Love Is Blind: Japan

Everyone come from all walks of life. There is no perfect Prince Charming or princess. Everyone has their flaws and definitely their own charms. It is a really interesting and diversified show.

I'm really enjoying this show. After watching the American version, with a number of backstabbing/egocentric people, it's refreshing to witness a culture in which the participants are respectful and supportive of each other--even when they have differences.

Watching this has given me insight into Japanese culture.

PS Having just watched the final episodes, I raised my rating from 8 stars to 9. The kindness and respect between couples and families is amazing and enlightening.

I was really interested to see how this show would translate to a culture where people don't open up so easily, and I was really pleasantly surprised. By the end of the show I felt my time was well spent exploring the concerns about relationships between contestants and partners, and it made me reflect on my own life as well. This is a rare quality for reality tv.

Good points: -The producers focus on the human emotions and experience, not the drama. This is what reality tv should be like!! The US version feels so drama-focused it feels like it's scripted at times, but the Japan version feels natural. Yet even though, there are still tons of surprises and tension in the Japan version. The stakes almost feel higher in the Japan version as well.

-Culturally, Japan takes match making much more serious than the US, so the contestants are on the show for love, not to become influencers like the US version. Even towards the end everyone isn't forced to wait until the altar to say "yes/no" in a performative way. This makes the show feel genuine, creates unexpected moments, and makes you even more invested in seeing the success of certain relationships.

-The budget is really high. So much higher than the US version, so it doesn't feel like any other cheap reality show. For example, they stay at Hosinoya Resort in Okinawa, one of the most luxurious resorts in Japan. They also dine in several high class restaurants. This will allow overseas viewers to see a different side of Japan.

-The aesthetic is on point. They clearly brought in designers to create pods that are creative, sophisticated, and more interactive than the US version via little doors that fit seamlessly in the design where contestants can exchange items. This makes the experience more personable for contestants. Also, the area where the contestants meet for the first time is very romantic and uniquely Japan with flowers hanging down and a bridge over water; much more magical than the US's red carpet.

-The music pairings are good.

-The producers didn't try to incite jealousy by forcing contestants to have conversations about other people they had crushes on. The US version does this too often.

-There is a lot of diversity in the cast despite being a Japan-focused show culturally, ethnically, and socio-economically. I hope this can open viewers' eyes to see Japan is a lot more complex than just 'Japanese'.

-Great title screen shots and locations to showcase Tokyo and other parts of Japan. It ties in the metropolitan feel to the cast.

-The program showcases the struggles and stigma around being a divorced woman in Japan in an empathetic and open-minded way. That is a true accomplishment by the show's producer in a country with such strict stigmas. Well done.

Things to be improved: -The wedding officiant was a random foreigner who spoke English, and most of the contestants and their families don't speak English.. It just felt out of the blue and performative. The venues were beautiful though.

-The producers chose a few famous people, like Kaoru and Priya. I wish in the future they stick with just normal non-famous people, not people who are children of famous actors/entertainers. Even on other shows like Terrace House Japanese producers will choose already famous people, likely so their viewer ratings will be higher.

Overall, I was really impressed for a debut season. It was wholesome, fulfilling, and edge of your seat at the end. Provides a great insight to Japanese dating culture. Highly recommended, and hope they make another season.

I love cultural diversity so it's a gift to see "Love is Blind" in different cultures. I was happy to see some of the cultural differences in the Japanese series and would have loved to see more for example traditional clothing. It was interesting to see how the couples communicate especially when engaging in a serious conversation. It was also neat to see how there was an important focus on being respectful in this culture. At times the show was a bit dry and slow but then would grab my attention and pull me back in. I felt like a few women were more focused on promoting their talents on the show than falling in love. Some of the overdubs were awful, especially the one that sounded like a little girl. This was especially creepy because under the overdue you can hear that she has a deeper adult voice. Overall I enjoyed this season of Love is Blind Japan.

It baffles me how polite they are, and communticate well with eachother with so much resepect.. yet still they struggle with the insecurety like lies and catfishing like personalities like portraying a better images of themselves. And even without this the still try to figuere eachother out without being intimate.. its like buying a car without trying it on the road, and yet alot of their parents are still together... its a special type of people these japanese... i would like to study them more :D.