The polarizing Netflix show Love is Blind continued to shock audiences after its Season 2 premiere. Rife with enough red flags for a parade, it’s no surprise that the sultry social experiment became popular enough to earn a few spinoffs. Love is Blind: Japan — released the day after Valentine’s Day — borrows heavily from its American counterpart.
Much like the Western version, 11 men and 13 women engage in 40-minute dates with one another, separated by cozy pods and forbidden from physically seeing each other until one proposes marriage. Purportedly designed to prompt healthy and compatible partnerships, fans are always shocked at which pairs end in love and which lead to heartbreak. Love is Blind: Japan, while featuring considerably less villainy than its flagship series, is still surprising. In the first half of the season, nearly all of the show’s contestants found themselves engaged, with some couples looking far more promising than others.
Odacchi and Nanako
It’s often been said that when looking for long-term romance, a strong sense of humor is key. As a professional comedian, 35-year-old Odacchi’s lively energy and silly jokes made him a hit in the pods. Despite this, many of the female contestants wondered if laughter would be enough to sustain a marriage; few took him seriously as husband material. At first, 31-year-old former ballet instructor Nanako felt the same way.
After she opened up about her divorce and her unemployment status, however, Nana — and the viewers — saw a much more vulnerable side to Odachi. While professing to enjoy the art of ballet, Nanako believed that she was unqualified to teach it, feeling as though she didn’t know much herself. Originally on the path to becoming a physics school teacher, Oddachi left that profession for a very similar reason. This commonality lead to an immediate spark and, eventually, the first of the show’s proposals.
Ryotaro and Motomi
32-year-old hairstylist Ryotaro found himself grateful for the pods. With dyed blonde locks and an intimidating demeanor, he felt that any prospective bride would shrink away from him in fear. Despite his daunting appearance, Ryotaro quickly exposed his softer side. As he and the 27-year-old Motomi initially rattled off their strengths and weakness, they discovered quite a few commonalities.
Each had a love of chinchillas, with Ryotaro having owned one as a child. Eventually the two grew close enough for Motomi to open up about a previous marriage — lasting less than a year in her early 20s — and, after Ryotaro reacted with warmth and understanding, she proposed with a sweet note, endearingly listing off her short-comings before asking for his hand in marriage.
Yudai and Nana
Similar to Ryotaro, 23-year-old hairstylist Yudai assumed his tattoos would be a turn off. But similar to Odacchi, he proved himself to be quite popular with the ladies. Winning over both 30-year-old Ayano and 32-year Eri with his wit, charm and surprising maturity, the ever-humble Yudai chose 31-year-old online marketer Nana as his prospective bride. Reacting to his tattoos with zero judgement, Nana quickly won the younger man over with her candidness, passion and kindness.
Their open discussions flourished, quickly delving into subjects like future prospects, individual drives and careers. This eventually culminated in Nana admitting that she felt an attraction right away. Yudai confessed that the feeling was mutual, stating that he had already made his choice. Following Nana’s suggestion that they “trust the process,” Yudai immediately proposed.
Wataru and Midori
Despite 28-year-old Priya also vying for the former’s affections, the connection between this fan-favorite couple was instant. Both were well-versed in the tech world, with 38-year-old Wataru working in IT as a firm executive and Midori — eight years his junior — working as a senior business planner in a successful technology company. The two also spent a portion of their youth in the Midwestern United States. These similarities, as well as their mutual career-based ambition, bonded them as a couple.
Wataru was ultimately won over by both Midori’s candor and her willingness to move forward with him, resulting in a proposal. But while Wataru was blown away by his bride-to-be’s appearance — stating that she “exceeded his imagination” — connecting his voice to the face in front of her seemed to be a persistent challenge for Midori.
Mori and Minami
37-year-old cosmetic dermatologist Mori had all but given up on the idea of marriage until his friends pushed him to join the show’s cast. He and 26-year-old architect Minami bonded over their shared Korean heritage, aligned future goals and similar difficult upbringings. Mori soon picked up on Minami’s unique patterns of communication. He stated how her tendency to ask awkward questions, and say silly things, was a sign of rare sincerity.
Mori felt he “just couldn’t leave [Minami] alone” and proposed, illustrating Love is Blind’s premise by telling her, “Even if I were to go blind one day, I know that I would still be in love with you.”
Mizuki and Priya
While initially smitten with Wataru and apparently heartbroken over his choice, love for Priya came in the form of 29-year-old Mizuki. While not always on her romantic radar, Priya had established a closeness with the restaurateur — so much so that she instantly recognized his voice. As discussion moved from professions to romantic expectations, a deeper connection was forged when they realized how ambitious both of them were.
Priya’s drive, education and feminist ideology only deepened Mizuki’s feelings. Both entrepreneurs, they expressed a mutual passion for their careers and began discussing how to balance work and family life. Priya’s unique set of values — prioritizing work, family and fun in equal measure — cemented her as “the one” in Mizuki’s eyes. After professing his deep admiration and respect for her, he proposed. She joyfully accepted.
Misaki and Kaoru
As many of Misaki’s previous romantic prospects were put off by the idea of traveling to Kenya with him, the 31-year-old coach of Kenya’s national baseball team wondered if he would ever find love. Luckily for him, singer-songwriter Misaki was up for the adventure, having traveled there herself once before.
This was a significant commonality that Misaki hadn’t shared with any of his previous partners, creating sparks between the two right away. Unlike other couples, there was no significant age gap between the two, and both admitted to loving — and owning — pet dogs, laughing together as they compared breeds.
Shuntaro and Ayano
For the majority of the show’s run, self-proclaimed beauty guru Ayano seemed the least lucky in love. Having been rejected by both Yudai and Mori for a perceived lack of openness, the 30-year-old told Shuntaro that this was not the case. Her guarded nature, she explained, was due in large part to her upbringing. While torn between the 56-year-old consultant and younger prospect Sho, Shuntaro’s warmth and acceptance ultimately swayed her decision.
Unlike the others, a man 26 years her senior provided Ayano with the space to be vulnerable. The two were engaged by the show’s fifth episode. With the remaining six episodes of this season now available to stream on Netflix, fans will finally get to see which couples say “I do,” following the weddings in the U.S. version. Fans can also check out more new shows on Netflix.