The Journey to Killing You – Series Review & Episode Guide

Kataoka is a respected yakuza leader. His boss has grown old and frail, unable to manage the organization anymore. Leadership now falls to the boss's son, Keito. After Kataoka gets into a violent clash with a rival gang, tensions rise within their ranks. To prevent further trouble, Keito orders him to lie low for a while. He also assigns Odajima as Kataoka's new handler. Odajima is responsible for keeping the impulsive gang leader under control.

Kataoka is confident, carefree, and dangerously impulsive. He picks fights with civilians over the smallest insults. He treats Odajima like a servant, giving orders and expecting obedience. At the same time, he pressures his assistant into physical intimacy, which Odajima accepts as part of his duties. Beneath the rough exterior, Kataoka occasionally reveals a gentler side, like when he tends to a wounded bird.

Odajima is stoic and distant, keeping his emotions under tight control. He shadows Kataoka everywhere and ensures his reckless boss doesn't stir up more chaos. Despite being assigned as an assistant, he rarely humours Kataoka's crude jokes or erratic behaviour. What Kataoka doesn't know is that Odajima has a hidden agenda. His true mission, ordered by Keito, is to kill Kataoka and make it appear to be an accident.

Keito chooses Odajima as the assassin because of his personal grudge against Kataoka. Years earlier, Odajima and Asahi were close friends, serving as underlings in the same gang. Asahi looked up to Odajima and constantly sought his approval. During a violent attack, Asahi was shot and killed instantly. Ever since that day, Odajima has blamed Kataoka for his friend's death.

The Journey to Killing You left a poor first impression. In the opening scene, the lead climbs on top of his partner, who has his eyes closed and appears unresponsive. This situation doesn't seem inviting, yet he initiates sex anyway. In the next scene, a woman is physically assaulted by a man. Fucking hell. Not even three minutes in, and the series is already icky as hell. I tried to compartmentalize my disgust, but I struggled to enjoy the early episodes. The violence, the lewdness, and the tastelessness all bothered me.

The story's premise is baffling. I don't understand a BL drama where the main character is trying to kill his love interest. How am I supposed to immerse myself in this romance when there's the constant threat of cold-blooded murder? Maybe some viewers don't mind glorifying violence as seduction. Perhaps I'm the only BL watcher who is too woke. But literally two episodes before the finale, Odajima had his hands around Kataoka's neck and wanted to strangle him to death. Yet, I'm asked to believe this couple is compatible and totally in love with each other. Am I being gaslit!?

And don't get me started on this whole yakuza bullshit. OMFG. I rolled my eyes at the senseless fights, physical abuse, sexual coercion, toxic relationships, guns galore, and over-the-top trauma. None of this shit appeals to me. I don't enjoy it, I don't endorse it, and I don't wanna watch it. In fact, I have a history of giving low review scores to popular crime dramas on BL Watcher. Other fans obsess over these types of gangster love stories, but I don't get the hype. This subgenre can be problematic, and The Journey to Killing You is guilty of many tropes I find off-putting.

After hating the first few episodes, my opinion begins to soften. Honestly, this series is campy. I cackle at moments like Odajima sucking his bloody fingers or Kataoka kissing a corpse. These two bastards always catch me off guard by doing something deranged. They're so ridiculous that I see the twisted humour and feel entertained. Another pleasant surprise is Asahi. I enjoy this secondary character, who charmed me with his bubbly personality and playful interactions with Odajima. Having a likable character helps reduce my distaste toward The Journey to Killing You.

Kataoka's actor (Masanari Wada) delivers a solid performance. He comes across as relaxed, confident, and most importantly, effortless. His co-star (Hiroto Takahashi) is more hit-or-miss and overemotes occasionally. With that said, I like his acting at the end of Episode 5. He shows the right amount of restraint to make his tears seem poignant. Also, Asahi's actor (Kaito Hori) has a spark that caught my eye even in a minor role. As for the production values, they're great. I love that stunning shot in Episode 5 where Kataoka puts his finger on Odajima's lips.

Surprisingly, Episode 5 was the most enjoyable, bringing enough emotional drama and theatrics to keep me entertained. The events in the finale felt quite ridiculous. Thankfully, the couple's passionate encounter in the car made up for the narrative shortcomings. While I don't hate The Journey to Kill You as much as I did in the beginning, I still see this series as dumb yakuza nonsense. I'm not on board with the toxic romance or problematic storylines. At best, it's a campy guilty pleasure. But calling this a good BL drama? Nope, that's propaganda I'm not falling for.