Summary
Wow. Finally, a dating series audiences can relax and enjoy. Strip back the drama and forced interactions, and enjoy ten young creatives trying to find love — but beware of the hidden wolf.
This review of the Netflix series Is She the Wolf Season 1 does not contain spoilers.
Dating shows are on the rise recently, from all corners of the world. Clearly, we’re all looking for love, and we’re all looking for different formats in how to find it. The Netflix reality dating show Is She the Wolf? is a Japanese reality dating show that was released on Netflix in Japan on June 11, 2023. The show is a mystery dating show where five men and five women search for true love. Is She the Wolf? is developed by broadcaster Abema and adapted from the original show Who Is the Wolf which previously ran for 13 seasons.
Whilst the show sees men and women searching for love some female participants are “lying wolves” who are not allowed to fall in love. Their task is to navigate the entire season without being discovered or accepting any declarations of love. The series has 12 episodes all with a runtime of roughly one hour.
Is She the Wolf Season One review and plot summary
The group of participants is a diverse group of actors, artists, models, songwriters, and athletes, all aged from 24 to 32, so they’re all good-looking and fit basically. The wolf is the secret contestant who cannot fall in love, and I was a bit gutted when their identity was revealed at the end of episode one. It was intriguing trying to guess who they were. However, you can then watch that contestant now with a different viewpoint — see if they are calculating in their choices and fear for the guy who might fall in love with her. The wolf will be eliminated if at any point she reveals who she is to the other contestants before the end. The idea of the wolf is interesting. The wolf is a reminder that these shows are not here to answer all your love needs, and there is a chance you may walk away alone.
The tasks the contestants must partake in to get to know one another seem a lot tamer and less brutal than I have witnessed in other dating series — and it felt rather refreshing. One task has the 10 participants taking photographs of the breathtaking Japanese landscapes and sharing them with other lovers around the world. I loved how their discussions were about where their first kiss was, and not when was their first threesome.
There is a dating app where the contestants message each other and sometimes these are made visible to everyone — it’s a bold choice.
There are five presenters who talk you through the series and the contestants and analyze their actions. I find five too many, as it’s hard to invest in five presenters and then ten contestants. I would have preferred two or three maximum. I would have also liked the wolf to have had an incentive — like a cash prize if they kept quiet, or they could have had more power, just to give the series a little more oomph. The wolf didn’t really enjoy her role as she didn’t want to lie and hurt people, and I felt bad for her at times.
Is Is She the Wolf Season One good or bad?
Even though at times it can feel like a badly written novel, it’s addictive and compelling to watch. Unlike other dating series, this one has practically no drama, feels kinder as the contestants are all quiet and polite, and has a wholesome honesty.
I guess I’m so used to dating reality shows being intentionally cruel to their contestants in the name of entertainment that when something subverts that I’m shocked by the simplicity and normality.
Is Is She the Wolf Season One worth watching?
It’s dating for the creatives, so with like-minded people, all wanting the same thing, the series offers a dating show with honesty. But don’t get me wrong, it is still filled with high emotions and tension between the contestants.
What did you think of Is She the Wolf Season 1? Comment below.
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