Netflix series S&X explores Japanese sexual anxieties with lighthearted humor

The Netflix series S&X, adapted from Kisei Tadan's manga, delves into the perceived sexual anxieties of Japan through a lighthearted and humorous lens. Western audiences often find themselves fascinated by the supposed sexual problems of Japan, and this series offers an entertaining, albeit fictional, exploration of these themes.

The show centers on sex therapist Ichito Shimotori, portrayed by Kento Nakajima, who tackles his patients' issues with the help of nurse Yuta and secretary Marin. Shimotori advocates a humanistic and practical approach, famously advising a patient who got his penis stuck in a soda bottle that therapy is like climbing. His personal mantra, "We all have our sexual problems," hints at his own struggles, including a deep-seated aversion to sex that influenced his career choice.

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We all have our sexual problems.

Nakajima's portrayal of Shimotori, however, is noted as somewhat stiff, failing to fully convey the character's internal turmoil stemming from a past trauma. The therapist finds himself in an awkward position when Yumi, a high school acquaintance and TV host, re-enters his life, leading to a romance. Yumi, meanwhile, navigates sexism in her career, where her "innocently virgin" image clashes with her desire to cover serious news, and a relationship with a sex therapist could create public relations issues.

S&X paints a picture of Japan as sexually repressed, with rudimentary sex education and a perception of sexual therapy as a "dirty" profession. Sex is often relegated to nightlife or commodified, detached from everyday life. The series features patients struggling with issues like virtual sex addiction and compulsive photography, highlighting abstract and disembodied forms of sexual activity. While the patient cases are engaging, the series does not offer particularly fresh insights into sex for viewers accustomed to more pragmatic views, but its relaxed tone and interesting scenarios sustain it over its seven episodes.

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The series depicts Japan as sexually repressed, with rudimentary sex education and a perception of sexual therapy as a 'dirty' profession.