The Alarming Reality of Terrace House's 'Kiss Out ... - Vulture

In the Japanese reality show 'Terrace House: Opening New Doors', Shohei Uemura forces Seina Shimabukuro to kiss him after a date. Intelligencer TheCut Vulture TheStrategist Curbed GrubStreet Magazine SubscribetotheMagazine GiveaGiftSubscription BuyBackIssues CurrentIssueContents Subscribe SignIn Account Profile SignOut Thingsyoubuythroughourlinksmayearn NewYork acommission. TerraceHouse. Photo:Netflix TheJapaneseNetflixrealityshowTerraceHouse,nowinitsfourthseason,isstillmostlyacultconcernintheU.S.Butitspopularityhassteadilygainedoffthebackofanincreasingbacklogof“thenicestrealityshowyou’lleversee”buzzpiecesinmosteverymajorpop-culturepublicationoutthere.Andyes,TerraceHouseisaverynicerealityshow.Itsrelaxedtempoandemphasisonthemundanitiesofco-livingmakeitbothadetoxfromtheluridforceddramaofAmericanrealityTVforstatesideviewers,aswellasafascinatingculturalstudy. AnewbatchofepisodesofOpeningNewDoors,thecurrentseriessetinthepicturesqueresorttownofKaruizawa,arrivedonU.S.NetflixonJuly31,anddevotees,includingyourstruly,wastednotimegobblingthemup.Themaineventwasculminationoftheslow-burnlovestorybetweenhockeyplayerTsubasaSatoandhafumodelSeanOkamotothathasbeentheskin-crawlinglyadorableheartofOpeningNewDoors.ButnosoonerhadSeanandTsubasabecomeanofficialitem,thantheydepartedthehouse“asacouple,”andtheirsweet,supportiveenergywasreplacedbyavibethat’shardertowriteoffasadorableJapanesefluff. Onthefinalepisodeofthemostrecentbatch,31-year-oldmodelandTerraceHouseveteranSeinaShimabukurowentoutforabirthdaydinnerwith28-year-old“citypop”croonerShoheiUemura.Itwastheirthirdsolohang,aftertheirfirstdatemakingsobanoodlesandseconddatepickingstrawberries(aconsciousattemptforthetwotheretoforedrinkingbuddiestohangoutwhilesober).Shohei,havingdecidedwithratheralarmingexpediencyafterthedepartureofhousemateAmiKomurothatSeinawouldbehisnextcrush,hadbeenpullingoutallthestops—gushingtoherabouthowbeautifulsheiswithakindofaggressiveinsistence,makingbentolunchesforher.Seina,thehousediva,wineconnoisseur,andthemostTV-savvyofanyoneinthehouse,seemedamusedatbestbyShohei’sadvances—downforwhatever,butcertainlynotwithaneyetowardromance.ShetoldTsubasaafterherseconddatewithShoheithatshethinkshe’s“alittletoogoodytwo-shoes,”andthatsheprefersamanwho“takesthelead.” OnebizarreaspectofTerraceHouseisthattheturnaroundtimeisfastenoughinJapanthatthehousematescanwatchtheirownepisodes,albeitwithafewweeks’delay.Thismeansthat,despiteitsWesternreputationasthesupposedleastself-awarerealityshowonTV,it’sactuallyfarmoreself-awarethanmost.IamnotsureifShoheihadseenthatspecificconversationwithTsubasabythetimehetookSeinaoutonherbirthday,orifhejustwitnessedtheoveralllackofheatbetweenthemontheirearlier,moreinnocentoutings.Whateverhisinspiration,asthetwowaitforacaboutsidetherestaurantafterdinner,ShoheireachesaroundSeinawhileshe’smid-sentenceandlookingawayfromhim,grabsherjaw,andpullshertohimforciblyforakiss. There’sashockedpauseforawhile,thenSeinaputsupahandandpusheshimaway,shakingwithlaughter.“Eh—!?”sheblurtsout—anexclamatoryformof“What?”—staringathimincredulously.She’ssmiling,butit’sasmileofmortification,notgirlishsurprise.Shecoversherfaceandtheopeningcreditsroll,thebrightdance-rockthemesong“Trying”contrastingwildlywithwhatwe’vejustwitnessed. ItshouldbementionedherethatawkwardkissesareabitofahallmarkofTerraceHouse.It’shardtotopthefalse-startkissbetweenUchiandMinoriontheBoys&GirlsintheCityseries;bothtimes,thehopelesslyunsmoothUchiinstructsMinorito“closehereyes”ashegrabsherchinandpullshertowardhim.Thefirsttimehetriesitinfrontofherroommates;it’ssohorriblethattheyevacuatethepremisesinstantly,instinctivelywantingnopartofthatscene.Hebasicallydoesthesamemoveonhissecondtry,butbythenMinori’sconvincedherselfshe’sintoit,andproductionsuppliesthescenewitharomanticbackingtracktoaffirmthatwhatishappeningisagoodthing.(Stillquestionable,seeingaswhatawfulboresthetwobecameaftertheycoupledup,butatleastthey’reconsensualbores.) It’seasytomistakeShohei’sawfulheadlockmoveasanotherawkwardTerraceHousekiss,butasSeina’sreactionplaysout,it’sclearthatthiswasoutsidetheboundsoftheshow’sstiltedstyleofcourtship.Seina’stypicalnormalmovie-starsmilehasevacuatedherfaceastheywaitinsilenceforthecab.Shehasa(self-perpetuated,unapologetic,andfranklyratherwonderful)reputationasabitofalush—outspokenandoccasionallycrude,andawelcomecontrasttothemorenaif-ishyoungwomenwhopassthroughthevariousTerraceHouses.Sowhenthatpersonafallsaway,it’sverynoticeable.Backatthehouse,astheroommatesquestionthemabouttheirdate,Seinastayshunchedbythefireplace,herbacktoShohei,givingshortanswerswithapolitesmile.ShelooksaroundtheroominamannerthatIhaveabsolutelynoauthoritytointerpret,butcouldn’thelpbutremindmeofthevariouscastmembersofTheTrumanShow,searchingforthenearesthiddencameraintowhichtodirecttheirsilentpleaforintervention. WhensomethinghappensonTerraceHousethatseemsambiguousorinscrutable,oneoftheshow’sgreatestassetsisitspanelofcommentators,apeanutgalleryofcomediansandcelebritieswhodissecteachsegmentwithafranknessthatissometimesrefreshing,sometimesabsurdandpuerile.(Inormallyloveallthehosts,butthey’vebeenonthinicewithmethisseason,latelyjustovertheirobsessionwithswimsuitmodelMayu’s“assets”.)ButtheirreadonSeinaandShohei’sdatecouldn’thavebeenmoredifferentthanmine:YoshimiTokui,theexcitablefatherfigureofthegroup,reenactsSeina’sfreaked-outfireplacedemeanorasalustfulgazeintothedistance;residenttrollRyotaYamasatocalledither“womanlyside.”ReinaTriendlwastheonlycommentatortosuggestthatSeinamightnothavelikedthekiss,butthenconcededthat,sincewelaterlearnShoheikissedhertwomoretimesinthecab,she“musthavebeenokaywithit.”ToaWesternviewer,thesecommentssoundliketheycomefromanotherplanet,onewherethereisnopublicdiscourseaboutsexualassault,no#MeToomovement.WhichismoreorlessanaccuratedescriptionofJapan,despitealotofprogressinrecentdecadesinoverallculturalrespectforwomen. It’shardtoknowhowtotalkaboutwhathappenedtoSeina,giventhelackofEnglish-languagecoverageoftheshow.(TheTerraceHousesubreddit,ontheotherhand,hasbeengoingoff,andlargelylandingontheopinionthatwhathappenedwasnonconsensualandcluelessofShoheiatbest.)Scanningthecastmembers’social-mediaaccountsIseenoobviousacknowledgementoftheeventsoftheshow,asidefromatweetfromShoheiontheJapaneseairdatethatbasicallyamountstoacollartug.Seina,dutifulbrandambassadorthatsheis,merelyretweetedarecapoftheshowsanscomment,andthenresumedtweetingabouttheoutfitsandmakeupsheworeintheepisode.HerInstagramshowsaphotoofthemontheirdate,withacaptionthankinghimforthebirthdaycelebration.Thecommentsareoverflowing,butmostoftheoutcryoverShohei’sbehaviorcomesfromEnglish-languagecommenters. Butit’sharderformetostopattheconclusionthatit’smerelyamatterofculturalinterpretation,andthatifneitherpartymadeanycommentaboutit,itwasn’tassault.Thereisn’treallyspaceforpublicfigures,eventhoseasseeminglyinconsequentialasrealitystars,todiscusssuchissuesinpublic.JournalistShioriItomadeheadlineswhenshewroteaboutbeingdruggedandrapedbyShinzoAbebiographerNoriyukiYamaguchilastyear,butshewasfarmoreofanoutlierinthediscoursethansimilarwomenintheStateswhohavecomeoutwithsimilarallegations,andtheensuingwidespreadconversationhasnottakenoffwiththesamespeedandurgencyinJapanthatithashere.Beingassociatedwithanythingsosordidcanpermanentlytarnishthecareerofanaspiringentertainer,regardlessofeachparty’sinnocenceorguilt.AndsinceSeina,aself-described“drunkoldlady”(reminder,sheis31yearsold),isnotexactlyseenasablushingrose,anyblameforsuchanincidentwouldlikelybepinnedonherandher“loosebehavior.” I’veenjoyedmysummerofTerraceHouseimmensely,butforme,it’sbeenequalpartsthetranquilbrainvacationit’sadvertisedas,andachancetogetbackintouchwithallthethingsthatstillsuckaboutJapaneseculture.Thegirls’physicalappearances—includingacosmeticprocedureSeinagetsatonepoint—arefairgametodissectandmockinminutedetail.Theirbreasts,noses,andeyesandteetharediscussedatlength.ButnobodycommentsaboutwhatadorkShoheilookslikewithhisstupidmustacheandhisprotrudingears.Yama-san’scommentaboutSeina’s“womanlylook”isn’tjustadifferenceinfacialreadingsfromoneculturetoanother—thereisimplicitunderstandingthat“ravaged=womanly”—it’sthedesultorypoutofaWesternpornstarwithwaymoreexplicitrapecultureatwork.Laterinthegirls’room,Seinarecountstheevening,admitting,“Itdidfeelmanly”—theveryqualityshesaidshehadbeenlookingfor.Butthenshepauses,closinghereyes,andfurrowingherbrow.“I’mjustreallyshocked,”shemumbles.Yui,theyoungestandmostvirginalofthefemalecastmembers(notmytake;everyone,includingthecommentators,talksabouthowvirginalsheis),pressesformoredetails,hearingastarry-eyedfairytalewhenSeinaisdescribinganightmare.What’stroublingisthat,ifnobodyaddressesitandShoheicontinuestogothroughlifeheadlockinggirls,Yui’sreadonthingsmayverywellwindupbeingcanon. 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