O Namorado

In an age dominated by high-drama dating shows, Netflix's The Boyfriend offers a refreshing alternative, valuing genuine romance over superficial allure. This groundbreaking Japanese series, featuring gay and bisexual men, is a significant stride in normalizing queer relationships in a country where same-sex marriage remains unrecognized. Unlike many other dating shows, The Boyfriend focuses on authenticity and connection.

Contestants, chosen for their sincere quest for love, navigate their emotions in a serene setting. Instead of engaging in sensational challenges, they collaboratively run a coffee van, fostering deeper bonds. Personal anecdotes reveal their vulnerabilities, making their journey relatable and heartfelt.

The Boyfriend stands out for its sincere portrayal of romance, emphasizing the beauty of real connections over contrived drama. It's a compelling and poignant series that redefines the dating show genre, providing a much-needed antidote to the superficiality of typical reality TV.

Gay rights in Japan are several years behind the West, which makes this addictive 2024 reality series more intriguing than its surface concept implies. Nine handsome Asian (primarily Japanese) men in their 20's-30's are chosen to share a sleek beachside house in Tateyama, given the assignment of running a coffee truck, and provided a daily budget of ¥6,000. It's no surprise complications ensue, but the fact that same-sex marriage hasn't been legalized adds a layer of culturally specific tentativeness to the interactions of the participants. The ten-episode arc allows for personalities to bloom at a leisurely pace, and naturally both romance and tension intertwine in often arresting ways. It's like a gay "Terrace House" with the same Greek chorus of gossipy (albeit relatable) commentators as the previous Netflix hit series.

I am very happy with this series. It is fast moving and shows a lot of characteristics of each guy. You will actually get to see their personalities cleary as they navigate working with each other and building relationships.

I have to say though I am not a fan of the panel that comments throughout each episode and basically just provides their opinions and gasp at some "events." It is actually quite annoying and think it would be better if they just eliminated that part of the series. They never provide anything the viewer is not already thinking...Reminds me of Gogglebox. Maybe if there was only two of them, it would be more acceptable, but the 5 of them rambling is just too much.

I am interested to see how all the relationships end up. It has to be awkward when you are a really nice person and someone has a romantic interest in you but you have no interest in them or someone you like is real forward and outgoing and you are shy and reserved. But, opposites attract. (Finished S01E06)

OK, so this is another show that shouldn't be judged by Western standards.

To American eyes, a couple of things might take some getting used to. The pace is often slow, the dialogue seemingly banal, and the subtitling awkward. Having a panel of five outside commentators is sometimes helpful, but just as often it's irritating (because some of the commentators themselves were kind of irritating, sorry).

But the fact that a show like this got made at all is a huge sign of progress. As an old gay man who is waaaaay too jaded, it was also refreshing, and a wake-up call, to see young gay men actually wanting to get to know each other and talk, instead of just jumping into the sack. I can only hope that Japanese LGBTQ teenagers who see this show will find it comforting, and maybe a revelation.

And Ikuo? Honey, if you ever need a sugar daddy...call me. :-)

The most refreshing and wonderful series about being gay and the emotions involved that's ever been shown. Japanese culture of politeness and consideration above sex and self satisfying drama shine through.

Having been to Japan, this came as no surprise.

Yet the painful experience of self realisation and thought, the agony of their inability to know what seems so obvious to us in the west.

We can all learn from behaviour and kindness, about emotions and feelings and we can all be so much more generous than we often are.

You can't but help feel for all of them. Their strengths and weaknesses are in all of us.

Watch it calmly and quietly enjoy. It's a gem.