QuickTidal, on 06 April 2022 - 03:06 PM, said:
TOKYO VICE
I realize this is based on a book by a real white reporter who worked/works in Japan….but we didn’t need it to be adapted to get a cool late-90's-set Yakuza/Tokyo based Japanese crime thriller tv show…and the fact that it was shot with multiple SA accused Ansel Elgort makes it even worse.
Like I would 100% be the audience for this….but the white lead just makes me annoyed, and beyond Elgort being as interesting as wet beige paste, he’s also been credibly accused of being pretty heinous...so I have less than no interest now. Which sucks because there is some cool Japanese talent in this.
Like HBO.... Keigo Higashino's, Detective Galileo series is RIGHT THERE.....but no instead we get "white guy moves to Japan and becomes a reporter working with cops there...because gods forbid we have a fully Japanese cast and leads. Gotta have a doofy American white guy lead.
So I have to take most of this back. I have watched half the season of TOKYO VICE so far, and it's really compelling. I didn't want to like it. But it's really quite good (probably Michael Mann's influence?). Ken Watanabe fucking STEALS his role.
Anyways, check it out, it's on HBO MAX (Crave in Canada).
EDIT: Just wanted to add two complaints though.
1. The Yakuza speaking so much English...the actual Yakuza are mostly far right nationalists, and therefore would not speak English that much or even want to....nor do I feel they would have even talked to Jake...but that's neither her nor there. The portions in English in this show feel totally needless anyways since so much of it is in Japanese and Elgorts Japanese is incredible. Why even bother to have any English?
2. The hostess plot line needs tidying up, it's messy and feels superfluous at times...even though I'm sure it's not.
This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 27 May 2022 - 03:30 PM
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