Tokyo_Vice_(TV_series)

<i>Tokyo Vice</i> (TV series)

Tokyo Vice (TV series)

2022 American crime drama television series

Tokyo Vice is an American crime drama television series created by J. T. Rogers and based on the 2009 book of the same title by Jake Adelstein. It premiered on April 7, 2022, on HBO Max. It stars Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe in lead roles. In June 2022, the series was renewed for a second season, which premiered on February 8, 2024.[1]

Quick Facts Tokyo Vice, Genre ...

Premise

In 1999, American journalist Jake Adelstein has relocated to Tokyo and must pass a written exam in Japanese to have the chance to join the staff of a major Japanese newspaper. He succeeds in becoming their first foreign-born journalist and starts at the very bottom. Taken under the wing of a veteran detective in the vice squad, he starts to explore the dark and dangerous world of the Japanese yakuza whilst living under the city's official line that "murder does not happen in Tokyo".

Cast and characters

Main

  • 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 struggling new hostess at the Onyx Club with Samantha. A kind-hearted but naive 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

  • 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

  • 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

More information Season, Episodes ...

Season 1 (2022)

More information No. overall, No. in season ...

Season 2 (2024)

More information No. overall, No. in season ...

Production

Development

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.[4] 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.[5] In October 2019, Michael Mann was hired to direct the pilot episode and also serve as an executive producer of the series.[6] 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.[7] On June 7, 2022, HBO Max renewed the series for a second season.[8] Season Two returned on February 8, 2024.[9]

Casting

In addition to his executive producing announcement, Ansel Elgort was also set to star.[5] In September 2019, Ken Watanabe was added to the cast.[10] In February 2020, Odessa Young and Ella Rumpf were added to the cast.[11] In March 2020, it was announced that Rinko Kikuchi joined the cast, and that shooting began the previous month in Tokyo.[12] In October 2020, Rachel Keller was cast to replace Young.[13] 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.[14] In November 2022 Aoi Takeya and Takayuki Suzuki were announced to be cast.[15][16]

Filming

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.[17][18] Production resumed on November 26, 2020, and concluded on June 8, 2021.[19][20] Production for the second season started in November 2022 in Tokyo and concluded in August 2023.[21][22]

Release

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[23] and Starzplay in select European markets including the UK and Ireland.[24] The BBC purchased second-window rights to the series in the UK, and began to air it in November 2022 on BBC One,[25][26] with all episodes available for six months on the BBC's iPlayer service.[27]

Reception

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."[28] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned a score of 75 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[29]

For the second season, Rotten Tomatoes reported an approval rating of 92% based on 13 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."[30] Metacritic assigned a score of 78 out of 100 based on 9 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[31]

References

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    "'Tokyo Vice' season 2 first look reveals new characters, new dangers". Entertainment Weekly.
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    "Tokyo Vice". Writers Guild of America West. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
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    "Shows A-Z - Tokyo Vice on max". The Futon Critic. Retrieved January 17, 2024.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    "'Tokyo Vice': When to Expect Return of Max Drama". 9 January 2024.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
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    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.
  17. [17]
    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.
  18. [18]
    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.
  19. [19]
    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.
  20. [20]
    "Tokyo Vice". Variety Insight. Archived from the original on June 10, 2021. Retrieved July 28, 2021.
  21. [21]
    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.
  22. [22]
    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. Retrieved 2023-10-05.
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    Watch Tokyo Vice in Streaming Online | Shows | LIONSGATEPLAY, archived from the original on 2023-04-20, retrieved 2023-04-20
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    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.
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    TV tonight: the gritty underworld of 90s Japan in Tokyo Vice Archived 2022-11-22 at the Wayback Machine, The Guardian, 22 November 2022
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    "Tokyo Vice: Season 1". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved July 10, 2023.
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    "Tokyo Vice: Season 2". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved April 16, 2024.
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