Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 (2019–2020) User Reviews

Pleasantly Good

[keikoyoshikawa · 8/10 · 12 January 2020]

This is actually quite a good reality-TV series, despite that it feels somewhat scripted at times. The six housemates are interesting and beautiful people, and they are - surprise! - kind to each other (for the most part). So no such drama that usually is the staple of other similar shows. Instead, here you get decent people trying to navigate their careers and potentially their love lives.

Is this boring? Not at all. Watching 20-somethings (and one in his early 30s) living and interacting maturely and generously to each other is rather a refreshing respite from the standard fare of drama queens and hateful selfishness often seen in this genre. The scenes outside the house add to good story-telling, as do the often hilarious commentaries from the six "hosts".

If, like me, you didn't really take to the earlier versions of the series, do give this one a try.

Prime understated/low key entertainment

[kaizenkuma · 8/10 · 3 February 2020]

The Cadillac of reality TV. The interior is classy, cool, sleek, and there's lots of models.

Reality show it's, bear in mind not a drama

[ks-60500 · 6/10 · 13 April 2020]

Via this show, you can understand Japanese very well. Very polite, clean, organized.... just to name a few. If you expect something crazy or fight happen in this show, pls pass. One point to applaud is the carmera setting just so versatile even outside the house. The sounds captured as well. It's not like other reality show the way it filmed, very natural.

Like a delicious bowl or ramen eaten slow. Gives me faith in humanity.

[and-matarazzo · 10/10 · 4 December 2019]

A welcome break from reality shows where people are purposely pitted against each other for the enhanced drama that sells so well in the West. Here, ultra-polite Japanese kids try to find a way to live with each other, obeying the many gentle social norms so common in Japan and so bizarre in the West. Since there is no script, you're left to focus on the little intricacies of everyday living and a look, a word, a sigh acquires much deeper meaning. They are all, in a way, trying to find love, or at least a little bit of TV limelight. The dating connections are so painfully sloooooow, but that's that makes them interesting to watch. Also, there is a panel of the funniest hosts who comment on the going ons once or twice every episode. They bring in a needed break from the meditative pace cracking the craziest jokes, directly lambasting the unfavourited participants. All in all, a brilliant way to get acquainted a bit more with Japanese culture and what makes it so fascinating.

Entertaining in its own way

[adiwsusanto · 9/10 · 16 September 2019]

I remembered watching 1st episode of the older season almost 2 years ago & it didn't grab me. This current season pop up on my recommendation & probably due to my age & different settings in my life, different cast etc, this season does grab my attention. Just like any reality show, I think it really helps if the showcased individuals has charms & real personalities instead of fake persona. The producer does a good job so far for this current series. As the camera is not turned on 24/7 & the whole week is edited in 30 minutes, commentator helps bridge the gap on things that are not aired, activities on tweeter etc.

While waiting for the next episode to arrive I actually ending up binging the previous seasons (as I wrote the netflix in the country where I lived aired until eps12 while in factual it's already at eps15) & googling about all the other seasons (there are 4 on Netflix), the good, the bad & the ugly. I managed to just read enough without spoiling it.

Yes, it can be boring, yes it can be cheesy, feel scripted at some points, not intellectually challenging but it's entertaining without overly exaggerating. I'm entertained... so Netflix thank you for sponsoring this show.

Superior to western

[elsiejanecorena · 10/10 · 16 October 2020]

Far better than any western reality show. Watched all seasons thoroughly entertained.

Tragic Low Point of a Beloved Series

[chaychlochay · 5/10 · 31 May 2020]

Even omitting the out-of-show events that lead to this series cancellation, Terrace House 2020 was already at reaching it's worst point since the late portion of 'Aloha State'.

Envisioned as a lead up the 2020 Tokyo Olympics (cancelled), the season starts interesting enough, but finds itself sabotaged by poor casting choices that created objections not only in Japan, but with it's worldwide audiences. First, commentary regular Tokui was suddenly removed from broadcast due to tax evasion. Then, a particular member's aggressive advances towards another cast members lead international critics to blame the show of being an enabler of sexual predation.

Finally, the show came to it's abrupt end with the suicide of a member who was cyberbullied following an altercation with another member.

So, while there may be enjoyable moments to this season, as a whole, it is very difficult to recommend watching TH 2020 to anyone but the most diehard TH fans.

Good and Bad

[golssa · 2/10 · 18 June 2020]

The story is good and it's very inviting but the way the hosts sit and talk about those people, they invite those people in the house and then sit and bully them and that's probably one of the reason Hana commuted suicide after this show. It's very hurtful and simply because of her I don't recommend watching it

Producers, scum of the scum. Hana blood it's on you

[boboceaelena · 1/10 · 21 February 2021]

The show it's 100% genuine and after Hana suicide we discover that your blood is on your hand because you have pushed and forced everyone to play according to your stupid script because they f not they would suffer hefty monetary penalties. For the whole team who produced and supported this show, I don't know how you can look yourself in the mirror knowing that you are the reason why a sweet and genuine person like Hana killed herself.

Glad the show isn't continued

[Hellooo1234321 · 4 June 2020]

This was the first ever season I watched of Terrace House. It's a rabbit hole, you keep watching and watching because you are curious how their stories develop and it's unscripted. Until I realised what is being filmed is highly curated by the producers, they decide what is being showed. Like Risako and Haruka are friends in real life (they mentioned it on Instagram), but the producers didn't show those scenes, only drama and fight scenes. And 1 episode = 1 week that consists of +/- 20 minutes of filmed content, so what's being shown is not accurate at all, there were many plot holes throughout the show.

Also a few cast members went on the show to only help their careers and not find love. It was clear as day. I watched this show until Hana Kimura came around, who was really after love. What a bright lady. I went on the internet and by surprise saw that she was found dead in her house at the end of May 2020 due to cyber bullying and her skin color following a fight with a cast member which apparently was shown on the show. It saddens me and I was so shocked. Also, the panel that gives commentary on the show is sometimes funny, but there are boundries. They went overboard many times. In the end the panel in the show is highly toxic and influence the public opinion. I will not continue to watch this show anymore. I will not support the toxicity of this show. I recommend to not waist your time and move on to another series.

The show was good but...

[naomisertori · 5/10 · 23 July 2021]

As a Japanese living abroad this show was a way to keep contact to new things in Japan. The characters that I admired most were beppe and the designer (28y). It was a good thing though that the show was cancelled because the commentators also instigated fights and were anxious that new spicy things happened between them... the wrestler had emotional problems and instead of helping her the cast including comentators made fun of her situation. All of you are guilty and soon or after the paycheck will come. Instigation of cyber bullying is a crime and should be treated this way.

Where the Japanese men at?

[saracrews-99340 · 1/10 · 18 November 2019]

If I wanted to see foreign men compete for love, I would just watch The Bachelor instead. (BTW The Bachelor will never include Japanese men in the show like this.)

There is too much fawning over foreign and mixed men in the show. I thought this was supposed to be a Japanese show so I want to see a full Japanese cast.

If they want to bring foreigners, then bring some foreign women too next time.

Warning - the show stops/cancelles abruptly and no conclusion

[PalmBeachG · 5/10 · 18 July 2022]

I had no idea whatsoever when starting to watch this show that it would stop abruptly after watching so many episodes. I had no idea when I got to the last episode shown on Netflix (with no explanation of why there is nothing else) - just stopped. Naturally, I start googling around to see what other's were saying and I find out that there was a star that apparently committed suicide - not in the house, but found in her own home due to cyberbullying. But there was evidently an argument in the house as well before that may have contributed to online bullying. I understand that they felt they had to cancel the show and made that decision however Netflix should either have the hosts make a statement at the end or take the whole thing down - not just halt it completely with no explanation after a viewer invests much time into the series and is left hanging like that. As far as the show before it was halted, it was fun to watch but it is true that the residents were too focused on their careers and not really on love lives and you could tell that most of them were just using the house as a venue to promote themselves - not for love matches. The only thing that was funny at all was the pitiful soft porn scene that the one hard up actor agreed to take where he showed his full nude backside and then the show editor made a funny cut to a new scene with a new couple up on the roof where the first sentence you hear is "I haven't seen a full moon in a long time" while looking up into the night sky. But I took it as a funny show editing moment and was surprised that the hosts didn't catch on and mention that.

Am i the only one who's grossed out by vivi?

[ansirahka · 5/10 · 26 August 2021]

She's just a basic crazy white lady, yet all the host sees her as a heroine who's just expressing her feelings? Ewh.

Anyway this season is the worst so far. Lots of bad omens, the opening title song 'graves', tokui's scandal, the "comedian" jokes about suicide then it actually happened. Even the cast aren't as interesting as previous seasons, it feels like they trying so hard to internationalize it became dull.