This review may contain spoilers
A Poetic BL of Injured Birds Finding Homes
First of all, first 10/10 rating for BL for me in 2025. The screenwriting is poetically excellent but it needs to be paired with good actors as well, so the marriage between two is beautiful. The direction and music score is superb. Really high rewatch value for me and the length of being just six episodes actually does not bother me much. It has a very cinematic pacing similar to a road movie, and the aesthetics is reminiscent of old Showa Yakuza movies.The characters are both self destructive in different ways. Kataoka, on the surface, is fearless and charismatic but has no sense of purpose for living and doesn't mind rather he lives or dies. He simply wants to die without much pain. Odajima is a tragic character who believes his existence is a sin yet clings onto reasons to live...but those reasons keep slipping away. They find reasons to live in each other through entanglement of hate and love and eventually arrives at a happy destination.
Now, I'm manifesting the production also decides to adapt the sequel volume for a second season.
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Dark, Haunting and Mesmerizing
Wow. This is the real deal. If you are looking for GMMTV cookie cutter University fluff stay away. Incredible directing, writing, acting and cinematography. In other words its for adults. Was on the edge of my seat! Enthralling is the only word I can use to describe my time watching this series. It was perfect... just wish it was longer.The Japanese go to places in BL that no other country does. They mix violence, pain, love and loss into a kind of poetic journey that is not easy but unforgettable. This will stay with me for a long time. Check it out.
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1Biggest Criticism - Too SHORT to properly execute an interesting premise
It pains me to write this review because a few of my trusted friends love it. I guess, this is one of those times when not all dramas can connect with everyone. Unfortunately, “The Journey to Killing You” is that one. I want to love it so bad, and maybe that’s why expectations are high.My biggest criticism is how short the drama is. With only 6 episodes of about 25 minutes each, it’s just not enough to develop this interesting romance, and all the yakuza family conflict. I didn’t feel like I had enough time to get to know the leads and to sympathize with them. A lot of their development happened quietly and speedily.
It could have been such a great romance especially when the two main leads are such different people. But it went from Odajima hating on Kataoka because of what happened to his friend and the first episode sexual assault, to him seeing a different side of Kataoka and realizing why everyone loves him, to falling so madly in love with him to protect him from everything. All of this needed time to brew and develop. I need to see more internal conflict, more interaction and more unspoken chemistry for me to believe in this romance. There are only a few flashbacks about Odajima’s history and trauma. Well, we really get nothing on Kataoka except when it has to do with Kirii and their fight for the boss’ affection.
The yakuza family conflict is easier to understand with a few flashbacks. That part is fine, even though it was short. Maybe just a few more flashbacks on the boss’ love for his own son? But since the drama is selling me on romance and not necessarily about the boss, a quicker storytelling is sufficient.
Speaking of flashbacks, the same flashbacks are played quite often within those 6 episodes. That took up precious screen time! If “The Journey to Killing You” has hour-long episodes, or extend it to 10 short episodes, everything could be better developed. I’ve watched enough J-dramas to know how fast-paced they are, but this one is just not working for me.
Other minor criticisms - I thought Odajima and Kataoka were running away. They didn’t seem to go too far as Odajima could still meet up with Kirri at a hotel room??? Oh, and there were a couple of really fake blow jobs there. LOL Others commented on good kisses and nice NC scenes. They aren’t bad but maybe I was expecting something bolder, since they are yakuzas.
On a positive note, the premise of “The Journey to Killing You” is interesting but not the execution. The acting is pretty good, too. I know my review sounds like I hated it. I don’t, I just was left disappointed because I want to love it so much. Therefore, you are not going to see a super low rating but a 7.5 for me. It’s still a decent quick watch, but it wasn’t an amazing one.
Completed: 10/26/2025 Review #636
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This review may contain spoilers
It’s… good. I understand the reason why the whole brother, plus funeral, plus succession plot exists but I feel that, because of that, very little time is spent (and we already have very few episodes) developing their affection towards each other—if it somehow ends up working it’s because the actors know how to deliver attraction at the level of physicality and not because the narrative demonstrates, in an effective manner, a turning point in which death drive becomes “love”. Takahashi Hiroto as Odajima, in particular, compensates for this narrative gap very well: do I want to kill him or do I want him for myself? It’s a delicious duality (complemented by Wada Masanari’s amoral horniness as Kataoka) which he’s capable of conveying with his gaze alone, but that gap still ends up leaving the latter term (“love”) necessitating, in terms of narrative, of the dead friend backstory in order to hold both of them together relationally; and yet… it’s not so much love in the sense of boys’ love romanticism… What ends up grounding their relationship, for me, is less the fact that they have a person and a past in common and more that Odajima’s self-destructiveness, fueled by a boyhood composed by blood and homicide, ends up finding a type of solace and mitigation through Kataoka’s own detachment from life itself. “You can kill me—I won’t stop you from doing what you came here to do: but aim at the right place, go on, if that is your will and your purpose then shoot… but at the right place—shoot the one that actually deserves it.” It’s a brief conclusion and it deserved to be backed by more scenes exploring their affective entanglement in the present time of the narrative, but the very fact that it chooses to resolve with a “not today—today you’re here still” ends up being effectively enlivening in spite of that. Was this review helpful to you?
A j-bl that balances between dark plot and light theme.
I usually like japanese bl because of it's light themes or extremely dark storyline but this serie was somewhere in the middle. The storyline was good and consistent, it didnt feel tiring or the story didnt lose its plot over the course of it's 6 episodes.By the standards of acting, the actors did a pretty good job at it and all the actors included no matter how big or small the role was did an incredible job at making a positive impression on the audience.
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Amazing, emotional and simply beautiful
You know when a Japanese drama hits the spot!!! That's one of those magnificent ones that is perfect in all aspects.For me, when a drama is perfect not because it's simply flawless, but because even it's faults can be disregarded, and doesn't decrease anything from it's great value.
This drama has it all, great story, awesome acting, strong leads, nice cinematography and direction is on point.
The story is very simple, and nicely represented in only 6 short episodes, the downside is that the ML's back story could be fleshed out more, just to gain a sense of connection with him, and if it wasn't just for the semi-r@pe scene in the very beginning, I'd appreciate him much more, but still, I loved him enough to wish him a great life with Odajima.
The actors were very good, chemistry was fine too, I loved them together, and no dead fish kisses was a bonus.
I just loved everything about it, a not so simple love story inside a shell of envy, jealousy and revenge. It really deserves more hype.
One more thing, I hardly notice soundtracks of the dramas I watch, unless they are really great, and I haven't been captivated by an ending song since Utsukushi kare, but here all the soundtracks even the BGM was brilliant.
As I said, everything was on point ❣️❣️❣️
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Love in a violent world - raw, brutal and beautiful
A six-episode Japanese BL series that explores love in a violent world. The Journey to Killing You tells the story of a yakuza leader and his handler, caught in a dangerous and complicated relationship.The series is visually striking and emotionally strong. Its short length makes it easy to watch in one go. The story is honest and brutal, with no sugarcoating. The direction is artistic, giving each scene a haunting beauty.
The lead actors give great performances, and their chemistry is very real. The story is intense and sometimes hard to watch, but it keeps you interested.
This series can divide viewers — you will either love its artistic and honest style, or you won’t. If you usually like light, cute Thai BL shows with perfect visuals and polished characters, this is completely different.
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Bold and Brave
This one definitely didn’t hold back. From the get-go, it took a bold and brazen approach to BL—leaning into themes and scenes that felt raw, unapologetic, and refreshingly gutsy. The plot had real momentum. It kept me curious, kept me invested, and wasn’t afraid to stir things up emotionally or visually. Some of the scenes? Brave. Like, genuinely brave. You could tell the creators weren’t interested in playing it safe, and I respect that. That said, I couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. Maybe it was the pacing, maybe it was the emotional layering—but I found myself wanting more time with the characters. More quiet moments. More tension. More growth. It felt like the story had so much potential to go deeper, and if they’d stretched it out just a bit more, I think it could’ve really hit harder. Still, the direction was solid, and the acting carried a lot of weight. The cast had chemistry, and even when the script felt a little rushed, they made it work. Overall, it was an interesting watch—stylish, daring, and definitely worth the conversation. Not perfect, but it left an impression. Final verdict: 3.5 out of 5 stars. Bold in spirit, brave in execution, and just a few beats away from greatness.Was this review helpful to you?
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Melancholy is thy name
Rating this feels wrong. Like, how do you rate someone's pain? Or rather, someone's journey through pain? To me, Odajima reflects what melancholy is. He looks cold and distant. He's also silent and obedient. But when you try to see past that, he's so scared and so incredibly sad. He moves through life like it's a burden to be alive, here with the rest of us.And with good reason. His life, till he is paired with Kataoka, for this 'road trip' has been riddled with violence, pain, intolerable sadness, and disappointment. He also needs to kill Kataoka. But, what if your assignment, and the person you promised yourself you'd kill to avenge something in your past, is also your saviour? The person who pulls you out of the darkness that has been your life? Who makes you feel love again? How do you reconcile with that?
Kataoka is also a very interesting fellow. He comes off as abrasive and unserious in the beginning. However, as the story moves on, you and Odajima realize that beneath his loud self and lazy walk (he's also a pervert), lies a good, caring man - at least by mafia standards. He is such a light, which perfectly counterbalances the bleak abyss that is Odajima and his existence.
I think this is a simple yet very deep story. It's not a happy one, but it's not sad either. It gives off comfort slice of life vibes, but also makes you feel like you're grieving (Ugh! I'm annoyed that I do not have the vocabulary for what it made me feel). It's an oddly beautiful feeling.
My one gripe with the story is one I have with many Japanese BLs. The dramas all end as the couple's story is beginning. I wish there were a way (and a budget) to extend some of these beautiful bodies of work. Let me see them be in love for longer😭
PS. Four things I'd like to highlight
1. The cinematography - Beautiful doesn't even begin to cover it. It was done so well and is best highlighted when the OST plays.
2. Odajima's face in the NC scenes - Specifically in ep 2. This is going to sound cheesy (?), but his face during that scene made me understand the meaning of the word bloom. Specifically in the statement 'I bloom for you.' Kataoka and I were on the same boat. Mesmerized by how his normally cold and detached face changed when he was turned on. Hat's off to you, Takahashi Hiroto. You killed that shit.
3. The OST - I thought it was a fun little tune. And then I went and looked it up on YouTube. If you haven't, I urge you to look up the official lyric video on there. Those lyrics perfectly capture what this story is from Odajima's POV
4. I like the fact that being with Kataoka and leaving the mafia behind didn't automatically 'fix' Odajima. He doesn't suddenly become the happiest person in the room. He's still introverted and silent, and that sadness didn't fully go away. But looking at him and his interactions with others, he somehow feels lighter. He's cool being alive now; he's no longer walking into that abyss head-on. He's also awkward, which is really adorable
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dark and interesting
this is not a fluffy light bl series, its dark and mention some topics like sexual assault, orders, the past trauma Odajima carries, it doesnt shy away from the darker side of the yakuza world (violence, betrayal, moral grey zones, some character death) while there is moments of softness, of vulnerability, of love ,and a great chemistry between the male leadsWas this review helpful to you?
Yakuza... BL!?
This took me by surprise in the best way. I knew from the first scene it would be on the dark and gritty side rather than romantic and soft, which makes perfect sense considering this is a Yakuza plot.For six episodes each 25 minutes long, I was deeply invested in this story. The feel of it is sad, intense, and quiet. The outcome was unpredictable given the violence that surrounded them. The character dynamic is definitely a unique; Odajima is ordered to kill Kataoka, an admired and compassionate man. The more time they spend together, the more Odajima struggles to complete his task, as they both end up learning more and more about one another, uncovering their unfortunate upbringings. They built a great bond despite their tragic situation that caused them to meet. Kataoka brought light into Odajima's dark life despite his 7 year long grudge against him, and Odajima brought meaning to his. I'm very satisfied with the ending, it was a beautiful series featuring dark themes. Their kiss scenes were to die for and I'd recommend this to anyone who likes dark romance.
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