The Boyfriend, Japan’s first same-sex reality dating show, is coming to Netflix, with a new teaser trailer dropping on Wednesday.
The show, which will consist of 10 episodes released over a four-week period, follows nine men looking to find love in a beach house called the “Green Room.” While in the house, they will also work shifts at a coffee truck — OK, it’s giving Jersey Shore — while navigating their romantic journeys.
According to Dai Ota, the show’s executive producer, the Netflix Japan series was meant to focus more on friendships and intimacy beyond romance alone. “We started out wanting to highlight the young men’s friendships and personalities,” she said in a statement. “Our focus wasn’t just on romance but also on spending time together and experiencing personal growth.”
Chief producer Keisuke Hishida added that she had “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.”
Netflix has become a destination for the reality dating genre and has produced a slew of hits in the category, including Love Is Blind, Perfect Match, The Ultimatum, and its queer counterpart The Ultimatum: Queer Love (both Ultimatum editions recently announced second seasons).
The Boyfriend’s debut comes as Japan’s approach to marriage equality seems to be taking a drastic shift. While same-sex marriage is still illegal in the country, two recent court decisions separately labeled the lack of rights for same-sex couples as unconstitutional. In March, the Sapporo High Court ruled that not allowing queer couples the same right to and benefits of marriage violates their rights under the Japanese constitution. However, because the high court does not have the power to change the constitution, a new law must be passed in order for marriage equality to become law.
Reality shows have a long history of moving public opinion on LGBTQ+ people. Pedro Zamora, a contestant on The Real World: San Francisco in 1994, was not only the first person with HIV to be featured on reality TV, but also one-half (along with his partner Sean Sasser) of the first same-sex marriage to be featured on television, regardless of genre.
The Boyfriend will debut on July 9 and will come out weekly, in four installments.
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