The Future Diary season 2 review – scripted or unscripted?

By Jonathon Wilson - May 18, 2022 (Last updated: January 2, 2024)
Japanese Netflix reality series The Future Diary season 2
By Jonathon Wilson - May 18, 2022 (Last updated: January 2, 2024)
2.5

Summary

It will not be for everyone, but the quirks may be enough to keep the audience invested.

This review of the Japanese Netflix reality series The Future Diary season 2 does not contain any spoilers.

In this unusual reality series from Japan, complete strangers meet for the first time after receiving a diary meant to hold a script of their own love story. But will the script work, and will true love blossom? 

Interestingly, this is actually a reboot of a show that originally ran from 1998 to 2002, a fact even odder, considering how weird the premise is. Yeah, sure, strange concepts are all the rage now, but to have had something like this in the late 90s is wild. And whilst watching, it’s very hard to understand whether it’s scripted or unscripted. Maybe it’s a little bit of both?

The Future Diary season 2’s budget doesn’t feel very high at all. In no sense at all does this reality show have the same high-end/well-produced vibe as Love is Blind or Too Hot To HandleBut that’s not always a negative. It, at times, helps make it feel a little bit more natural. In a move that may prove to add more fuel to the fire, instead of just two contestants, like in the first season, this time there are three contestants. And initially, it makes it very sweet, kind, and awkward. Very much like dating in the real world!

But it doesn’t always stay that way. And with a studio audience and the hosts on hand to discuss all the latest developments, the drama will be at the front and center for us all to watch. The studio audience/host aspect of the show is another strange concept. Usually seen as more of an extra show (Think Big Brother’s Bit on the Side), it’ll be interesting to see if other shows in the future copy from the format.

What did you think of the Japanese Netflix reality series The Future Diary season 2? Comment below.

Netflix, Platform, TV Reviews