One bright spot in a wave of bad news this summer is the debut of 'The Boyfriend,' a Japanese reality show by the same producers as 'Terrace House.' Terrace House, for those who never watched, situated six people -- three men and three women, in their twenties and thirties -- in a single house, where they would live for as long as each cast member desired. Some stayed for only a few weeks; others lasted for seasons. There was no plot and no competition; viewers were given glimpses of cast members as they went about their daily lives before returning (or not) to the house, where they cooked meals together and engaged in the small dramas (romantic and petty) that define any group living situation. But conflicts were usually discussed openly and respectfully -- there was no 'throwing anyone under the bus' -- until a resolution was reached. The show was hypnotic -- it made you feel like you were being immersed into another world, more civil and thoughtful than ours -- and often hilarious, thanks to a panel of actors and comedians who, after every ten- or fifteen-minute segment, analyzed the behavior of the cast members, trying to decipher motivations or in some cases gently mocking behavior. The show was a huge hit in Japan but was tragically canceled in 2020 when one of the cast members killed herself after receiving a lot of negative attention on social media.
The Boyfriend brings much of the Terrace House formula back, except that the cast members are now all young gay or bisexual men. (On Terrace House, there was only one bisexual cast member during its entire run.)
The Boyfriend is somewhat more contrived. The cast members are only living together under the same roof for a single summer, and they are working in a coffee truck that the producers have provided them. They are given a tablet that messages them with small assignments and tasks, e.g., 'write a secret note to someone you like,' etc. This part of the show feels like a bit of a letdown after the purity of Terrace House.
But for those of us who have been in deep mourning since the cancellation of Terrace House, the Boyfriend gives us many reasons to watch.
Like Terrace House, the Boyfriend is beautifully shot and edited -- scenes with cast members are often interspersed with short, abrupt clips of the house or vegetation that act as 'palette cleansers' -- with great music. The producers give the cast members time to explain, often at length, why they feel or act a particular way, which is riveting in comparison to the sound-byte approach of most reality shows. The comedian panel continues to be very funny and supportive.
Although the show contains six queer men who are all on the twinkier/'Chelsea boy' side of the spectrum, it doesn't fixate on hook-ups. Three episodes in, there has not been more than an almost-kiss, which is not to say sex is ignored; the cast members thoughtfully discuss apps and other features of queer life, which (as far as I understand it) is a big deal in Japan, where homosexuality remains very taboo and stereotyped (even more than in the United States).
While my dream is still to have a queer Terrace House (i.e., a show with queer cast members and without the gimmicks), the Boyfriend has given me hope, which is a valuable commodity these days.
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