Ninth Step Station is a

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting said to focus on a combination of "low-life and high tech". It features futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyberwa ...

buddy cop Buddy cop is a film and television genre with plots involving two people of very different and conflicting personalities who are forced to work together to solve a crime and/or defeat criminals, sometimes learning from each other in the process. ...

crime drama Crime film is a film belonging to the crime fiction genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and fiction. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine with many other genres, such as Drama (film and television), dr ...

series published by Serial Box. Its authors include

Malka Older Malka Ann Older is an American author, academic, and humanitarian aid worker. She was named the 2015 Senior Fellow for Technology and Risk at the Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs, and has more than eight years' experience in hu ...

, Fran Wilde, Jacqueline Koyanagi, and Curtis C. Chen. The plot focuses on an American

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

who is sent to work with the Tokyo Police Force after a war divides Tokyo between Chinese and American control. Emma Higashi (the American officer) works with Miyako Koreda (a Japanese investigator) to solve crimes throughout the city. The first season was released in March 2019, and the production has been renewed for a second season.

Plot Summary

After China invades Japan, Tokyo is divided between American and Chinese control. A fragile balance of power develops. Emma Higashi, an American Peacekeeper, is assigned to work with Miyako Koreda of the Tokyo Police in an effort to warm international relations. Emma assists the Tokyo police department in investigating crimes. Though they are initially incompatible, Emma and Miyako develop a friendship. Throughout the first season, tensions arise between organized crime syndicates, the Chinese government, American peacekeeping forces, the Japanese government, and Japanese Resistance fighters opposed to foreign occupation. These groups fight for control of a divided Tokyo, leaving Emma and Miyako caught in the crossfire. As the fragile political system deteriorates, Emma and Miyako must work together to prevent international incidents. Eventually, high-ranking politicians are assassinated and China invades Tokyo's buffer zones in a bid for more power, sparking an outright war.

Reception

The series received praise for the realism and political complexity of the setting, comparing Tokyo's presentation with the division of

East East is one of the four cardinal directions or points of the compass. It is the opposite direction from west and is the direction from which the Sun rises on the Earth. Etymology As in other languages, the word is formed from the fact that ea ...

and

West Berlin West Berlin ( or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin from 1948 until 1990, during the Cold War. Although West Berlin lacked any sovereignty and was under military occupation until German reunification in 1 ...

during the

Cold War The Cold War was a period of global Geopolitics, geopolitical rivalry between the United States (US) and the Soviet Union (USSR) and their respective allies, the capitalist Western Bloc and communist Eastern Bloc, which lasted from 1947 unt ...

. The use of drone technology, body modification, and advanced forensic technology were also praised for their present-day social relevance. The series was also praised for its high-quality sound design and narration. Some reviewers believed that the overarching narrative was compelling but criticized the simplicity of the individual criminal cases. Other reviews highlighted the complex issues explored in the series, including

misogyny Misogyny () is hatred of, contempt for, or prejudice against Woman, women or girls. It is a form of sexism that can keep women at a lower social status than Man, men, thus maintaining the social roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been wide ...

colonialism Colonialism is the control of another territory, natural resources and people by a foreign group. Colonizers control the political and tribal power of the colonised territory. While frequently an Imperialism, imperialist project, colonialism c ...

, and

racism Racism is the belief that groups of humans possess different behavioral traits corresponding to inherited attributes and can be divided based on the superiority of one Race (human categorization), race or ethnicity over another. It may also me ...

List of Episodes

References

{{reflist 2019 science fiction novels Crime drama Cyberpunk novels Science fiction novel series