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.
When news broke in October about commentator Yoshimi Tokui's financial issues, I wondered if he would get kicked off the "Terrace House" panel. Sure enough, he's missing from the studio this episode. A somber sigh from Yama-chan reflects the mood of the panel and, without going into any details about why Tokui is missing or how long he'll be gone, they agree to hold down the fort in his absence. Japanese rugby player Yu Tamura is on hand to fill in and he reveals that his Brave Blossoms team members have weekly gatherings to watch "Terrace House" together.
"We giggle and fuss over each episode," he says to the delight of the commentators, who can't believe a bunch of burly athletes get as emotionally invested in the show as they do.