Episode 12

Like a New Man is the fourth episode of the second season of Tokyo Vice.
==Synopsis==
As the new yakuza task force takes off, Ishida calls a summit. While Sato and Hayama join forces, Katagiri and Jake investigate a mysterious return.Official Tokyo Vice Synopsis from Max website
==Summary==
Within his office, Ishida sits with Hiroto and asks why he held two of his men for two weeks in prison. Hiroto answers that they resisted arrest during the raid at the Hishinuma-Kai HQ. Still, Ishida asks that the imprisoned men, Ishida and Murase, be released. However, Hiroto refuses, citing the new rules the police now follow and warning him of the changing times that are now occurring. He ends by suggesting that the Chihara-Kai be shut down. Ishida gets up from his seat and claims that Hiroto is ignorant of the fact that Yakuza holds back the true chaos from reaching society; without it, there's no Japan. Standing up from his seat, Hiroto says that he gave his warning to him and leaves.
At the Meicho Shimbun Newspaper HQ, Jake with his colleagues listens to Baku report about how the cops took down the Hishinuma-Kai and then, last night, the Jinmon-Kai. Baku notes how the police are tight-lipped about how they're handling their arrest protocols by taking down the Yakuza clans. Hence, Baku wants Jake to double down on their contacts for intel, and he orders Jake to work on it, too, citing that it supersedes his current workflow. Understanding this, everyone is dismissed and leaves Baku's office.
Elsewhere, Sato plays Street Fighter II against his brother Kaito and loses against him. Sato then asks if Kaito is seeing any girls on his campus, and he tells him that Hayama introduced him to one at Kabukicho. Upon hearing this, Sato demands that Kaito stay away from Hayama, citing the danger he poses and their line of work. On the other hand, Kaito refuses, sticks around Hayama, and leaves the arcade, making Sato frustratedly call out to his brother.
Standing around the police HQ parking building, Jake spots Hiroto, and Shoko arrives via car and approaches them. Hiroto greets Jake and introduces him to his new boss, Shoko. Jake politely bows toward Shoko, who completely ignores him, and after that, Jake asks the two about the recent police aids against the Yakuza. Hiroto was surprised that Jake was working on a Yakuza case, and Jake cited that all of his co-workers were. Still, Hiroto couldn't speak about it, which Jake understands, but asks for an off-the-record comment. Shoko then steps in and claims that Hiroto is unavailable to the press, and with that, the two walk away, leaving Jake.
Ishida holds a summit with all of the local Yakuza clans. He reports how, within two weeks, two Yakuza clans were taken down, and the police don't plan on stopping from there. One of the members demands to know the police officers' names so he can take care of them, while another argues that it'd add more flame to the fire. At that moment, Tozawa arrives with Yabuki by his side, right as Ishida advises his colleagues to stay united or else they'll become vulnerable. Tozawa agreed with Ishida's wise words.
A Yakuza named Ichikawa states that Tozawa has returned, and he confirms it, but Tozawa mentions his disdain that the Chihara-Kai has been stealing his property from him. Understanding Tozawa's claim, Ishida tries to reason with Tozawa, claiming there's more at stake than territory at the time. However, Tozawa claims that it's not about territory, but honor and asks the other people there if they're with Ishida or him.
Ishida then asks all of the Yazuza sitting at the table to leave briefly as he talks with Tozawa. After they do, Tozawa approaches Ishida and notes how far of a fall it'd be if someone fell from the height they're at. He continues if Ishida plans to overthrow him, but Ishida argues that it'd solve none of their problems. Tozawa asks if the issue at hand is mutual, and Ishida claims that it is, and they should put the "petty" grievances behind them, though Tozawa takes offense to the use of the word, petty. He recites when Ishida had him beg on his knees in front of him, and Ishida retorts with the question of whether Tozawa recalls why. Despite Tozawa sending someone to kill him at his home, Ishida puts aside his grudge and moves on, but Tozawa claims he's not so magnanimous. Before stepping away to leave, Tozawa claims that Ishida looks tired and should try taking a vacation as it's done wonders for him. Ishida stops him and warns Tozawa that if he lights the fire, it's him that'll burn. Tozawa gives no response and leaves.
Emi reports to Baku about her investigation into the A/V Department, where the fire destroyed the evidence they had. She claims that none of them were responsible for the fire. Hearing this, Baku claims that the cause of the fire would have been faulty wiring, and Emi asks if he believes what he's saying. Baku claims that it's more believable than Emi's proposal, which Emi agrees with but argues the possibility of her being right. To that point, Baku will use his contacts with the paper to investigate the fire discreetly and denies Emi's offer to help, citing she has work to do, and he'll take it from there. Following Baku's signaling to leave, Emi leaves Baku's office, though she shows visible frustration that she can't help.
At Club Polina, Samantha explains how to acquire the train station's name from a map located at Masa's house. Samantha considers it lucky that Masa had invited her to his home for dinner, and Sato then warns her that she must deliver what she promised Ishida. If she doesn't, Sato notes his uncertainty about being able to help her. However, Samantha was boldly confident that she'd be able to deliver.
Afterward, Sato visits Erika's apartment and is met by Daichi at the front door, who hands Sato a toy samurai sword. Entering the apartment, Daichi closely follows Sato from behind, and when Erika appears, she thanks Sato for picking her up. She notices Sato is in a situation with her son and briefly leaves so the two can settle things. The two then duel, and Sato faints "dead" on the couch. Daichi then notices the tattoo on Sato's arm and claims that his father had the same kind.
Erika then enters the scene and details that the babysitter has arrived. Before Sato can get up, Daichi claims that he can't since he's "dead", and Sato argues that some dead people come back to life, like around O-Bon. Understanding the situation, Daichi asks if Sato will return and play one day, and Erika claims he will.
At the Meicho, Jake tries to contact Misaki, but his call goes to her voicemail, so he leaves her a message. Trendy then approaches Jake and asks him if he's found anything, but Jake answers he hasn't. He goes on to claim that through his investigation, there's no law that allows the police to arrest and detain Yakuza like they are. When Trendy asked him if he had learned anything from Hiroto, Jake answered no and had no luck with the Hishinuma lawyer either. Trendy then changes the subject to the person Jake left a voicemail to, and Jake complimented Trendy's astute nature as a reporter. However, Trendy then mentions that Tin-Tin had seen her somewhere, but Jake claims that their relationship together is over. Jake then asks if there's any Japanese context where a woman doesn't return a man's calls, besides "Go Fuck Yourself", to which Trendy answers no and then leaves Jake.
Later, Trendy meets Jason at a bar. The two talk about whether Jason works for the FBI or not, which Jason claims he doesn't; he works for the State Department. They then talk about Lynn, whom Jason works with but not under. Jason goes on to explain that he's a paper pusher and lists some of his job responsibilities. As their conversation continues, Jason asks if there's a more fun place they can go to.
Trendy takes Jason to an upbeat gay club, where the two meet with one of the patrons that Trendy knows. Jason introduces himself to the patron; however, after Jason explains his line of work, he asks for the patron's line of work, but he dances around the question and leaves. Perplexed if he said something wrong, Trendy explains to Jason that the place is where outside things aren't openly discussed. Hearing this, Jason questions whether or not doing the closet is a good thing since it almost killed him, and he now wants to live all of his life in the open, which makes Trendy smile.
In Ishida's office, Hayama notes that he thought Tozawa was sick and dying; Ishida then claims that's what Tozawa wanted them to think. He goes on to state that his men entrapped them into retaking their property from Kabukicho, which would thereby turn the other clans against them and then destroy them. Hayama suggests that they strike first, which Hayama said before, and consequentially ended them all up in their current situation. Ishida then directed his attention to Sato, who stood quietly by and apologized to him for chastising his decision to use guns. To that point, Sato offers to procure some guns; however, Ishida claims he has made arrangements for some. He then orders the two to take a train to Nagano and meet a former member of the Chihara-Kai named Ota to get guns. Although he was banned for his behavior, Ota remains loyal and is to be given some money for his guns.
On the phone with his mother, Wilma, Jake assured her that he had told Jessica he had the plane tickets weeks before. On the other hand, Wilma argues the difference between having and using the plane tickets and notes the importance of him attending his father's party. Understanding his mother's logic, Jake's cell phone starts to buzz, and before he ends his conversation with his mother, he's waiting for a call from a lawyer about a source. Wilma asks Jake to promise her that he'll come to the party, and Jake promises, hangs up, and answers his phone. Misaki was on the other line, and with a smug smirk, Jake agreed to meet her at their usual spot.
In Club Polina's locker room, Joanna compliments Erika's skills at having the men eat out of her hands, and Erika claims it's not how well you act but, how well you listen. Joanna then asks about Erika's relationship with Sato, which she downplays as only getting to know him. Samantha is then mentioned as someone Sato was close with; however, the two no longer share feelings for each other. Hearing this surprised Erika since she had no clue that the two were once a couple; one of the ladies there said that Erika should sort some things out.
While waiting for Misaki at the music theater, she soon arrives, and Jake immediately apologizes to her for the night at the party. However, Misaki warns Jake that Tozawa has returned, and wherever he had gone, it allowed him to recover from his ill health condition fully. Misaki again warns that Jake must stay away from him, and Jake assures her that he's done with stepping on Yakuza's toes like Tozawa. Tearfully, Misaki claims she's not going back to her old life, and before leaving, she kisses Jake goodbye.
Hiroto is shown reading a book on his bed when he receives a call from Jake, who warns him that Tozawa has returned. Curious to know where Jake had learned this from, Jake explains that a reliable source had told him and details that when Tozawa left, he was ill, but upon returning, he fully recovered. Although Hiroto wanted to warn him not to approach Tozawa, Jake already knew that and had no plans, but he wanted to know if Hiroto knew that Tozawa was ill and his location during his absence. After a momentary pause, Hiroto claims that they'll wait until they know that and reminds Jake that patience isn't a weakness, and Jake understands.
Riding on a train heading toward Nagano, Hayama orders two beers from the trolley cart for Sato and himself. Hayama notices Sato's tense appearance and suggests that he loosens up, as stress is a killer. He also mentions that Sato should take a page from his brother's book about relaxing. Upon hearing that, Hayama mentions that although he's grateful for the kindness Hayama did for Kaito, he asks that Hayama not further intrude on his brother's studies. Hayama mentions that Sato sounded like Kaito and his mother, who sounded like a piece of work based on what he'd heard about her from Kaito. Their father is dead, and their mother is screwed up, which doesn't mix well in Hayama's opinion. Still, Sato claims that Kaito is all he has and asks that Hayama leave him be, and he'll be in debt. However, Hayama states that Sato tells his mother that Kaito will be in good hands under him. Sato gives no response, but looks as if he tacitly disapproves of Hayama's answer.
Hiroto exits his home and finds a small vanilla envelope attached to his car's windshield wiper. Inside the envelope were pictures of his daughters on a see-saw.
Spending time with Shingo at a food stand by a river, they each order a croquette. Shingo tells Emi that he mistrusts Baku as he could have burnt the evidence to save the Meicho's reputation. Emi would agree had it not been for Baku's response and his request not to delve further into it. As they enjoy their food, Shingo asks how Kei is doing, and after learning he's doing well, he wonders if his new medication has any effect. Still, Emi isn't too optimistic about the new medication since he can easily revert back to his old ways and do self-harm. She also mentions her fear of losing Kei and her fear of him. On the other hand, she's never been afraid of him. Shingo offers his help, but Emi declines and thinks maybe the medication will work.
Erika stands in Samantha's office and watches as Samantha packs some things in her bag and lists things that she needs to know. However, Erika assures Samantha that she's got everything handled. When she asks if her meeting with Masa is a "Dohan," Samantha dismisses that notion, claiming it's for the club. In response, Erika claims that mixing work with love is a bad combination, and Samantha claims that she knows that from experience. As Samantha prepares herself a drink, Erika asks why she was never told about Sato and her former relationship. Samantha asks if she should have, then asks if the two are a couple, and Erika first says no, but follows up with not yet. Surprised by the revelation, Samantha then asks why Erika didn't tell her about it, which Erika admits that she should have. To her own admission, Erika claims that she's uncertain whether or not she should be with another Yakuza. Hence, Samantha claims you should be open to what you want from him. Smiling at what Samantha said, Erika claims that Samantha is now the wise Mama-san, and Samantha leaves with that.
At a lawyer's office building, Jake visits a lawyer named Sawada, who represents the Hishinuma-Kai. There, Jake listens to Sawada's take on the police's brute force in taking down Hishinuma and his clan. Sawada mentions that the law against the Hishinuma-Kai was one that's only used against political agitators, and called the Obstruction of Police Duty. Sawada pleads to Jake to report on this, and Jake claims he will.
As Jake walks down the building's stairs, he talks to someone to report to Emi his findings about how the police arrested the Hishinuma-Kai members and quickly hides out of sight from Tozawa and his group of people. Against Hiroto's warning, Jake flags a taxi and has it follow the Mercedes that Tozawa was in.
Hayama and Sato arrive at the Nagano train station, where Hayama complains about the cold weather. They soon meet with Ota, and both Hayama and Ota instantly happily reconcile. When Ota asks who Sato is, Ota calls him Sugar, as his name is synonymous with sugar substance. When Ota states that the guns are at his place, he enlists Sato to drive his truck there. Before they leave, Sato asks why Hayama didn't tell him that he knew Ota, to which, Hayama claims that Sato is stressing over things again. With that, the three get into Ota's truck and drive off.
Jake follows Tozawa to a building, and instead of entering it, Jake writes down the building's name and leaves the scene.
Meanwhile, Masa drives Samantha to his house. There, Samantha is amazed by the ocean view and asks for a tour of his home, which Masa is pleased to do. After listing off where all of the rooms in his house were, Masa showed Samantha his workroom, and she noticed the suitcase that Masa was fiddling with. Mentioning that there's no ocean view in that room, Masa opens one of the sliding wood curtains and shows Samantha the view of the ocean to Samantha.
Switching back over to Sato's group, they arrive at Ota's house, and Sato returns Ota's truck keys. Hayama then asks why Ota lives where he does since he wouldn't be able to find a wife out there, to which Ota responds why does he need a wife when there are plenty of bears to keep him company?
Inside Ota's house, Hayama asks where the guns are, and Ota answers that his supplier won't arrive until tomorrow, claiming they're better with guns than schedules. Ota offers the two a drink, but Sato notes that this is against their agreement and cites that he'll try to contact Ishida. However, Hayama claims that Sato can, but the reception is terrible, and then asks Sato to fetch some firewood. Frustrated by the turn of events, Sato does, and outside, Sato sees Hayama and Ota interact with each other from the outside window.
Masa chops some carrots as the song Midnight Pretenders plays in the background. Samantha sits at the dining room table and watches Masa with a glass of wine in hand. She then starts to dance to the song's tune, and Masa joins her. When they're done, Masa continues cutting the carrots, and as he does, Samantha searches through his work area for the name of the station he's working on. Once she finds it, Samantha takes a picture of it and tries to cover up any evidence of her tampering, but leaves the clip on the bag where the train station name was located. The two would then run into each other in the hallway when Masa revealed to Samantha that he cut his finger while chopping the carrots. So, Samantha suggests they get him a band-aid for it.
Tin-Tin is shown preparing a cake with icing until Jake contacts him. Jake asks for information on a building called Minato-ku, Higashigawa, and address 752, while also stating that Tozawa is back. Finished with his call with Tin-Tin, Jake calls someplace to order the use of a company car.
At Emi's apartment, she talks to brother Kei about how his mood has improved since taking the new medication. However, things take a sad turn when Kei asks if their parents returned to Korea because of him since he suspects they're afraid of him after he struck their mother. Kei then asks if Emi is afraid of him, and she denies that notion. He then mentions that Emi had her whole life ahead of her when she was in college in Chicago, but she had to return because of him. However, Emi also denies ever hating Kei, who then asks if he'd ever meet her boyfriend, which had Emi perplexed. Kei then asks if Emi was ashamed to introduce her boyfriend to him, but Emi denies that, too, claiming she's worried about whether it'd be good for him. Curiously, Kei asks if Emi's boyfriend is good and treats her well, which she confirms; Kei notes that since their father isn't there, he has to look out for her. Hence, Kei requests to meet the man, and the two then share a laugh.
Jake is briefly shown in the passenger seat of a car, where he takes pictures of a car that Tozawa was in and requests the driver to follow the car Tozawa was in.
Samantha finishes the meal served to her by Masa, who details how he learned how to cook like that while studying architecture in London. He felt homesick, so he taught himself how to cook to feel closer to home. Masa then asks if Samantha ever felt homesick and where she originally was from, and she answers no, saying that she is from Utah. Samantha claims she wanted more for her life, which Masa could relate to. Samantha then asks Masa if he has a wife and kids, to which he answers no; it's just him and his work, and Samantha could also relate to it. They'd then share a kiss together.
Back to Jake, who continues his pursuit of Tozawa. Although he asked his driver to wait for him, the driver's shift was over, and he left him. Jake then hides his camera in his bag and tries to get let into the building by lying to security, saying he's late for a client's English class. However, Jake isn't allowed entry due to not having an appointment.
Sato sits in the living room of Ota's home, where he watches Hayama and Ota drink together and do a knife game, where Ota stabs himself amid it. They then ask if Sato packs a good knife, which Sato shows him, and it draws a laugh from the two at how small it is. Displeased by their responses, Sato uses the toilet. When he exits it, he finds the place dimly lit and is then tackled to the ground by Hayama and is forced to play the stabbing knife game by both Ota and Hayama. However, amid this, Hayama gets stabbed in the leg by Ota, and although Ota plays it off, he gets punched by Hayama, proceeds to pummel him to the floor, and then stabs him. Sato then pulls the agitated Hayama off of the now bleeding Ota, who complained about how much pain he was in.
Meanwhile, Samantha was about to be driven home from Masa's house, but he forgot something in his workstation. When he returns to Samantha, he asks her if she went through his bag.
Sato chastises Hayama for what he had done and to handle the situation, so Hayama kills Ota by slicing his neck and orders Sato to wipe the place down of fingerprints. Sato looks at him with a tad perplexed visage, but Hayama laughs and notes that he was joking. Hayama then proceeds into Ota's garage and gets an old jacket. With a canister of gasoline, Hayama doses the place with it along with Ota's corpse and sets the place on fire. Outside, Sato tries to open Ota's truck door, but it won't open because they don't have the keys. Hayama then asks Sato if he wants to take the truck; he'd better go inside Ota's burning house to fetch the keys. Cursing the situation, the two walk off from there.
Tozawa had a meeting with Nakahara, and Nakahara expressed surprise that Tozawa had come back after a long time since he needed time off. Skipping straight to business, Tozawa requests that Nakahara step down as the organization's head as his ways are too old-fashioned. However, Nakahara claims that Tozawa was a fortunate street punk who married into a powerful family and chastised him to know his place. Getting up from his seat, Nakahara demands that Tozawa be taken away, but is left shocked to learn that his men now answer to Tozawa. Despite Nakahara warning Tozawa that when word gets out of his ousting, he'll pay for his actions, which Tozawa expects.
Outside, Jake is seen pacing back and forth until he witnesses Nakahara fall to his death, which he is left in complete shock about.
==Characters==
* Hitoshi Ishida
* Hiroto Katagiri
* Kobayashi (Mentioned)
* Murase (Mentioned)
* Jake Adelstein
* Baku
* Emi Maruyama
* Tin-Tin
* Trendy
* Kaito Sato
* Akiro Sato
* Shoko Nagata
* Tozawa
* Yabuki
* Ichikawa
* Samantha Porter
* Daichi
* Erika
* Jason Aoki
* Lynn Oberfield (Mentioned)
* Willa Adelstein
* Jessica Adelstein (Mentioned)
* Edward Adelstein (Indirectly mentioned)
* Joanna
* Misaki
* Rie Sato (Mentioned)
* Shingo Murata
* Kenji
* Sawada
* Ota
* Masahiro Ohno
* Kei Maruyama
* Nakahara
==Episode Images==
Episode 12 Image 1.jpg
Episode 12 Image 2.jpg
Episode 12 Image 3.jpg
Episode 12 Image 4.jpg
Episode 12 Image 5.jpg
Episode 12 Image 6.jpg
Episode 12 Image 7.jpg
Episode 12 Image 8.jpg
Episode 12 Image 10.jpg
Episode 12 Image 11.jpg
Episode 12 Image 12.jpg
==Trivia==
* The arcade version of Street Fighter II: The World Warrior.
* Aran Tomoko's song Midnight Pretenders is featured in this episode.
==References==
Category:Episodes