want It That Way"HikariNaomi IizukaApril 14, 2022 (2022-04-14)
Jake is taken before Hitoshi, who asks him to find a suspected Tozawa informant in the Chihara-kai. Emi decides to help investigate the loan company after a woman commits suicide, but her initial leads are unsuccessful. Akiro Sato, a Chihara-kai enforcer, appears dissatisfied with yakuza life and is tasked with taking Jake on a night out: the pair later encounter Shinzo Tozawa, the leader of the Tozawa clan. Contrary to Sato's advice, Jake introduces himself. Meanwhile, Samantha's plans to open her own nightclub unravel: one of her clients, Matsuo, reveals that he is pursuing her for money she stole in the past, and one of the girls has revealed her plans to Duke, the owner of Onyx.
55"Everybody Pays"HikariAdam SteinApril 14, 2022 (2022-04-14)

Samantha reveals to Polina, her Onyx co-worker, that she arrived in Tokyo five years ago after stealing $40,000 to escape a Mormon missionary. Hiroto reveals the Chihara-kai mole to Jake, who tells Hitoshi: in exchange, Hitoshi tells Jake to investigate "successful" loan companies. Jake interviews Sugita, a loan company manager, who admits to sending people to loan sharks. Jake finds Sugita dead, with a note accepting all blame for the recent deaths.

Yoshihiro Kume, Sato's superior, attempts a yubitsume on him for Samantha's actions, but is called out by Hitoshi as the mole. Hitoshi orders Sato to kill Yoshihiro, who jumps to his death. Samantha tries to pay Matsuo to lie about her whereabouts, but he declares she is sexually beholden to him or he will expose her. Sato returns to Chihara-kai headquarters to find it has been attacked by the Tozawa clan, and helps a wounded Hitoshi fight off the men.
66"The Information Business"Josef Kubota WladykaJessica BrickmanApril 21, 2022 (2022-04-21)

Jake unsuccessfully attempts to find leads on Shinzo through Ukai Haruki, a magazine writer connected to the Tozawa clan, and Misaki, Shinzo's girlfriend. At a yakuza council meeting to resolve the conflict between the clans, chairman Nakahara orders Shinzo to compensate the Chihara-kai and apologize. It is revealed Nakahara is sponsoring Tozawa to attack the Chihara-kai. Meanwhile, Matsuo tells Samantha her father hired him to track her down. Sato attempts to threaten Matsuo to protect Samantha, but loses his composure and kills him.

Hitoshi tells Jake of a shipment of Tozawa-clan shabu arriving by air. Jake informs Hiroto, who is circumspect and refuses to act, but Jin agrees to lead a raid against the shipment, which reveals nothing. Emi forces Jake to write that police incompetence caused the failed raid, effectively ruining his reputation with the police. Jin tells Shinzo that he protected the shipment during the raid and that Jake provided the tip-off.
77"Sometimes They Disappear"Josef Kubota WladykaBrad Caleb KaneApril 21, 2022 (2022-04-21)

After the death of an airport cargo worker, Hiroto suspects Jin is working for the Tozawa clan. Emi also suspects Jin after the police simply accept his version of events related to the murder of a young woman. Hiroto tells Jin that evidence against Shinzo is hidden in the station basement, prompting Jin to attempt to steal it. However, he simply finds a camera pointing at him.

Shinzo receives medical injections for his worsening health, but collapses during his birthday party. Jake takes Dave Fisch, a hometown friend, to a nightclub where they encounter Misaki. They spend the evening together until Shinzo's men arrive and take her away. Samantha asks Sato to find Polina, who has disappeared: he finds out it is connected to a debt accrued by her boyfriend, Akira. After they express indifference to continue finding her, Samantha reaches out to Jake.
88"Yoshino"Alan PoulJ. T. RogersApril 28, 2022 (2022-04-28)

Jin agrees to act as a double agent against Shinzo for Hiroto, and tells him that drugs will arrive later at a port warehouse. There, Shinzo threatens Hiroto's family and says he has "dealt with" Jin. Jake and Samantha find out from Ukai that Shinzo operates an off-shore boat for suspected sex trafficking.

Akira tells Samantha that Polina's abductors have demanded a ¥‎10 million ransom: he is revealed to have orchestrated her kidnapping. Jake is attacked by Shinzo's men. He gives a videotape to Hiroto showing Polina being killed for rebuffing the advances of a man on board. Samantha is forced to get a loan from Hitoshi, who puts Sato in charge of the nightclub. Sato is then stabbed by an unknown assailant.

Season 2 (2024)[edit]

No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date [1]
91"Don't Ever F**king Miss"Alan PoulJ. T. Rogers & Brad Caleb KaneFebruary 8, 2024 (2024-02-08)

Hiroto and Jake recognize the assailants in Polina's murder, one of which is Jotaro Shigematsu, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs. Sato's brother, Kite, approaches the Chihara-kai to ask for his whereabouts. Kite is informed of Sato's stabbing and visits him in hospital. Shortly after, Chihara-kai associates Gen, Taro, Yuta, and Koji arrive to take Sato to Hitoshi. Worried about potential libel, the Meicho debate whether to publish a story about Polina's murder or interview Jotaro. A fire at the Meicho building destroys all evidence of the murder.

Jake learns the Yoshino is registered to Misaki, who refuses to co-operate. Hiroto learns Jin has died, with his death reported as a heart attack to avoid any connection between the police and the yakuza. Gen is revealed as Sato's assilant and meets Masamune Yabuki, the second-in-command in the Tozawa clan, for protection: Yabuki informs Hitoshi, who orders Gen's death, but Sato spares him. Yabuki tells Hitoshi of Shinzo's poor health, and asks for a truce. Hiroto meets Jotaro, who tells him he was paid by Shinzo to remove him from the U.S. No Fly List.
102"Be My Number One"Alan PoulKarl Taro GreenfeldFebruary 8, 2024 (2024-02-08)

Jake foregoes reporting on the yakuza to investigate motorcycle thefts. Acting on a tip from Samantha, he infiltrates a biker group led by Tats who steal motorcycles to sell parts on the black market. Naoki Hayama returns as second-in-command of the Chihara-kai after a stint in prison, but he begins to cause issues for by demaning extortion from a club which pays the Tozawa-clan. Sato reluctantly allows Kite to build a website to sell repossessed sneakers for the yakuza, which proves very successful.

Samantha fires Claudine, her most successful worker, for stealing from the club. She refuses to rehire Claudine, despite losing clients and Sato stating it risks the future of her club. Samantha instead recruits her former boss, Erika, to help her sucessfully recover important clients, especially a wealthy architect. Hiroto is deemed responsible for causing Jin's death and is demoted to handling minor complaints. NPA agent Shoko Nagata approaches Hiroto to join a new yakuza task force, which he hesistantly accepts. Misaki and Jake rekindle their affair.
113"Old Law, New Twist"Josef Kubota WladykaFrancine VolpeFebruary 15, 2024 (2024-02-15)
Jake receives kudos after his story about the motorcycles is published. Tozawa learns that Hayama of the Chihara-Kai have been moving in on his territory during his absence. Following a night at Club Polina, Sato drives Erika home and realize they have a lot in common. Emi gives Trendy, Tin-Tin, and Jake invitations to a party by the U.S. Ambassador in his home the following night hoping they are able to cultivate sources. Jake invites Misaki and she reluctantly agrees. Samantha approaches Sato and asks him to stop Hayama disrupting her club and he agrees only if she gets information from client Masahiro Ohno about the location of a new railway station so the group can buy up surrounding land. While the Hishinuma-Kai leader is meeting with Chihara-Kai member Kobayashi to discuss a merger between the two clans, Shoko and Hiroto lead an exploratory raid on the premises making multiple arrests. At the U.S. Ambassador's party, Trendy strikes up a friendship with an American embassy official, while Misaki spots someone associated with Tozawa and leaves panic-stricken. Chika, Tats' younger sister, asks Jake to help her brother while in prison and so he asks Sato to provide protection for him. Ishida presses Samantha to obtain the information from Ohno, and she agrees if he gives her sole ownership of her club.
124"Like a New Man"Josef Kubota WladykaAshley M. DarnallFebruary 22, 2024 (2024-02-22)
At a summit of Yakuza clans to discuss the new police initiative, Tozawa agrees with Ishida's advice that they stay united to avoid being wiped out. However in private, Tozawa expresses his anger that the Chihara-Kai has been encroaching on his territory. Friction between Hayama and Ishida increases as they disagree on what strategy to take with Tozawa. Although he disagrees with their use, Ishidsa sends Hayama and Sato to procure some guns from a dealer in Nagano. Jake and Misaki meet and she warns him to stay away from her as Tozawa has returned, fully recovered from his ill health. Shingo tells Emi that he suspects Baku could have burnt the video evidence to save the Meicho's reputation. Ohno drives Samantha to his spacious house near the ocean where she secretly photographs some documents, but he discovers his briefcase has been touched and confronts her. In Nagano, Hayama and Sato meet the gun dealer Ota, but after a long drinking session, Hayama kills Ota. He and Sato burn down the house containing Ota's body and have to walk back to town through the snow. Meanwhile, Jake has seen Tozawa and follows him in a taxi. Tozawa visits his uncle-in-law Noboru Nakahara, chairman of the Tozawa organization, and suggests that Nakahara step down. Nakahara is furious when his men support Tozawa. While waiting in the street outside, Jake witnesses Nakahara fall to his death.
135"Illness of the Trade"Takeshi FukunagaAdam SteinFebruary 29, 2024 (2024-02-29)
Jake tells Emi he saw Nakahara's death but has no photographic evidence. At his holiday house, Ohno offers Samantha details on another building proposal, which Samantha can give to Ishida to fulfill her part of the bargain. Funaki tells a suspicious Hiroto that it will be announced that Nakahara committed suicide because they found a suicide note. Shingo tells Emi that a series of corporations owned by Tozawa are in his wife's name and that Baku is affiliated with one of the right-wing groups which has received donations from them. Jake gives Tin-Tin information about the Shimbashi Station but he bungles his interview with the Transportation Secretary, who later announces the details before Meicho can publish their scoop. Jake steals Tozawa's medical file showing he was admitted to a center to treat liver disease - an occupational Yakuza illness called shokugoyo - due to the consumption of alcohol, shabu and use of unsterilized tattoo needles. Ishida invites Sato to a meeting with Ohno and Samantha at her club to get information about another building project. Sato tells Jake that some Yakuza travel to Thailand for blood transfusions to treat shokugoyo which can delay their decline. Ishida confides to Sato that Hayama will become the Oyabun if he dies. While they are in the club, two hooded gunmen arrive and begin shooting, killing Ohno among others and fatally wounding Ishida when he attacks one of them.
146"I Choose You"Takeshi FukunagaAnnie Julia Wyman & Joshua KaplanMarch 7, 2024 (2024-03-07)
A flashback explains Sato's loyalty to Ishida as he races the heavily bleeding Oyuban to Chihara-Kai HQ. He whispers something to Sato before he dies. Samantha is questioned by Shoko about the shooting in the club but reveals nothing. Shoko also questions Tozawa who provides an alibi. However, Samantha draws for Jake a tatoo she saw on one of the shooter's wrists. Jake then shows the drawing to Ukai who says that it is from the Hishinuma kai, and two men have the same tattoo. Jake later shows the sketch to Hiroto and Shoko, and Katagiri instantly recalls the men with the tattoo. Meanwhile, Hayama cajoles Kaito into an almost suicidal attempt to kill Tozawa which is later foiled by a furious Sato. That night, Katagiri and Shoko visit a junk yard where they find the battered corpse of one of the gunmen and realize they must find his partner before he is also killed. When a story of the shootout at Club Polina by Tin-Tin links Samantha to the Yakuza, Jake is furious at the divulgence of his source. He storms out and heads to the airport, leaving for Missouri and his father's birthday. Late that night, Katagiri returns home to find the second of the Hishinuma-kai gunman waiting for him.
157"The War at Home"Eva SørhaugBrad Caleb KaneMarch 14, 2024 (2024-03-14)
Jake returns to Missouri and joins his family in celebrating his father's birthday. Back in Japan, Katagiri takes the Hishinuma-kai gunman named Shinjiro to the District Attorney, but while held up in traffic, Shinjiro is assassinated by two men on a motorcycle. Katagiri suspects a Tozawa mole in the department. Samantha does what she can to get her club operational again and keep her girls employed. In Chihara-Kai HQ, Hayama accuses Sato of disloyalty and threatens to kill Kaito if he retaliates, then banishes Sato from the clan, the only family he has known. Katagiri calls Jake and asks him to investigate the hepatology department at SMMC for liver transplants. Jake travels there and blackmails Dr. Walker into revealing a operation on Tozawa. Back in Japan, two men wearing ski masks begin shooting at club run by Tozawa, and as they flee, one is revealed to be Kaito.
168"The Noble Path"Eva SørhaugArthur PhillipsMarch 21, 2024 (2024-03-21)
FBI agents arrest members of the Miura-Gumi who cause trouble in a Hawaiian hotel resort which indicate an FBI interest in the yakuza. On his return form the United States, Jake informs Hiroto and Shoko that Tozawa likely had an illegal liver transplant there. Tozawa interrupts a meeting between his wife Kazuko and Shigematsu, reminding the minister of the incriminating information he has on him. The assistant commissioner announces that Shoko has been relieved of her position and replaced by Yamada. Now banished and disillusioned by the "noble path" of the yakuza, Sato appears at the Chihara-kai bath-house and demands the return of his younger brother Kaito. He starts a fight with Hayama and when he gains the upper hand and holds Hayama's head underwater, the other members join in and hold the oyabun under until he drowns. Jake takes Katagiri with him to a meeting requested by Yabuki who warns both of them to lay off Tozawa or their families will be killed before they are as well. Jake agrees to back off, but later Katagiri insists he must keep working to bring Tozawa down quickly. Later that night, it is announced that the Prime Minister has resigned due to ill heath and Shigematsu will take up the position.
179"Consequences"Josef Kubota WladykaJen SilvermanMarch 28, 2024 (2024-03-28)
Emi and her small team of Jake, Tin-Tin and Trendy pursue the story of Tozawa's involvement in the United States and suspicions that Tozawa has been helping the FBI pursue yakuza cells there. Sato, now de-facto head of the Chihara-Kai,  proposes an alliance with the Ichikawa-gumi to oppose the Tozawa but they decline. Kazuko warns her husband Tozawa that he still relies on her family's support and to show caution. Jake eventually solicits confirmation that Tozawa has been an FBI informant and shares the information with Emi, Shoko and Katagiri. Katagiri interviews officer Funaki and convinces him to cooperate reveal his family's location to Yabuki. Yabuki arrives at the hotel to kill Katagiri's family, but is confronted by Katagiri himself who tricks Yabuki into revealing his involvement in the murder of Masahiro Ohno and he is arrested. Meanwhile, Tozawa launches a raid on Chihara-Kai, hoping to kill Sato who escapes with a handful of men, to their safe house. Samantha also arrives there with a frightened Misaki. Later, Kazuko approaches Katagiri and offers critical evidence against her husband.
1810"Endgame"Josef Kubota WladykaJ. T. RogersApril 4, 2024 (2024-04-04)
In a race to obtain evidence against Tozawa before it is too late, Katagiri and Shoko decide to raid his office and his boat simultaneously. They hope that Jake will use any evidence they find to run an expose on Tozawa in the Meicho, however Emi realizes that the Meicho will not run the story. Meanwhile, Samantha and Misaki seek refuge at the Chihara-Kai hideout. Jake and Katagiri are successful in seizing documents from the boat and decide to offer the documents to Sato and let the yakuza deal with Tozawa in their own way. Tozawa abducts Misaki's mother and demands that Misaki and Jake meet him. Misaki agrees to meet at a hotel, while Sato uses the agreement from Katagiri that Tozawa made with the FBI to convince the other clans that Tozawa betrayed them. When Tozawa arrives at the hotel, he is ushered into a room with the other yakuza leaders where Sato confronts him about his betrayal. He tries to bargain, offering his hold over Shigematsu and his wife's family's backing, however Kazuko enters and withdraws her support, leaving him with a wakizashi. Hagino stays with Tozawa as everyone leaves the room, and later reports to Katagiri that there is a body in the restaurant. Sato is appointed oyabun of the Chihara-kai, and the other main characters begin making plans for their futures.

Production[edit]

Development[edit]

Tokyo Vice was initially set up as a movie in 2013, with Daniel Radcliffe attached to star as Adelstein. Anthony Mandler was set to direct, and development was advanced enough to where a production start of mid-2014 was set.[2] In June 2019, the project was repurposed as a television series, receiving an eight-episode order from WarnerMedia to be streamed on its streaming service HBO Max. Ansel Elgort was to be executive producer on the series, with J. T. Rogers writing and Destin Daniel Cretton directing.[3] In October 2019, Michael Mann was hired to direct the pilot episode and also serve as an executive producer of the series.[4] On June 7, 2022, HBO Max renewed the series for a second season.[5]

Casting[edit]

In addition to his executive producing announcement, Ansel Elgort was also set to star.[3] In September 2019, Ken Watanabe was added to the cast.[6] In February 2020, Odessa Young and Ella Rumpf were added to the cast.[7] In March 2020, it was announced that Rinko Kikuchi joined the cast, and that shooting began the previous month in Tokyo.[8] In October 2020, Rachel Keller was cast to replace Young.[9] In September 2021, Hideaki Itō, Shō Kasamatsu and Tomohisa Yamashita were announced as series regulars, with Shun Sugata, Masato Hagiwara, Ayumi Tanida and Kōsuke Toyohara joining as recurring.[10] In November 2022 Aoi Takeya and Takayuki Suzuki were announced to be cast.[11][12]

Filming[edit]

Principal photography on the series began on March 5, 2020. On March 17, 2020, it was announced that production had halted due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Tokyo.[13][14] Production resumed on November 26, 2020, and concluded on June 8, 2021.[15][16] Production for the second season started in November 2022 in Tokyo and concluded in August 2023.[17][18]

Release[edit]

The series premiered on April 7, 2022, with the first three episodes available immediately, followed by two episodes on a weekly basis until the season finale on April 28, 2022.[19] The second season premiered on February 8, 2024 and concluded on April 4, 2024.[20][21]

HBO Max and its sibling service HBO Go hold streaming rights to the series in countries where either service is available including the United States, Latin America, and certain European and Asian markets, while Wowow, also a co-producer, holds rights in Japan. Elsewhere, international distributor Endeavor Content has sold broadcast/streaming rights to the series to Crave in Canada, Canal+ in France, Paramount+ in Australia, OSN+ in the Middle East and Northern Africa region, LionsgatePlay in India[22] and Starzplay in select European markets including the UK and Ireland.[23] The BBC purchased second-window rights to the series in the UK, and began to air it in November 2022 on BBC One,[24][25] with all episodes available for six months on the BBC's iPlayer service.[26]

Tokyo Vice season 1 has been released on Blu Ray.https://www.blu-ray.com/news/?id=33428

Reception[edit]

For the first season, the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 85% based on 25 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Tokyo Vice's protagonist is its least interesting element, but the intrigue of Japan's underworld and the verisimilitude of its setting make for a seductive slice of neo-noir."[27] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 75 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[28]

For the second season, Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 93% based on 14 reviews. The website's critics consensus reads, "Fully settled into its dense cast of compelling characters and rich milieu, Tokyo Vice's sophomore season is a riveting crime chronicle."[29] Metacritic assigned a score of 78 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[30]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Shows A-Z - Tokyo Vice on max". The Futon Critic. Archived from the original on May 18, 2023. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
  2. ^ McClintock, Pamela (November 5, 2013). "AFM: Daniel Radcliffe to Star in Japanese Underworld Thriller 'Tokyo Vice'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on February 12, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  3. ^ a b Andreeva, Nellie (June 6, 2019). "WarnerMedia Streamer Orders 'Tokyo Vice' Drama Series Starring Ansel Elgort From Endeavor Content". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  4. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (October 22, 2019). "Michael Mann To Direct Ansel Elgort & Ken Watanabe In Pilot Episode Of HBO Max Series 'Tokyo Vice'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on June 21, 2020. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  5. ^ Mitovich, Matt Webb (June 7, 2022). "Tokyo Vice Renewed for Season 2". TVLine. Archived from the original on June 7, 2022. Retrieved June 7, 2022.
  6. ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Petski, Denise (September 12, 2019). "'Tokyo Vice': Ken Watanabe To Star In HBO Max Drama Series". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  7. ^ Ramos, Dino-Ray (February 19, 2020). "Odessa Young & Ella Rumpf Join 'Tokyo Vice' At HBO Max". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  8. ^ Blair, Gavin J. (March 4, 2020). "Rinko Kikuchi to Star in Michael Mann's HBO Max Series 'Tokyo Vice' (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 13, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2020.
  9. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (October 30, 2020). "Rachel Keller Joins 'Tokyo Vice', Replacing Odessa Young, As HBO Max Series Eyes Return To Production". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved October 30, 2020.
  10. ^ Grater, Tom (September 15, 2021). "HBO Max's 'Tokyo Vice Adds Hideaki Ito, Show Kasamatsu & Tomohisa Yamashita As Series Regulars". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 16 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
  11. ^ Cordero, Rosy (November 10, 2022). "'Tokyo Vice': Newcomer Aoi Takeya Boards Season 2". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 10, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  12. ^ Otterson, Joe (November 22, 2022). "'Tokyo Vice' Season 2 at HBO Max Casts Takayuki Suzuki (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on November 22, 2022. Retrieved November 23, 2022.
  13. ^ Brzeki, Patrick (March 17, 2020). "Coronavirus: Michael Mann's HBO Max Series 'Tokyo Vice' Halts Production in Japan". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 6, 2020. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  14. ^ Fleming, Mike Jr. (May 15, 2020). "Reopening Hollywood: Michael Mann On Resuming Ansel Elgort-Ken Watanabe HBO Max Drama 'Tokyo Vice'; And What About That 'Heat' Prequel?". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved June 20, 2020.
  15. ^ White, Peter (November 23, 2020). "Japan's Wowow Boards Michael Mann's 'Tokyo Vice' As Co-Producer As Production Resumes This Week". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on November 23, 2020. Retrieved August 9, 2021.
  16. ^ "Tokyo Vice". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  17. ^ Brzeski, Patrick (October 26, 2022). "'Tokyo Vice' Producer Alan Poul Talks Season 2, Why Japan's Capital Is the "Most Difficult" City to Shoot". Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on November 11, 2022. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  18. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (2023-08-10). "'Tokyo Vice' Season 2 Filming Complete, Terrence Malick 'Very Happy' With 'The Way of the Wind,' Producer Alex Boden Confirms (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on 2023-12-02. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
  19. ^ Del Rosario, Alexandra (February 7, 2022). "'Tokyo Vice': HBO Max's Ken Watanabe-Ansel Elgort Drama Gets Premiere Date". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 4, 2022. Retrieved February 7, 2022.
  20. ^ "'Tokyo Vice': When to Expect Return of Max Drama". 9 January 2024. Archived from the original on 10 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  21. ^ "'Tokyo Vice' season 2 first look reveals new characters, new dangers". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 2023-12-05. Retrieved 2023-12-05.
  22. ^ Watch Tokyo Vice in Streaming Online | Shows | LIONSGATEPLAY, archived from the original on 2023-04-20, retrieved 2023-04-20
  23. ^ Middleton, Richard (April 7, 2022). "Canal+, Paramount+ in Oz among buyers of HBO Max & Wowow's 'Tokyo Vice'". Television Business International. Informa. Archived from the original on April 8, 2022. Retrieved April 7, 2022.
  24. ^ Goldbart, Max (April 13, 2022). "BBC Buys HBO Max's Ansel Elgort-Starring 'Tokyo Vice' From Endeavor Content". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 13, 2022. Retrieved April 13, 2022.
  25. ^ TV tonight: the gritty underworld of 90s Japan in Tokyo Vice Archived 2022-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 22 November 2022
  26. ^ Tokyo Vice Archived 2022-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, BBC iPlayer. Accessed 22 November 2022
  27. ^ "Tokyo Vice: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
  28. ^ "Tokyo Vice: Season 1". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved July 15, 2022.
  29. ^ "Tokyo Vice: Season 2". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
  30. ^ "Tokyo Vice: Season 2". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2024.

External links[edit]