The impressive "Tokyo Vice" storyline and outstanding acting from main stars Ansel Elgort, Rachel Keller, Ken Watanabe, and Rinko Kikuchi have fans wondering if they'll get a second season.
Created by J.T. Rogers, "Tokyo Vice" is based on Jake Adelstein's eponymous memoir. The show follows Adelstein, played by "The Fault in Our Stars" actor Ansel Elgort, who moves to Tokyo in the 1990s to work in Japan's top newspaper.
He wants to make history as the first foreign crime reporter at the publication, but he soon discovers that things are far more complicated than expected.
Ansel Elgort on September 08, 2019, in Toronto, Canada. | Source: Getty Images
Adelstein finds help in Ken Watanabe's character Hiroto Katagiri, a veteran vice detective willing to teach the aspiring reporter the ins and outs of Tokyo's low life.
It is important to remark that "Tokyo Vice" was initially intended to be a film, but HBO Max ultimately turned it into an eight-episode TV series.
The filming process began in Japan in March 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic forced them to stop and resume production eight months later.
Michael Mann directed the pilot, and it is considered by many the best episode because it was the closest to Adelstein's book and the most visually appealing.
Mann is famous for using digital cameras and wide-angle lenses, resulting in a documentary-like style. The rest of the directors in the show opted for a more conventional TV style with common camera movement and dialogue direction.
Rogers explained that "Tokyo Vice" was not entirely faithful to Adelstein's memoir because it was not a biography or a documentary but a fictional story based on actual events.
The high ratings and positive reviews suggest we can expect to see more of Adelstein.
The "Tokyo Vice" release schedule was also unusual. Seven episodes have already hit the screens in three weeks (the first three at once on April 7, 2022, followed by two new episodes each week).
Warning: spoilers ahead.
Season one will wrap up on April 28, and everything is served for a memorable finale. In episode six, Adelstein is still trying to find another route to Shinzo Tozawa, the leader of the Yakuza organization rival of Hitoshi Ishida.
Adelstein learns that one of Tozawa's mistresses was murdered for talking to the press. Still, the reporter discovers that Misaki is Tozawa's main bed partner and talks to her.
The reporter believes she doesn't want to communicate with him because she is afraid the criminal will kill her, but she tells him, "It is you who should be afraid." Yakuza boss Ishida also tells Adelstein about a plan his rival will carry on at an airport, which leads to a failed raid.
In the next episode, Katagiri discovers that Ishida didn't lie. Instead, the police searched in the wrong place. Katagiri notices that his team member on the vice squad, Miyamoto, is a mole.
The honest officer tells Miyamoto he has enough evidence to prosecute Tozawa, but Miyamoto gets into the evidence room to destroy the evidence. The dirty cop is outsmarted by Katagiri, who records everything and arrests Miyamoto.
Tozawa is also facing difficulties with his health. He passes out during his birthday celebration and calls out Misaki's name in front of his wife.
Meanwhile, Misaki is with Adelstein as he tries to get more information from her. Episode eight is expected to tie up many loose ends and finally answer what the show is about.
As per "Tokyo Vice" season 2, we have little-to-no information. Although HBO has yet to renew the series, the high ratings and positive reviews suggest we can expect to see more of Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe soon.
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