Counterflow and Cultural Exchange via Global Television

Netflix Japan’s Novel Takes on Reality Dating Programs

Abstract

This paper analyzes Netflix Japan’s content production strategy through two created-for-Japan Netflix-produced programs, Terrace House and The Boyfriend. Both shows are uniquely Japanese takes on the traditional reality television format, and one is an open adaptation and queering of the other’s original format; their intentional way of going against the established grain of the reality-romance genre has created massive appeal in the West and internationally. This paper shows how both programs’ international success fits into modern understandings of global media flows (especially that of periphery-core counterflows). This work further suggests that the role of international content distributors (such as Netflix) in creating cultural exchange is becoming increasingly realized in a digital world.