The Boyfriend: Japan’s First Same-Sex Reality Show
This is exciting! The Japanese entertainment industry is stepping into the same-sex dating genre, and we couldn’t be more excited! Available for international audiences to view on Netflix, The Boyfriend, Japan’s very first same-sex romance reality series, celebrates love in all its forms. Starting July 9, viewers can tune in every Tuesday to enjoy a total of 10 episodes in four weekly installments.
Located by the sea, the “Green Room” beach house sets the stage for nine men to find love. For a month, they live together and take turns working shifts at a peppermint green coffee truck, forging deep friendships and learning about themselves as they go. Hosted by an eclectic mix of personalities including MEGUMI, Chiaki Horan, Thelma Aoyama, drag queen Durian Lollobrigida, and Yoshimi Tokui, the show promises to deliver a rollercoaster of emotions.
Executive producer Dai Ota, manager of live-action originals at Netflix Japan, shares the vision for this first same-sex series, explaining, “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.”
Kyodo Television’s Keisuke Hishida who worked on Ainori Love Wagon: Asian Journey and Love Deadline serves on this new show as the chief producer and director, adds, “I discussed with the cast how growth and valuable experiences stem from shared friendships, youth, and struggles, not just romance. This led to many unexpected miracles on set.”
Model, DJ, and YouTube vlogger Taiki takes on the roles of producer and casting director. On bringing the charismatic group together, he says, “I’m so happy with how this series took shape. I listened to each participant with a goal to produce a show that left everyone feeling valued and loved.”
Check out the trailer for The Boyfriend!
This is a step forward for the queer community in Japan. We can’t wait to share this first same-sex series out of the region with audiences in July.
The Boyfriend will be available to stream exclusively on Netflix starting July 9. Follow us on X and Instagram for all queer stuff!
Featured Image: Image Courtesy of Netflix
