The LGBTQ+ dating series 'The Boyfriend' has driven Netflix's expansion of its Japanese unscripted content. Ota Dai, head of the division, attributes its global appeal to avoiding conventional reality TV tropes. New and renewed shows highlight a focus on authentic participant experiences.
Netflix's Japanese unscripted programming has seen significant growth following the success of the LGBTQ+ dating series “The Boyfriend.” Ota Dai, who oversees the streamer’s Japan unscripted division, credits the show's international resonance to a deliberate avoidance of typical reality television elements like game-like structures or overarching plots. Instead, the approach involves setting up basic scenarios and observing participants naturally.
“What I’m most conscious of is not building in big game-like elements or a strong overarching plot,” Ota tells Variety. “Instead, once I provide a basic setting, I try to simply watch over the participants so they can spend their time there as they are.”
This philosophy shapes the expanded slate, including the renewed “Badly In Love,” which reached No. 8 on Netflix’s Global Top 10 Non-English Series list and generated buzz in countries like Korea and Singapore. New titles include “Final Draft,” Japan’s first physical survival series, and “Offline Love,” where participants forgo phones during dating. Other shows, such as “Badly In Love” exploring yankii culture and “Love Village” Season 2 for those aged 35 to 60, emphasize multilayered identities without labeling participants as stereotypes.
“Once you stick labels like ‘the butt of the jokes,’ ‘the hopeless one,’ or ‘the love master’ onto someone, their story becomes fixed there,” Ota explains.
The strategy aligns with Netflix’s “Local for Local, then Global” model, preserving cultural specifics for broader appeal. “There’s no need to dilute or overemphasize a specific culture or character to make a global version,” Ota says.
For “The Boyfriend” Season 2, the cohabitation period doubled to two months in Hokkaido, allowing deeper relationship developments. Cast member Bomi, 23, reflected: “I was only looking at the bright side of love... Love is not just about loving each other. That itself is not able to carry on the relationship.” Izaya, 32, noted lessons in communication from past experiences.
Hosts, including Durian Lollobrigida, act as viewer proxies. Production prioritizes mental health support and participant well-being. Ota measures success by viewer emotional impact, not just numbers.
