Reality television history is about to be made on Netflix in the form of The Boyfriend, heralded as Japan’s first-ever same-sex romance series.
The series follows a group of nine single men as they move into a gorgeous seaside villa, living and working together—in a trendy coffee truck, no less!—while feeling each other out. Is there a spark between two of the housemates? Over the course of a month, they’ll have the space to explore whether they’re just friends or something more.
And while we’re finally seeing an influx of queer-focused reality TV, The Boyfriend stands out by presenting something remarkably straightforward. There are no gimmicks here, no ultimatums, no eliminations—there’s not even a prize for successfully partnering up with someone by the season’s end! Well, you know, except for love!
In that sense, it feels a little bit like a throwback to classic The Real World, where people from all walks of life are brought under the same roof, expected to successfully hold jobs, and see how their relationships develop naturally. Albeit, this looks decidedly less dramatic than that MTV reality TV forebear—and that’s probably a good thing.
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It also shares a lot in common with Terrace House, another—straighter—Japanese reality series on Netflix. The Boyfriend will similarly feature a panel of commentators who watch along and give their two cents on the unfolding romances, which will include the actress MEGUMI, TV personality Chiaki Horan, influencer Thelma Aoyama, drag star Durian Lollobrigida, and comedian Yoshimi Tokui.
What’s especially remarkable about the series, however, is that same-sex unions have not been legalized in Japan. According to a piece in The New York Times, very few of the country’s celebrities are openly gay, while those that are out “are typically flamboyant, effeminate comic foils who are shoehorned into exaggerated stereotypes.”
The hope is that, by letting these housemates be themselves, The Boyfriend can just show audiences same-sex romances as they really are. “In order to get various LGBTQ+ rights, of course raising our voices and protesting is important,” Durian Lollobrigida tells NYT. “But at the same time, I think it is important to normalize it through entertainment.”
But we’re sorry to keep you waiting, because we’re sure you’re excited to meet the guys, right? The series premieres July 9 on Netflix (with new batches of episodes dropping every week through the remainder of the month), so in the meantime…
Watch the full trailer for The Boyfriend below, then scroll on down to get to know the cast with some of their most fire Instagram photos:
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So many hot ones.
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Gotta catch ’em all!