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Who will woo Imaizumi Shunsuke?
This week on The Bachelor! With only two contestants left, in a heating finale, the pressure is high. The bachelor can only choose one winner who has captured his heart. Don’t miss anything in the finale, next week!
It has been ten crazy weeks in the competition. This week: a special recap of what has happened up until this point!
There were twelve contestants from the beginning, showing up to win Imaizumi Shunsuke, professional athlete and possible asexual not-playboy of a great fortune, over. Shunsuke is 22 years old and a recent university graduate, but he has been described by his friends as “ridiculously hot, but yeah, probably a virgin.” Reportedly, he was signed onto the show as a prank.
The first contestant to be eliminated was Midousuji Akira, also 22 years old, unemployed but rumoured bike gang member. Akira and Shunsuke had a steamy past in high school, and Shunsuke tried to bend the rules and get him eliminated at first sight. What a twist for the opening episode! This was not allowed, but the drama made the other contestants one step closer to winning Shunsuke’s heart, and thanks to Akira’s taunting nickname fans who disliked the bachelor took to using the “Yowaizumi” hashtag on twitter for the rest of the competition.
The second contestant to be eliminated was Kanzaki Miki, 24 years old, a bike store employee and the only girl in the running. Shunsuke broke many viewers’ hearts when he eliminated the lone girl with the words: “Girls are pointless.” But did it bring him closer to the other contestants – all of them non-girls?
The third contestant to be eliminated was Naruko Shoukichi, 21 years old, self-acclaimed “flashy” tattooist in training. Shoukichi and Shunsuke butted heads since the first week and seemed more interested in getting on each other’s nerves and being the exact kind of people the other hates, than flirting. Rumours circled online that Shoukichi had signed up as a prank as well, and he immediately tried to get himself eliminated from the beginning.
The fourth contestant to be eliminated was Sugimoto Terufumi, 25 years old, self-alleged professional entrepreneur without any projects going on. Terufumi was quickly the least liked contestants by the fans, topping the online polls of contestants to go week after week until he was out. But for all of his haters, Terufumi also had many loyal fans who defended him on online forums and twitter at any bashing. When Shunsuke gave Terufumi a hug it was quickly dissected by both sides as being either a proof of love, or a complete accident. Regardless, Terufumi’s elimination and exclusion put an end to it, as it proved how Shunsuke really felt.
The fifth contestant to be eliminated was Arakita Yasutomo, 27 years old, a crass pharmacist who really does have a degree, on top of his piercings and crude language. Yasutomo was first unimpressed by Shunsuke himself, and for this became a fan favourite for the viewers who were, similarly, none too impressed with the Bachelor. But through the weeks Yasutomo gave many interviews about getting past his prejudice towards snotty rich kids. However, Yasutomo seemed to not pay as much attention to Shunsuke as he was to another contestant. For this, Yasutomo was eliminated, when he told the producers to: “go suck a dick, I’m not gonna pretend I’m into that loser instead.”
The sixth contestant to be eliminated was Kuroda Yukinari, 24 years old, a college graduate waiter at a so-called cat café. Yukinari was the contestant Yasutomo allegedly flirted with, and vice versa, earning them a fan following online called “Skip Shunsuke!”, calling for a separate show about the two of them. Yukinari and Shunsuke got along, but his elimination was amiable. Rumours circulated that they had made a secret deal to eliminate him so he was free to pursue Yasutomo, though gossip newspapers have had a hard time collecting proof for the popular fan theory.
After Yukinari’s elimination half of the competition was gone. Shunsuke was a significant step closer to picking the man his heart would belong to, and with the remaining contestants, he had formed close relationships already. Their individual dates had all gone well, and the viewers were torn between who he should pick. After moving to the beach house, the answer was no less clear.
The seventh contestant to be eliminated was Kishigami Komari, 20 years old, hobby masseur and currently student of cosmetology at an esteemed university. Komari was an easy fan favourite for the female viewers with his dyed teal hair and flamboyant clothes. Although Shunsuke seemed surprised whenever Komari touched him in the first weeks of the contest, as weeks passed and he remained, Shunsuke seemed to grow fond of his soothing presence. Eliminating him, Shunsuke said, was the hardest call yet. But when he found out that Komari was friends with Akira, Shunsuke’s high school nemesis and first to go, it had become an easier choice.
The eight contestant to be eliminated was Ishigaki Koutarou, 26 years old, high school teacher and gym coach. Koutarou was well loved by the male viewers for his optimism, dubbing him “Ishiyan” in online discussions. Koutarou and Shunsuke got along well, but Shunsuke said in his elimination speech that he viewed Koutarou in a more friendly light, rather than as a romantic companion.
The ninth contestant to be eliminated was Shinkai Hayato, 25 years old, veterinarian and hobby model. The absolute fan favourite throughout the competition, fans were devastated when he was eliminated so close to the final. Hayato and Shunsuke bonded early on for their shared favourite animal, and Hayato’s flirtations made even the supposed asexual blush. The spark was real, Hayato said in the post elimination interview, but the bond was based on sexual attraction rather than deep love.
The tenth and last contestant to be eliminated was Teshima Junta, 24 years old, a normal guy of an average unspecified job – his words. Junta seemed intent on taunting Shunsuke from the start, but fans enthusiastically commented that it seemed like Shunsuke simply wanted to be acknowledged by him; to be seen as more than an “elite”. Junta and Shunsuke often enjoyed tea in the mornings together, and each episode showed just a glimpse of their special “tea time”. Eliminating Junta was a hard call, Shunsuke said, and he was shown crying when Junta hugged him post-elimination. It seems he had been noticed, after all.
Those are all gone! Akira, Miki, Shoukichi, Terufumi, Yasutomo, Yukinari, Komari, Koutarou, Hayato and Junta have all been denied a rose, and a place by Shunsuke’s side. Through the needless drama, sweat and tears, two contestants have remained through it all, and will face off in the last challenge, and their last chance to prove themselves worthy of Shunsuke’s love.
First out is Dr. Kinjou Shingo! A 28 year old scientist with double degrees and an expert of a field the viewers of this kind of show would never grasp, Dr. Kinjou established himself early on as a reliable man. First to comfort Shunsuke after he saw Akira again, Shunsuke and Dr. Kinjou formed a bond in the first episode, and whenever Shunsuke has been seen to waver, Dr. Kinjou has been there to support and guide him. But Dr. Kinjou won the viewers’ hearts first at half-time, when the competition moved to the beach house. Even though he is a scientist, Dr. Kinjou proved to have impressive muscles, and screenshots of him wearing only bathing trunks, wet from the ocean, soon circulated the internet.
Dr. Kinjou has also been notorious for his few smiles, so is it any wonders that he would sometimes leave Shunsuke breathless by smiling? Shunsuke certainly seems smitten, fans have noted.
But the final contestant is also serious competition, and a worthy (?) love rival. Onoda Sakamichi is a 22 year old anime consumer, also known as an “otaku”, with an embarrassing or impressive, depending on who’s being asked, collection of anime goods. Sakamichi seemed to be a mousy nerd at first glance, but decided, on a whim, to join Shunsuke for a bike ride during his morning exercise on the first day. This lead to an iconic scene where he was able to keep up with Shunsuke on a mommy bike, and apparently that incident alone was all it took for Shunsuke to change his mind, even if viewers did not see the appeal of yet another otaku shouting: “I don’t have any friends!”
Nevertheless, the moment lead to a friendship evolving on television. Sakamichi never dared to approach Shunsuke on his own, at first, but Shunsuke stuck close to him. Eventually they started to open up to each other and as a testament to how much they came to care for each other, Shunsuke listened endlessly to Sakamichi’s anime rants, even though most of them were not televised. Even though Sakamichi was constantly voted down in the polls for best romantic option for Shunsuke, a few dedicated fans of the pair defended them tirelessly week after week, pointing out subtext and all the hidden, subtle moments between the two. Twitter user shokikita has become especially notorious for doing this, and is pointed out as a reason that in the last few weeks, support for the two of them as a pair has increased at last.
So who will win Shunsuke’s heart? The impressive, intelligent, fit, high income earning scientist Dr. Kinjou Shingo? Or the scrawny, living-at-home, clumsy otaku Onoda Sakamichi? Amazingly, Shunsuke still seems torn between the two.
Find out who wins by tuning in next week!