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Tokyo Vice. Michael Mann. HBO Max.

Parliament

By Parliament
in Movies and TV

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wild_turkey

wild_turkey 3159

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I just caught up and I also assumed there were 8 episodes in the season. Thought that was the finale so I’m glad I read this thread.

Put me in the camp that’s tired of Samantha. She vastly overestimates her importance, level of influence on those around her, and control over her life circumstances. She can’t get out of her own way and she’s lucky Sato fell for her to provide some protection.

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Mitch Cumsteen

Mitch Cumsteen 18547

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I really dig this show, but there are a couple of things that annoy me:

1. Why does every single character have to have a love interest? They almost lost me midway through the season with all the relationship crap. And the gratuitous gay sex scene seemed like it served no purpose other than to have a gay sex scene. More Yakuza, less chick flick would put this thing over the top.

2. Samantha. It's like they wrote her up with sole purpose of creating a character that makes every wrong decision possible. 

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speed817

speed817 19255

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On 3/30/2024 at 8:16 AM, kingkoopa6 said:

Her driver is one chill dude. 
 

he killin it without any lines. 

He actually did have some lines.  Early in episode 3 of season 2, he got in Yabuki-san's face after ordered that one guy needed a lesson.

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speed817

speed817 19255

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On 3/31/2024 at 9:59 PM, 4th&Five said:

Jake seemed to get over the deadly yakuza shootout pretty quickly. 

He got laid the next day when Misaki-chan showed up at his place. Got it out of his system 🤣

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wild_turkey

wild_turkey 3159

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That was a great season of television. I had a feeling of dread throughout most of the final episode, thinking someone like Katagiri or Misaki would die. Happy to see the good team get the win and see Tozawa get his due.

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Stringer

Stringer 1438

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20 minutes ago, thepop said:

Yep great season. I know it hasn't been renewed for a third season but if that's the end I'm content with it. I like when shows end on a peak.

About to come here and say something similar.  They left it in a good spot with some storylines closed and some open.  It would be a good place to stop.

I just don't know what kind of traction this has gotten.  It seems pretty light, but I could be wrong.

Season 2 was terrific throughout though.  Fuck that FBI lady.

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irishtexan

irishtexan 11515

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21 minutes ago, Stringer said:

I just don't know what kind of traction this has gotten.  It seems pretty light, but I could be wrong.

There are 4 pages on this thread over two full seasons. So not a lot. Not that this forum is a perfect barometer. 

I thought the season was pretty good. It's a pretty good show. I generally enjoyed it, but I never said to myself "A new Tokyo Vice is on tonight! Can't wait to watch it!".

Also, can't imagine the budget for this show being shot in Japan is helping make the case for a third season. 

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mdmost

mdmost 42999

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Finally caught up both seasons and finished the 2nd tonight. Love this show. I'm not sure how they would go beyond this season but I would enjoy it. The storytelling, sets, the location of Tokyo is so very Michael Mann driven. It felt a bit like a Japanese version of Heat. Sato, the reluctant oyabun. Samantha, in over her head. The rampant corruption felt like something out of the Wire. I hope HBO sees the value in these kind of shows.

I heard this come on the other day but skipped over it since I hadn't finished the show. Fresh Air on NPR had a 38 minute interview with the real Jake Adelstein. It was from 2009 when his memoir came out. I may pick that up as a future read.

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/22/1239879553/an-american-reporter-offers-a-first-hand-account-of-japans-toughest-crime-bosses

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Updawg

Updawg 2266

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Just binged it over the past few weeks. Thought it was really good and didn’t realize there were only two seasons. Is a good stopping point if that’s what happens. Now I need to find something new to binge

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kingkoopa6

kingkoopa6 8345

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25 minutes ago, Updawg said:

Just binged it over the past few weeks. Thought it was really good and didn’t realize there were only two seasons. Is a good stopping point if that’s what happens. Now I need to find something new to binge

Shogun

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mdmost

mdmost 42999

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Completely unsurprising when HBO cancels quality shows like this and Perry Mason. I don't feel HBO has been about continuing their run of quality shows in a quite a time.

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LCHorn

LCHorn 2615

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6 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Completely unsurprising when HBO cancels quality shows like this and Perry Mason. I don't feel HBO has been about continuing their run of quality shows in a quite a time.

I’m going to have to disagree there-I was kinda shocked Tokyo Vice got a second season in the first place.  I didn’t watch Perry Mason, but same deal, shocked there was a second season because it just didn’t catch on.  
 

I don’t think the modern entertainment market is just set up to support a Wire or a Treme, even on HBO.  WB-Discovery is just way too over-leveraged and can’t afford to let things build for three seasons in the hope that subscribers will catch on.  Plus, now they can track all that shit on their app and are going to mirror Netflix and kill off pretty decent series because the viewership just doesn’t quite meet expectations.  
 

As to Tokyo Vice, specifically, it felt like they finished their story.  Continuing it would require either a lot of contrivance to bring the same characters together, or you just peel off Jake and maybe Katagiri and tell a new story.  Given the presumed viewership I can see why they would rather roll the dice on a different property.  
 

I don’t know Sarah Aubrey but have some connections in common (and she grew up in Austin) so have followed her career since she was the production partner for Peter Berg.  She has a really great taste without being a snob.  I can’t recall if she was hired before or after Vice was put into production (probably after), but I definitely think it’s the kind of property she’d want to support if the viewers could find it.  

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mdmost

mdmost 42999

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Maybe I'm just bitter for HBO before Max and streaming were a thing. I understand where you're coming from and agree to a point. I feel like these type of high quality, low viewership shows that are allowed to breathe are only on places like Hulu and Apple+ going forward. But I get it. HBO needs to make money and can't keep losing money on shows like this.  

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LCHorn

LCHorn 2615

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21 minutes ago, mdmost said:

Maybe I'm just bitter for HBO before Max and streaming were a thing. I understand where you're coming from and agree to a point. I feel like these type of high quality, low viewership shows that are allowed to breathe are only on places like Hulu and Apple+ going forward. But I get it. HBO needs to make money and can't keep losing money on shows like this.  

If it's somewhat soothing, Amazon and Apple+ both appear indifferent to profits (I'm sure that will change).  Both are taking BIG swings.  I don't have access to anything internal, but I'd be flabbergasted if the analytics remotely justified the rights and production cost of The Rings of Power (and I don't think the critical response was sufficient that they might think "this is really good, we just need to promote it more"), yet they greenlit a second season. 

Apple is basically HBO from the 2000's without the "VP of Tits" that everyone would joke about when the trip to the Bada Bing included nipple shots or we had a tracking shot through Littlefingers' bordello. 

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