Only weeks after completing its first season,Tokyo Vicehas been renewed for its second season atHBO Max. This slow-burning but dark and gritty crime drama stars Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe with a supporting ensemble who all give masterclass performances. It’s no wonder that season 2 received an announcement so quickly.A loose adaptation of the book by Jake Adelstein of the same name,HBO Max’sTokyo Vicefollows Jake while he works as the first non-japanese reporter ever for the newspaper company Yomiuri Shinbun. With a desire to see what the neon city is truly like, he dives into the underground world of crime in an effort to expose police corruption.RELATED:Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe Descend Into Japan’s Crime World in First Tokyo Vice TrailerAfter an 8-episode run that lasted from April 7 to June 12, 2025, HBO Max quickly renewedTokyo Vicefor a second season. “We could not be more excited to bring the passionate fans of the show another season to continue this intriguing and suspenseful crime story set in one of the most vibrant and beautiful cities in the world,” said Sarah Aubrey, Head ofOriginal Content at HBO Max. The announcement was shared with a 15-second teaser but it doesn’t give any new information about the contents of season 2.
Tokyo Viceis just one of many crime showsto have aired in recent years. There’s no information on when season 2 will be released, or even when fans will have a chance to see the first complete trailer for it. For now, all fans can do is speculate on what’s coming next. Fans should expect the return of Elgort as Jake Adelstein, Watanabe as Hirito Katagiri, Rachel Keller as Samantha Porter, as well other cast members.
The increase in interest from Western audiences in Japanese Content and Japan-based content is no surprise. Anime has been in Western Markets since the 1950s but has been heavily censored for its target audiences. It’s seen a massive increase in interest in the past few years due to manystreaming services like Netflix, HBO Max, Hulu, and Amazon Prime adding anime to their catalogues as well as producing anime content of their own. Narrative films have also seen an increased interest in Japanese Markets. Western and Japanese production companies have increased collaboration on different projects, includingTokyo Vice.
Overall fan response and critic response toTokyo Vicehas been positive, but viewers may be skeptical about watching a true-crime show based in a different country for several reasons. They may not understand the culture of the country or be able to relate to characters. Elgort has also been the center of controversy in the past few years, causing many to boycottSteven Speilberg’s 2021 adaptation ofWest Side Storysolely because of his role in it.
