Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe starrer Tokyo Vice impressed viewers when it premiered its first season back in 2022. The series based on the memoir by Jake Adelstein chronicles Elgort’s character, who is introduced into the dark and dangerous yakuza world in Japan, with Watanabe’s character being his guiding light.
The show recently completed airing its second season in April, with audiences deeming it a satisfying conclusion to the compelling narrative that started with season 1. With the story drawn to a close, Max has canceled the show after season 2. However, the creators of the show want to develop more stories within the world, but fans are not thrilled about it.
Tokyo Vice Creators Have More Stories To Tell Despite the Show’s Cancellation on Max
Tokyo Vice managed to stick the landing with its second season, bringing an emotional and thrilling closure to Jake Adelstein and Hiroto Katagiri’s (played by Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe) arcs that started in season 1. Following this, Max canceled the show after two seasons as it was always planned as a show with a 2 season narrative.
Despite that, the creator and executive producer of the show J. T. Rogers and Alan Poul have expressed in a statement that they have more stories to tell. Although they’re very happy with their partnership with Max and delivering two brilliant seasons, they want more Tokyo Vice and hope to get it made in the future. The statement reads (via Variety),
We’re grateful not only to Max but to our partners Fifth Season, who sold the show around the world and made it a global success story. We know there is more story to tell. Of course, we’ll see what the future holds, but we are indeed grateful to have been able to share this story on Max until now.
While fans are happy with how the show turned out, they are not exactly thrilled with the creators wanting to extend the show unnecessarily. Many pointed out that the narrative of Tokyo Vice came to an end with the second season. Extending it will be a disservice to the show and will deteriorate the show’s legacy. Here are some of the reactions on X,
I think "canceled" sounds more dramatic than the show's reality just concluded.
Not everything has to be drawn out more than it needs to.— kae (@val_kae) June 8, 2024
Bummer… but they did sort of finish the story. No cliffhangers or lose ends. That’s something at least.
— JAY1405 NL (@Jay1405NL) June 8, 2024
makes sense. story got wrapped up already. The book it was based on got completely adapted already anything else wouldn’t be based on the book anymore.
— ~ (@V0lare_Via) June 8, 2024
Should've been a one season limited series. There was no need to stretch out an already falsified story. I enjoyed the first season, but I don't think many people wanted more.
— Ian (@Tokyo_Joey) June 8, 2024
At least it concluded the story.
— Everton Leme (@TadLoad) June 8, 2024
As fans have pointed out, they are highly satisfied with the ending of season 2 of Tokyo Vice and do not feel the need to see more. There have been many instances of shows getting ruined due to unnecessary extensions, and fans fear that the creator’s intentions might lead it to join that undesirable club.
Max Is Thrilled With Tokyo Vice And Its Incredible Two-Season Run
The spokesperson further praised the rich plot, the vivid cinematography, and the committed performances of Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe. The creators of the show also got a great shoutout for having the confidence to tell a gritty crime thriller set in the underbellies of Japan. The statement read (via Variety),
From ‘Tokyo Vice’s’ richly written material to the gorgeously composed shots to the lived-in performances, the care and creativity of this enormously talented cast and crew shines in every frame of the show. We thank J.T., Alan, Ansel, Ken, Fifth Season, and Wowow for their partnership on this wholly unique modern noir thriller.
In addition to Elgort and Watanabe, the show also starred Rachel Keller, Hideaki Itō, Show Kasamatsu, Ella Rumpf, Rinko Kikuchi, Tomohisa Yamashita, Miki Maya, and Yōsuke Kubozuka. Despite not blowing up in the streaming charts, the show remains an overlooked gem. Fans can watch both seasons of Tokyo Vice on Max.
