Japan (GAYCATION Episode 1) Review

Good morning! I am blogging this from Uni! If you have come to read this from my vlog welcome!

So this morning watched the first episode of VICELAND's new series GAYCATION which stars Ellen Page as the host along with her best friend Ian Daniel. Both Ellen and Ian are Gay and are embarking on an journey to explore what the current LGBT condition is in various parts of the world. And you guessed it the first place they both went to was Tokyo, Japan!

Here is the video on VICELAND's official Youtube channel, if you haven't watched it please do so - it's a fantastic pilot episode and only 45 minutes long.

You can watch it here and then continue to read my review :)

Well I don't know about you but I was really moved by this. It's a great start to a very promising series that I believe will be able to make a difference in our current world state in regards to the LGBT community.

Now, first I should probably mention that I identify as Asexual. I know some people may not recognise that as a sexual orientation since it doesn't acknowledge my preference as to which gender(s) I am attracted to however it is what I feel best suits me. I am attracted to men so I am a straight Asexual however I prefer to identify as just Asexual because it's what I identify with. I can only ever see myself being with a man however the relationship will have basically zero sexual elements.

Throughout my school days I have known many people and I have several friends who are LGBT and equality amongst all individuals is something I have always felt passionatly about. LGBT rights and safety is something I feel strongly about and I stand with, by and for them.

Anyway back to the review! I felt the content in this was very informative and neutral in terms of how certain topics were handled which I believe was very appropriate as hopefully this can become a series to educate people who do not know about LGBT. It is mentioned several times in this episode that people who discriminate are often people who simply lack the knowledge or lack education in that specific area. It's the classic saying of 'People fear what they do not understand' - I really liked how this show explained speicifc terminology in a way that doesn't degrade the viewer. I felt very secure and safe whilst watching this, none of the content was graphic and I believe that this series could be an excellent way for someone to educate friends or family members on LGBT if they wanted to slowly ease them into accepting and understanding what LGBT is and that is that it is NOT a choice.

The fact that the first episode is in Japan is awesome! A lot of people think that LGBT is widely accepted in Japan because of Yaoi and Yuri in Adult manga and Adult Anime however artisitic mediums in Japan have a strong disconection to the actual society. For example, in Japan if something like 'Two male docotors get married' were in the newspaper or on the news, that would not be a big deal. There would be no issues because it's a form of media however if the married couple (the two gay doctors) were to hold hands in public as a married couple THEN there would be issues because it's visible in a real life situation. It's messed up I know.

Ellen and Ian go to Otome Road in Ikebukuro which is infamous for it's Yaoi and Anime goods targeted towards straight women. Ther they learnt about fujoshi culture and Yaoi - this is all amusing however there is a very real overlooked issue here which is contronted by Ellen. Yaoi is objectifying homosexuality and men's bodies as well as glamourising gay relationship. It's all fantasy and highly unrealistic but of course that is the aim to a certain extent.

In the very end, Ellen and Ian are present when a young Japanese man comes out to his mother. The mother initially runs away, she says 'I can't do this' and leaves the building until she is brought back by the 'rental friend' - you will have to watch the episode to understand this service, I had no idea such a thing existed-

Once the mother had a bit of time to get rid of her initial stress and I'm assuming confusion, she apologises to her son and goes on about how he is her only son and somewhow she will try to slowly understand and accept whatshe has told him.

I was so moved by this, I was truly nervous that she would just run and never talk to him again. The mother really did seem to want to support her son and understand her son's sexual orientation. I was really happy the episode could end on such a positive note. I really got emotional in this part, it was really inspiring to see hope.

"Society will catch up" - Ian says. His words are hope and this series brings me positivity to keep being supportive and hopeful. I want to be part of the world that accepts and acknowledges all individuals no matter what their personal identity be.

I will most definently be continuing to watch this series, I have no idea where Ellen and Ian are off to next but I am excited! I think this was such a strong start to a very good series and I hope this can become a foundation of courage, bravery and informative medium that people can go to.

Thank you for reading!

#Japan #LGBT