Risque Business Japan Review: Hosted by Korean celebrities Shin Dong-yup and Sung Si-kyung, the series is created by Jung Hyo-min and Kim In-sin. The show consists of six episodes with a runtime of approximately 30-40 minutes each and is mainly shot in Korean and Japanese language with English subtitles.
The docuseries dives into the Japanese adult entertainment industry and introduces us to the various unusual services available in the country, which makes it different and stand out from the rest.
-Risque Business Japan Review Contains Mild Spoilers-
From sex toys to the porn industry, Japan is becoming one of the leading producers of adult entertainment. Dong-yup and Si-kyung, right off the bat, displayed their raw reactions to the various things that they came across. It could be clearly seen that it was unusual for them to converse about sex openly, and at times, they seemed uncomfortable as well. The cultural difference between their home country, South Korea and Japan, is constantly talked about throughout the series as Koreans were still reluctant to talk about the subject, and it is surrounded by taboo.
Extensive interview-style episodes were conducted with famous Japanese AV actors. Apart from talking about their work life, they also talked about how they were introduced to the industry and for how long they have been performing. The actors also talk about how the shooting process starts and the various activities they do to prepare themselves physically and mentally. Basically, they walk us through a day their day in life while working.
Moreover, a difference between a woman and a man AV actor is also shown and talked about. The cliched adult videos are mainly catered towards the males of society. The job of the male actors is to support the actresses they are appearing with and make them shine the most. Meanwhile, there are also AVs that cater towards women, which do not contain much sexually explicit content but rather romantic gestures and mild intimate moments. The staggering difference between the two industries displays how sexual content is becoming accessible to women in recent times.
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However, the show fails to dive deeper into the realities of the industry. A very superficial image is drawn where the job is made to look easy and entertaining. The actors are also asked to mention the amount of money they make during the job, which makes it look even more appealing.
While talking about the cons of the industry, the only thing they mention is that it gets difficult while working during the cold weather. The reality of it is much different, brutal and cut-throat. At times it will almost feel like the creators are trying to whitewash the industry as they fail to provide a real and honest picture.
Nevertheless, during the last episode, they very slightly mention the negative effects AVs have on relationships. Couples in Japan are increasingly becoming ‘sexless’ partly due to unrealistic expectations and the hassle that it takes to initiate intimacy with their significant other. But still, the conversations remain shallow and fail to showcase the consequences of it deeply.
Risque Business Japan Review: Final Thoughts
The series is entertaining and extremely hilarious at times. Shin Dong-yup and Sung Si-kyung were open to everything new and made everyone around them comfortable talking about unconventional topics. Even though they seemed awkward at first, they very quickly gained their confidence and actively participated in the conversations. One will learn a lot about the Japanese adult industry but will not receive a true picture of it to the full extent.
Risque Business: Japan is now streaming on Netflix. Did you watch the series yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!