The Boyfriend Season 2, Part 4!
We’ve come to the end of the road for our grand and gregarious gay guys galavanting in the Green Room at the high end of Hokkaido! So, where do our heroes go from here? Who is going home loved-up? Who is going home stronger? And who is making surprise comebacks? Hop into the coffee truck one last time, and let’s go!
Our Favorite Reality Show
One of the most interesting — if not necessarily unexpected — developments for the second half of this season is the elevation of first-season recidivist Taeheon to being a major interest for multiple people — but especially, as mentioned previously, especially between Jobu and Hiroya. That said, Taeheon is a very quiet and reserved person, and so it can often be difficult to read his feelings or discern what he’s thinking.
In the meantime, down a pair (at least for now), the others play a three-way third wheel, to a degree. While it seems like they’re not unhappy (except for Hiroya, who is still openly pining for Taeheon, it does rather slow down their “storylines,” if you can say such a thing about those on a reality show.
Over these episodes, however, we do get a trip to Sapporo, as well as a final dinner together to enjoy a last, formal-dressed moment of beauty together before saying their final farewells — or waltzing off into the sunset.
Welcome Returns
Two of our friends who have been away for a little while, Ryuki and Huwei, make their triumphant return, just in time to see the season through to its finish! The two return with newfound knowledge, as well as — in Huwei’s case — purpose.
Not only this, but on the last night in Sapporo, when the group has their formalwear dinner, they are joined by Kazuyuki, Izaya, and William, all of whom make one final appearance to round out the full cast of the season. Kazuyuki, for his part, has sorted through his feelings and is back together with his (former) ex-boyfriend. Izaya and William, meanwhile, confirm that they are still together… and still fighting!
Putting the Drama in BL Drama
So, with everyone coming to terms with their imminent departure from the Green Room, one might assume that everyone has begun to calm themselves in preparation for their return to the real world, no?
No.
While there are a number of heartfelt moments to be found in these final episodes (not least of which is Tomoaki’s touching letter to his parents, which he reads aloud to the rest of the cast), there is plenty of room for fighting and drama.
Firstly, Huwei’s return, while it initially uplifts Bomi, also puts him a little on the back foot, as it turns out that he brought back only one gift from Thailand: a dried Durian fruit for them all to share, but only because Ryuki said he didn’t like them. This leads them to a little bit of a quiet, distanced falling out until they come to understand one another… and leave the house together.
Meanwhile, Jobu and Taeheon continue to get closer, but during one of the last nights of the show, Jobu has an unusual reaction to the group discussing the process of coming out (something he hasn’t had to deal with in the same sense as the rest of the cast), which causes him to walk out of the dinner. Sadly, because he can’t explain this adequately to Taeheon, the latter becomes frustrated and upset… and separates their beds before going to sleep. Nevertheless, at the climax, they leave together.
Final Thoughts
This was another interesting and unique view into gay Japanese culture through the lens of a reality show, but I did have some reservations about the second season, especially as compared to the first. While it was nice to have more to see, I personally felt that the addition of five episodes was a little bit much, and so there was a lot of time dedicated to seeing our boys rehash and relitigate issues that had previously been thought concluded.
Additionally, I felt a lack of connection between the coffee truck and the cast that had been established in the first series. While in season 1, the amount of money that was earned was important, as it was linked directly (at least for a while) to Usak’s ability to buy the chicken that he needed, in season 2, the money earned is pretty meaningless. We don’t see the group struggle with food budgets, and when Izaya and William wanted a luxury villa to go to to be alone, they just got one. It took a little of the realism away for me.
Nevertheless, this is still a fun and exciting show, with great contributions from the hosts and a diverse group of cast members to follow. The second season proves that the formula has yet to get stale.
