Alyssa I. Smith - The Japan Times

PODCAST / deep dive

Jun 5, 2020

Episode 52: Can 'Terrace House' continue after Hana Kimura's death?

Alyssa Smith and Tom Hanaway have been writing recaps of 'Terrace House' and join Deep Dive to discuss Kimura's death, and what it might mean for the show going forward.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming

May 29, 2020

Seeking kindness after a 'Terrace House' tragedy

The death of 'Terrace House' star Hana Kimura gives new impetus to discussions about cyberbullying.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

May 16, 2020

Ep. 41 'Life-Threatening Date'

After announcing that production on “Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020” was going on hiatus and then going quiet on us for a few weeks, Netflix released a brand new episode like a gift from the television gods offering some small relief from the current pandemic.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

May 1, 2020

'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' best moments so far

After 40 episodes, “Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020” has gone on hiatus to protect the cast and crew amid the COVID-19 pandemic. It’s still unclear when, if or even how the show will return, but we’re filling the “Terrace House” void by looking back at this season and selecting some of the most memorable moments from the show, whether they delighted or shocked us.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Apr 10, 2020

Ep. 39 ‘Always Remembered’

Now, more than ever, I need the sweet escape of TV drama as a reminder of a time when we weren’t in the throes of a pandemic. Although the past few episodes of “Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020” were hard to watch, this episode delivered more than enough heartwarming charm to pull me back into the show.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Apr 1, 2020

Ep. 37 'Another Terrace!!'

Most weeks, watching “Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020” is a fun indulgence that lets viewers bask in the low-stakes drama of six 20-somethings (and an occasional 30-something) pursuing crushes, following their dreams, going on dates and cooking meals. But Episode 37 was different because when it comes to taking a stance on the subject of consent, “Terrace House” has a history of missing the mark. The panelists’ critiques (or rather roasts) of the housemates are often the best parts of the show, but as we all watch Toshiyuki aggressively pursue Yume over the last few episodes — smearing her mouth with lip balm before moving in for a kiss and planning an overnight trip to Kyoto as part of a double date with Kai and Hana — the commentators start out with sympathy for Yume only to conclude that her actions are partially to blame for Toshiyuki’s creepy behavior.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Mar 6, 2020

Ep. 35 'The Monster in the Hallway'

I have to hand it to Toshiyuki, aka "Shacho," he knows how to steal the spotlight.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Feb 28, 2020

Ep. 34 'Case of The Bottled Beer Incident'

Our newsfeeds lit up this week about something rather sickening. Was it COVID-19? No. We’re talking about the titular “Bottled Beer Incident.” But before we dive into that, we have to welcome some new faces.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming

Feb 27, 2020

'Followers': Tokyo life as seen through an Instagram filter

Miki Nakatani plays a high-powered fashion photographer loosely based on director Mika Ninagawa in the Netflix series 'Followers.'

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Feb 21, 2020

Ep. 33 'Half Blue'

Official couple alert!! It has taken 33 episodes but we finally have our first pairing in Emika and Tupas. I'm not counting Risako and Kenny because ol' Riri insisted they were still in the "talking" phase of their relationship when they moved out of the house together. Yama-chan, the resident cynic in the studio, argues that Emika is only humoring Tupas because she wants to do some damage control for her reputation after getting bashed by "Terrace House" fans on social media, but I see genuine chemistry between the two.

COMMUNITY / Our Lives / WHY DID YOU LEAVE JAPAN?

Feb 1, 2020

Yumi Matsuo: It's a different picture in the United States

New York-based lifestyle photographer Yumi Matsuo wants to see personalities shine through her work.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Jan 31, 2020

Ep. 31 'Publicity Stunt'

After weeks of eavesdropping, listening to second-hand accounts of conversations and dropping very obvious signals, Hana and Vivi finally come face to face with some harsh truths about their respective crushes on Ryo. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem like there's going to be a happy ending for either one of them.

CULTURE / Books

Jan 18, 2020

Want to know Japanese cinema? Get to know Mark Schilling

The Japan Times film critic Mark Schilling celebrates 30-plus years of reviewing Japanese cinema with his latest book, 'Art, Cult and Commerce: Japanese Cinema Since 2000.'

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Jan 17, 2020

Ep. 29 'About Love'

The cringy antics of the 'Terrace House' members slowly killed my will to watch to the end of this episode.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Dec 27, 2019

Ep. 27 'I Can't Be Here'

Last episode, we were bombarded with new roommates joining the house, and now it's time to see how Vivi, Tupas and Kai are settling in. It's clear that everyone loves Vivi, and who can blame them? Well, everyone but Hana, probably, because that ray of sunshine is after her man.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 2019 in Review

Dec 25, 2019

Netflix led the streaming race with original Japanese content in 2019

The battle of the streaming giants saw some first class productions on offer in 2019, from original anime series, Japanese exclusives and fresh takes on established franchises.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Dec 13, 2019

Ep. 25 'The Girls Can't Do It'

Part 3 of "Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020" is not messing around. The most recent episode was filled to the brim with surprising moments and it's hard to know what to expect in the weeks ahead.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Nov 22, 2019

Ep. 23 'Friendship Between Men and Women'

I propose a very low-stakes drinking game for watching the recent episodes of "Terrace House" — you'll probably be parched by the end credits, though. Whenever Ruka appears on screen, take a sip of your beverage of choice. His appearances have become so rare lately that he's basically making cameos at this point, and seeing him on screen deserves some form of acknowledgment.

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / Wide Angle

Nov 15, 2019

'Queer Eye' takes a peek at Japan

Netflix's new series of 'Queer Eye' sees the Fab Five hit the streets of Tokyo, where they come face to face with the restrictions of Japanese social norms

CULTURE / TV & Streaming / 'Terrace House Tokyo 2019-2020' Recaps

Nov 8, 2019

Ep. 21 'Too Shy Girl'

Hold on, are we watching "Terrace House" or a spinoff of "The Bachelor"? Because it looks like everyone is receiving a rose this week, as Haruka, Emika and Hana — who all have flower kanji in their names (hence the previous episode's title "The Third Flower") — come clean about their respective crushes.

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