Terrace House

About

Terrace House is a Japanese reality television show in which three boys and three girls coexist in a large home while cameras observe their daily lives and interactions. Several times an episode, a team of commentators will talk about what has happened thus far. After growing popular on Japan, the show was picked up by Netflix, helping it grow popular with a global audience.

History

The show debuted on Fuji Television on October 12th, 2012.^[1] The season, dubbed Boys and Girls Next Door, ran for 98 episodes between 2012 and 2014. Netflix picked the show up in 2015, and the first Netflix season, Boys and Girls In the City, ran 45 episodes from 2015 to 2016 while still being broadcast on Fuji Television. The following season, Aloha State, ran 36 episodes. It took place in Hawaii and was the first and only season thus far to take place outside of Japan. The following season, Opening New Doors, brought the show back to Japan and is currently ongoing.

Reception

Terrace House has been well-received by critics for its laid-back style in comparison to other reality television shows which feature intense drama to the point of appearing manufactured.^[2] Critics have pointed to the calming nature of the show as "addictive" and enjoyed the drama that sparks from honest human interaction and personality clashes rather than "the exploitation films that people now expect from reality television."^[3]

Online Presence

The show has developed a passionate fanbase online. The show has over 153,000 likes on Facebook.^[5] The show's subreddit^[4] has over 20,000 subscribers where users discuss recent episodes and share memes and jokes about the show (examples shown below).

The show has also been parodied and analyzed on YouTube. For example, PBS Idea Channel made a video comparing the show to a Let's Play, remarking on how the commentary is similar to that of a YouTuber commenting along with a video game. On November 7th, 2018, ProZD posted a parody of the show spoofing its slow nature, gaining over 306,000 views in less than two days (shown below, right).

Search Interest

External References