Where to Stream: Terrace House

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The newest installment of Terrace House starts exactly as I thought it would. I still see six attractive young people occupying an enviable forest-adjacent home ripped straight from the pages of Dwell Magazine while a trusted panel of comedians provide commentary from afar. The popular Japanese reality show that famously has no “point” —other than to watch relatable people live and pursue slow-burn romance with housemates of the opposite gender— has been exactly that since the show began in 2012 and after Netflix acquired it in 2015.

Until now, that is.

WARNING: MAJOR END-OF-SEASON SPOILERS AHEAD!

Everything I want to talk about happens in the final three minutes of Part 4 of Terrace House, Opening New Doors. It’s not much. But it’s still enough to write a think-piece, so buckle up!

After Noah finally tells Taka that he and Seina are dating, there is a buzz at the door, and the newest Terrace Housemate arrives. The two boys greet Shunsuke, a 21-year-old studying to become a hair and makeup artist. Later that evening, after some bro-bonding, Shunsuke does something I never thought I’d see in the entirety of Terrace House history.

Shunsuke first tells his new roommates that he joined Terrace House because he hasn’t been in a relationship for a long time. (This is an unofficial official dating show, after all.)

He says, “I had a girlfriend up until two years ago. But then, I told my girlfriend this too: I’m probably bi. I can go both ways. I’ve never gone out with a guy before. But probably…”

After Noah asks if Shunsuke knows his sexuality “for himself,” he replies, “It’s not really clear to me yet either. I haven’t told anyone around me and I don’t know for certain myself… If I live in a place with guys and girls, and tell everyone about myself, it might help make things more clear for me.”

Um… Um!!!! Did we just witness someone coming out on Terrace House?? This is an event that I had hoped for over a year ago, but determined extremely unlikely due to Fuji Television’s conservative programming and audience. I take it all back. Hope is alive!

And another wonderful thing follows! Noah and Taka’s reaction to Shunsuke’s story is wonderfully free of judgement. Taka asks, “What made you discover that about yourself?”

Shunsuke says, “It wasn’t at a particular moment, or because I met someone in particular. It was just a feeling.”

Noah mentions that his friend likes boys as well, and then… It’s over. Not just the episode, but all of Part 4, done. THIS is the cliffhanger that Terrace House deviously leaves us with.

Part 5 can’t come soon enough.

It will be wonderful to see how the rest of the housemates react to this news, but I’m more interested to hear the thoughts of the panel.

The commentators on Terrace House have always acted as the voice of the viewer. They get to pop in between big moments on the show and say what everyone is thinking. Usually, they provide funny and kind-hearted discussion to the day’s events. However, they are also known for being extremely judgmental of certain behaviors or actions. I wonder how they will react to Shunsuke’s story — one that Terrace House has never before focused on in its six-year run.

Shunsuke makes it clear that he has come to the house with plans to find love. In his supplemental interview on the Terrace House YouTube channel he says, “If there’s a guy who I’m interested in, I want to tell (him) and see how it goes. I want to get to know (him) and go out to eat together.”

The potential for same-sex dates on this show is so very exciting to me. Obviously, there isn’t much room for exploration within the house, considering that Noah is now locked down with Seina, and Taka hasn’t expressed any previous interest in men. Still, there are now endless possibilities for us to get more LGBT experiences on our screens. This says a lot, considering that LGBT representation in Japanese media is more rare than one might realize.

A recent article published in the Journal of GLBT Family Studies states that in a recent study, only 5 percent of Japanese participants said they know someone who is LGBT. This figure is staggering, considering that 46 percent of all participants worldwide said they knew someone in the community.

Historically, Japanese depictions of LGBT characters on TV have been limited to specific roles and played out for broad comedic appeal. The same article states, “Flamboyant transgender MtFs, even transsexual MtFs, are conspicuous on TV in Japan while others are notably absent. They are often referred to as okama, a derogatory term associated with homosexual men who are presumed to be effeminate and treated as entertainment pawns on Japan’s TV shows, especially the so-called variety shows.”

Terrace House‘s unique power is in its quotidian and quiet depiction of young life. Its characters are real humans with desires and flaws who share a common goal of living productively and peacefully. To place a queer person in this space is powerful. It can humanize the LGBT experience for viewers who rarely see three-dimensional queer characters on their screens. I remember what it felt like to grow up and struggle with the caricatures of gay life that I saw on TV. It was rare to find individuals in media that I could point to and say — “Yes. It feels like that. That’s real.” Watching Shunsuke come out to his new friends felt like one of those rare moments I searched for.

Of course, change always comes with conflict, and a quick Google search reveals hesitation already brewing for the next installment of Opening New Doors. A recent comment on the Terrace House Subreddit says, “I don’t think (Terrace House) benefits as much from (an LGBT character) since it’s pretty much guys looking for girls and vice versa. Plus they are less relatable to the current audience.”

I understand the desire for a show like this to be relatable. But I have to ask, relatable in what way? As a gay Terrace House super fan, I can guarantee that I don’t watch this show for the “relatable” experience of watching straight people hook up. That’s not how I and many others like me connect to these characters.

I watch Terrace House for the connection that I feel when I see another person in their early adult life struggle with what they want to do or who they want to be. And isn’t that exactly what Shunsuke came to the house to do? Wrestling with our identity is a universal human experience, and the more shades of that concept we get to see on TV, the better.

Cody Schmitz is a filmmaker living in New York City. You can find his work at: youtube.com/c/codywyatt

Stream Terrace House: Opening New Doors on Netflix