Shounen no Abyss (2022)

Admittedly its been a minute since I was a teenager, but sometimes a drama like Shounen no Abyss reminds me of what it was like to be inbetween a child and adult and all the angst and self loathing that it entailed. The feeling of wanting to be anywhere but here and dreaming of leaving to a bigger and better city.
For the two main leads, Reiji and Sakuko, that place is Tokyo.

Reiji plays the role of a dutiful son that helps his single mother with taking care of the house and his sick grandmother. The weight of responsibility is all on his shoulders as his older brother is a hermit that never leaves his room and his mother is always busy working. Reiji's only friend in the small town he lives in is a girl named Sakuko. Sakuko and Reiji have known each other since they were children. Sakuko escapes from reality of her strict home life by reading stories and dreams of writing one of her own someday while Reiji likes to escape by watching videos of a female idol group. But behind Reiji's complacent smile is a secret he hasn't even told Sakuko and that is that he wants to die. His suicidal ideation is breathed into life when the idol he is a fan of named Nagi suddenly shows up in his town. Nagi also wants to end her life and asks Reiji if he wants to commit suicide together with her. This all happens in only the 1st episode and from then on, we the audience, enter into Reiji's abyss.

Without giving too much away I will say this drama is not for everybody. At its heart Shonen no Abyss is a drama/mystery. Very atmospheric, moody, and often creepy. I felt that the story was bleak but ultimately realistic in it's portrayal of teens and how they navigate through the issues they are put in by the adults around them.

Everything and the kitchen sink is another way I would describe this drama. All the taboo topics you can think of that can be found in jdramas are in this show.
*child abuse
*suicide
*sex with a minor
*sexual dialogue between adult and teen
*incestual undertones
*inappropriate relationship between student and teacher
*bullying
I would also give a warning to viewers since the actor playing Reiji, Araki Towa, is underage and a lot of the scenes and subject matter is mature and might make for an uncomfortable watch. I personally found out Towa was 16 in this drama after I had already watched it. I thought he did an excellent job in this though, especially it being his first staring role.

Production was a plus. I felt the budget was definitely there and this didn't look like a cheap drama. Each episode reminded me of a mini movie, very stylized with great scenic design and use of color to set the mood. Specific scenes would stick with me long after the episode was over. An example was the dreamy like scene where Reiji and Sakuko sit in her room and cover their faces with sheets like they did when they were little to tell each other their deepest secrets. It was beautifully filmed.

So with all that said I rate this drama a 9/10. I was thoroughly invested and sucked into this story wondering what would happen next and how it would end. My only gripe was the final episode did feel a bit rushed.

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Everybody wants to die with Reiji

Forget till death do us part in this drama everybody wants to do and/or die with Reiji... In this extreamly twisted drama that tells some stuff as they appear to be giving a face and a voice to the suicidal, the predator, the stalker and the obsessed. There is this raw honesty and symbolism that sticks with the dram from the first depressing inner monolog to the last even more depressing inner monolog and has great dialog with such great lines as:

" If you can´t smoke I take you can´t do a lot of other things to"

" Ill make you feel happy to die with Aow Nagi!

" So did I just commit a felony"

" Im consenting to this" - yes they actually use the word consent!

" Her emptiness makes me feel at ease"

" but it would have been worse if the gender were reversed, Thank god I'm a woman"

" Only I can save Reiji"

But also a lot that should probably creep you out. A fun watch, a different and definitely a drama worth a watch

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