Hello friends, good vibes to all.
There is something that is a little difficult for me to understand and that is why this series is being talked about so little, given the quality it has. Tokyo Vice has just finished its second season and I must say that it is one of the top series I have seen in recent years, both for its plot and its visuals, ignoring the fact that everything that is done in Japan seems to hypnotize people. Who doesn't want to see a story where the Yakuzas are the center of attention and how they control a Tokyo set in the nineties. Not to mention the little sub-stories of love, loyalty, family attachment and fear that run throughout the chapters.
As I said we are already in the second season but for those who are not yet familiar with the series it goes more or less like this. Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort) is an American journalist who came to Japan with the intention of knowing and investigating the whole criminal world behind the Yakuzas, this famous mafia that hit Tokyo decades ago. For that he starts working at the Meicho Shimbun as the first foreigner to do so, one of the most important newspapers in the country. Throughout the first season we will see how Jake gets too close to these mafias to the point that his own life becomes quite dangerous on many occasions. The end comes with him escaping and hiding in the face of threats and persecution.
Jake being in the eye of the hurricane, he becomes a more obvious target for these criminal groups. To this we must add that within the Yakuzas there are different clans, houses, groups, whatever you want to call them, which are also in conflict among themselves and at the end of the day the only thing these men crave or pursue is absolute power and if to achieve that they have to kill, threaten and extort, they will do it without problems. Another important point with this second season is that it becomes a little more personal in the context of including Jake's family, which will be an interesting ingredient in the plot and development of the story and the investigation itself.
Katagiri (Ken Watanabe) continues as a policeman/investigator and almost Jake's right-hand man, which makes this duo infallible. In general terms this second season is a little more mature than the first one, since in that one we get a preamble of how things are and the limits to which everything can escalate, on the other hand in this one the problems are already known and we know the magnitude of them so everything becomes a little heavier and darker. I feel that this second part is less superficial than the first, there are more internal struggles, there is more corruption, there is more at stake. And here almost everything is focused on the head of one of the Yakuzas, the most feared by all and that will change the dynamics completely.
As for the plot, it is one of the most captivating things because although you think that everything goes slowly, the reality is that it is not so, the thing is that life in Japan seems to go at a slower pace and that makes us have a different perspective and that is precisely the magic of everything. There is no bad episode, there is not one that bores you, they all have elements that make you get more hooked with the series and with the characters, especially with the latter. It is a combination of drama with a crime and police thriller that is full of quite explicit violence and even this is well cared for, it is not killing for the sake of killing and blood is seen, no, it is something more "stylized", it is a more aesthetic crime if the expression fits.
Visually it is still a gem. The neon lights, the nineties look, the photography, the colors, everything is very well done to give the vibe you're looking for. I think that's one of the things you enjoy the most, the way you see everything through the screen. Talking about the characters, Ansel and Ken's work is extraordinary, they have great chemistry together. But this time I want to mention both Sho Kasamatsu who plays Sato and the Yakuza leader Ayumi Tanida who is Tozawa. The truth is that they are very great actors, especially the second one. The immersion they make of their characters and the level of interpretation is very top. As I said, the most valuable asset of this series is its characters.
I give this second season a 9/10, which I think is the overall grade of the series. It is a very top work where all the elements are well cared for and achieved. It is worth each and every one of its chapters. You can get it on MAX, formerly HBO. It has 8 episodes of approximately one hour. Highly recommended, not to be missed. I leave you the trailer so you can take a look at it.
¡Un abrazo a todos, nos vemos en la próxima!
Well my people that's all for today, I hope you liked it.
A hug to everyone, see you next time!
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Pues realmente no había escuchado hablar de esta serie pero se ve súper interesante. La «mafia japonesa», la Yakuza, es tan interesante de ver cómo cualquier otra.
Muy buena y completa tu reseña ✨
Pues si, la serie es una joya la verdad. Si te llama la atención te la recomiendo mucho, vale la pena.
Gracias por pasarte, saludosss!!