Queer Eye: We're in Japan! adeptly handles sticky topics

The Hollywood Reporter

Emotional repression, declining sex/birth rates and the importance of slender femininity for women are among the topics tackled with care as Queer Eye heads to Japan for a four-episode season. "To the credit of the show's producers...these inevitable moments of appropriation/whitesplaining — nearly impossible to avoid when self-help gurus travel to a new country to tell people how to improve their lives — stand out less than the moments of genuine care and connection," says Robyn Bahr. "To temper the explosivity of intercultural minefields, this season the Fab Five are sometimes joined by chirpy American-Japanese model Kiko Mizuhara to help introduce the hosts (and the audience) to Japan during interludes from the makeover storylines. This includes Kiko taking the hosts to famous Tokyo hot spots, such as a gay bar adored by Freddie Mercury, and elucidating the culturally specific difficulties the participants face."