Meet the Cast of Netflix's 'The Boyfriend,' Japan's First Same-Sex Dating Show
This summer's coziest reality series prioritizes heartwarming authenticity over chaotic melodrama.
![Shun and Dai Nakai in Netflix's 'The Boyfriend.'](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Y6TDAnU5Kn7LtGeasDavr6-415-80.jpg)
Calling all fans of excellent reality TV: Netflix is making history (and providing a much-needed breath of fresh air) with its new Japanese dating series The Boyfriend. Dubbed Japan's first-ever same-sex dating show, The Boyfriend, which premiered on July 9 and airs weekly, brings a group of queer men together for a month-long stay in a beach house in Tateyama, Chiba Prefecture, Japan. While living together in a space called "the Green Room" and running a mint-green coffee truck, the participants are set to make deep friendships—and maybe something more.
Netflix viewers know that the streaming giant usually goes for chaotic, jaw-dropping melodrama when it comes to its romantic series and dating hits. (See this summer's Perfect Match season 2, long-running favorites like Too Hot to Handle and Love Is Blind, which is now onto its seventh season, and even to a lesser extent the Korean reality series Single's Inferno.) The Boyfriend sets itself apart from the rest of the reality landscape thanks to its earnest, slice-of-life authenticity. It's a show where the most dramatic moments can come from the cast members' response to anonymous love letters, or seeing how a bit of phone snooping (yes, the cast gets to keep their phones!) can throw off a budding connection. Think Terrace House levels of coziness and intimacy. (One of Terrace Houses' hosts, Yoshimi Tokui, even shows up on The Boyfriend's panel, where he's joined by Megumi, Chiaki Horan, Thelma Aoyama, and Durian Lollobrigida.)
From left to right: The Boyfriend cast members Shun, Kazuto, Usak, Ryota, Taehon, Dai, Alan, and Gensei.
To cast the show, The Boyfriend's team found a group of men from relatively rural areas, who'll get the chance to focus on building connections and experiencing "a blend of romance, camaraderie, jealousy, and everything in between," as described by the show's synopsis. Most of the cast members have everyday jobs (though, yes, there is a model) and genuine hopes of finding love. Below, read on for everything to know about the cast of The Boyfriend (including their Instagrams).
Alan
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29-year-old Alan is an IT worker who is of Brazilian, Italian, and Japanese heritage. He explains in episode 3, "I identify culturally as Brazilian, but the place I live is Japan." He also says that he's the "assertive" type, who will immediately tell someone if he likes them.
Dai
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Dai, 22, is a university student. Despite his young age, he begins his introduction by saying, "I've been through so much that I believe I may never find love." Still, he quickly catches the eye of some Green Room residents because of his cheerful personality. As for his type, he says, "I'm attracted to people who are a bit eccentric."
Gensei
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Gensei, 34, is a hair and makeup artist who enters the house with a realist's perspective: "The best thing is to meet someone compatible, but it'd be nice to find romance," he says. He also admits that his type is "someone who is good-looking and a bit masculine, but with a sensitive side."
Ikuo
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Ikuo, 22, is introduced in the middle of the season. He's a food service worker and a total romantic, as he describes how he likes "feeling cherished."
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"I love getting butterflies," he says during his intro in episode 6. "I want to sleep together, take baths together ... I'm the type of person who wants to take care of them. I'd like to play with the bubbles in their hair."
Kazuto
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27-year-old Kazuto is a Japanese cuisine chef, who quickly stands out for his skills in the Green Room's kitchen. As someone who works afternoons and nights managing a restaurant, he came onto The Boyfriend for the opportunity to find a partner to come home to.
Ryota
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Ryota, 28, is a model and a barista who doesn't think he "needs to decide" if he's "only attracted to men or only women." He says, "No matter who I love, that's who I am. I'd like to accept that part of me." He also admits that one of his goals for the show is to "become brave enough to make a move" if he likes the same person as someone else.
Shun
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Shun, 23, is an artist and DJ who already has an ideal future in mind: He wants a "same-sex marriage" and to adopt kids. He adds, "Ending up with the person I love would make me happiest .... I'd like a relationship in which we can grow together."
Taeheon
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34-year-old Taeheon is a designer who lives in South Korea. A believer in work-life balance, he says that he is looking for a partner who's not in the design field, so they can "broaden each other's perspectives." He also shares that he joined The Boyfriend partly to "openly express who he is" to his family, as he has not come out to them yet.
Usak
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Usak, 36, is quickly recognized when he meets the other cast members, as he's one of the most popular male go-go dancers in Japan. Both his fame and his interesting eating habits become a topic of conversation among the panel. In episode 2, he says of his time on the show, "I'm hoping to be able to honestly express my feelings to others."
Quinci is a Contributing Culture Editor who writes pieces and helps to strategize editorial content across TV, movies, music, theater, and pop culture. She contributes interviews with talent, as well as SEO content, features, and trend stories. She fell in love with storytelling at a young age, and eventually discovered her love for cultural criticism and amplifying awareness for underrepresented storytellers across the arts. She previously served as a weekend editor for Harper’s Bazaar, where she covered breaking news and live events for the brand’s website, and helped run the brand’s social media platforms, including Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. Her freelance writing has also appeared in outlets including HuffPost, The A.V. Club, Elle, Vulture, Salon, Teen Vogue, and others. Quinci earned her degree in English and Psychology from The University of New Mexico. She was a 2021 Eugene O’Neill Critics Institute fellow, and she is a member of the Television Critics Association. She is currently based in her hometown of Los Angeles. When she isn't writing or checking Twitter way too often, you can find her studying Korean while watching the latest K-drama, recommending her favorite shows and films to family and friends, or giving a concert performance while sitting in L.A. traffic.
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