TOKYO VICE
It’s been a while since I got hooked on a new TV show that I truly couldn’t tear my eyes off the screen. But I’m happy to report that TOKYO VICE (trailer here) is doing exactly that for me right now. The show follows the story of Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort), an American journalist who works for one of the top newspapers in Japan during the ‘90s. Covering the local crime beat, Adelstein quickly finds himself involved in the world of the yakuza (Japanese organized crime) along with Detective Katagiri (Ken Watanabe). It’s all a little more interesting because Jake Adelstein is actually a real person; he was the first foreign-born journalist to be hired by a Japanese newspaper publisher, and the show was adapted from his memoir of the same name, published in 2009.
TOKYO VICE has a solid balance of Japanese and English dialogue, which showcases the actors’ outstanding abilities to speak multiple languages—especially Ansel Elgort who at this point speaks better Japanese than I do. What’s so cool about this show is the fact that it gives you a glimpse into the underworld of the yakuza’s life and how their business affects those around them. There are three more episodes still to come and I truly cannot wait to see what happens next for these characters. TOKYO VICE is a real treat for those who are fascinated with Tokyo, the 90’s, and/or the world of the yakuza.
—Eri Sofia Taira, Associate Graphic Designer
