Offline Love

Aaawww..if I could, I would watch this Japanese series again and again. There is just something so heart warming about the contestants in this series.

Compared to other Western reality shows, like Love Is Blind and Love Island with their blatant sexuality, and contestants scheming behind each other's backs, the 10 participants here are so wholesome and supportive of each other. The furthest they went was to hold hands and a kiss on the forehead. Haha.

They are always decently dressed, many in beautiful vintage wear and are just so stylish and beautiful. There is no need for any of them to be sexily dressed to be likeable and attractive.

The gorgeous background of Nice and it's neighbouring communes of Cannes, Grasse , Eze etc just made this series all the more attractive and watchable. Photography was top notch and picture perfect, it made me want to savour all the food they ate, visit the vintage stores and amazing cafes and walk the cobblestone streets of Nice. Well done on promoting the South of France as a beautiful tourist destination!

And now to the 10 contestants - basically, they are all attractive people. None oozing sex appeal but so adorable in their own way. Of course, they all have their own strengths and weaknesses, and some are unfortunately more irritating and attention seeking than others but it's all in good fun.. I have my firm favourites - Kanaka, Nanami, Kensuke, Sho and Yudai.

Do watch it and enjoy! I didn't think I would love it that much, but I was hooked from the start! It's one of those series that saw me laughing out loud many times with the funny commentaries by the 3 joyfully funny commentators, despite totally relying on subtitles..the humour is not lost!

I wish the best for all the participants - for those who paired up and those who didn't, and I really look forward to a Part 2!!

I cannot believe how deeply this show touched me. I'm not one to write reviews but I feel a responsibility to do so because of how beautiful I believe this series to be. The idea of Offline Love is that the people in the show find each other without their phones or any other devices, going on dates and writing letters to each other. They only spend 10 days in the same city, which makes their time even more valuable. This format truly brings out the best interactions and forces the participants to be braver, more human, and more intentional. I don't know if this is particular to Japanese culture, but the level of politeness, respect, and the lack of drama between people dating each other and between potential rivals is a true breath of fresh air in reality tv. The commentary in between is also extremely entertaining and warm, it feels like you're watching the show with good friends who want the best for the people involved in the show. Having to watch Offline Love with subtitles also forces the viewer, in case they don't speak Japanese, to pay attention to every line. This personally made me enjoy it more deeply and it made me feel a lot more present than if I would scroll my phone while passively watching. The people on the show are extremely kind, open, and compassionate, and their love stories are complex, dramatically beautiful, and painfully real in the best possible way. I also think the men deserve a shoutout for being softer, more honest, and kinder than what many of us are used to in not only tv, but also in every day life. I think this series shows us that an offline love is still very much possible in a modern world, and it provides young people with a great example of how to approach dating and friendship. I hope there will be many seasons to come, and I thank the creators of this show for an absolute masterpiece. Arigato.

Do you believe in fate?

Ten strangers gather in the picturesque city of Nice in France without any mobile devices.

The strength of this show definitely lies in its premise. While other dating shows have a more structured approach, Offline Love allows the participants to freely roam around the city and act according to their desires. This not only allows us to develop a more personal attachment to the participants, but also evokes the excitement of travel. Offline Love includes beautiful shots of Nice's streets, squares and beaches.

Another strength is found in the cast for Offline Love. We find a variety of attitudes towards love, and approaches to communicate it. Offline Love allows us to discover more about the participants' hobbies and interests than shows like Single's Inferno, which does not reveal a lot about its participants beyond the surface level, making it more difficult to form a connection. I have regularly found myself relating to, or being intrigued by cast members of Offline Love, however.

I hope to see a continuation of this show with the same premise, in another city. This show has not only allowed me to reflect on my own strengths and weakness by watching the participants' developments, but has also stimulated me to live more in the moment and be more aware of my surroundings. Perhaps, someday, I will find my own Offline Love that way.

Oh how I love this show! Please have Season 2 please! My sister and I watch the show on Neflix and agree that it is the most thumbs up dating show among all those we have seen. This show is enjoyable as it have beautiful scenery, foods, relaxing vibe, with fate bringing participants together. It is more natural and real, while I love that the show's three hosts' comments are on point, decent, interesting, funny and add a colour to the show! The first show that I really feel lovely to watch, as it allows participants to walk around a city, with many travelling included, too fun to watch! Another important thing to say is that this show has selected participants with high quality and background, with pretty and handsome looks, unlike some other shows that I don't feel like watching for real. I love love love this show. Please do have Season 2, I'll be waiting!

The unique aspect of this dating show is that the 10 singles must lockup their cellphones and communicate 100% through either meeting organically while roaming the seaside of Nice, or writing letters and checking the mailboxes at the central location. At first, in episode 1 I thought they would never run into each other, but it doesn't take too long to get started and for a brave few to drop basically incognito invites in the mailbox which gets things started. The guys ate cute and some more innocent than others it appears. One thing guys should learn is don't make a date and then cancel it for another girl!!! Red flag!

I did not give a 10 for the reason that as always in these types of shows, the singles consist of actors, models, business owner with own brand, comedian, retired olympian starting a new business and a good dancer that possibly might need a newer career due to getting older. It's always in the back of my mind are they here to promote their future, or are they really here to find love? Are the tears real or are they acting? So took one star off. Was nice to see the travel part and tourist things to do in NiCE, and the businesses featured.