Tokyo Vice

"It’s not how much you do that counts, it’s what you get done." Michael Mann's pilot episode does the series a disservice by offering something different from the rest of the series. I'm not saying that it's better or worse, but it's vastly different. For one thing, at first glance it's right in his typical "handheld digital camera" visual style, and then it sticks to the template word for word. This is paradoxical, because the rest of the series forges a different visual style, using the template only as a supporting skeleton on which it isn't afraid to build its own stories and character fates. In any case, what remains from the source material is an investigative look behind the curtain at the turn of the millennium in (not only) Tokyo, at the details of the clash between Western and Eastern mentality, socio-political themes, the penetration of corruption into state power, detailed analyses of "how things works in practice", etc. On the other hand, the addition of the excellent yakuza storyline as seen through the eyes of one of the smaller clans is essentially the best possible adaptation of the iconic "Yakuza/Like a Dragon" video game series, and some of the characters who get minimal space in the book are among the series' driving forces and mainstays. While it's a representative of its genre, it's not exactly a crime drama. The fates, characters, cultural specifics, and neon genius loci of Tokyo's alcohol-soaked late-night Kabukicho play a clear role over crime and investigation. The result is a series that is at first somewhat detachedly cool, gradually excellent and creepingly heart-tugging in its characters, and repeatedly, often outright phenomenal, that demands that the viewer invest time in it, go along with it in many ways, and best put it together as one film. It proudly follows the unmistakable "it's not TV, it's HBO quality slow TV" legacy and manages to repay that considerable viewer investment with interest. | S1: 4/5 | S2: 5/5 | (2024.04.16)

In the first episode Michael Mann set the bar high and Tokyo Vice and, also thanks to him, this is one of those shows that at the same time educates the viewer. About Japanese culture and the interpersonal relations, killing and betrayal. Gaijin Adelstein, who personally experienced these events and wrote a book about them oversees the practical side of this from his producer’s chair and so the neon lights are shining a little more authentically than we are used to from American productions. The realistic slow tempo and following the development of the individual characters pays off more and more with every episode. Not much action, but that makes it all the more earthy. The acting is impeccable. Despite initial doubts, Elgort proved himself in the end. Apart from the bullshit at the end, Keller was excellent (meth clouds the mind!), while Watanabe doesn’t take any chances. My favorite from the first round has to be the complex cop, Hideaki Itô; he is the perfect counter-balance for the good and evil that the police has to give. A wonderfully begun show and I look forward to season two. Lie Down With Dogs Rise Up With Fleas! (2022.05.20)

1 percent cliché, 99 percent authenticity. It's not the most polished, catchy series and probably won't be commercially successful, Tokyo Vice is too hard to read, unpredictable and procedural for that. It must be admitted, however, that the reality of Tokyo's neon and especially its underworld are portrayed brilliantly. It is not surprising that Michael Mann's signature is seen very often. It's a shame about the open-ended finale, because given the overall concept, I worry whether the money-hungry creators/producers will find the first season profitable enough to take on the second one. This is not a routine series for the masses, but a proper depressing ride through the dirty streets of a big city. I mean, not like a sunny, glossy Miami, but still enough "Vice" to keep an experienced viewer interested. (2022.06.07)