Ever since its debut in April 2022, Tokyo Vice has not only been one of the best Max original series, but it’s also one of the best shows on TV. There’s a lot that makes J. T. Rogers’ book-to-screen adaptation of Jake Adelstein’s memoir, Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan, such a great experience, but near the top of that list is Ayumi Tanida’s portrayal of Shinzo Tozawa, a mysterious and ruthless yakuza leader.
Throughout the show’s first season, and partway through its sophomore chapter (the Tokyo Vice Season 2 finale drops in April 2024), Tozawa not only established himself as one of the most diabolical characters the series has introduced thus far, but he’s also made a case for himself being one of the best villains on TV right now. Allow me to explain…
Shinzo Tozawa's Intimidating Presence Immediately Grabs Viewers' Attention
As soon as Shinzo Tozawa was introduced early in Tokyo Vice Season 1, you immediately knew that he wasn’t just some low-level thug or criminal with aspirations of running his clan, he was the gang. The look in his eyes, the way he never raises his voice or gets emotional, and just the general way he carries himself all lead you to believe that this is someone you can’t help but watch. The menacing, cold, and collected look in his eyes adds so much to the character who doesn’t even need to speak to get his point across.
Tozawa’s presence transcends language, and without knowing a word of Japanese or reading the subtitles, it’s easy to understand his goals and the rationale behind each one of his decisions, decisions that have ramifications for practically every character on the show.
When Tozawa Isn't On Screen, Even The Shadows Feel Threatening
Another aspect of Shinzo Tozawa’s character that makes him such a great villain is the fact that he feels just as threatening even when he’s not on screen. This phenomenon is experienced throughout much of the first season when Tozawa’s goons, corrupt government officials, and fans do a lot of his dirty work for him. He may not be on screen or controlling every scene, but his plan, his presence, and the fear he puts in people can be felt nonetheless.
One thing I love so much about the two-part Tokyo Vice Season 2 premiere is the fact that Tozawa is nowhere to be seen after leaving the country for a mysterious medical treatment in the Season 1 finale. Though he’s not seen and only mentioned, the yakuza leader is lurking in the shadows and pulling the strings like the devil himself.
The Yakuza Leader's Mysterious Layers Add Another Dimension To His Character
Though we learn more and more about Shinzo Tozawa as the show goes on, it sometimes feels like every revelation is replaced by two more mysteries surrounding him. This adds a layer of mystique and a whole other dimension to the ruthless Yakuza leader, which honestly makes him one of the most interesting characters on the show and in recent TV history.
At times, Tozawa feels like an onion, because as each layer is peeled back there is more and more beneath it, with even greater and more potent mysteries waiting to be uncovered. This approach to the character is nothing short of phenomenal and adds so much to the show overall. This isn’t a simple villain with surface-level aspirations. This is someone whose story goes deeper than that.
At Times, Shinzo Seems Cut From The Same Cloth As The Wire's Stringer Bell
As far as I’m concerned, Idris Elba’s Stringer Bell from The Wire is one of the greatest TV villains of all time and I will stand by that until the day I die. For the first three seasons of David Simon’s landmark HBO crime drama, Bell was a Baltimore druglord who had higher aspirations than the towers of Franklin Terrace and as many corners as possible throughout Charm City, and instead, he wanted to make the Barksdale operation somewhat legitimate and far more powerful.
Shinzo Tozawa is cut from the same cloth, especially in Tokyo Vice Season 2. He has his hands in so many pots and has a level of control with the police and government officials that he’s becoming a force that goes beyond street-level crime. Let’s just hope he doesn’t suffer the same fate as Bell on The Wire, which made for one of the most shocking moments in TV history.
Tozawa's Illness Makes Him Into A Ticking Timebomb, Which Is Incredibly Dangerous
You know what makes a villain even more dangerous – knowing that they don’t have much time left on this Earth. That’s been the case for Tozawa for the entire run of Tokyo Vice as he deals with his failing liver. Though it hasn’t been confirmed at this stage in the game, it has been heavily implied that the yakuza leader was suffering from liver failure throughout the show’s first season, which would explain his deteriorating physical state and his mysterious disappearance at the end of the first chapter.
When Tozawa returned in the third installment of the second season, he was looking better than ever, which detectives theorized was the result of treatment abroad. However, it is also implied that the procedure isn’t a permanent fix, which adds a clock to his life, making him a ticking, and very dangerous, timebomb.
As Crazy As It Sounds, It Looks Like He's Just Getting Started
Shinzo Tozawa has done a lot throughout the first one-and-a-half seasons of Tokyo Vice, and as crazy as it sounds, it looks and feels like he’s just getting started with his master plan to take over the Tokyo crime world and other aspects of Japanese society. I love how series creator and writer J.T. Rogers is allowing Tozawa’s story to cook, much like other major characters on the show, and not rushing things.
As we dive deeper into the ambitious leader’s psyche, desires, and motivations, we’re learning more and more about this multi-faceted and interesting character, who goes above and beyond the typical villain. I am just as interested in his story as I am in Jake Adelstein's (Ansel Elgort) or Hiroto Katagiri’s (Ken Watanabe), which says a lot about his character.
I, for one, can’t wait to see where Shinzo Tozawa's story takes us in the final few episodes of Tokyo Vice’s second season. If you want to check out his journey so far, you can do just that with a Max subscription, which also gives you access to some of the biggest shows on the 2024 TV schedule.
