By: Alex Tilton

Tokyo Vice is a fictionalization of the memoirs of reporter Jake Adelstein (played by Ansel Elgort), the first foreign born reporter to work for a major Japanese newspaper. Season one introduces the character of Adelstein, his hiring by a Tokyo newspaper, and his introduction to the police beat. It also serves as a cautionary tale around the timeless theme of ‘be careful what you ask for.’ Adelstein finds himself researching a series of suicides that seem connected to a corrupt moneylending operation of a violent yakuza gang run by Boss Tozawa.

The story also takes the time to deal with Jake’s process of acclimatizing to working at the newspaper, where (at first) the only thing anyone will call him is ‘gaijin’ (foreigner). He speaks fluent Japanese but in spite of having lived there for years, he’s still learning the subtler nuances of the country he’s living in. But he adapts quickly and establishes a working relationship with a senior Tokyo police detective named Katagiri, played by Ken Watanabe.

There are two other main characters. Sato is a young yakuza soldier moving his way up the ranks and learning that the supposedly ‘honorable’ traditions of the yakuza world are anything but. Samantha is an American expat with a mysterious past, trying to make her way in Japan and open her own hostess club. Their threads interact throughout the story and provide a richly detailed human feeling to the plot.

Sato wants to keep his little brother out of the yakuza. Samantha wants to own her club free and clear, but can’t secure funding. Jake wants to print a major story about the yakuza corruption but can’t get the damning evidence he needs. Katagiri wants to bring down the yakuza but his hands are tied by institutional corruption, Japanese tradition, and the danger to his family. On the other side, Tozawa is an ambitious, scheming sociopath who doesn’t value anything above himself. He is opposed by Sato’s boss, Ishida, a respected yakuza elder statesman who still entertains the idea that his organization can hold an honorable position in Japanese society, even as he uses violent crime to get what he wants.

The story is extremely well written, complex without being confusing, and well plotted out. It was designed to fill two seasons and provide a satisfying ending in case a third season didn’t happen. The bad guys are believably human, and the good guys aren’t artificially clean and perfect. The pacing is also excellent, and none of the action feels contrived. The writing is also very tight and clean. It expands where necessary and knows when to keep things brief. Nobody has any weak motivations or cartoonish overreactions.

As for the cast, Ken Watanabe is impossible to dislike. The character of detective Katagiri is perfect for Watanabe’s dramatic range; constantly under the strain of being expected to do his job without violating his country’s traditions. It’s a tightrope walk that wears him down terribly.

Ansel Elgort is new to me and I find his acting to be a little flat compared to the rest of the cast who always felt like real people living their lives. But since the character Jake living in a foreign land and literally trying to act Japanese, this could simply be an acting choice. He also learned fluent Japanese to play this part, so his work ethic can’t be denied.

I liked Sato and Samantha quite a lot. They both find themselves far off the track they’d been trying to follow, trying to make the best of it. They take comfort in one another as a couple because they know neither will judge the other, and there isn’t anyone else they can really talk to since they both inhabit the same part of the Japanese underworld.

Their relationship is the most natural feeling and effective one in the show. Jake has a dalliance with Tozawa’s mistress, but it feels like an immature man’s impulsive romantic impulse and it’s clearly a bad idea from the start. To its credit, the show doesn’t cut them any slack and their ill-conceived relationship suffers accordingly.

Various reviewers have criticized Tokyo Vice as being a ‘white savior’ story, but this feels like a disingenuous critique to me. Jake tries to bring information to light that the Japanese government would like to keep quiet, but at no point does he save anybody. His many frustrations throughout the series revolve around his American impulse to blow the truth wide open, and Japan’s cultural preference to look the other way and avoid scandal. Jake would very much like to save the day, but Japan isn’t interested in being ‘saved’ as Jake defines it. And his character arc revolves around coming to terms with this reality. He must learn that he doesn’t get to be the big hero.

In any case, Tokyo Vice is another excellent piece of prestige television. Anyone who likes crime dramas would be well advised to sit down and watch it. It’s not perfect, but it’s pretty close.

Image Sources: MAX.com & PrimeVideo.com