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Japanese reality dating show The Boyfriend is coming back.

The groundbreaking gay dating show’s first season broke out in Japan after launching on July 9, spending six weeks in Netflix’s local series charts, and made international stars of several characters.

The renewal comes as a Japanese high court ruled the country’s ban on same sex marriage unconstitutional, as support for legalization grows stronger.

The new season will introduce a new group of young men, who share their stories of sexuality with each other while living in a house called ‘The Green Room.’ In each episode, one man is selected to run a food truck. He selects another to join him and they spend the day learning about each other.

Hosts Megumi, Chiaki Horan, Thelma Aoyama, Durian Lollobrigida and Yoshimi Tokui will return to guide viewers through the experiences of the men during their time together.

“Thanks to the love from our viewers,...

Celebrated for its genuine portrayal of romance and friendship among young men, the breakout Japanese reality series The Boyfriend has been renewed for a second season. Season 1, which premiered on July 9, won over viewers worldwide, securing a spot in the Netflix Weekly Top 10 (Series) in Japan for six consecutive weeks.

The impact of the first season reached far beyond Japan, with all nine participants gaining local and international attention. Their social following skyrocketed, growing by an average of 120 times since the show’s release.

The boys have also appeared on TV variety shows, graced magazine covers, and been recognized as top icons of the year by online media outlets.

In The Boyfriend Season 2, audiences can expect to meet a new group of boys who will share their stories. Hosts Megumi, Chiaki Horan, Thelma Aoyama, Durian Lollobrigida, and Yoshimi Tokui will once again guide viewers through the experiences of these young men during their time together.

As marriage equality inches toward reality in Japan, Netflix is returning to the East Asian country for another shot at love.

On Sunday, the streamer announced Season 2 of its same-sex dating show The Boyfriend, which premiered its first 10-episode season in July, featuring nine Japanese and East Asian men who identify as gay or bisexual, searching for a connection.

“The Boyfriend Will Be Back For Season 2!!!” Netflix announced on X, noting that the new season is “coming soon.”

The country’s first same-sex reality dating series follows the group of men as they live together in the beachside residence ‘The Green Room’, where they forge connections with each other while running a coffee truck together.

“Thanks to the love from our viewers, it is exciting to return for a new season,” said executive producer Dai Ota in a statement. “Being the first same-sex romance reality show in Japan, we paid...

Netflix has greenlit a second season of its groundbreaking Japanese same-sex dating reality series “The Boyfriend,” following the show’s impressive performance both domestically and internationally.

The timing of Netflix’s renewal announcement couldn’t have been more appropriate. The Associated Press reported on Friday that a high court in Fukuoka, Japan ruled the country’s ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional, marking the eighth such ruling out of nine cases since 2019. The decision, which found that the ban violates citizens’ constitutional right to pursue happiness, adds pressure on Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s minority government to act on marriage equality. Japan currently stands as the only G7 nation that doesn’t legally recognize same-sex marriages or provide legally binding protections for LGBTQ+ couples.

The first season of “The Boyfriend,” which debuted July 9, maintained a strong presence in Netflix’s Weekly Top 10 Series chart in Japan, holding its position for six consecutive weeks.

Every relationship has a season — and a new one is just beginning for The Boyfriend.

The groundbreaking Japanese reality series, which became the country’s first to explore same-sex romance, will return for Season 2. This time around, a new group of queer men seeking connection and understanding will embark on an unforgettable journey of love and friendship.

The Season 1 commentators — Megumi, Chiaki Horan, Thelma Aoyama, Durian Lollobrigida, and Yoshimi Tokui — will be back to chronicle the relationships that unfold among the men for Season 2.

“Thanks to the love from our viewers, it is exciting to return for a new season,” said Dai Ota, executive producer at Netflix. “Being the first same-sex romance reality show in Japan, we paid careful attention to ensure that the story is an authentic portrayal of these relationships. In Season 1, we showed not just romance, but their friendship and meaningful...

Socially-conservative Japan seems to be in no rush to follow its neighbors in East Asia and roll out the pink carpet to the LGBTQ community or recognize same-sex marriages. But where the Japanese entertainment industry is slowly heading, courts and municipal authorities are following.

The untroubled July arrival of the country’s first same-sex dating reality show “The Boyfriend,” on streamer Netflix, may be another sign that normalization of queerness in Japan is on the way.

The show takes nine men to a beach house in order to find love — or at least friendship. For a month, they live together and take turns working shifts at a coffee truck, forging relations with other housemates and learning about themselves along the way.

“It’s no different from the familiar reality shows we’ve seen before. The only thing that felt odd or questionable was that, while there have been plenty of heterosexual reality shows,...

“The Boyfriend” concluded its internet-beloved 10-episode run on Netflix this morning, giving audiences a refreshing summer romance with the nine queer men living together in The Green Room and running a coffee truck named Brewtiful.

A dating reality show in name only, the resulting series was both tender and moving, allowing nine strangers to connect with one another (some romantically) but also push themselves out of their comfort zones and come to big, life-altering realizations. None more so than perhaps Taeheon, who ended his time in The Green Room by deciding that he would come out to his parents. Guiding viewers (and often voicing what we were exclaiming alone on our couches) was a panel of celebrities — Megumi, Chiaki Horan, Thelma Aoyama, Durian Lollobrigida, and Yoshimi Tokui — watching the action unfolding along with us.

“The Boyfriend” effortlessly proved that high drama and swoon-inducing moments can still exist on reality TV...

The Boyfriend On Netflix: All You Need To Know About Japan’s First Same-Sex Dating Reality Show ( Photo Credit – Instagram )

After The Ultimatum: Queer Love, another Lgbtqia+ dating reality series is coming to Netflix, this time, set in Japan. The Boyfriend marks the first same-sex dating show in Japan and follows nine men who endeavor to find their true love.

As these men spend a month together under the same roof, they form connections and friendships, with their dynamics changing constantly. Here is all you should know about Netflix’s The Boyfriend, including the release date, hosts, and trailer.

The Boyfriend on Netflix: Release Date

The Boyfriend will premiere on Netflix on July 9th. The reality show will have 10 episodes, which will be released in four weekly batches on Tuesdays. Netflix announced the premiere date of the show with a teaser trailer that showcases a group of men forming...

Netflix will next month upload its first Japanese same-sex dating reality TV series, “The Boyfriend.”

The show takes nine men to a beach house in order to find love. For a month, they live together and take turns working shifts at a coffee truck, forging deep friendships and learning about themselves along the way.

The show will also be hosted by an eclectic mix of personalities including Megumi, Horan Chiaki, Thelma Aoyama, drag queen Durian Lollobrigida and Yoshimi Tokui.

Starting July 9, new episodes will be released every Tuesday, with a total of 10 episodes over four weeks.

“We started out wanting to highlight the young men’s friendships and personalities. Our focus wasn’t just on romance but also on spending time together and experiencing personal growth,” said Dai Ota, executive producer of live action originals at Netflix Japan.

The topic is a challenging one in a country that remains largely socially conservative,...

Following his extensive cinematic adventures in Vietnam, Ken Ochiai returned to filmmaking in Japan in the last few years. After an omnibus (Angel Sign) and a feature (Bite Size Halloween) he has now come up with a short that deals with issues of LGBT and the concept of following your dreams.

Strange is screening at Short Shorts Film Festival and Asia

Odeko is a young student who is struggling in his life, particularly since his conservative mother cannot understand that he is different that the norm, although, surprisingly, what he wants is to deal with numbers and calculus, instead of doing extracurricular activities. One evening, the shy high school student stumbles upon Kuma, who is dressed in drag, in a park. The two connect immediately, starting to share their dreams and communicating in a way neither seems to have experienced before. Gradually, Odeko manages to overcome his timidity and talk to his mother,...