Queer Eye: Netflix TV show heads to Japan - NEWS.com.au

Waiting until 2020 for the next season of Netflix’s hit show Queer Eye to come out is less than ideal for super fans of the Fab Five.

While we’re patiently biding our time for season 5 of the Emmy Award-winning series to drop, the streaming giant has decided to tide us over with an entire Queer Eye special – and it’s coming to our TVs, tablets and smartphones tonight.

Viewers have become accustomed to Jonathan Van Ness strutting across the fields of Kansas and Karamo Brown bear-hugging his way through the state of Georgia, but the new instalment takes the team international – to Japan.

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“In just a year since we launched season 1, Queer Eye has become a global phenomenon once again, and the Fab Five are truly the ambassadors of self-care and compassion that the world needs now more than ever,” creator and executive producer David Collins said in a statement at the time of the season’s announcement.

Over four episodes, Queer Eye: We’re in Japan will “bring the (Fab Five’s) message of self-care and compassion to four Japanese men and women while exploring the country’s rich culture and cuisine”.

The mini season includes all of the usual suspects dishing out their expertise: there’s Van Ness (grooming), Brown (culture), Antoni Porowski (food and wine), Bobby Berk (interior design) and British representative Tan France (fashion).

“I cannot wait to roll up our gorgeous little gay sleeves and get this ball rolling,” Van Ness says, to cheers from the other four.

The trailer, which was released at the start of October, teases a plethora of heartwarming moments: The five dance in the streets, eat sushi, and don traditional Japanese clothing.

It looks like viewers are in for a treat, and – as is expected of the series, with episodes rarely ending with dry eyes – quite a few tears.

“We’d tell you to get your tissues ready but you’re going to need power towels,” the show’s official Twitter account posted.

Everybody in the trailer tears up – from the five to their four “heroes”.

There’s Kan, a gay man struggling to live his best and most authentic life; Makoto, a “shy radio personality” who wants to transform “from a rock to a psychedelic flower” and reconnect with his wife; Yoko, a hospice nurse who has given up on “being a woman” to help others; and Kae, a manga artist who has been bullied since childhood but feels completely transformed after her makeover.

“I think I can finally be proud of myself,” Kae says in the trailer, “and I’m really grateful.”

With the help of Japanese model and actor Kiko Mizuhara and comedian Naomi Watanabe to navigate any cultural barriers, the Fab Five work their magic on their chosen subjects, learning a few things about the Japanese way of life along the way.

Netflix says both Mizuhara and Watanabe will help the group “learn and experience Japanese cuisine, fashion, design, grooming and culture first-hand”.

While previous Queer Eye seasons have been set in Georgia and Missouri, the change in scenery might also signal a shift in the social issues addressed in each episode.

The Fab Five and their subjects have previously discussed homophobia, religious faith and race – prominent issues in America’s south.

The episodes in Japan depict the country’s cultural differences – and the ways in which these impact the lives and self-esteem of those who feel restricted by Japan’s comparatively traditional and conservative ideals.

Season 5 of the show is currently in production – bringing the Fab Five to Philadelphia – and, according to Netflix, is slated for release some time next year.

Queer Eye: We’re in Japan! is available for streaming on Netflix now

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