Tokyo Vice

In the first episode Michael Mann set the bar high and Tokyo Vice and, also thanks to him, this is one of those shows that at the same time educates the viewer. About Japanese culture and the interpersonal relations, killing and betrayal. Gaijin Adelstein, who personally experienced these events and wrote a book about them oversees the practical side of this from his producer’s chair and so the neon lights are shining a little more authentically than we are used to from American productions. The realistic slow tempo and following the development of the individual characters pays off more and more with every episode. Not much action, but that makes it all the more earthy. The acting is impeccable. Despite initial doubts, Elgort proved himself in the end. Apart from the bullshit at the end, Keller was excellent (meth clouds the mind!), while Watanabe doesn’t take any chances. My favorite from the first round has to be the complex cop, Hideaki Itô; he is the perfect counter-balance for the good and evil that the police has to give. A wonderfully begun show and I look forward to season two. Lie Down With Dogs Rise Up With Fleas! (20.05.2022)

A perfect crime drama set in Tokyo at the end of the last millennium. The brilliantly recreated realities make you forget that the writers sometimes make things up and you are unpleasantly taken out of focus when some of the characters behaves downright stupidly in order to heighten the tension. The actors are great and the character development is exemplary. Whether it's Ansel Elgort’s Adelstein (though the return to his family is strong, but lacks the resolution of his sister) or Shô Kasamatsu yakuza guy. Ken Watanabe has mellowed a bit over these two years, going from a tough detective to more of a grizzled mentor. I'm hoping for another season, but there they would have to go straight into government circles to raise the bar. (04.04.2024)