Image by Fuji TV & Netflix. Source: Wikipedia
There have been a number of new things I explored this year in the time of the pandemic: nearby national parks, diets, delivery gigs, and Terrace House. Terrace House is a Japanese reality show that places six strangers–three women and three men–in a beautiful, spacious home and watches how they interact. To add color commentary to the show is a six person panel of notable Japanese comedians and actors that add their own take on what’s happening. It provides international viewers a glimpse into Japanese culture, albeit through an edited and constructed lens.
You, the matriarchal figure of the panel, states at the start of each episode that there is no script–though how unscripted the show really is is subject to speculation. In this first article, I’ll share what got me interested in Terrace House, touch briefly on the controversy surrounding the show earlier this year, and discuss some of the constructs of the show. My second article will be personal reactions to key events from Terrace House Boys & Girls in the City.
Photo by Fuji TV & Netflix. Source: IMDB
Introduction to the Show and Hana Kimura
In Terrace House, the house members go about their daily lives in a shared house environment which–outside of living with their family–is relatively rare for people in Japan. There is no prize money or goal and the members may leave at any time. However, most of the house members are single and between the ages of 18-31, making it a thinly veiled dating show. The show is filmed like an observational documentary: the camera and sound team are invisible and are never addressed, and the members act as if the production team is not there.
I had heard about this series a few years ago and tried watching the first episode of Terrace House Aloha State, but I couldn’t get into it. At the time I was busy with my own life goals and going out on dates–I didn’t have the patience to watch other people date and pursue their dreams.
Fast forward to the 2020 pandemic, many people’s lives have been forced to slow down, myself included. One of the unexpected benefits of the stay at home orders has been the time at home to reflect on one’s life and also spending too much time on social media. Terrace House came back on my radar in late May when I saw on a friend’s Instagram that a member of the latest season of Terrace House Tokyo 2019 - 2020, Hana Kimura, had passed away.
Kimura had been subject to cyberbullying and criticism based on how she was portrayed on the show. It has also come to light that there was pressure from the show’s producers on Kimura to play the aggressive type. However, by all accounts to those that knew her personally, Kimura was a sweet, caring woman that had a passion for her craft–professional wrestling–and through Terrace House wanted to introduce Japanese professional wrestling to a wider audience.
I wanted to know more about her story and to see what had happened on the show. But it also left me conflicted. Do I really want to support a show that may have led to someone’s death? I mentioned these concerns to a friend that was a Terrace House fan and he said that, despite its flaws and the potential manipulation by producers, the show had something to offer. Even one of the show’s most open critics online told me how she really enjoyed watching earlier seasons. Also, it was because of the current season that the critic found out about Hana Kimura and fell in love with her.
Therefore, I did some moral calculus and decided that I would approach my viewing of Terrace House from the standpoint of a researcher: what are the constructs of the show, what can I learn about human behavior, and why is it so popular?
Photo by Fuji TV & Netflix
In the City and Behind the Camera
I started with Terrace House Boys & Girls in the City which takes place in Tokyo and was filmed between September 2015 to September 2016. This is the first series of Terrace House available to international viewers on Netflix. The original series of Terrace House: Boys x Girls Next Door, was released in Japan and took place in the Shonan area, about 30 miles southwest of Tokyo, from 2012 to 2014. It followed by a feature length film called Closing Door. The original season is harder to find, but I definitely recommend watching it: some of the members and their storylines are incredibly engaging. It will also fill you in on the callbacks made by the panelists and you’ll find more delight and surprise in the guest appearances that happen on Boys & Girls in the City.
I watched Boys & Girls in the City with the determination to get through at least two or three episodes before dismissing it or switching to something else. What happened instead was complete infatuation. Many reviews about the show discuss how mundane and reserved the show is. I in contrast found the day to day interactions and the drama between the house members riveting.
Another thing that surprised me about the show was it’s production value. I personally come from a film production background and I was consistently impressed by the show’s excellent camerawork and audio. The camera pans smoothly and almost instinctively to follow whoever is speaking or moving. The dialogue is clear even in noisy environments like a Tokyo public street. In order to achieve that production value, there has to be high quality cameras set up that are operated by skilled technicians. For the audio, hidden lavalier mics (which can sometimes be heard rustling when people move or hug each other) would need to be placed around the house and/or attached to the house members.
What this also means is that despite seeming like a fly on the wall when watching the show, there is actually a whole production team present. Maybe they’re able to limit the crew to a bare minimum, but in any case, the presence of the crew will cause the house members to be acutely aware that they are being filmed.
The presence of a camera affects behavior, however subtle. People naturally want to present their best side. As mentioned before, there are also producers behind the scenes that set up situations that may help push the drama forward. As I watched the show, I was thoroughly engaged, but I couldn’t help but wonder: how did they get that shot? Why does it seem that everyone is hanging out at the dinner table at set times?
That being said, the show tapped into a visceral need I had to people watch, which has become a limited activity due to the pandemic. Despite all of the constructs mentioned above and my initial hesitation to the series, in Terrace House I had found a show of six strangers pursuing their dreams and looking for love, and I was hooked.
In my next article, I will do a deep dive into the events of Boys & Girls in the City and share my thoughts and reactions.