The Boyfriend Season 2, Part 3!
We’re back at it again with the penultimate third phase of The Boyfriend’s second season! These last few episodes have been pretty significant, both in terms of relationships and the make up of the cast. What have the changes been? Who remains and who has bounced? Let’s head back to the Green Room!
Our Favorite Reality Show
These past few episodes have been dramatic (which we’ll get into more down below), but there have been a number of major events. One of which was a follow-up trip, where a few of the cast went to the Hokkaido capital of Sapporo! This was the cause of a few touching scenes (in more ways than one) and perhaps precipitated a fight back at the house. So what happened?
Putting the Drama in BL Drama
Well, to begin with, watching these, I was becoming increasingly frustrated with Izaya and William. After they agreed to be a couple (which was no surprise, given how close they have been), they continued to vacillate about how they saw their future together, and what it could mean for them if they potentially relocated to Spain, even on a temporary basis (and William remained incapable of wearing any clothes that were not related to Barcelona Football Club).
As such, while it is wonderful that they got together, it was often frustrating — and somewhat boring — to see them together. When they were endlessly debating their future over dinner, one host even exclaimed, “eat the crab in front of you! Don’t worry about future crabs!” After they took a brief sojourn away from the house to spend some intimate time together (which I have thoughts about and will discuss in the final summary), they decided to leave the house together. This was good for them as a couple, but also, I think, good for the show as a whole.
When they left, Jobu, who had previously been pining for William, did break down in tears. However, he had also found recent hope in the arrival of Taeheon, his favorite cast member from the first season. But after their first time alone together selling coffee… they barely spoke, had an extremely awkward conversation in a cafe, and ended up selling the lowest amount of coffee in the show’s history.
Nevertheless, the two end up becoming closer, little by little. Jobu, who has been left out of a lot in the earlier episodes, is someone who wears their heart on their sleeve. He can’t help but show it when he’s upset or frustrated, and Taeheon’s mature, nurturing side comes out when he notices this, saying at one point, “I didn’t feel like I could leave him alone.”
This is something of an upset for Hiroya, who also had a crush on Taeheon. But his larger problem comes when he has a tense conversation with Tomoaki, telling the latter that he doesn’t like gay culture, and would never go to Shinjuku Nichome. Tomoaki, who says he was saved by Nichome (and has previously mentioned struggling with his identity as a gay man) takes this personally, and the silence between the two brings down the mood of the entire house. They eventually broker peace, but… I subsequently felt less bad for Hiroya’s previous romantic issues.
Sudden Departures
Whereas last time we had some new additions to the cast, this time we had a number of members leaving all of a sudden. As mentioned, William and Izaya left to pursue their relationship outside of the Green Room. But we also saw the departure of the father of the house, Kazuyuki. After spending some time away from the house to sort out his feelings for his ex of 15 years in writing, he decided to leave the house to explain his feelings to his ex in detail.
There were also temporary absences for Bomi and Huwei, who actually did end up becoming closer as their feelings warmed up. Huwei had to leave for an entrance ceremony, followed by Bomi needing to leave for work, and finally Huwei needing to depart — before Bomi’s return! — owing to a family tragedy.
What Next for Netflix Japan’s Top Reality Show?
Honestly, with the departure of season 2’s OTP, the show really kicked into gear. With just a few episodes left, what will be the fate for Bomi and Huwei? How about Jobu and Taeheon? And will anyone trust Hiroya again? I won’t. But join us next time for the final stage!
