'Tokyo Vice': What events led to Jake reporting on the Yakuza?
'Tokyo Vice' is one of those shows that call for your undivided attention. Though it's a bit of a slow-burner at times, the HBO Max series is worth the time it takes to unfurl.
Loosely based on a non-fiction book/memoir by Jake Adelstein, 'Tokyo Vice' stars Ansel Elgort (who plays Jake) and Ken Watanabe, among others. Starting in the capital city of Japan in the late 90s, the show quickly but effectively gives us glimpses of Jake's life prior to him being a part of Meicho (read Yomiuri) Shimbun as a reporter. We see him prepare meticulously for the test at Shimbun, and Jake seems to ace it, finishing 10 minutes ahead of his competitors. However, just when it's time to hand over the transcripts, he realizes that he has missed out on an entire side. Sadly, he hands it over as he can't do anything about it.
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Owing to his high score, Jake lands the gig at Shimbun, despite him missing an entire set of questions. Jake reveals to the panel interviewing him that his father was a coroner and that he often accompanied him to crime scenes. The experiences made Jake's interest in forensics bloom and he eventually realized that he wanted to become a crime writer. He is assigned to the police beat, the place where rookies start from, and is tasked with writing about a man who was found dead with multiple slashes on his body.
Jake doesn't just write about what is disclosed by the police — he also conducts his own investigation, during which he finds out that the deceased had received multiple letters of warning from a mysterious organization and that he was a loan defaulter. When he tries to incorporate his findings into his report, Jake's copy is rejected by his superiors at Shimbun. He approaches a policeman called Miyamoto after this but their conversation is cut short due to Miyamoto being summoned to a scene where a man is attempting to self-immolate.
Unfortunately, the man takes his own life and as the crime scene is being cleared, Jake notices a matchbox carrying the same logo as the letters he had found earlier. He probes further and it's revealed that the lenders were Yakuza and their treatment of defaulters is what drove the man to suicide. It's not clear whether the Yakuza are also involved in the previous death but their money lending activities make Jake suspicious and he consciously starts reporting on them.
The first 3 episodes of 'Tokyo Vice' are available for streaming on HBO Max. The remaining episodes will drop on Thursdays, starting April 14.
