First Thoughts: The Killer Inside

It’s been a year since I followed Ren Meguro and Shunsuke Michieda down the rabbit hole of My Love Mix-Up into the Wonderland of Johnny and Associates. Since that slightly silly love story between two good-natured high school students, I have found myself lost in a world of some pretty diverse talent. From the colorful Naniwa Danshi to the Seductive SixTONES the deeper I step into this adventure the more impressed I am.

Even though I’ve seen firsthand how diligent and dedicated these guys are to their careers, I am still surprised when one of them does something I didn’t expect. I had one of those moments tonight when I started the series The Killer Inside on Viki.

Yamada Ryosuke (Hey! Say! JUMP) stars as Eiji Urashima who, on the surface appears to be a typical university student. He goes to class, applies an adequate amount of energy to his studies, and enjoys hanging out with his friends – but he’s got a secret.

He’s the son of a serial killer.

Fifteen years ago, his father has made a terrible name for himself by killing young prostitutes in truly vile and horrendous ways. Known as LL – evil doesn’t begin to describe the kind of man Eiji’s father was. Seriously, the man was a monster, and if being the son of a murderer isn’t enough Eiji has blackouts.

The type of blackout where he can’t remember anything.

His worst fears come to fruition when, during one of his blackouts, a murder occurs and a young woman is murdered in a way eerily similar to his father. Riddled with fear and anxiety, Eiji is determined to uncover the truth. So, he accepts the help of the victim’s closest friend, Nami (Kawaei Rina). Hopefully, they’re able to put the pieces of this peculiar puzzle together before the murderer strikes again, and (more importantly) prove that the killer (hopefully) isn’t Eiji.

Aa Hey! Say! JUMP is a relatively new discovery for me, my only really connection to Ryosuke has been through the group’s music – which for the most part is super energetic and incredibly fun. Ryosuke is the type idol you’d expect to play the handsome and charismatic Prince Charming type. He’s that guy who’s always bright, beautiful, who lives a life that’s practically perfect in every way with not so much as pimple or a bad hair day.

Eiji is not that type.

Though he is beautiful, his life is nothing short of a F’ing mess. He’s a very broken young man walking a very thin line between cool, calm, and collected and the apocalypse. He’s a shattered windshield one gentle tap away from collapsing into chaos – and Ryosuke plays the role with delicious perfection. He’s confused and vulnerable, but there also moments of genuine humor, that make him incredibly endearing – a welcoming light in a very dark and twisted story…

The series opens with a young woman tied to a chair in her underwear. Then, from her perspective, the last thing she sees is a hammer before it’s bashed into her head. And it only gets darker from there.

This is the part of Wonderland you know that the Jabberwocky is lurking around every corner, slithering through the shadows, waiting to strike. But that’s part of the fun. Isn’t it? Not knowing what comes next. That’s what makes this series so binge-worthy.