The Boyfriend Ep3: A Kiss Would Make Things Clear

The Boyfriend is a new Japanese gay dating show that throws a group of gay men into a house together to see if sparks fly between any of the contestants. If you haven’t checked out our coverage of Episode 1 and Episode 2 of this addictive show, stop what you’re doing and check it out. If you’re all caught up, you’ll know that the end of the last episode finished on a cliffhanger. Shun’s turn to choose a workmate arises, and Ryota and Dai both clearly want to be selected. As conflict between Dai and Shun emerged throughout episode 2, it was unclear who the man would choose. When The Boyfriend Ep3 opens, viewers don’t have to wait long to find out. 

When Shun selects Dai (sorry Ryota – we feel bad for him!), despite all of the angst Shun expressed about their developing situation in episode 2, the title of The Boyfriend Ep3 – A Kiss Would Make Things Clear – alludes to the notion that things with Dai and Shun are likely to progress in this episode. Emerging as one of our favorite things to watch right now, this show is popcorn-worthy. It’s classy, suspenseful, and addictive – and we can’t stop watching. 

Netflix is releasing the series in chunks throughout the month of July. This is the last episode until July 16, so get yourself ready and enjoy the boys in the Green Room of The Boyfriend Ep3.

Alan

An eight contestant joins the show in The Boyfriend Ep3. As Alan (part Brazilian, Italian, and Japanese) enters the chat, it’s quite clear that he and Dai are already acquainted. He describes himself as assertive and is the kind of man who will tell another when he’s interested. 

He seems to know who Usak is and is surprised to see him there. Dai reveals he reached out to Alan on Instagram before being cast on the show, on account of his hotness. Dai wastes no time in letting audiences know that he and Alan slept together in the past. Meanwhile, Shun sits next to Dai as he delivers this information looking like the introverted version of the green-eyed monster. 

Alan’s arrival shakes things up a little as his larger-than-life personality and exotic appeal attract the eyes of those in the house. The way he inserts himself into the group demands attention, sometimes in a positive way, and sometimes not. 

Serious Shun Strikes Again

This guy makes for highly entertaining television. After being completely thrown off by Dai in the last episode, when they head off in the coffee van together in The Boyfriend Ep3, Shun tells Dai he’s not entirely sure that he can trust his own feelings. He’s stuck on the idea that he might like Dai because he knows Dai likes him. 

We snorted pretty loudly when Shun tells Dai that he thinks he’d be able to work out his feelings properly if they kissed, but then, when Dai actually goes to kiss the man, Shun rejects him, telling him that he’s not ready. The commentators squeal and call Shun a schemer and we’re inclined to agree. What felt like honesty from Shun initially now feels like he’s playing a game all of his own. 

But we’re here, and we’re hooked, and we must know what happens. 

After Alan upsets Dai, Shun and Dai are afforded an opportunity to bond yet again. Hearing Shun talk about his childhood explains some of the seriousness that he carries with him in all his endeavors. In The Boyfriend Ep3 Shun reveals that he was abandoned as a baby and raised in an orphanage until he was eighteen years old. He doesn’t know what family is, and he has never experienced what it’s like to be loved like that, so his hyper-focus on finding that for himself makes a whole lot more sense now. 

We want to gently hold and protect, protect, protect!

The Private Date

A new opportunity arises for the housemates to express their feelings for each other. They’re instructed to write down who they would like to go on a private date with and put their submission into a jar. If they’re matched with anyone, they’ll have the opportunity to go on a date together. Only mutual matches will be considered. 

Shun and Dai are matched (obviously) and they are the only couple in the house who successfully do.  After what looks like a successful date at lunch and then an adorable stroll through the local aquarium, Shun shocks audiences when he looks into the camera and says that throughout the day he saw some aspects of Dai that he doesn’t like, and it “threw cold water on my feelings.”

Excuse us, what?!

The commentators shriek in disbelief as the words tumble from Shun’s lips, and honestly, we did too! Shun is a difficult man to read, and he hides his emotions well. We understand why he keeps so much of himself guarded, but we just didn’t see this one coming, y’all. The credits begin rolling before we’re given any more information, and now we have to wait until July 16 to find out what the heck happened! Will they work it out, or is this the end of the line for this popular duo?

Other Observations

Like Shun, Gensei has presented himself to the other castmates as someone quite introspective and emotional. We learn in The Boyfriend Ep3 that he lost his grandfather and his father recently and is still carrying around a lot of grief about his loss. He also seems confused about Ryota. He’s been operating under the assumption that because Ryota picked him to work in the van, that Ryota is harboring romantic feelings for him. He’s shocked when Ryota doesn’t choose him to go on the private date. 

Ryota is clearly still hung up on Shun, but seems to understand that his chances with the man are shot. He acknowledges that Shun appears to have fallen for Dai, so we’ll be watching this space carefully in the next episode as things play out between Dai and Shun. 

Alan is a life force in the house that everyone seems enamored with, but not particularly interested in, all at the same time. At the moment, he’s like the shiny new toy in town, but their interest seems superficial at best. His addition to the house has disrupted the vibe a little, and we’re interested to see how this unfolds in the future. 

The creators of this show have produced a diamond in the rough. We’re invested in all these young men and the journey’s they’re embarking on. It’s equal parts tense and suspenseful at the same time that it’s soft and tender, which is the perfect recipe for binge-worthy television if we ever saw it. 

For now though, that’s it for us and The Boyfriend Ep3. We’re dying to see what direction this is all headed in and can’t wait for the next episode to drop. As things become unsteady between Dai and Shun will we get to see love bloom between other conestants in the house? In the meantime, drop by our socials and join the chat! Who is your fave castmate, and who do you want to see them with as the show unfolds? 

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Featured Image: Courtesy of Netflix