Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020

The Cadillac of reality TV. The interior is classy, cool, sleek, and there's lots of models.

Far better than any western reality show. Watched all seasons thoroughly entertained.

Even omitting the out-of-show events that lead to this series cancellation, Terrace House 2020 was already at reaching it's worst point since the late portion of 'Aloha State'.

Envisioned as a lead up the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (cancelled), the season starts interesting enough, but finds itself sabotaged by poor casting choices that created objections not only in Japan, but with it's worldwide audiences. First, commentary regular Tokui was suddenly removed from broadcast due to tax evasion. Then, a particular member's aggressive advances towards another cast members lead international critics to blame the show of being an enabler of sexual predation.

Finally, the show came to it's abrupt end with the suicide of a member who was cyberbullied following an altercation with another member.

So, while there may be enjoyable moments to this season, as a whole, it is very difficult to recommend watching TH 2020 to anyone but the most diehard TH fans.

I had no idea whatsoever when starting to watch this show that it would stop abruptly after watching so many episodes. I had no idea when I got to the last episode shown on Netflix (with no explanation of why there is nothing else) - just stopped. Naturally, I start googling around to see what other's were saying and I find out that there was a star that apparently committed suicide - not in the house, but found in her own home due to cyberbullying. But there was evidently an argument in the house as well before that may have contributed to online bullying. I understand that they felt they had to cancel the show and made that decision however Netflix should either have the hosts make a statement at the end or take the whole thing down - not just halt it completely with no explanation after a viewer invests much time into the series and is left hanging like that. As far as the show before it was halted, it was fun to watch but it is true that the residents were too focused on their careers and not really on love lives and you could tell that most of them were just using the house as a venue to promote themselves - not for love matches. The only thing that was funny at all was the pitiful soft porn scene that the one hard up actor agreed to take where he showed his full nude backside and then the show editor made a funny cut to a new scene with a new couple up on the roof where the first sentence you hear is "I haven't seen a full moon in a long time" while looking up into the night sky. But I took it as a funny show editing moment and was surprised that the hosts didn't catch on and mention that.

This is actually quite a good reality-TV series, despite that it feels somewhat scripted at times. The six housemates are interesting and beautiful people, and they are - surprise! - kind to each other (for the most part). So no such drama that usually is the staple of other similar shows. Instead, here you get decent people trying to navigate their careers and potentially their love lives.

Is this boring? Not at all. Watching 20-somethings (and one in his early 30s) living and interacting maturely and generously to each other is rather a refreshing respite from the standard fare of drama queens and hateful selfishness often seen in this genre. The scenes outside the house add to good story-telling, as do the often hilarious commentaries from the six "hosts".

If, like me, you didn't really take to the earlier versions of the series, do give this one a try.