Rea(l)ove

Cast: Atsushi Tamura, Mari Yaguchi

While this Japanese reality dating show borrows heavily from American and British staples such as Love Island, Paradise Hotel, and Bachelor in Paradise, the would-be lovers also possess "dark secrets" that may be revealed at any time. Will the revelations dissuade their romantic interests? All of the contestants are Japanese, and the ten men and eight women range from 21 to 40. With a few exceptions (the 40-year-old systems engineer stands out for more than one reason), most of the contestants are students and gig workers, including a comedian, a bikini model, a singer, and an "underground idol." With the Pacific Ocean providing a beautiful backdrop to the Okinawa resort housing the show, the contestants attend cocktail parties, frolic on group outings, and shyly hold hands on one-on-one dates. The hosts are situated in a remote booth where they observe the action through multiple monitors and gleefully mock the singles' behavior, attire, and amusing attempts at pick-up lines. When the alarm sounds, one of the hosts selects an envelope and delivers it to the named contestant. In a segment called "Real Face Time," that contestant must then read aloud a long, humiliating explanation of his or her dark secret. Is it an undesirable profession? Financial problems? Questionable judgment at a frat party? And how will the others react? Watch the first season of REA(L)OVE on Netflix (English subtitles are available) to discover the contestants' sordid pasts and whether they are still deserving of love.

Where to watch