Ninth Step Station is a

cyberpunk Cyberpunk is a subgenre of science fiction in a dystopian futuristic setting that tends to focus on a "combination of lowlife and high tech", featuring futuristic technological and scientific achievements, such as artificial intelligence and cyber ...

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 films, in the broadest sense, is a film genre inspired by and analogous to the crime fiction literary genre. Films of this genre generally involve various aspects of crime and its detection. Stylistically, the genre may overlap and combine ...

series published by

Serial Box Realm, formerly Serial Box, is an American audio entertainment company that creates original fiction podcasts and audiobook series, which include continuations of TV series. Realm’s podcasts feature an array of production styles depending on th ...

. Its authors include

Malka Older Malka 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 humani ...

Fran Wilde Dame Frances Helen Wilde (née Kitching, born 11 November 1948) is a New Zealand politician, and former Wellington Labour member of parliament, Minister of Tourism and Mayor of Wellington. She was the first woman to serve as Mayor of Wellingt ...

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

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations. The meaning of lieutenant differs in different militaries (see comparative military ranks), but it is often sub ...

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 or Orient 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 fa ...

and

West Berlin West Berlin (german: Berlin (West) or , ) was a political enclave which comprised the western part of Berlin during the years of the Cold War. Although West Berlin was de jure not part of West Germany, lacked any sovereignty, and was under mi ...

during the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. 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 women. It is a form of sexism that is used to keep women at a lower social status than men, thus maintaining the societal roles of patriarchy. Misogyny has been widely practiced fo ...

colonialism Colonialism is a practice or policy of control by one people or power over other people or areas, often by establishing colonies and generally with the aim of economic dominance. In the process of colonisation, colonisers may impose their relig ...

, 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 over another. It may also mean prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism ...

List of Episodes

References

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