And this time around, they’ve delivered us a brand new concept — a blend of Jersey Shore, Big Brother and your fave anime. Forget ‘The Perfect Match’, ‘Too Hot To Handle’ and even ‘Love is Blind’, and give a round of applause to the Japanese gay dating experiment called ‘The Boyfriend’. For one month, eight men live together in a house called The Green Room in a bid to find and foster romantic connections and friendships.
During this time they will also work together — in shifts — to operate a coffee truck, the proceeds of which they can spend among themselves. What makes this show different from many other reality shows is that because it is queer, the possibilities are endless of who can connect with who. This ups the drama as each of them compete to be with the one who makes their heart skip a beat.
On top of that, there is just something so soothing and unique about how Japanese video editors put their episode together. Unlike what we are used to with Western reality TV, there is no dramatic music or abrupt jump cuts, and there is little to no forced conflict and drama. A lot of it feels like a lofi Studio Ghibli dreamscape.
Show creator Hashizume Shunki highlights the importance of building community among participants, and says he made sure to not prioritise romance over friendship. Aside from being something you can watch because you are nosy and love being a fly on the wall of people’s most intimate moments, this show has a similar effect that a documentary might have, giving us a different perspective on love and healing. This also helps ‘The Boyfriend’ illustrate the beauty and serenity of Japanese and Asian society.
Among the eight men was a dancer, a chef, a model, university students, a make-up artist, influencers and an entrepreneur. From day one, letter writing activities threw them into the deep end of intimacy; then came the shift schedule for the coffee truck, which helped participants get to know their housemates in a private space; and then of course, the arrival of new faces which constantly shook things up. If you are like me and love watching people fall in love, then this is the show for you.
There are many moments that will give you anxiety or bring tears to your eyes. It is heartwarming and sincere, with just the right amount of humour, so much so that I binged all ten episodes in under two days. I think what helps is the fact that many of the cameras are stationary and at certain spots around the house, which means cast members can be more relaxed and act as naturally as possible.
What we are exposed to is a quaint human story about the strength and power of love in breaking barriers, healing trauma and forging strong connections. This 2024 series is available for streaming online, with multiple reunion specials courtesy of Netflix Japan. – Anne Hambuda is a poet, writer and social commentator.
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