Shogun Fans, This 92%-Rated Yakuza Show from Miami Vice Creator Is Your Next Watch

The first four episodes of Shogun, a sweeping historical drama based on the acclaimed novel by James Clavell, have already dropped on Hulu.

The episodes that have already been released promise that the story will be a truly fascinating and vibrant military epic. With six more episodes to go, if Shogun stays on the same level or even picks up steam, it will become something truly memorable and perhaps even iconic.

The project has all the makings of a great future and all that remains is to keep up the bar. After all, when a show is compared to a veteran like Game of Thrones, it has to live up to certain expectations.

If you are not one of the patient ones and a true Netflix child who has gotten used to the fact that all episodes are dropped at once, then we have an option for you on how to fill the void between the premieres of new episodes of Shogun.

What is Tokyo Vice About?

Tokyo Vice is produced by Michael Mann, director of such cult films as Heat, The Last of the Mohicans, and The Insider. Mann has his own signature style, which he has been true to since the release of his first high-profile project, Miami Vice, a series that completely changed the television in the 1980s.

The events of this crime neo-noir take place in 1999. The main character of Tokyo Vice is an American, Jake, who becomes a reporter for a Japanese newspaper and an insider in the Japanese police force.

An unbelievable combination, if not for the real-life prototype – journalist Jake Adelstein, who in fact was the first American hired as a reporter for a Japanese newspaper, which he later described in his book Tokyo Vice, on which the show is based.

Jake eventually realizes that the city's crime rate is artificially low, and that the Yakuza’s influence have reached the police and journalists. In his ambitious quest to achieve at least some justice, he meets an experienced detective, a young criminal, and an American woman working in a nightclub.

Tokyo Vice Is a Gripping Neo-Noir With Impressive Visuals

One of the producers of the series was Destin Daniel Cretton, director of Shang-Chi and The Legend of the Ten Rings. At the time of its release, the film surprised fans with its rich visual style, which borrowed heavily from classic Asian action films.

And in this project, it was combined with the rare talent of Michael Mann. The result is a truly gritty crime noir.

Tokyo Vice is a slow and contemplative project. The plot doesn't start to pick up speed until the third episode, but it's the rich visuals that keep you from getting bored.

You won’t even want to skip the opening credits: it's a work of art in itself, reminiscent of True Detective and traditional Yakuza tattoos at the same time.

There is not a lot of violence, but when it happens, it is done in an extremely aesthetic way. And in this respect, Tokyo Vice is much closer to classic samurai films than to most Western action movies.

Where to Stream Tokyo Vice?

The show has an impressive audience score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, so what are you waiting for? Tokyo Vice is available on Max.