Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020 (2019)

A Different Kind of Reality Show... One that is Real & Thus, Beautiful...

I have heard so much about Terrace House, but never checked it out until the COVID 19 crisis gave me the time to binge-watch the latest season and I fell in love. I love how simple and ordinary the show is, which is what makes it compelling, unique and beautiful. You see ordinary people going about their ordinary lives, trying to find love and happiness. You see people pursuing their passions. You see people struggling with their level of talent in their professions. You see people lost, struggling to find a passion. You see people help one another, whether in love or life. You see people help push someone to pursue their dreams. The community and friendships that are born and evolve in this space is beautiful and natural.

Some notes that I took while watching the show back in March 2020:
Why does the show release weekly episodes just for Netflix Japan while international countries get an entire part (12 episodes) a month after the last episode gets released on Japan? I would much prefer to see the show weekly than binge watch 12 episodes. I couldn't even follow the terrace house Instagram account or any of the housemates accounts for fear of being spoiled. What is the reason for this? Maybe something to do with Fuji Television, which co-produces the show with Netflix, but it is a Netflix production? Is someone knows the reason why?
Studio Commentators are so impressive. They predicted that Haruka and Risako were going to clash. They predicted that Vivi and Ryo would fall for one another.
I absolutely love the studio commentators! A genius idea that makes you feel like you are watching the housemate along with them and seeing how other people react to the housemates. Seeing other people's reactions is such a huge part of entertainment! There are so many YouTube channels dedicated solely to reactions. Not surprising though as it makes us feel less alone. Anyways, I absolutely love You and Ryota Yamasato. I love his humour and love how he so genuinely wants to see the housemates get into drama. And love Torichan's devotion to Ruka. And Shochan is so cute though he's a bit quiet.
Talk about each housemates, even the ones who left the house in parts 1 and 2
Hana: Love how happy she is for other people's dates and achievements. But she has to stop obsessing over Ryo and peeking when he hangs out with Vivi
Ruka: I miss him so much! The best part of this season by far! Everyone else pales in comparison. Everyone loves him! He gets along well with everyone. On a side note, he should model. Everyone praises his good looks and modelling could be close to feeling like a superhero in a sense. I thought that Ruka was gonna stay until the very end as being among the housemates has really helped push him to grow out of his shell and go towards his dream. Talk about his dream o becoming Spider-Man. I cried when he nnonced that he was going to leave Terrace House
Tupas: kinda surprised that someone as straight-edge as him would apply to the show in the first place, hopefully he'll be able to loosen up and be able to find a career path, he's probably my favorite at the moment as I am also straight-edged and hope to find a career path that I would be happy in. His goal with Emika seems dangerous, like he's using her to fulfill this fantasy of getting the popular girl because he was unpopular in school, which will end up in failure because Emika won't be able to fulfill that fantasy, no one will. He has to take Lily Franky's advice and let the past in the past. Tupas breaking down talking about how lonely he was and how happy he is to be at the house breaks my heart. I could completely relate and knew what he was feelin as a lonely guy with no friends in my 20's To feel accepted by others and be part of a group is such a rewarding thing. Having people to come home to is a blessing.
Vivi: states that she wants to find a long-term partner at Terrace House, but she will be moving to LA soon to pursue acting, like what? The show would help leverage her popularity no doubt though, so over all the praises about her appearance, no other female housemate has received as much praise for her looks until she arrived and she also happens to be white, for someone so mature and with such a great oulook on life and who gives such great advice, I expected her to have a set career path, not just an 'aspiring' actor who doesn't seem to have actually acted before. On a side note, it's interesting that the two white people on the show are both models, no surprise though as white people in Japan is rare and seemem to be able to find work modelling easil, she's too straightforward and gives such great advice (Kai's comedy)
Ryo: He does not like to be put in an uncomfortable position and evades responsibilty as he never initiated the convo with Vivi or Hana, but he did state that the next person that he dated, he wanted to marry and he wouldn't be able to marry something in a long-distance relationship - but his last convo with Hana at the BBQ restaurant was commendable where he took responsibility and apologizedit, y
Kai: he's got this surfer aura about him, he doesn't give good advice though especially when it comes to Hana's infatuation with Ryo - Hana pushed Ryo to hang out with her at Kai's advice and clearly Ryo didn't want to, surprised to hear that he is an introvert because why would you apply for Terrace House?,
Best moments: when Ruka and Kaori pushed Ruka to take steps to pursue his dream, Ruka getting emotional when Kenny annonced that he was leaving, Ruka's Carbroccoli pasta dinner, Peppe seeing his dream achieved when he saw his mango in a convenience store, Vivi having a beautiful conversation with Tupas about love and life, opening his eyes and realizing that he can't continue to blame others for his life - As someone who was forced to go to dental school due to my parents, I felt inspired seeing her break it down for Tupas and feel compelled to live life by my own terms.
Niino: I like a slender person with big boobs. What?! He thinks that he's such a catch when he's really not. I already hate him within minutes of his introduction. And asking Tupas if he made out and "done the deed" with Emika. What?! How is that any of his business? So, he is fatphobic and crummy. He makes me wanna barf.
Shion: seems similar to Ruka being shy and innocent
I have never cried this much while watching a show, maybe Crash Landing On You
On an ending note, I wonder if COVID-19 is gonna affect the show. I searched up online on Wikipedia and it seems that the entertainment industry is still working though I'm not entirely sure.
I would love to participate in Terrace House, but I'm gay and can't speak Japanese. There should be an American version or at least, international versions in different countries, how cool would that be?

On a side note, RIP Hana. It's unfortunate the amount of hate that she received due to the show to the point where she killed herself. It does take a lot out of you, having your every decision and action be dissected. We also saw Kimiko struggle with the online backlash. I wonder how Hana's suicide will impact future seasons of the show. Hopefully, in the future, producers will have mental health screenings to make sure that contestants are mentally strong enough to withstand possible online vitriol.

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A program that should never be resumed.

Well I got to where the chapters were deleted, out of respect for Hana, I didn't continue watching the deleted chapters.

From what I read, from people who managed to watch until the end (actually the show is suspended and for good reasons. From what I read, Hana left this life when the show was still airing and Hana's mother accused Fuji TV since the producers had told her to slap Kai, that there would be no problem but Hana really didn't want to do it so she just blew his cap off. I mean it was all orchestrated by the production of the show and then the hatred became so massive. I can't even name the things that they put on Hana everywhere, even though Hana had a suicide previously attempt and the production knew it, they aired the entire episode to harm Hana more, this is not a theory, this was told by Hana's own mother. Days later Hana sent a message to her mother that she couldn't take it anymore and when her mother called the ambulance, it was too late. She even left several messages that she just wanted to be loved. Really too sad and disgusting on the part of the production that from the beginning only wanted conflicts).

Then I read that the show got heavier and darker and the commentators were too harsh this season. I read that the men who came in after Ruka, Peppe and Haruka left, only made things worse. I didn't want to see chapters where I saw Hana's last days, it seemed disrespectful of me. So I left it up to where Netflix left it and then I started investigating everything that happened. A tragedy that could have been totally avoided if it were not for Fuji TV's greed to want to create unnecessary conflicts.

Now, having closed this very sad case, I didn't like how they treated Ruka, like a totally stupid and incoherent boy, making out of place comments. Ruka was only 20/21 years old, you know. Many people have no idea what their goals are or what they want to do. Even people in their 30s. I also dreamed of being Sailor Moon and saving the world when I was little, we all have that Peter Pan in our hearts and also when I finished school I didn't know what I wanted to do or what direction should I take , I studied many things at that time but I didn't find myself in none (I am grateful that my parents never pressured me for these reasons and they were and are always there for me, whatever decision I made) until I was hit by a major depression and I knew that I wanted to help people by being a psychologist, I am still studying things that have to do with mental health, but getting to that path was long and hard. Why is everyone obsessed that you must have a dream or a fixed goal? That doesn't make you a stupid person. In fact Ruka grew so much that when he left he gave a speech in perfect English, when he came in he didn't know any English.

Peppe was another of my favorites, he was cheerful, positive, sincere and wise but I feel that from the beginning they treated him with a certain distance even though he knew how to speak japanese perfectly. I didn't like Kaori's comment about him, that at first he seemed smug and she didn't even want to see him. Let's see girl, he wasn't being conceited. He was telling the passion of him, you know how difficult it is to be a mangaka as a foreigner. Peppe was the presentation of perseverance and resilience. I admire Peppe a lot.

I don't even know why Kaori came in if she had a boyfriend.

I didn't like Haruka, I feel like she was too indecisive and felt like no one was on her level. She even did several questionable things like talking to Kaori and staying silent when Risako came in, even after her argument with Risako (which I think Risako was harsh but was realistic about issues about Haruka) she blocked her. You're 15 old? Even when Risako apologized and tried to understand her, she was still defensive with Risako.

I don't know in my opinion I only liked Ruka, Peppe and Risako. But really, I hate that this happened with Hana and the show. I hope Hana in another life you are loved and far from the hatred of evil people.

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