With Tokyo Vice nearing an end, HBO Max’s relatively true-to-life bilingual crime series has attracted a decently-sized audience who’ll no doubt be interested in the show’s immediate future. Since the premiere episode was directed by none other than Michael Mann, there has been a fair amount of attention swirling around the property since it debuted, and appetite for Tokyo Vice Season 2 seems relatively ravenous. Is there much chance of that? Well, here’s everything we know.
Renewed or canceled status – will there be a Tokyo Vice Season 2?
Status: TBC
At the time of writing, HBO haven’t officially renewed Tokyo Vice for a second season, but there’s no reason to consider that an ominous sign just yet. The first season hasn’t ended yet, and it has managed to increase its viewership over the weeks. This and a strong critical reception – including on these hallowed pages – suggests that HBO will at least be considering another go-around.
What is Tokyo Vice?
Based on the real-life account of reporter Jake Adelstein, here’s the Wikipedia premise:
In 1999, American student 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.
Who is in it?
Here’s where things get tricky. The first season of Tokyo Vice is fronted by Ansel Elgort as Jake Adelstein himself, though it was shot before the allegations about Elgort surfaced. For clarity, he has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault, and while he has denied the claims and he hasn’t been charged of any crime, the optics aren’t good. Any big network or company are going to have reservations in working with Elgort right now, which may very well prohibit him from reprising the role.
Still, at least we still have the beloved and apparently squeaky-clean Ken Watanabe as Hiroto Katagiri, a detective in the organized crime division. Rachel Keller also stars as American expat – that white people speak for “immigrant” – Samantha Porter.
