HBO Max is offering a wealth of great projects with the hope of passing Netflix one day. The movies and shows on HBO Max all bring something unique to the table, and just this month, the streaming platform unleashed a new show looking to make waves with fans.
Tokyo Vice is a new series with a lot of potential for HBO. The true story behind the show is fascinating, and if its debut season becomes a hit, then HBO will lean on the show's popularity moving forward.
So, is this show worth the watch? We have all the details below!
'Tokyo Vice' Just Debuted
April 2022 marked the debut of Tokyo Vice on HBO Max. Based on the book series of the same name, HBO is the lucky provider that got the rights to bring the series to life, and it has been generating quite the buzz.
So, what is Tokyo Vice about?
According to Collider, "The all-new crime thriller series follows American journalist Jake Adelstein (Ansel Elgort), who relocates to Tokyo in the 90s, with the ambition to join the country’s leading newspaper as the first foreigner to become a crime reporter at the publication. As a rookie, he comes across crimes and questionable incidents and faces constant roadblocks in his path to uncover the truth, until he meets Hiroto Katagiri (Ken Watanabe), a seasoned vice detective. Together, Katagiri and Adelstein start to explore the murky world of the yakuza, as the veteran cop teaches the young reporter how to tread the life-threatening path he has chosen."
The premise alone should be more than enough to get people interested in checking the show out, but there is a ton of talent in the cast, as well. This is a potent combination, and it is one that HBO clearly felt comfortable with.
Now that the show is doing its best to leave a mark on HBO Max, it's important to hear what critics are saying about it.
Critics Are Enjoying It
Over at Rotten Tomatoes, the first season of Tokyo Vice is sitting with an 85% rating from critics. So far, 40 professionals have given the inaugural season a review, and it seems as though the series is doing all the right things so far.
John Doyle of Globe and Mail gave the project a good review, saying, "At times Tokyo Vice teases that a gritty, fast-paced thriller is about to ignite, but it pulls back, taking time and space to reveal that, really, the central character is not the foreigner Jake, but it is Tokyo itself in all its complicated moods."
Patrick Ryan of USA Today, however, was not as impressed.
"For all its visual pleasures, “Tokyo Vice” is guilty of sidelining its most fascinating characters. And with so many other streaming shows fighting for our attention, that’s a punishable offense," Ryan wrote.
There is always going to be somewhat of a divide between critics, but an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes certainly indicates that the majority of professionals enjoy the show.
It's always good to get a barometer of how professionals are viewing the show, but it is equally important to see what audiences are saying and how they are reacting to the show.
Is It Worth The Watch?
So, is HBO Max's Tokyo Vice worth the watch? Well, if audiences are to be believed, then yes, it is definitely worth the watch.
Over on Rotten Tomatoes, the current audience score is sitting at a whopping 91%, which is even higher than the critics score. So far, 100 audience members have left a review, and overall, they seem to be enjoying the show.
One user, who previously read the source material, left a great review of the show.
"It's a great show. I read the book some time ago and I never thought that book can be adapted in the way that does. In the dramatization of the other characters, besides Jake, the only perspective in the book was himself, which adds new perspectives and plots. I really like that show," they wrote.
However, there were some who didn't like much about it at all.
"Weak development and characters. Bad acting all the way around with a flat dialogue. Super annoying to constantly watch the protagonist constantly playing with his hair...is this a Vidal Sassoon commercial?," a user wrote.
Overall, Tokyo Vice seems worth the watch, so be sure to check it out over on HBO Max.
