Tokyo Vice

Once again led by the charismatic duo of Ansel Elgort and Ken Watanabe as unlikely partners in a war nobody appears capable of winning, it remains one of the most compelling, and underrated, shows on television.

“Tokyo Vice” relies on its actors to bring humanity to their characters’ unremitting contradictions as much as it depends on its directors to draw out the series’ rigorous style. Mann, who helmed the pilot, does not return for Season 2 (aside from his executive producer title), but Alan Poul (“Six Feet Under,” “The Eddy”), Josef Kubota Wladyka (“The Terror” Season 2), Takeshi Fukunaga (FX’s upcoming epic “Shōgun”), and others immerse us in an expansive vision of 1999-era Japan.

The series’ scope is expanding, and its formal qualities are tightening. This is a strong batch of episodes that present a narrative confident in where it’s heading. Which is all to say: Halfway through this season, consider us hooked.

Tokyo Vice is stylish, mysterious, and full of powerful acting turns that put a sharp edge on its depiction of the places where crime and violence intersect with tradition and ambition.

The first five installments of the 10-episode season provided for review include a huge action set piece that takes a major player off the board and shakes up the show's universe in a way that propels the season to what should be an exciting second half.

This season of the uneven but unique and compelling Far East crime saga starts off stronger than the series’ first season.

Despite some fatty dialogue and overly earnest performances—or perhaps, unevenly earnest performances—season 2 finds traction. (Only five of 10 episodes were made available for review.) .... There are multiple subplots in "Tokyo Vice," all of which are destined to coalesce. En route to a melding, however, they require one's complete attention, if not a clipboard.