Original Japanese programs made for subscription video streaming services have thus far been less focused on finding new formulas and more about upgrading the familiar. With that in mind, it shouldn't come as a surprise that travel shows — or at least offerings that use countries that aren't Japan as a backdrop — have started popping up on Netflix and Hulu.
Two shows now available on the aforementioned platforms highlight different ways this familiar globe-hopping format is adjusting to the realities of on-demand entertainment. While one sticks closely to the way terrestrial networks choose to show the world to Japanese viewers, the other offers nuanced looks into other cultures that, at times, stand as some of the most dizzying television in Japan right now.
Model and actress Kiko Mizuhara played a prominent role in 2019's "Queer Eye: We're In Japan!" mini series, serving as a tour guide for the show's five protagonists. She has now landed her own vehicle, the Hulu-backed "Kiko's Infinite Journey" (or "Throw Away Your Bra and Go On a Journey," as its Japanese title is translated), which debuted recently with an episode in which she explores China.