Tokyo Vice

Enjoyed the first three episodes, invested in the main characters and keen to discover what happens next. Daunting at first with the skew toward Japanese with subtitles, though the balance has changed and this has eased significantly. Some great direction producing fine imagery through use of cinematography, wardrobe and linguistics. It is clear the story is a whodunnit exploring the contrast between conformity & self and honour & honesty.

Some fine performances from Ansel Elgort (Jake), Rachel Keller (Samantha) who was excellent as Syd in Legion, Ken Watanabe (Katagiri) and Rinko Kikuchi (Eimi). Each of these characters has been well fleshed out and we understand their respective motivations, their relationship to one another and their place and contribution to the plot.

Finally something new to get behind! I have to say I really love this series. I lived in Japan while on active duty with the Marine Corps and I fell in love with Japan, the culture, the beautiful people, the history and everything else about it. If there is any other country I could live in again, it would be Japan. The culture was so impactful on me as a young Marine, it just has never left me... Anyway This show is extremely well made and gives you a little dose of everything Japan. Great acting, great writing, solid directing it really has it all. Don't screw this up HBO and not give us another season. If you are into crime type dramas, give this a go. And Give it 3 episodes before you make any decisions. You're hooked after that. Tokyo is one of the most unbelievable cities in the world that's for sure so go visit! The city, and the people, will change your life forever! Again give the show a try. You will really enjoy it.

Irony -- other shows work so hard to create a vibe of tension and potential threat. Here, if you can relate to this wonderfully relatable character, every second of every moment is filled with tension because the Japanese culture is one of the most unique on the planet. And one of the most especially unforgiving towards outsiders. (I have seen thousands of films, submitted almost 2000 reviews here, and yet the most terrifying movie I have ever seen is Japan's 1964 "Woman in the Dunes," which is not even a horror movie!) Excellent and addictive series. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Just wow ! I am at ep3 and i already feel Black Rain vibes all over the place. Great acting of Rinko Kikuchi and Ken Watanabe, Lets hope we get to see Season 2 as well !

Tokyo Vice is a dark, gritty drama that builds intrigue from the very beginning. The criminals have deep traditions like the Sopranos. The police and the crimes committed are violent and shocking, similar to The Wire, and the cinematography is dark, like Boardwalk Empire. It's everything you want in a classic HBO Mobster/Gangster story with a very talented ensemble.

As always, if you made it this far, thanks for reading, and if you watch this series, let me know what you think.

Stay Channel Surfing!

Damian at TalkTeaV.