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OF VISUAL ARTIST JOÃO DELFIM
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The news of Tokyo Vice’s cancellation at the hand of Max earlier this spring was painful for the growing fanbase of this exquisite piece of television. What a pleasure it was to discover the city of Tokyo and its bursting life through the lens of the series’ top-notch team of directors, cast, and crew. The second — and now last — instalment of the Max original crime drama released this year brings even more thrill and energy than its first stack of episodes.
Ansel Elgort portrays a compelling evolution of Jake Adelstein — less impulsive than at his debut in the Japanese journalism world — and thus, furthermore meticulous and pleasant to watch. Although some of his bonding moments with Detective Katagiri from the first season were missed in the first few episodes, Jake’s return home, which prompted equally emotional scenes shared with his to-the-date unseen on-screen family, felt like much-needed character development for the series lead. Although Jake’s sudden return to Japan left a few things unsaid in this familial context, ultimately calling his father for advice when given an ultimatum from the Yakuza, felt like an immense step forward emotionally for the series’ lead.
Though Jake and Katagiri’s affiliation remains, both find new interlocutors that help the story move along — respectively Tozawa’s mistress Misaki Taniguchi, and the new Head of the Detective Department Shoko Nagata. Tokyo Vice season 2 is all about shifting character dynamics, proving that the writers are not only incredibly aware of how human relationships evolve through time but also master the craft of keeping a crime-based television show engaging without needing to rely heavily on action sequences — a much-appreciated partis-pris for those like me that are not veritably fond of those.
Sato has, perhaps, the most fascinating and compelling character arc in the whole series. From an enforcer in the Chihara-Kai yakuza clan who collects protection money to the Oyabun’s confidant and a caring, self-aware brother to Kaito, Sato goes through a coming-of-age journey befitting a classic Bildungsroman protagonist. After being metaphorically — and almost physically — reborn in the second season’s premiere episode, Sato slowly comes into his own and is, at once, both able to honour Oyabun’s request and become the new much-need open-minded leader of a new Yakuza generation as well as finding emotional closure while resolving his family issues by keeping his brother safe from the Crime underground world.
I could go on about every single detail and thought-out subplot that makes Tokyo Vice one of the best and most complex series I have watched in the last decade. However, to keep this commentary short, I will conclude by saluting the series’ final episode: what a delight to see all the main characters working together against Tozawa, only for him to be ultimately defeated by his wife — revealed to be the brains of the operation. My love for this story has been about how the quest for truth and justice has brought this eclectic group of people together — juxtaposing feelings of love, lust, and hatred while ultimately elevating the ideas of friendship and loyalty. As I say goodbye to these beloved characters, I acknowledge with a warm heart, every single person involved in making the triumph that is Tokyo Vice.
Ansel Elgort portrays a compelling evolution of Jake Adelstein — less impulsive than at his debut in the Japanese journalism world — and thus, furthermore meticulous and pleasant to watch. Although some of his bonding moments with Detective Katagiri from the first season were missed in the first few episodes, Jake’s return home, which prompted equally emotional scenes shared with his to-the-date unseen on-screen family, felt like much-needed character development for the series lead. Although Jake’s sudden return to Japan left a few things unsaid in this familial context, ultimately calling his father for advice when given an ultimatum from the Yakuza, felt like an immense step forward emotionally for the series’ lead.
Though Jake and Katagiri’s affiliation remains, both find new interlocutors that help the story move along — respectively Tozawa’s mistress Misaki Taniguchi, and the new Head of the Detective Department Shoko Nagata. Tokyo Vice season 2 is all about shifting character dynamics, proving that the writers are not only incredibly aware of how human relationships evolve through time but also master the craft of keeping a crime-based television show engaging without needing to rely heavily on action sequences — a much-appreciated partis-pris for those like me that are not veritably fond of those.
Sato has, perhaps, the most fascinating and compelling character arc in the whole series. From an enforcer in the Chihara-Kai yakuza clan who collects protection money to the Oyabun’s confidant and a caring, self-aware brother to Kaito, Sato goes through a coming-of-age journey befitting a classic Bildungsroman protagonist. After being metaphorically — and almost physically — reborn in the second season’s premiere episode, Sato slowly comes into his own and is, at once, both able to honour Oyabun’s request and become the new much-need open-minded leader of a new Yakuza generation as well as finding emotional closure while resolving his family issues by keeping his brother safe from the Crime underground world.
I could go on about every single detail and thought-out subplot that makes Tokyo Vice one of the best and most complex series I have watched in the last decade. However, to keep this commentary short, I will conclude by saluting the series’ final episode: what a delight to see all the main characters working together against Tozawa, only for him to be ultimately defeated by his wife — revealed to be the brains of the operation. My love for this story has been about how the quest for truth and justice has brought this eclectic group of people together — juxtaposing feelings of love, lust, and hatred while ultimately elevating the ideas of friendship and loyalty. As I say goodbye to these beloved characters, I acknowledge with a warm heart, every single person involved in making the triumph that is Tokyo Vice.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR VISIT
ALL ARTWORKS ARE ORIGINAL CREATIONS.
© 2024 JOÃO DELFIM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
ALL ARTWORKS ARE ORIGINAL CREATIONS.
© 2024 JOÃO DELFIM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.