Asian Addicts Anonymous

Bloody Monday, a suspense thriller based on the manga of the same name written by Tadashi Agi and illustrated by Megumi Kouji, started it’s second season this past January. And boy did it start with a bang, literally. Already 5 episodes in and the body count is rising (especially among those returning from the 1st season). Who lives, who dies, and secrets from the 1st season will shock. I know I was surprised when I learned a secret regarding “K,” high school girl and high priestess of the religious terrorist cult from the 1st season.

I have to say as much as I like Miura Haruma and Sato Takeru (the two main leads of season 2), the reason I keep watching (besides loving the plot and suspense) is for Narimiya Hiroki’s portrayal of the egocentric terrorist “J”. Why is that? Especially when you don’t actually get to see “J” until the later half of the series in the first season? Even though the character didn’t get as much screen time until later, “J” was a scene stealer with his overall non-serious attitude, always drinking his melon sodas and eating sweets. Seriously.

Narimiya Hiroki did an excellent job at portraying a very complicated character. Complicated because we are never quite sure just what is going through J’s head. Is he really a cold-blooded terrorist, or is there a different reason behind all of his careful “formulas” and “plans”?

I admit that after the first 2 episodes of season 2 started, I was afraid to watch anymore because of the previews at the end showing that J just might die already at the beginning of episode 3. And, truthfully, without J, it just wouldn’t be Bloody Monday.

Although he is a target and not in the thick of the terrorist plotting this season, J still holds a very integral part to the storyline. Again, Narimiya Hiroki does a splendid job with the character of J. In the first season he masterfully portrayed a cocky, mysterious (and at times even deadly) criminal mastermind.

This season showcases a different J. Like 180 degrees different. He is still mysterious and quixotic, but now there is a more vulnerable side to be seen of J and what I see, I like.

Although, I do admit that it is odd to see the confident and lively J become a person without hope. You want to just take him and hug him and tell him that there are still reasons to hope – although for J, there really isn’t much hope as he as been exposed to radiation and will most likely die an unpleasant death (if the new terrorists and Third-I don’t kill him first).

And, some fun irony. J’s character wishes to die because all that is left for him is hopelessness. A new character (a friend of Takagi Haruka) wishes to die because there is hope. Anyhow, I am looking forward to seeing how the rest of the season and plot will unfold. It would be nice to see J being more like he was in the first season, but a softer side is pretty good, too.