Behind the Scenes of "Love Catcher Japan"

Feb 27, 2024 | News On Japan

TOKYO - The final episode of ABEMA's original program "LOVE CATCHER Japan" aired on January 27th, concluding the series with its eighth episode. Model Press conducted solo interviews with the eight men and women participants, excluding the two who successfully confessed their love to each other as "Love Catchers" and became a mutual match.

The participants candidly discussed their reasons for joining the show as either a "Love Catcher" in search of true love or a "Money Catcher" aiming for the 5 million yen prize, as well as their frank feelings for the person they were attracted to. The fifth interview features personal trainer Kaisei Sakuma (27).

On the sixth night, the participant most suspected of being a Money Catcher by the others was eliminated, leading to the elimination of Kaisei and illustrator Hitomi Inoue (24). It was revealed that both were participating as Love Catchers, resulting in a shocking development where five of the remaining eight participants were Money Catchers. Kaisei, who often received pointed comments from the studio for his straightforward actions, such as starting a tequila drinking game at the first party and being at odds with the female members, revealed in the interview his unknown feelings for Hitomi and his sharp observations on the Money Catchers, showing a new side of himself.

[Interview list] "LOVE CATCHER Japan" interviews

With the conclusion of "LOVE CATCHER Japan," a couple is born The final words of a "Money Catcher" aiming for the prize money send shivers down the spine Kaisei Sakuma, unspoken feelings for Hitomi Inoue

- First, can you tell us why you decided to participate as a Love Catcher? Kaisei: The main reason was that I didn't have the opportunity to date privately. I only work with men, and anyone else is a client, so there was no chance to meet someone between work and home. I thought it might be time to start dating. Money is something you can earn, but love doesn't work that way, so I wanted to participate as a Love Catcher if given the chance.

- Initially, you were attracted to Misaki (Misaki Tanioka), but I believe it shifted to Hitomi later on. What attracted you to them? Kaisei: I happened to match with Misaki-chan on a date on the second day, and I thought she was a very beautiful girl, but then we got really close during the Couple Photo Challenge, and I was naturally attracted to the person I shared such a thrilling situation with. I was paired with Hitomi-chan for the Cooking Challenge the next day, and honestly, I was still interested in Misaki-chan at that time, so while I was talking to Hitomi-chan, I was also aware of Misaki-chan nearby. But when I calmly reflected on it later, I realized that Hitomi-chan was a very attractive woman.

- What did you find attractive about her? Kaisei: The travel took nearly two hours each way, and we went shopping and cooked together, but it was during our conversation that I felt she had a strong sense of self and independence. I saw her high human qualities and found her very attractive.

Kaisei Sakuma's reasons for being certain Misaki Tanioka was a Money Catcher

- There was a scene after the athletic date where Misaki clearly rejected you. How did you feel at that time? Kaisei: She came to say something that didn't need to be said, and all her other actions seemed money-oriented, so I wondered if she was deliberately trying to appear as a Love Catcher. In fact, I told Amon (Amon Okura) afterward that my feelings for Misaki-chan were clear in my mind.

- What made you think she was a Money Catcher during the date? Kaisei: She said, "I like the person who comes to me out of the five men," and when I asked her, "Aren't you interested in the other men?" she firmly replied, "I'm not interested, I like someone who says they 'like' me." I felt that was a bit money-oriented in that situation. Normally, you would expect at least a comment like, "I'm curious about what kind of people the other men are," but her focus on "I like someone who comes to me" made me think it might be a strategy to ensure a safe bet.

- Were your predictions about the other Money Catchers correct? Kaisei: I think I dated the most women, and everyone had different thoughts, so by process of elimination, I felt that probably everyone except Hitomi-chan was a Money Catcher. I guessed Natsuki (Natsuki Higashi) for the men, so I missed that one.

- You were quite accurate! If you had stayed until the end, who do you think you would have confessed to? Kaisei: If Hitomi-chan had remained, I think it would have been her, but since she was eliminated too, there was nothing I could do.

- So if both of you had remained, there might have been a different outcome. Kaisei Sakuma's thoughts on his elimination and his calm analysis

- How did you feel when you were eliminated? Kaisei: Since we were voting for the person suspected of being a Money Catcher, when the results were first announced, I felt like those whose love hadn't been fulfilled were being forced to end. But in reality, at that point, people who were mutual matches wouldn't vote for their partner even if they seemed money-oriented, so I thought the votes would come to me since I was wavering.

- What about your own emotions? Kaisei: To be honest, by the sixth day, I didn't have a clear romantic interest, so I felt somewhat relieved.

- Have you received any memorable feedback from viewers? Kaisei: The scene where I drank tequila and played a game on the first day definitely got the most reaction from viewers and followers (laughs).

- There were some harsh opinions in the girls' room. How did you feel watching the broadcast? Kaisei: "Well, girls will be girls," I thought. Looking back now, I think it was better to start from zero on the first day rather than starting from fifty. If you start from zero, the only way is up, so I might use this strategy in my private life in the future (laughs).

- Finally, please tell us what you feel you grew the most from participating in "LOVE CATCHER Japan." Kaisei: During the trip, I couldn't touch my phone at all, so I realized how much I usually use my emotions and brain on unnecessary information. When talking to someone, for example, I can't help but look at things like their social media followers, but I was painfully reminded how unimportant that is and how important it is not to look. I hope I can use this experience to see the true nature of people when I meet them in my daily life.

- Thank you very much. Kaisei Sakuma (C) Model Press

Source: MDPR

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