Byakuyakou: thoughts on episode 1

[dangermousie]

I have just finished the first episode of the Japanese drama Byakuyakou (a.k.a. Journey Under The Midnight Sun).

I truly love it and recommend it highly, but WARNING: it's the darkest drama I have come across. Two words: CHILD ABUSE.

Byakuyakou caught me from its opening. An elegantly dressed young woman (we later learn her name is Yuki, and she is played by Ayase Haruka) is standing on a snowy street in front of a fancy storefront, receiving congratulations, when she sees a bleeding young man stagger towards her and collapse to the shock of passerby. We later learn his name is Ryo (he is played by Yamada Takayuki) and as they stare at each other, it's clear by their voiceover narration that they know each other more than well. And then he motions for her to go away, and she walks away, weeping and thinking to herself "I will not cry."

Aaaaand, flashback to 14 years ago. This drama starts at the end and for the rest of it, we learn who Yuki and Ryo are, and what got them to this point.

When the story proper starts, Ryo and Yuki are both 11 years old. Ryo is a solemn little boy whose home life is less than ideal: his mother is cheating on his father and while the father might be oblivious, Ryo clearly knows. And then one day he sees Yuki, a beautiful young girl his age, and he is smitten at first sight. An adorable childish courtship follows and Ryo is actually even able to make Yuki laugh.

However, Yuki's home life makes Ryo's seem wonderful: earlier it was made clear she is a daughter of a broken-down alcoholic mother whose main source of income is selling her child to a child molester for sex services. I wonder who her "client" is. Or I don't.

Following Yuki one day to an abandoned building, Ryo discovers Yuki there with his father and, almost instictively, stabs him to death (I was cheering. His father trying to justify it by saying it's consensual and he doesn't love her made me want to stab him myself). That is my favorite scene so far, when Ryo is sitting in shock with his scissors going "I killed my father" and Yuki is smiling and saying she killed him instead because she's been killing him in her head over and over.

Yuki makes Ryo promise to stay away from her and pretend to be strangers, but she takes the bloody scissors and frames her mother for the murder, before killing her. And leaves. But she meets Ryo one last time and promises him she will always remember his saving her. And then 7 years pass and...end of episode.

I realy really love this drama. It's very dark but it makes sense (for example, Ryo's Dad being a child molester is very well foreshadowed before the reveal), the acting is good (the child actors were incredible), the story is interesting. And of course two protagonists are beyond messed-up as the drama shows. Ryo might have been an OK little kid if he didn't see his father engage in child rape and murder him, but Yuki was (obviously) damaged even before that, because of child abuse. I cannot wait to see when and how they will meet again, and how they will interact, being tied by their trauma and their crime.

Here is a MV for the drama:

Comments

[pho50.livejournal.com]

Just wait, you'll be able to add Seriously Twisted to your description lol. I liked it but it definitely isn't a drama for all tastes!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I am on ep 2, and yup, you are so right

[sodahands.livejournal.com]

Heathus, just reading your post makes me want to go stab all the parents in the drama.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

And they are worried about statute of limitations but I am all 'look, you were 11 and you kids killed/accompliced the unpremeditated murder of a child rapist. I think you'll get off in court!'

[ambergold.livejournal.com]

I watched a good MV for this a while back and considered watching it but ultimately decided it was entirely too tragic.

but here's the MV if you want it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UprUQXleSYo

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Thank you, so very pretty!

[issy-chan.livejournal.com]

I always wanted to watch this drama and wondered about it but for some reasons (maybe reading some past comments)i avoided it.
i think i probably start watching now.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I like it so far, but am only 2 eps in

[eccequambonum.livejournal.com]

i'm definitely grabbing this one to watch. me, like my drama dark and twisted? i don't know where you get that from...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Then it's right up your alley - it's very dark and very good :)

[cranberrysheep.livejournal.com]

I've had the first episode of this sitting on my computer for a long time. I just have to work up the guts to watch it.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It's very good and very pretty and male lead looks like he eats...

[mishane.livejournal.com]

When I had requested a severely angsty drama, this was the one that kept popping up. I really wanted to watch this. It's definitely on my list.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Two eps in and I love it

[ladysaotome.livejournal.com]

I remember hearing about this a while back. You have to wonder how the rest of the series plays.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I guess I'll find out but I don't think it will be very happy :) I do love how he would do anything to protect her, though.

[lydzi.livejournal.com]

Darkest drama ever, but totally worth it. The kind of drama you definitely don't forget and some of the scenes between the two leads are some of the best couple scenes I've ever watched period. You can feel the doom!connection!love between them. Intense.