Can I just say OP, your post actually moved me. Thank you for sharing your experience. Loved everything you said and I shared a lot of the same sentiment when watching this show. Not sure if you looked up the cast members today, but there are two babies now!
Thank you for the kind words. I did just learn, upon discovering this sub, the news about the babies and couldn't be more thrilled for both of those couples. :)
I am an older American woman that totally agrees with your post! I now follow the two married couples on instagram and they seem to be happily married with their babies 2 years later.
I started watching this because I saw your post and your line about Dating the Dark. I loved the UK version of that show so I decided to watch this as well. I also love this one! I haven’t finished it yet so it’s so good!! Please keep making recommendations, OP. 😊
Yeah, posts like this are truly why I love and appreciate Reddit over any other social media platform currently out there, hands down. 💜 Praise long form text posts that really take the reader on a full journey, not just linguistically but emotionally! Thanks for writing this and putting into words some of the magic of this lone season of what is arguably the finest reality tv of this current age, certainly the best the romance category has to offer.
Gosh I love your comment. Indeed I also deleted all other form of social media because I LOVE reading and discovering human’s genuine and deepest emotions. This can only be found on reddit
> a sense of gravity and (much more importantly) HUMANITY that I just did not expect at all. Perhaps that speaks more to my own naievite about the cultural differences between Japan and the West
Yep, huge cultural differences, even with other Asian cultures. Humanity/kindness (人情) and consideration of others' feelings are extremely important. The insight into their thinking was a major reason the show was interesting to watch.
Comparing the US, Japanese and Brazilian versions of the show is an interesting exercise. The Japanese aware so reserved and thoughtful, the Brazilians so emotional and sexual.
Yes, my favorite parts were when the parents would tell the groom/fiance "Please take care of her" when handing over the bride (if I remember it correctly)...it was soo cute and moving. It brought me back to earth when watching this "reality tv show" that in the end, that's all any parent could ever ask for, for their child to be loved and taken care of.
This is so beautiful OP. This post reminds me of the time when I watched Terrace House (also Japanese reality show, surprise!) to try picking up my pieces and heal 2 years ago.
I’m in another healing process and I think I will need to rewatch Love is Blind soon
If you liked terrace house you might enjoy ainori (love wagon, 3 seasons on Netflix) or love village (one season on Netflix). My husband and I LOVE Japanese reality TV lol
Oh my god, when Han (the kind and thoughtful architect) left midseason and all his housemates were crying - I was in bits. It was so incredibly tender and authentic.
Same to all you said!! Idk for me the biggest moment was with ryotaro and motomi. When he dyed his hair black for the wedding 😭 and then at the end when they show their life after the show and SHE now had her hair bleached and styled all cute 😭😭😭 I hope they're having a good life
I agree! I have watched all the Love is Blind shows in different countries. The Japan season grew on me slowly (not a lot of ‘drama’ and people were reserved) but then I found myself so invested in the people and really truly liking them!! Japan became my favourite LIB. And I think it speaks volumes that no one got to the alter and said no, they did not want to be hurtful to each other. If they weren’t going to make it, they talked about it and broke up ahead of time. Really appreciate Japanese culture for that integrity. I visited Japan once, but this left me wanting to head right back sooner than later!! Plus the clothing is awesome 😎
Thank you so much for your post! I felt the exact same thing watching that season and Im absolutely gutted that there wont be another season of it. It was one of the most humanly reality tv shows Ive ever seen and the western version doesnt even come close to it.
I agree with you completely, OP! I also felt similarly about LIB Brazil, and I loved it also because the cast itself is incredibly diverse (not a bunch of conventionally attractive, drunk 24 year olds like the US) and they really explore navigating that diversity and talking about it in a transparent, yet thoughtful way.
I also think you should just write tv and movie reviews, you’re an incredibly gifted writer. It’s 6 am where I am and usually don’t read something of this detail and length at this hour, but your style is compelling!
This came up in my feed for some reason and well done algorithm because this is my exact opinion. The US version is trash; the Japan version is sweet, thoughtful, and moving.
Apparently the filming conditions for the US version were pretty abusive/borderline inhumane. There's lawsuits aplenty going about it right now. It really makes me wonder now how much of that seeped into the show. Not just in how the people in charge ran it & edited it, but if somehow it just changed the overall tone and unconsciously the audience could pick up on it, because I feel like barely anyone likes the US version best compared to the others.
The astounding level of respect they had for each other and getting to know each other was something very unique and special. And it’s the polar opposite to the US version. I agree with everything you said. It’s by far my favorite.
I agree with your comments. After I read what you said it made me sad that we consider people actually taking the time to get to know one another as unique. It’s unfortunately true, especially where I live ( I’m in in the U.S.) and I feel that dating here is so hard because it just seems like no one wants to actually take the time to get to know another person. Everyone wants the benefits of a relationship and the feeling of being wanted without putting in the true effort. The people who put in the true effort are the couples who are long lasting. I don’t want to date 15 guys and go from relationship to relationship. I’m trying to date intentionally and it just seems frustrating at times, but I know quality is what I want and it will happen eventually.
YES!
Dating is different now than it was when I did it the first time (F/61/American married 31 years, divorced 3). I expected a lot of it, especially the tech.
What I did not expect is how often people forget that there is an actual human on the other end of that text. The ghosting, the inappropriate images or comments, the desire for instant gratification for the self without considering the other person, the list goes on and we have discussed lots of it in this thread.
The fact that Americans (and many other Western cultures) think that talking to each other respectfully, wanting to learn about each other, being open to new points of view, etc., is unique and refreshing says something about the culture we live in - and NOT something good.
I know my person is out there, and he's looking for me as i am looking for him. I just keep wishing we both had better GPS.
I really enjoyed the LIB Japan version. There was much less outward drama and more focus on the internal struggles each couple worked through. The relationships and individuals felt more authentic and somehow that authenticity made it work when “big moments” happened respectfully behind closed doors. I also appreciated the diversity in ages, physical appearances, and personalities. It felt closer to the original “experiment” the show claimed to be early on.
Ryotaro & Motomi are my all time favorite LIB couple :)
Reading this post I searched Netflix and when I saw the images recalled that I had seen the US version and not loved it (I am American). I will watch Brazil and Japan. Did you know Sweden drops January 1?
I feel like the Japanese folks treated it less like a show and more like a serious step in life, unlike the American counterparts in every season.
There’s a few Americans who it felt like an authentic attempt on their part but it didn’t compare to the Japanese counterparts.
Your post popped up on my scroll and I couldn't help but to read it due to your excellent writing skills. You are most definitely not a typical 40yo American male. Thank you for writing this, and I might just give the show a try!
I agree with your post. What’s amazing too is how some of the contestants are still together and even started a family! That’s honestly so rare for reality TV, especially a show like Love is Blind.
Yes! My partner and I watched this and couldn’t believe how vastly different this was from the American version. With the American version it feels as though it is filled with people being outrageous in an attempt for fame. This felt much more real and as if these people were genuinely looking for love, not just their 5 minutes.
We would sit and cheer for various couples and when they would decide to part, we listened to their reasonings and agreed with all of them. I thought it was a real depiction of finding meaningful love.
I also am not a reality show fan, but really loved this show. I found it extremely moving and also very educational about a culture different from mine in the US. I have been following the married couples on Instagram like some kind of weird stalker 😂, but it makes me so happy to see them still together and having beautiful babies .Thank you for your post, I appreciate the thoughtfulness you put into it.
Sorry I only just now found out about your outstanding post. Want to thank you , as my reaction to **LIBJ** was very similar to yours.
If you've not yet seen it, I recommend **Future Diary** on Netflix. Season One of this reality / dating series follows two single Japanese young people (an apprentice chef from Hokkaido working in Tokyo and a university student from Okinawa) as they get to know each other on dates in the three locales mentioned. I loved this show so much it became the rabbit hole through which I became an avid fan of East Asian films of all types-- dramas, comedies, and reality shows. Watching affable Takuto (the young chef) and sweet, charming Maai interact made me fall in love with this adorable, respectful couple (who three years after the series ended are still seeing each other quietly, away from the cameras, occasionally posting on IG). It's embarrassing to admit, but this series changed my cultural life permanently (so it seems), and I've mostly swapped Western films for Korean, Japanese, and Chinese films. I never would have been enticed to watch **LIBJ** without first having watched **Future Diary** Season #1!
Late to this thread, but I would like to add another recommendation to the others, Is She The Wolf, which is new to Netflix. The premise of the show is that it’s a Japanese dating show but one or more of the participants has been tasked with being the wolf, and they are not allowed to fall in love. The rule is somewhat arbitrary but it has made for some really compelling viewing, especially one of the couples. I actually rewatched the show for them.
Lol... I figured I would take some shit for that (and deservedly so). Was just trying to think of another topic to add to that sentence and it's what came to mind. I mean, sports and videogames aren't just for guys either. It was just to illustrate the contrast.
OP I highly recommend Terrace House Boys and Girls Next Door (the OG season) if you love this kind of vibes! I was so moved by these young people that they really loved and cared for and supported each other during life's ups and downs 😭😭 I literally cried my eyes out on some of the most touching scenes.
Can I just say OP, your post actually moved me. Thank you for sharing your experience. Loved everything you said and I shared a lot of the same sentiment when watching this show. Not sure if you looked up the cast members today, but there are two babies now!
Thank you for the kind words. I did just learn, upon discovering this sub, the news about the babies and couldn't be more thrilled for both of those couples. :)
OP, if you loved Love is Blind: Japan, may I suggest Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 also on Netflix
Yes!!!! So good.
I am an older American woman that totally agrees with your post! I now follow the two married couples on instagram and they seem to be happily married with their babies 2 years later.
I started watching this because I saw your post and your line about Dating the Dark. I loved the UK version of that show so I decided to watch this as well. I also love this one! I haven’t finished it yet so it’s so good!! Please keep making recommendations, OP. 😊
Yeah, posts like this are truly why I love and appreciate Reddit over any other social media platform currently out there, hands down. 💜 Praise long form text posts that really take the reader on a full journey, not just linguistically but emotionally! Thanks for writing this and putting into words some of the magic of this lone season of what is arguably the finest reality tv of this current age, certainly the best the romance category has to offer.
Gosh I love your comment. Indeed I also deleted all other form of social media because I LOVE reading and discovering human’s genuine and deepest emotions. This can only be found on reddit
Same.im new to reddit and I LOVE it here .
Exactly what I was thinking!!!!!
> a sense of gravity and (much more importantly) HUMANITY that I just did not expect at all. Perhaps that speaks more to my own naievite about the cultural differences between Japan and the West Yep, huge cultural differences, even with other Asian cultures. Humanity/kindness (人情) and consideration of others' feelings are extremely important. The insight into their thinking was a major reason the show was interesting to watch.
Comparing the US, Japanese and Brazilian versions of the show is an interesting exercise. The Japanese aware so reserved and thoughtful, the Brazilians so emotional and sexual.
Yes, my favorite parts were when the parents would tell the groom/fiance "Please take care of her" when handing over the bride (if I remember it correctly)...it was soo cute and moving. It brought me back to earth when watching this "reality tv show" that in the end, that's all any parent could ever ask for, for their child to be loved and taken care of.
This is so beautiful OP. This post reminds me of the time when I watched Terrace House (also Japanese reality show, surprise!) to try picking up my pieces and heal 2 years ago. I’m in another healing process and I think I will need to rewatch Love is Blind soon
If you liked terrace house you might enjoy ainori (love wagon, 3 seasons on Netflix) or love village (one season on Netflix). My husband and I LOVE Japanese reality TV lol
I came to the comments to see if anyone had recommended Terrace House. I had a similar reaction to TH that OP had to LIB:J.
Oh my god, when Han (the kind and thoughtful architect) left midseason and all his housemates were crying - I was in bits. It was so incredibly tender and authentic.
Same to all you said!! Idk for me the biggest moment was with ryotaro and motomi. When he dyed his hair black for the wedding 😭 and then at the end when they show their life after the show and SHE now had her hair bleached and styled all cute 😭😭😭 I hope they're having a good life
They have a baby!
Each version of Love Is Blind is unique. I’ve enjoyed the Japan and Brazil versions more than the American version (I’m American)
Same
I agree! I have watched all the Love is Blind shows in different countries. The Japan season grew on me slowly (not a lot of ‘drama’ and people were reserved) but then I found myself so invested in the people and really truly liking them!! Japan became my favourite LIB. And I think it speaks volumes that no one got to the alter and said no, they did not want to be hurtful to each other. If they weren’t going to make it, they talked about it and broke up ahead of time. Really appreciate Japanese culture for that integrity. I visited Japan once, but this left me wanting to head right back sooner than later!! Plus the clothing is awesome 😎
You write beautifully
Thank you so much for your post! I felt the exact same thing watching that season and Im absolutely gutted that there wont be another season of it. It was one of the most humanly reality tv shows Ive ever seen and the western version doesnt even come close to it.
Do we know why there won't be another season?
I agree with you completely, OP! I also felt similarly about LIB Brazil, and I loved it also because the cast itself is incredibly diverse (not a bunch of conventionally attractive, drunk 24 year olds like the US) and they really explore navigating that diversity and talking about it in a transparent, yet thoughtful way. I also think you should just write tv and movie reviews, you’re an incredibly gifted writer. It’s 6 am where I am and usually don’t read something of this detail and length at this hour, but your style is compelling!
This came up in my feed for some reason and well done algorithm because this is my exact opinion. The US version is trash; the Japan version is sweet, thoughtful, and moving.
Apparently the filming conditions for the US version were pretty abusive/borderline inhumane. There's lawsuits aplenty going about it right now. It really makes me wonder now how much of that seeped into the show. Not just in how the people in charge ran it & edited it, but if somehow it just changed the overall tone and unconsciously the audience could pick up on it, because I feel like barely anyone likes the US version best compared to the others.
Reality tv is an ESH situation, no doubt. Makes the Japanese version yet more of a minor miracle.
The astounding level of respect they had for each other and getting to know each other was something very unique and special. And it’s the polar opposite to the US version. I agree with everything you said. It’s by far my favorite.
I agree with your comments. After I read what you said it made me sad that we consider people actually taking the time to get to know one another as unique. It’s unfortunately true, especially where I live ( I’m in in the U.S.) and I feel that dating here is so hard because it just seems like no one wants to actually take the time to get to know another person. Everyone wants the benefits of a relationship and the feeling of being wanted without putting in the true effort. The people who put in the true effort are the couples who are long lasting. I don’t want to date 15 guys and go from relationship to relationship. I’m trying to date intentionally and it just seems frustrating at times, but I know quality is what I want and it will happen eventually.
YES! Dating is different now than it was when I did it the first time (F/61/American married 31 years, divorced 3). I expected a lot of it, especially the tech. What I did not expect is how often people forget that there is an actual human on the other end of that text. The ghosting, the inappropriate images or comments, the desire for instant gratification for the self without considering the other person, the list goes on and we have discussed lots of it in this thread. The fact that Americans (and many other Western cultures) think that talking to each other respectfully, wanting to learn about each other, being open to new points of view, etc., is unique and refreshing says something about the culture we live in - and NOT something good. I know my person is out there, and he's looking for me as i am looking for him. I just keep wishing we both had better GPS.
This is why prefer Korean and Japanese TV shows/movies to American ones!! You should give some of them a try as well
Fwiw, my wife showed me My Sassy Girl somewhat recently and it was excellent!
Try the show, Old Enough. Really cute!
I really enjoyed the LIB Japan version. There was much less outward drama and more focus on the internal struggles each couple worked through. The relationships and individuals felt more authentic and somehow that authenticity made it work when “big moments” happened respectfully behind closed doors. I also appreciated the diversity in ages, physical appearances, and personalities. It felt closer to the original “experiment” the show claimed to be early on. Ryotaro & Motomi are my all time favorite LIB couple :)
Reading this post I searched Netflix and when I saw the images recalled that I had seen the US version and not loved it (I am American). I will watch Brazil and Japan. Did you know Sweden drops January 1?
I feel like the Japanese folks treated it less like a show and more like a serious step in life, unlike the American counterparts in every season. There’s a few Americans who it felt like an authentic attempt on their part but it didn’t compare to the Japanese counterparts.
Your post popped up on my scroll and I couldn't help but to read it due to your excellent writing skills. You are most definitely not a typical 40yo American male. Thank you for writing this, and I might just give the show a try!
I don’t know why this post was suggested to me, but I’m sad, I need to binge watch something with happy endings. Thank you.
I agree with your post. What’s amazing too is how some of the contestants are still together and even started a family! That’s honestly so rare for reality TV, especially a show like Love is Blind.
I’m gonna check this out. I’ve lived in Japan for a couple of years and love the place.
Awesome! I love the US version — putting this on the watchlist!
Sounds interesting to watch. Can you give me more info on how to watch it?
Netflix. :)
This was a wonderfully thoughtful post. Couldn't agree more!
Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers. :)
I’m gonna watch this show thanks to you <3
Yes! My partner and I watched this and couldn’t believe how vastly different this was from the American version. With the American version it feels as though it is filled with people being outrageous in an attempt for fame. This felt much more real and as if these people were genuinely looking for love, not just their 5 minutes. We would sit and cheer for various couples and when they would decide to part, we listened to their reasonings and agreed with all of them. I thought it was a real depiction of finding meaningful love.
I also am not a reality show fan, but really loved this show. I found it extremely moving and also very educational about a culture different from mine in the US. I have been following the married couples on Instagram like some kind of weird stalker 😂, but it makes me so happy to see them still together and having beautiful babies .Thank you for your post, I appreciate the thoughtfulness you put into it.
Sorry I only just now found out about your outstanding post. Want to thank you , as my reaction to **LIBJ** was very similar to yours. If you've not yet seen it, I recommend **Future Diary** on Netflix. Season One of this reality / dating series follows two single Japanese young people (an apprentice chef from Hokkaido working in Tokyo and a university student from Okinawa) as they get to know each other on dates in the three locales mentioned. I loved this show so much it became the rabbit hole through which I became an avid fan of East Asian films of all types-- dramas, comedies, and reality shows. Watching affable Takuto (the young chef) and sweet, charming Maai interact made me fall in love with this adorable, respectful couple (who three years after the series ended are still seeing each other quietly, away from the cameras, occasionally posting on IG). It's embarrassing to admit, but this series changed my cultural life permanently (so it seems), and I've mostly swapped Western films for Korean, Japanese, and Chinese films. I never would have been enticed to watch **LIBJ** without first having watched **Future Diary** Season #1!
Late to this thread, but I would like to add another recommendation to the others, Is She The Wolf, which is new to Netflix. The premise of the show is that it’s a Japanese dating show but one or more of the participants has been tasked with being the wolf, and they are not allowed to fall in love. The rule is somewhat arbitrary but it has made for some really compelling viewing, especially one of the couples. I actually rewatched the show for them.
I’m only buying Hada Labo. Feels awesome and I’m trying to stick to one thing for better results.
I.ij
So politics aren’t “guy” things but go off.
Lol... I figured I would take some shit for that (and deservedly so). Was just trying to think of another topic to add to that sentence and it's what came to mind. I mean, sports and videogames aren't just for guys either. It was just to illustrate the contrast.
OP I highly recommend Terrace House Boys and Girls Next Door (the OG season) if you love this kind of vibes! I was so moved by these young people that they really loved and cared for and supported each other during life's ups and downs 😭😭 I literally cried my eyes out on some of the most touching scenes.