"I want you to do your best" — The Boyfriend star Gensei bids an emotional farewell to Ryota

The Boyfriend season 1 concluded on Tuesday, July 30, 2024. The Netflix series was Japan's first same-s*x dating show that navigated the challenges of finding a suitable partner while tackling societal norms regarding relationships.

Viewers saw two couples, Dai and Shun, and Alan and Kazuto, leave the show together, having confessed their feelings to each other. However, not all contestants got what they were looking for. As a result, some left the show midway, unable to forge a romantic connection in the Green Room.

In episode 9, The Boyfriend star Gensei left the show, after saying goodbye to Ryota, the man he fancied. During a private conversation, he conveyed his feelings to Ryota.

"I just wanted to express my honest feelings. That's what I wanted. So do your best. I want you to do your best. Don't worry because you're attractive," said Gensei.

Gensei left the show, unable to form a romantic relationship with Ryota. After Ryota expressed an interest in Kazuto, Gensei knew he lost his chance with him. As a result, he decided to reveal his feelings to Ryota during their shift working at the coffee shop.

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Gensei was grateful he could meet Ryota on The Boyfriend

Since the beginning of the show, 34-year-old hair and makeup artist Gensei was interested in getting to know 28-year-old model Ryota. He often asked Ryota to let him do his makeup, hoping it would bring the two closer to each other.

In the first episode, Gensei was left wondering about the writer of the letter he received. In episode 2, while working at the coffee shop, he saw Ryota's handwriting. Upon finding similarities, he assumed Ryota was the one who wrote him the letter in the previous episode. Gensei was overjoyed to discover that the man he liked felt the same about him.

During his private conversation in episode 10, Gensei revealed the incident to Ryota, calling it his misunderstanding. Ryota confirmed his belief by laughing at his assumption.

"I misunderstood at first though. I thought you wrote me the letter," said Gensei.

However, The Boyfriend star added that it "didn't really bother" him. Instead, it motivated him to pursue Ryota wholeheartedly. In episode 2, Ryota stunned Gensei when he revealed that he fancied castmate Shun. Despite the revelation, Gensei's feelings were not swayed.

"But that part didn't really bother me. On the contrary, because of that, I became interested in you. That was one of the key motivators," stated Gensei.

Gensei's feelings for Ryota were challenged when the latter wished to pursue castmate Kazuto. Ryota surprised Kazuto by revealing he had romantic feelings for him in episode 4 of The Boyfriend. Although Kazuto repeatedly rejected his advances, stating his discomfort, Ryota refused to back down until the last episode.

In episode 6, Gensei picked Ryota to work with at the coffee shop. He thought he could utilize the moment to express his feelings to him. Gensei gifted him a necklace, hoping he would reciprocate his affection. However, Gensei's intentions were not conveyed to Ryota, who referred to the gift as a token of friendship.

Gensei was upset when he saw Ryota make coffee for Kazuto since he thought it was a "Gensei exclusive." During their picnic, he realized pursuing Ryota was futile since the latter was fixated on Kazuto. As a result, during their final conversation on The Boyfriend, Gensei mentioned:

"Halfway into it, I learned you had feelings for Kazuto. And seeing you face your feelings head-on made me see how true you are to yourself. You're honest with yourself."

Gensei praised Ryota for being true to himself, complimenting him for being "cool."

"You're attractive, to begin with. I found myself wanting to support you somehow. I think I've achieved that during my stay at the house. And I think it's time. I will be leaving the Green Room today," revealed Gensei.

The Boyfriend star added that although his feelings were not reciprocated, he was happy he could convey them to Ryota. He urged Ryota to "be confident," and expressed how glad he was to meet him at the Green Room.

Ryota bid an emotional farewell to Gensei, saying he enjoyed the time they spent on the show.

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All episodes of The Boyfriend are currently streaming on Netflix.