Gone are the days when we had to hook up on western shows for our fix of queer reality dating, we have our own Asian versions now & they are truly enterprising!

While reality television (scripted/unscripted) are scrupulous means to entertain yourself, they come with a certain measure of saltiness that is foreboding. You can watch ten different shows and still find them abysmal; or you can watch three variations and find yourself thoroughly entertained. Yes, we are talking about the currently on-air Asian queer dating shows- “His Man Season Three”, “Sparks Camp Season Two” & “The Boyfriend”. Streaming across varied platforms and in different languages, the shows are slowly gaining worldwide popularity and attention. The weekly dose of melodrama coupled with emotional gratification is indeed one of the many reasons to watch these shows. As such, we took the liberty to compare these reality shows and their charts rigorously!

Format

Spanning across 10 to 12 episodes, the shows almost have a similar format. Set in the picturesque locales of Tateyama, a city in Chiba Prefecture, Japan, “The Boyfriend” features nine young men in search of love and friendship as they spend a summer living together in a beachside abode called the “Green Room”. “Sparks Camp Season Two” houses ten campers in a brand-new locale where they compete for love & share their lucid experiences. “His Man Season Three” is following their regular format of housing eight men in a retro styled house where they fight for love (as aggressive as it can be). The contestants are put through gruelling work or missions and the end result is getting a fervid date with your supposed crush (which changes invariably depending on their moods or choices).

Contestants

☆ “His Man Season Three” had an odd mix of commoners and celebrities, which has increased the oomph factor considerably, no matter what, the contestants are all increasingly handsome.

Cha Jaeseung (33)- he is the oldest of the lot, has been running a croffle shop for 3 years and is a former personal trainer with 8 years of experience.

Son Youngjoon (28)- Works in an advertisement shooting team and runs a photo studio.

Hwang Minseon (24)- is majoring in acting

Bae Seongmin (29)- is currently working as a Korean tutor, has graduated from an engineering college, and is a former brand marketer.

Jo Myeongkyun (25)- is a model and an aspiring actor who has worked in morning dramas

Kim Seungjin (21)- hip hop dancer, also known by his stage name, Gadi

Kim Hanmin (27)- a hospital personal staff member and freelance model.

Kim Hwi (22)- a college student majoring in visual design.

☆ Sparks Camp has a funky mix of Filipino locales and nationals from abroad seeking their partners in the most competitive way possible!

☆ Allan Pangilinan (29), Gay, Geek

☆ Ejay Dimayacyac (29), Gay, Clean-cut, Drag

☆ Kyle Adlawan (27), Gay, Otter

☆ Martin Chua (27), Gay, Geek, Twunk, Chinito

☆ Miggy Ruallo (27), Gay, Femme, Twink

☆ Pipoy Oreiro (25), Gay, Chub

☆ Universe Ramos (29), Gay, Clean-cut

☆ Zuher Batista (28), Bisexual, Rugged

☆ Seichii Ozaraga (24), Bisexual, Gamer

☆ Paco Laurel Sanz (27), Bisexual, Dashing, Hot

☆ Similarly, “The Boyfriend” puts nine men in a resort where they experience the highs and lows of first love and heartbreak, all while working together at a coffee truck.

1) Shun, 23 Artist (Gay)

2) Taeheon, 23 Designer from Korea (Gay)

3) Usak, 36 go-go Dancer (Gay)

4) Ikuo, 22 Food service industry worker (Gay)

5) Gensei, 34 hair and makeup artist, Taiwan (Gay)

6) Dai, 22 University student (Bisexual)

7) Alan, 29 IT company employee, Brazil (Gay)

8) Kazuto, 29 Japanese cuisine chef (Gay)

9) Ryota, 28 model & barista (Bisexual)

(Usak has pulled out of the program because of prior work commitments)

Missions

☆ “His Man” & “Sparks Camp” have revamped their earlier versions, so the contestants were given time to form their first impressions before they head dive into missions. “The Boyfriend” doesn’t give its contestants any leisure time, as they are asked to manage the coffee truck and their overall finances right from Day One.

☆ “His Man S3” is still following the old format of sending their contestants on random dates, so that remains unchanged. The only risk this time is that fact that they have pitted ex-boyfriends Youngjoon & Myeongkyun under the same roof. The ensuing fights and arguments were feverish, but they seemed to have come to an understanding (or one-sided closure) while we have a headstrong love triangle brewing between Hwi, Jaeseung & Seongmin.

☆ I’m actually enjoying the heart-to-heart conversations in “Sparks Camp S2” via their “Moment of Truth”. Giving out sparks to your crush is a viable option, which they have retrieved from Season One. The contestants already are forming cliques, with the “Zuher-Universe-Allan-Martin” love quadrangle in full force. Seichi & Pipoy alongside Paco & Ejay are interesting to say the least, but will they succumb to other choices, that remains to be seen!

☆ “The Boyfriend” is following a risky formula, spanning across one month, the contestants have a lot of time to know each other; unfortunately, some of them make quick exits and random entries because they aren’t fully committed to the show (talking about Kazuto & Usak). As such, they aren’t forming the connections that we expected or if they are, it isn’t as strong as in the other two shows. I was sad with Usak’s sudden exit but it was obvious that he seemed uncomfortable. Shun & Dai are already fan favorites but the ups and downs in their relationship seems to be detrimental to the entire purpose of finding love in a dating show.

Hosts/Commentators

The first Asian queer dating show that I watched was “His Man”, the contestants are left to their devices with random mission cards appearing out of thin air. So, when Black Sheep introduced Mela Habijan as the host of “Sparks Camp”, I was surprised. Elegant and beautiful, Mela has engaging conversations with the contestants while she shares juicy secrets from their lives, leading them on this journey as the dependable Mother Camper. “The Boyfriend” has an eclectic group of commentators offering insights and opinions, as the young men’s romantic journeys unfold over the season.

1) Megumi (Japanese talent, actress, singer and former gravure idol)

2) Chiaki Horan (Japanese actress and tarento from Tokyo)

3) Thelma Aoyama (Japanese pop and R&B singer)

4) Durian Lollobrigida (Japanese drag queen)

5) Yoshimi Tokui (Japanese comedian and actor)

All of them are hilarious, loud, playful and absolutely adorable. Their insights are helpful and it is interesting to watch them as they regale us with their varied opinions and perspectives.

Conclusion

“His Man S3” is slightly boring and less compelling, compared to the other two which have better challenges and profound conversations. The contestants are rather clingy and unwilling to explore anything new; although that might have worked for “Jun Seong-SeungHo” in Season Two, I don’t think it’s the same scenario here. It’s a vicious cycle, being recycled continually based on the melodramatic reactions exerted by the contestants. Instead, I had rather prefer watching Mela talk to the campers in “Sparks Camp S2” where they actually discuss problems plaguing the queer community; even the commentators in “The Boyfriend” are a class apart and the contestants showcase a vulnerability that is unheard of, it is something genuine and reasonable.