Netflix is investing heavily in reality-based content from Japan and is set to release five new reality TV shows from the country as part of this latest content push, the company recently announced at an event in Seoul, South Korea.
Netflix's most recent reality series Zombieverse is proving to be a bit of a Marmite show though. It's currently one of the worst-rated Netflix shows ever, but it's also one of the most popular shows too on the best streaming service.
The show is a reality TV-based drama that features a motley crew of contestants trying to survive a zombie apocalypse in South Korea, and it's sparked a fierce online debate over whether it's amazing or awful.
However, no matter whether you're loving the new series Zombieverse or loathing it, there are five more Japanese reality TV-based shows on their way for you to look forward to enjoying or enduring.
Lighthouse (22 August)
The first show from Netflix's new slate of Japanese reality TV shows is called Lighthouse (pictured above). The show features two of Japan's top entertainers, Hoshino and Wakabayashi in a six-month conversation where they share their hopes, fears, struggles and stories with one another and with the viewers. It's an interesting idea that promises to deliver not just an intimate audience with two of Japan's biggest stars but a fresh new take on comedy and creativity.
Is She The Wolf? (3 September)
On the face of it, Is She The Wolf? sounds like a typical dating show featuring the usual collection of good-looking young folks looking for love. But as the name indicates, there's a twist: at least one of them is a wolf, a fake dater whose job is to trick the other contestants into a fake romance without revealing their sinister status. It's already launched in Japan, where it's attracted a large fanbase.
Love Like A K-Drama (28 November)
This one sounds interesting: it's a cross between K-Drama and reality TV in which four Japanese actresses and four Korean actors are paired up and have to try and win lead roles in K-drama shows by auditioning in what The Hollywood Reporter calls "romantic kissing scenes" while celebrity commentators discuss them in the studio.
And there are two more reality TV shows to look forward to. the next season of Last One Standing, in which comedians have to improvise jokes while starring in a crime drama, will start streaming on 10 October. And the next season of Love Village, which follows sixteen singles who move to a remote house to see if love will move there too, is due soon but currently awaiting a release date.
