Season 2 - 10 episodes (2024)
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Created by: J.T. Rogers
Starring: Koshi Uehara, Ansel Elgort, Ken Watanabe, Rachel Keller, Shô Kasamatsu, Ayumi Tanida
Rated: TV-MA
Watch the trailer
Plot
A Western journalist working for a publication in Tokyo takes on one of the city's most powerful crime bosses.
Verdict
I like the exploration of Yakuza culture more than the actual plot. The plot is the old bring down the bad guy, but it's the setting that makes that story fresh. We see Japan through a displaced Westerner. That and we explore more characters this season, those in and around the Yakuza. Season one set the stage, this season is the pursuit. The final episode is amazing. All the character arcs meet in one point and it makes the entire season better. It's a satisfying conclusion to the season.
Watch It.
Review
I enjoyed season one despite ending with a big cliff hanger. The setting makes this show. It's fun to see Japan and the Yakuza through a reporter, a Yakuza member, a veteran cop, and a woman running a club. It's a world we don't often see, and this focuses on the hierarchy and traditions of the Yakuza.
Reporter Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort) and cop Katagiri (Ken Watanabe) teamed up to take down Yakuza boss Tozawa (Ayumi Tanida) in Season 1. They didn't realize just how connected he was. Jake has moved on, chasing a story about a motorcycle gang.
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| Ken Watanabe, Ansel Elgort play Hiroto Katagiri, Jake Adelstein |
Tozawa returns and you know there's going to be a showdown, violence, or both. He wants to consolidate power and appoint himself at the top. He was sick in season one, but he seems better now. While Jake and Katagiri still want to investigate Tozawa, he doesn't play by the rules. Tracking him puts everyone you care about at risk.
Episode five is the jumping off point where we learn how Tozawa recovered and Akiro Sato's (Shô Kasamatsu) gang is shaken up and he gets the potential for a promotion. Jake, Katagiri, and Sato all have to ask themselves is it worth. All of them face risks. With the potential to bring down Tozawa, Jake and Katagiri decide the dangers are worth it.
Near the end of the season it seems Tozawa is in a position to win. Jake is on the run, having to ask a Yakuza gang to protect him. Everything comes to a point in the final episode. We've been following all of these characters and they all end up in one spot. We've never seen everyone together. The final episode does such a great job of wrapping the season and character arcs. Everything we've seen this season leads to this moment. A satisfying and earned conclusion is a great end the season. While the show hasn't been renewed, the creator has stated he has ideas for another season.
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