There is so much serialized content on streaming right now that it’s tough to figure out which ones to invest your time in. I started the first season of Tokyo Vice over a year ago, and it’s one of the best series I’ve seen in a long time. I was late in catching up to S2, but right from the first episode, I was instantly reminded of just how amazing this series is.

Season 2 is even more gripping than the first, as it really digs even deeper into Japan’s criminal underworld without sensationalizing it. The main and secondary characters were further developed, and a captivating story was crafted, leaving you eagerly anticipating what happens next.

Ansel Elgort as Jake

Showrunner J.T. Rogers was inspired by his lifelong friend Jake Adelstein, who in the early 90s became the first Westerner to work for a Japanese newspaper writing in Japanese. The show is based on Adelstein’s memoir of the same name, though many of the characters and events are fictionalized. The first season focused on Jake Adelstein’s (Ansel Elgort) fish-out-of-water experience as a gaijin (foreigner) at the prestigious Meicho Shimbun Newspaper, and Jake is definitely more acclimated to the culture in S2.

I read that Elgort learned to speak fluent Japanese and trained with professional journalists to prepare for the role, which adds to the authenticity of his character. I enjoy seeing the tentative bond that develops between him and Ken Watanabe as Detective Katagiri; their moments are often peppered with humor, which gives us a nice break from the ominous tone.

Watanabe fits perfectly in a noir, and the role of a gruff, hardboiled detective suits him well. Katagiri is not the typical suave and confident detective (though his beloved red S130 Nissan Fairlady Z is pretty darn cool); he’s often restless and understandably concerned that going after the yakuza would put his family in grave danger. He’s a caring wife and father; it’s touching to see him play with his two young daughters and how he sort of became a father figure to Jake.

Elgort’s Jake and Ken Watanabe as Katagiri

When one thinks of the Yakuza, it conjures up mystique, danger, and violence. Yakuza characters can easily become clichéd, or worse, caricatured, in Western projects, but what sets Tokyo Vice apart is that it humanizes them, even as they’re engaged in a bloody power struggle internally and between different yakuza clans. Slow-burn crime thrillers are the best kind, as they slowly but surely draw you into their world and won’t let go. Similar to the masterfully crafted FX series Shōgun, the Western characters here don’t overshadow the Japanese ones.

One of my favorite characters from S1, Sato (Shô Kasamatsu), is given an even more intriguing arc as he’s shown as being ‘back from the dead’ in episode 1. The reluctant leader trope echoes Maximus’s in Gladiator, especially in terms of his relationship with Chihara-kai’s oyabun, Ishida (Shun Sagata), who’s grooming him as his successor. There’s such sadness in Sato’s eyes that says so much without a single word, especially when his younger brother somehow gets roped in to join the gangster lifestyle.

Shô Kasamatsu as Sato

It’s key for a series like this to have a worthy villain who’s ruthless and deplorable. We’ve got that in Tozawa (Ayumi Tanida), who’s apparently based on a real-life Yakuza boss, Tadamasa Goto. With tattoos covering most of his body, there’s something so sinister about his gaze and cocksure vibe. He’s an unscrupulous man with no honor; he makes the rest of the yakuza seem righteous. The liver transplant storyline has an unexpected connection to Minnesota that I find quite amusing.

Ayumi Tanida as Tozawa and Ayumi Ito as Misaki

While the story is mostly male-centered, the show does have some memorable, powerful women: There’s Jake’s boss at the Meicho, Eimi (Rinko Kikuchi)—it’s nice to see a glimpse into her personal life as she tries to balance her work and relationships with her brother and romantic partner. American expat Samantha (Rachel Keller) is given more to do in S2. She started out as a nightclub hostess and now owns her own club. Shout out to the fearless Detective Nagata (Miki Maya), who becomes Katagiri’s key ally in bringing down the yakuza. Last but not least is Tozawa’s wife, Kazuko (Makiko Watanabe), whose financial prowess helped Tozawa’s rise.

How unwise of you to make an enemy of me 

Makiko Watanabe as Kazuko and Tanida’s Tozawa

The line Kazuko said to her husband is perhaps one of the best quotes of the whole season. Tozawa continually belittles his wife at his own peril, as she’s the one who actually holds the cards in their marriage. Meanwhile, the storyline involving Tozawa’s mistress Misaki (Ayumi Ito) reaches boiling point in the last episode. It’s rare to see a show where even the side characters like detective Miyamoto (Hideaki Itô) and Jake’s reporter buddies Tin Tin (Kosuke Tanaka) and Trendy (Takaki Uda) are pretty fleshed out.

Rinko Kikuchi as Eimi

With Michael Mann as one of its executive producers, it’s no surprise that the stylish look and sleek vibe are very Mann-ized. Mann was busy filming Ferrari when season 2 was in development, so he didn’t do any directing duty this time around. Props to series creator Rogers and his team for truly capturing that gritty realism and authentic relationships between the three main groups: journalists, cops, and the yakuza. The setting of this show really captures gritty realism. The clash between the criminals and the police feels authentic, and you can sense their desperation for survival. I appreciate that the show isn’t gratuitously violent. When it does occur, it’s quite shocking but necessary for the story.

Rachel Keller as Samantha

Filmed entirely in and around Tokyo, the show takes you deep into the streets of Tokyo to fully immerse viewers in the city’s culture and criminal underbelly. The music and visuals are top-notch, and the nighttime cinematography is absolutely stunning. Japan has been on our travel bucket list for ages, and this show makes us want to book a trip there next year!

The level of authenticity and exquisite world-building help immerse viewers in the story—the set pieces, the clothes, cars, phones, and even the cigarette packaging accurately reflect that period. The bilingual dialogue, with characters constantly switching between Japanese and English, as well as the painstaking recreation of Japanese rituals, are captivating. One such ritual is the highly formal Ascension Ceremony, a yakuza sake-sharing ritual with Sato at the center. I love how it ties into the earlier ceremony Sato attended when he first joined the Chihara-kai and how far he’s come.

While most gangster shows often conclude with a bombastic, action-packed finale, this one ends with a suspenseful episode that leads to a breathtakingly intense climax. I’m sad that there won’t be a Season 3, but at the same time, it’s never a bad thing to quit while you’re ahead. Besides, the series finale feels wrapped up while leaving room for more stories in the future should the creators decide to pick this up later in the future.

The way it is now, the show offers a unique blend of a samurai story, investigative journalism, and a crime drama. Tokyo Vice is truly a first-rate series that’s unlike anything else out there. I sure hope it will garner at least a few Emmys and even Golden Globes nominations later this year.

---

Have you seen the TOKYO VICE series? I’d love to hear what you think!

…