Love doesn’t choose us. And it doesn’t choose how it happens. And in The Journey to Killing You Season 2, it also certainly doesn’t choose to be gentle on leads Kinji and Ren.

Starring Wada Masanari as Kataoka Kinji and Takahashi Hiroto as Odajima Ren, this Japanese BL returns to the complicated love story that began in the first season, adapted from Asai Sai’s manga Anata wo Korosu Tabi.

The first season followed Kinji, a warmhearted but dangerous yakuza boss, and Ren, the quiet, stoic driver assigned to protect him while secretly carrying orders to kill him. What began as a journey fueled by revenge became an unexpected romance as the two fell in love and eventually found a chance at a life away from the violence that had defined them.

Now, in season two, Kinji and Ren are living a peaceful life together in Okinawa, far removed from their former lives in the yakuza. But that peace is interrupted when they receive a desperate plea to save the Kirii-gumi, the organization they once called home.

Returning means stepping back into a dangerous world of power struggles, suspicious money dealings, and someone secretly manipulating events from behind the scenes. And once again, Kinji and Ren find themselves caught between protecting the people they care about and protecting the life they’ve built together.

I’ll admit, I truly missed having Ren and Kinji in my life. There’s an interesting dynamic between these characters that works so incredibly well on screen, from the enemies-to-lovers trope that captivated me in season one to their desire for domestic ease and love in season two. All while fighting the pull of a yakuza world that both defined who they were and left them scarred.

Ren is still mysteriously quiet, holding on to his thoughts in a way that makes you wish you could understand him. Kinji is still bright and cheerful but lethal when he needs to be. And that’s what makes him so charming. He’s brave and fairly reckless, but also brilliant in his own way. Ren anchors him while also helping keep him grounded.

Together, they’re getting ready to once again face the yakuza world that brought them together, even as it threatens to pull them apart. And I’m here for the chemistry and acting that made me love this series so much the first time.

For a series that promises romance amidst the violence and drama of the yakuza world, check out The Journey to Killing You Season 2, now streaming on GagaOOLala. And maybe, if you haven’t already seen it, dive into the first season first.

Rating- 4.5 out of 5