The Boyfriend Ep8: Did You Wait Long? I’ve Been Waiting Forever

It’s getting hot in here! The drama is really heating up in Netflix’s new Japanese queer dating show The Boyfriend. Last episode, Shun and Dai were locked into yet another round of cat and mouse, and Kazuto continued to garner the attention of the housemates. Newcomer Ikuo very quickly confessed his feelings for Kazuto, and literally everyone in the house nominated themselves to work with Kazuto in the coffee truck. He’s definitely the house favorite! We’re dying to see what everyone is up to in The Boyfriend Ep8, so let’s press play shall we?

As Ikuo and Dai head off in the truck together, they spend the whole time talking about Shun and why he didn’t raise his hand for truck duty (can you believe that? We definitely can!). When the camera flicks back to Shun, in a moment of self-awareness, Shun admits that he is the problem here – he’s the troublesome one! Metaphorical applause and cheers could be heard in the hallways near and far, fam, because at least he knows Dai isn’t the issue here! And so begins today’s version of the Shun and Dai saga.

Dai and Shun

When he gets back from his shift with Ikuo, Shun pounces on the opportunity to talk to Dai. While he was out, Shun clearly realized that he’d made a mistake by not going to work with Dai and desperately tries to backtrack and make it better. Despite the to-and-fro nature of their relationship, what we do really love about these two is they do talk everything out properly. Most of the time it’s because Dai requires them to, but either way, we love to see open communication – even when it’s about difficult things!

This time, Dai calls Shun out on his BS and doesn’t let him get away with the awful manner in which he treated Dai. He stands up for himself, but he does it in a respectful, non-threatening way that obviously aims to resolve conflict, not cause more. 

Seriously, how many 23-year-old guys are out here doing it like Dai? 

Shun wallows in his own self-pity for a while and then gets some much-needed big-boy advice from Taeheon. With his tail between his legs, he saunters into the kitchen and apologizes to Dai for his behavior, right in front of Ikuo. And Dai melts. In The Boyfriend Ep8 all is right once more in DaiShun land for now. 

Kazuto

It’s starting to feel a little like a broken record, but everyone is throwing themselves at Kazuto again. Ikuo separates him from the group and tells him that he’s still all in, but, Kazuto isn’t so sure. He doesn’t like the dual versions of Ikuo that he sees when the man is with the group versus just on his own with Kazuto.

Then Ryota drags Kazuto outside as well and we’re left scratching our heads a little. Didn’t Kazuto tell Ryota the last time he did this that he didn’t want to talk privately with him anymore, that he just wanted to socialize with him with the others around? We’re not sure why Kazuto decided to go outside with the man, but he shuts down Ryota’s advances yet again.

It’s clear that Ryota has a massive crush on Kazuto and the tears he sheds during their conversation certainly leads one to believe that he might finally understand that he hasn’t got a romantic chance with the dude, but we’ll have to wait and see. This is not the first time Kazuto has had to set a boundary with him. He seems like a really sweet and genuine person and he deserves happiness. We hope he spreads his wings and moves forward into the world to find it.

Viewers don’t have to wait long to find out though and The Boyfriend Ep8 delivers the answer to this question quickly enough. When the housemates nominate themselves to go on private dates one final time, Ryota matches up with Gensei! That means he listened to Kazuto’s words, boxed up his feelings, and is making an effort to move on and leave Kazuto behind romantically. 

Date 1 – Kazuto and Alan

Kazuto and Alan talk about their last date, and how Alan came on as too strong for him. Kazuto is talking the talk and letting Alan know verbally that he’s into him, but honestly, why is this man so hard to read? His voice, his facial expressions, his body language – they’re all so passive and neutral and we can’t tell what he’s thinking at all. 

When they get into bed (different ones) next to each other later that night, we were wondering if Kazuto would throw viewers a bone and let us know what he’s really thinking about Alan, but y’all, as the date comes to a close we still don’t really know!

Hats off to Alan for listening to Kazuto’s words though and slowing his roll a little. As The Boyfriend Ep8 comes to a close they definitely seem to be operating more at Kazuto’s speed now. Maybe that’s a good thing and will allow a connection to develop more naturally between them now. Only time will tell. 

Date 2 – Gensei and Ryota

Gensei and Ryota seem to be dancing around each other exceptionally politely. They go make some glass necklaces together, eat some cakes at a cafe and then wind up back at the Green Room cooking together. Why didn’t these two get treated to a dinner out, like the other couples do?

It’s pretty clear from the conversation that Gensei is still romantically interested in Ryota, but is Ryota on the same page as he is now? Honestly, it’s unclear for us if Ryota is just barking up Gensei’s tree because he knows that Gensei is into him, or whether he’s trying to move on from Kazuto and allow the opportunity for feelings to grow between them. He couldn’t possibly have developed feelings for Gensei so quickly after pining for Kazuto so hard, could he?

Gensei is a soft squishy bean and we want to protect, protect, protect!

Date 3 – Dai and Shun

To be expected, Dai and Shun do a lot of talking on their date. Shun brings up the notion of family again and it’s clear that this kid’s past has left a lasting impact on him. He is determined to make for himself what he wasn’t given from the universe – a family. Fortunately, Dai doesn’t seem freaked out at all by how serious Shun is with regard to this and says that he wants the same things. 

But then things shift gears entirely and viewers get everything they’ve been waiting for. Shun crawls into Dai’s bed and the sexual tension goes from zero to one hundred in three seconds flat. The Boyfriend Ep 8 really delivers as viewers are confronted with the last few seconds of the episode and Shun leans in and kisses Dai – really kisses him! Audiences get an eyeful of their embrace for just a moment, and then the credits roll!

Finally! Were you waiting long for this? Because we felt like we’ve been waiting forever for this moment! Does this mean they’re going back to the Green Room as a couple? With two episodes left, there’s still so much that could happen here!

The Boyfriend Ep8 was the last opportunity for private dates to occur and we couldn’t be happier with how this all turned out. Although we still have no clear words or affirmations on what is exactly happening with the pairings in the house, we’re feeling good about the direction everything is going. Now the long wait for the final two episodes begins! 

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The first eight episodes of The Boyfriend are available to stream on Netflix now. Join the conversation and come and scream with us on our socials about this incredible queer viewing experience. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!

Featured Image: Courtesy of Netflix