The Boyfriend is back (now he’s back and things’ll be fine) as Netflix’s Japanese gay reality dating series returns for an even stronger sophomore season. Second chances are the name of the game in this thoughtful, introspective, and charming series.
Eight eligible men between the ages of 20 and 40 from Japan, Thailand, and Peru, move into a snowy retreat in Hokkaido where they will form friendships, look inwards, and of course look for love. Taking place over two months (which plays out over 15 episodes), the boys display an incredible amount of courage sharing their stories in a culture that hasn’t fully embraced queer relationships.
Japan itself doesn’t recognize same-sex marriage, remaining the only G7 nation not to do so, with Tokyo’s High Court upholding a federal ban on equal marriage in November, 2025. The men themselves are grappling with various stages of the queer experience and out-ness. Watching them deconstruct their own internalized biases is not your standard reality show fare.
Some participants aren’t out to their families, others have just got out of serious long-term relationships, and a few… have already met before the show. Mixing them all together brews up a micro community in a culture where it can be harder to access one.
What sets The Boyfriend apart from other dating shows is the rawness with which these men put themselves out there. Imagine professing a crush to a fellow resident of the Green Room (what they call the house on the show) while not even being fully out to your family. It takes an incredible amount of bravery for these men to participate in this opportunity, and you can tell that they aren’t doing it to chase fame or even for a casual hookup. They are truly seeking meaningful connections.
Season two is coming out in a post Heated Rivalry world, which has helped skyrocket MM (Male/Male) romances to the forefront of the media. Just to set expectations, don’t anticipate Ilya/Shane level spicy on this show. These men do take great care of themselves though and there’s plenty of eye candy on display, but the emotional journey is what you’ll get wrapped up in the most in The Boyfriend.
Aficionados of other Asian reality shows will recognize the use of a panel of commentators within the show. A cast of Japanese personalities (MEGUMI, Chiaki Horan, Thelma Aoyama, Durian Lollobrigida, and Yoshimi Tokui) watch the footage and react along. For non-Japanese audiences, they help contextualize what the general public of Japan might be feeling when seeing these stories play out. They are always thoughtful and curious with their questions, and of course amusing.
Drag queen Durian Lollobrigida is an integral member of the commentary crew. They often serve as the most important educational bridge between the participants, the commentators, and the larger audience. While normally we’d say the burden of education shouldn’t fall on the marginalized, this is one of the rare scenarios where, because of the societal structure, having an out and proud drag queen taken seriously by their fellow panelists actually serves as a positive.
Rooted in what is effectively a “don’t ask, don’t tell” based culture, The Boyfriend helps humanize the queer experience for audiences who might not be ready to embrace it yet. Love is universal and at the root that is what all the participants are seeking.
In these dreary and dark times if you’re searching for a ray of hopefulness look no further than The Boyfriend, streaming now on Netflix.
By Dana Han-Klein
Episodes 1 – 9 of The Boyfriend season 2 are now streaming on Netflix, with episodes 10 – 12 debuting on January 27th, followed by episodes 13 – 15 on February 3rd.
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