Television
Jun 7, 2022

‘Tokyo Vice’ Snags Second Season Renewal at HBO MAX

Tokyo Vice will be back for season two!

Image Still Credit: ‘Tokyo Vice’  EROS HOAGLAND/HBO MAX

Tokyo Vice starring Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe has been under fire over the validity of its source material which draws from a true story, has added some colorful but not necessarily truthful storylines. The show follows (kind of) the true story of journalist Jake Adelstein’s first-hand account of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police beat that serves as loose inspiration for the drama. The book was during its original publishing a groundbreaking look into the Yakuza crime organization. Even now, Tokyo Vice (the book) stands as a fly on the wall of an outsider looking directly into some of the most closely gaurded secrets of Japanese Yakuza. While the show has been an acting and cinematic show stopper it has taken many liberties for the sake of storytelling with the actual facts stated in the original book.

Tokyo Vice was originally ordered with a 10-episode commitment. The sprawling production was, like others, forced to shut down during the quarantine period of the pandemic which added to its ultimate price tag. The series boasts an 86 percent and 89 percent rating among critics and viewers (a rare agreement) on Rotten Tomatoes. HBO like other streamers does not release its viewing data.

Of the renewal creator J.T. Rogers said, “Writing and then making the first season of Tokyo Vice with this remarkable group of artists was a matchless experience.” So, I’m over the moon that we get to keep going. I can’t wait to get back to work in Tokyo with our brilliant cast and crew. Stay tuned: there are twists and turns in the tale to come!”