Risqué Business Taiwan Review: Korean celebrities Shin Dong-yup and Sung Si-kyung return as hosts for the series (성+인물: 일본편), created by Jung Hyo-min and Kim In-sin. The show is a follow-up to Risqué Business: Japan and consists of five episodes with a runtime of approximately 30-40 minutes each. The show comprises interviews and conversations in Korean language with English subtitles.
The Netflix docuseries takes a look at sexual culture in Taiwan through various areas, including the adult entertainment industry, LGBTQ+ dating scene and sex education in the country. Through interviews, the show portrays dating and relationship habits in Taiwan.
-Risque Business Taiwan Review Contains Mild Spoilers-
In its first season, the Korean variety show saw hosts Dong-yup and Si-kyung take a look at Japan’s adult entertainment industry and discuss what aspects of sex are taboo or commonly accepted in society. In the new season, the focus shifts to Taiwan, and the hosts kick off the docuseries by attending the country’s biggest event, TAE – Taiwan Adult Expo. The event gives a chance for fans of adult entertainers to meet and interact with them via opportunities for games, photoshoots and more.
The episode showcases Dong-yup and Si-kyung interacting with various attendees as well as the performers at the expo. One line that captures how Taiwan looks at the adult entertainment industry and the kind of relationship shared by fans with the performers is reflected when an attendee says, “In Taiwan, AV entertainers are like idols.” While the male sex drive receives a lot of attention, it’s nice to see how the show also features female attendees at the expo who reveal the kind of desires they have and fantasies they want to fulfil when they meet their favourite AV performers.
The interviews of couples attending the expo also give an insight into how developed the sexual culture in Taiwan is for partners to be open and supportive towards their significant others’ desires. In terms of the questions posed to the adult performers, while there’s mention of how different this kind of event takes place in the US and European nations, there’s no insight provided into how the industry may have its own set of benefits and disadvantages.
Apart from TAE, the series also takes a look at Taiwan’s biggest adult entertainment magazine, JKF, as the hosts meet and interact with the top models who work for the magazine. A discussion also takes place along with the magazine’s casting agent, Eason Huang, who reveals how they try to cast models according to the tastes of young Taiwanese men. The models also reveal how they were cast based on their social media following. It’s probably this episode that seems the least interesting one since it reveals nothing notable about the culture of adult content consumption in Taiwan, be it through the magazine or other sources.
The docuseries sheds light on Taiwan’s LGBTQ+ community across episodes, and it brings out the best stories. From LGBTQ+ adult performers discussing the difference between BL (Boy’s Love) and GV (Gay Video) content and its varied target audience to interviews of same-sex couples who are now married after marriage was legalised in 2019. The interviews with couples such as Xiao Bao and Ding Din, Caca and Bella showcase the way gay and lesbian relationships function in an open Taiwanese society. The conversation surrounding motherhood and pregnancy through the interaction with the lesbian couple Wolf and Rabbit is also worth watching.
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Among the five episodes, one of the best ones turns out to be the interaction Dong-yup and Si-kyung have with sex educator, Gracie Hsu. The conversation is packed with insights into sexual well-being for young people, and the ease with which she discusses the importance of female pleasure, consent, initiating sex and being open about one’s desires works well for the show, which aims to shed light on the sexual culture.
The last episode of the show is yet again an interesting one as the hosts have a chat with a group of youngsters from Taiwan as they discuss the dating scene in their country and reveal their biggest dealbreakers and more. Among the revelations that seem the most fascinating include the amount of importance they give to learning about each other’s zodiac signs and basing their compatibility quotient on the same.
Another interesting point revealed in the conversation is how common it is for couples to move in together during the early stages of their relationship. The ease of sharing rent while also having the freedom to explore their sexual compatibility with each other are among the primary reasons for the same.
Risqué Business Taiwan Review: Final Thoughts
All through the five episodes, hosts Shin Dong-yup and Sung Si-kyung remain unbiased and ask even the most intimate questions respectfully and that is what works the best for this reality show. Despite the show taking a very peripheral understanding of the sex culture, it still works because of the authentic stories of the interviewees.
For most Asian nations, conversations around sex are not easy to discuss, and hence the docuseries helps in showcasing how things are changing and particularly how moments such as Taiwan legalising same-sex marriage are among the early and the biggest steps in these directions.
Risqué Business Taiwan is streaming on Netflix.
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