Season 2 comes to BBC One and iPlayer this week.
After a two-year break, crime drama Tokyo Vice returns to the BBC this week, taking viewers on another dangerous journey into the criminal underworld of Japan’s capital city.
Ansel Elgort (West Side Story) and Ken Watanabe (The Creator) once again lead the cast of the suspenseful thriller, playing American journalist Jake Adelstein and seasoned detective Hiroto Katagiri, respectively.
The synopsis (via US streamer Max) teases that this latest chapter put Adelstein and his associates in “terrible danger” as they are dragged “deeper” into the activity of the yakuza.
Hyping the new episodes, creator JT Rogers told MovieWeb: “If season one really was to create the world, to lay the palette, to lay out the silverware as it were, now we’re going to eat.
“War is going to happen, and moral questions are going to become quite gripping for all of our main characters.”
Director Alan Poul added: “The thing that makes Tokyo Vice tick is the depths of the characters and the ways in which we draw close to them and the ways in which all of the repercussions stem from the decisions that they make.”
If you’re intrigued, read on for an overview of the Tokyo Vice cast and characters, before tuning in on BBC One and iPlayer.
Ansel Elgort plays Jake Adelstein
Who is Jake Adelstein? Adelstein is a journalist who moves to Tokyo, starting out by teaching English as a foreign language. He later begins delving into the dangerous criminal underworld of the city, coming up against one of its most formidable bosses.
What else has Ansel Elgort been in? Elgort shot to fame as the co-lead of John Green’s heartbreaking romantic drama The Fault in Our Stars, where he played a teenage cancer patient opposite Shailene Woodley. He went on to bag lead roles in the Divergent films, Edgar Wright’s Baby Driver and, most recently, Steven Spielberg’s acclaimed West Side Story remake.
Ken Watanabe plays Hiroto Katagiri
Who is Hiroto Katagiri? Hiroto is a detective for the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, who ends up working with Jake on cases involving organised crime.
What else has Ken Watanabe been in? Watanabe earned an Academy Award nomination for his performance in period drama The Last Samurai, which brought more Hollywood work his way. His biggest projects include Christopher Nolan films Batman Begins and Inception, 2014’s Godzilla reboot and its sequel King of the Monsters as well as video game adaptation Detective Pikachu.
Rachel Keller plays Samantha Porter
Who is Samantha Porter? Samantha is an American expat who lives in Tokyo and works at a local nightclub, with a varied clientele that makes her a valuable contact.
What else has Rachel Keller been in? Keller came to prominence through collaborations with writer Noah Hawley, starring in both Fargo season 2 and Marvel’s Legion. Her other credits include Netflix‘s short-lived teen drama The Society and true crime series Dirty John.
Hideaki Itō plays Jin Miyamoto
Who is Jin Miyamoto? Another detective in the vice squad of Tokyo’s Metropolitan Police, who works closely with Jake when he joins the force.
What else has Hideaki Itō been in? Itō is best-known for film and television produced in his home country of Japan, including the action-packed Umizaru franchise and two-part drama March Comes in Like a Lion/March Goes Out Like a Lamb.
Shô Kasamatsu plays Sato
Who is Sato? Sato is an enforcer working for the Yakuza.
What else has Shô Kasamatsu been in? Kasamatsu has acted in Japanese dramas Love You as the World Ends, The Naked Director, Dear Patient and Followers.
Ella Rumpf plays Polina
Who is Polina? Polina is one of Samantha’s colleagues at the Onyx Club in Kabukicho district, whose dreams of becoming a model have worn away as she has sunk deeper into the city’s criminal underworld.
What else has Ella Rumpf been in? Hailing from Switzerland, Rumpf came to international attention following her role in acclaimed indie cannibal drama Raw, which hit cinemas back in 2016. She went on to appear in Netflix’s crime drama Freud and the third season of Succession.
Rinko Kikuchi plays Emi Maruyama
Who is Emi Maruyama? Maruyama is Adelstein’s supervisor at the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department.
What else has Rinko Kikuchi been in? Kikuchi earned high praise and an Academy Award nomination for her performance in psychological drama Babel, while she also co-starred in Guillermo del Toro’s epic blockbuster Pacific Rim. On the small screen, she has appeared in recently cancelled sci-fi drama Westworld and Apple TV+ original Invasion.
Miki Maya as Shoko Nagata
Who is Shoko Nagata? Shoko is a detective from the National Police Agency who arrives in Tokyo with one mission: to stamp out organised crime once and for all. It’s no small undertaking and could put her in the line of fire.
What else has Miki Maya been in? Maya typically works in her home country of Japan, with notable projects including fantasy comedy Once Upon a Crime and legal drama December.
Yōsuke Kubozuka as Naoki Hayama
Who is Naoki Hayama? Hayama is second-in-command to Chihara-kai yakuza clan leader Hitoshi Ishida, who returns to the Tokyo underworld after seven years in prison.
What else has Yōsuke Kubozuka been in? Kubozuka also works primarily in Japan, but did have a role in the BBC’s short-lived (but acclaimed) drama Giri/Haji, as well as Martin Scorsese drama Silence.
Tokyo Vice seasons 1-2 are available to stream on BBC iPlayer.
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