Click here for a video version of this review: https://youtu.be/p0dwVjZIJUk

Late night trash TV is a huge market in Japan, and with the advent of Netflix, some of it is starting to leak onto our western screens. Let me introduce you to REA(L)OVE. Here's the set-up:

A group of men and women, each burdened with a dark secret, look for love in this dating show with a twist.

The way it works is that the group is at an island resort in Okinawa and over the course of three days go on a series of dates and group events where they get to know each other with a view to pairing up and maybe becoming a couple. Every now and then a gong sounds and one member is randomly selected to have to reveal their dark secret in front of those around them.

Now, when I say this is trash TV, it's not even trash in a good way. You know how some reality TV is so bad, that its good? This is cringe TV that was genuinely uncomfortable to watch at times.

So why is it this way? It starts with the hosts. Atsushi Tamura is a comedian, and says exactly three actually funny things in the whole nine episodes. The rest of the times the jokes either fall flat, or they are just flat out rude and condescending to the participants. As for Mari Yaguchi, she adds nothing apart from fake laughing from time to time. The two of them think they are funny by coming up with horrible nicknames for the participants and for the most part shit talking them. Apart from the whole set up the show, the hosts are the absolute worst part.

As for the confessions, some of them were not that bad really, in fact in a lot of cases they were actually kinda sad to be honest. Some of the people had been hurt pretty bad, and it kinda came off as exploitative at times - and yes, I know these people willingly signed up for it - but its still kinda icky. I think after watching this, and hearing the recent developments in Terrace House we might be done with reality TV for a while.

This not a great show, it's too awkward, the big reveals are not that big, and the hosts are terrible.

REA(L)OVE

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