I try and not get too
carried away with most things in my life. I attempt to not get too high or too low.
But some things cannot be helped. Are you currently super into a book series,
place, movie or person? If you are, then we share something in common. My newest obsession
is Terrace House.
In my English class,
the kids learn about the 5 W’s. Who, what, where, when and why. Let’s try and
use that format to explain how I am currently not maximizing my free time.
What is Terrace House?
Terrace House is a
Japanese reality TV show that puts 3 single men and 3 single women in a house
in Japan while people watch and hope they fall in love. Think of a toned-down
version of Real World that you could watch with your mother. The show provides
them with beautiful cars to explore with and it basically chronicles the daily lives of young Japanese people
trying to figure out their careers and find love. Many people join Terrace House
to gain recognition for their band, their art work or add to their Instagram
follower count. It has been around since 2012, is gaining in popularity
worldwide and is brought to you by, to no shock to anyone, Netflix.
Who?
Age range is from 19-31. The members are either full or half Japanese and tend to be quite attractive. They seem to be mostly well behaved, don’t
party that much and is just a wholesome overall vibe to the entire show. There
is also a cast of 6 comedians/hosts who begin each week recapping what happened
on the previous episode. They cut to the hosts a few times each show to show
their reactions and their general takes on what is happening in the show. They might
be better than the actual drama taking place. Curiously, one of the hosts has
been caught not paying his taxes in Japan so his future on the show is in
doubt; I am not pleased with his criminal activity influencing my down time.
Where?
The current season is
happening in Tokyo. The other season I am watching right now takes place in Karuizawa,
near Nagano. They go snowboarding and enjoy nature. It’s quite cute. They have
also done a season in Hawaii and in Shonan area.
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When?
New episodes every
Tuesday. When they are released, the time of that episode was about two months
ago. So the next episode that comes out on Tuesday would have been filmed towards
the end of September. Some seasons can last up to 40 episodes and last about 30
minutes.
Why?
I have no idea. Why do
I watch it? I love anything to do with Japan and gaining insight into their
daily lives. It’s good clean fun and people are trying to fall in love. Since
the only woman I talk to these days is my Japanese teacher online once a week,
it is safe to say I am living vicariously through these Terrace House guests.
Why is it on the air?
People love reality TV and the Japanese approach to dating is much different
than in the West. They go on a ton of dates before saying they like each other;
they are super polite and formal; they are also aware that they are on this popular
show so they follow along with the comments online so it’s not like they are
living in some bumble. The humanness of it all is a pleasure to see.
Do I seem like the
kind of person who would buy a Terrace House shirt and then go to Japan and
hope people ask me about it? Well the answer to that question is surely yes
I did that and no, nobody approached me which should also not be a colossal surprise.
I would like to use
the excuse that it is helping with my Japanese learning but they speak so fast
that I’m not sure what the net benefit is to my learning. I am catching on to
some expressions but without the subtitles I would be lost. How do I know that?
Because one week I went to watch the episode but the woman who translates from
Japanese to English hadn’t done the translation yet so I had a choice to make.
Either wait a day or two for the translation to be up or watch it without the
translation, see what I could pick up then WATCH IT FOR A SECOND TIME to see
what I missed. I obviously watched it twice. In doing so, I realized that not
much actually happens in an episode. It’s a lot of talking about past dates and
planning for future dates. The women on the show are usually in a small disagreement
with one of the other women and the men are just oblivious to their surroundings.
Most of the people that are on the show are fine. Some are terrible and some just make the show. Here is my current top 3
Armen. Half Japanese/Half American. Some people only stay on the show for about 2-3 months. He stayed from episode 11 until the final episode, 45. People would come and go and he would just be hanging out, drinking and trying to fall in love. Great work. He also dated my second favourite person
Masako Endo. She's fun, she's cute and she got together with my main man Armen but sadly they aren't still together.
My current favourite Terrace House guest is
Hana! She's a wrestler, has a great vibe and is extra super cute. She's searching for a romantic adventure. I hope she finds it.
Do I recommend that
you watch this show? Well if you have read this far, you might as well watch a trailer
or two and see if you dig it. I attached a link to a ranking of every Terrace House cast member and a trailer to one of the seasons to peruse at your own leisure. Do I follow some of them on Instagram? Maybe. I try and not watch too much TV but I am powerless
against the Terrace House spell. This is all for today. I wish you an abundance
of free time for you to follow your obsession.
"I plan to stay as long as I can." Arman
PS:
I just read a little
unknown titled name To Kill a Mocking Bird. You’ve probably never heard of it
but if you have the time it has a great message.
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