At a time when reality TV shows are trying to one up each other in terms of manufactured drama, Terrace House stands above the rest by doing the complete opposite, opting to relax viewers into it and keeping them in a state of zen. So when news broke that 22-year-old Terrace House: Tokyo 2019-2020 star Hana Kimura had died and the current series has been cancelled following her death, it was a massive shock.
And yet, it was this massive shock that helped snapped us out of this Terrace House-induced zen state and revealed to the world how the show has reached a point of no return.
The GOAT team talk to MAFS’ Martha about the realities of reality TV on ‘It’s Been A Big Day For…’ below:
Ripples were sent through the entertainment and Terrace House world when it was confirmed that Hana had died. Given what we saw of Hana Kimura on Terrace House: 2019-2020 – a kickarse wrestler with so much life ahead of her – her death was just so unexpected.
But as it is with “reality” TV, what we see on the screen isn’t what’s actually happening in reality.
Due to her career as a professional wrestler and her Indonesian-Japanese heritage, Hana suffered from bullying since she was a child. In the weeks prior to her death, Hana was subjected to even more severe cyberbullying and death threats from Terrace House stans due to the show’s negative depiction of her following an argument with another cast member.
It’s no secret that “reality” TV producers purposely manipulate events to drum up drama and Terrace House is no different. It just does it far more subtly. We only caught glimpses of what was really happening with Hana at the time, but knowing that the show leaned into the negative depictions of her despite all the bullying she received doesn’t sit very well.
Things escalated when Hana shared a series of troubling tweets and Instagram posts, the final one of which depicted her and her cat along with the caption “goodbye.”
Yet it wasn’t until after Hana’s death that things are starting to move in Japan in terms of combating cyberbullying, and even then it’s still at the “considering’ stage at the time of writing. As for the show, the latest series has been canceled for the time being.
The lead-up and the aftermath of Hana Kimura’s tragic death has also exposed the problematic issues that have slowly crept into Terrace House over the years but were brushed aside by engrossed viewers who were too wrapped up in the faux comfort blanket provided by the show.
Terrace House has been pretty good at depicted growing relationships between cast members, but the Tokyo 2019-2020 series became especially uncomfortable to watch due to the problematic depiction of consent.
The show has had a history of depicting consent but it became impossible to ignore during a series of Tokyo 2019-2020 episodes in which a male cast member, Toshiyuki Niino, repeatedly tries to flirt and invade the personal space of a female cast member, Yume Yoshida, even after she’s repeatedly said no. The discomfort is clear as day, yet it’s also clear that she’s going along with it because that’s what the show’s producers want.
What’s made this worse are the in-show commentators on Terrace House, a panel of celebs who comment and crack jokes about the cast as they watch along with viewers.
Not only do these commentators take the guy’s side in every troubling male/female encounter on Terrace House, but they actively take the “oh she was totally asking for it” stance.
It’s horrifically disturbing to hear things like “I mean, they held hands, you can’t blame him for having hope,” and “Yume’s been pretty flirty, too. That’s why I kind of feel sorry for (Toshiyuki) for getting played with,” on a show that’s meant to be relaxing and drama-free.
Terrace House ultimately became one of those reality TV shows it tried so hard not to be, but refused to acknowledge it and instead leaned into the mess. It’s perhaps no surprise that Terrace House‘s fandom slowly grew more toxic as the show itself slowly normalised problematic behaviour.
It’s already bad enough to lean negatively depict cast members like Hana Kimura for the sake of drama, but it’s especially horrendous when Terrace House is pushing out the wrong message on serious issues like consent. How are we meant to enjoy what is meant to be a relaxing show when depictions are done in bad faith?
It is likely Terrace House will come back at some point in one form or another given its popularity. But regardless of whatever guise that will be, the show will have to seriously address Hana Himura’s death, the circumstances leading up to it, and the problematic depictions of its cast members if it is to keep going as a source of relaxing comfort rather than unsettling discomfort.
If you, or anyone you know is experiencing mental health struggles, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue for support.
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