Offline Love season 1 (Image via Netflix)

Offline Love season 1 episode 1 recap: Ten singles arrive in Nice to find love without smartphones

Modified Feb 18, 2025 12:59 GMT

Offline Love premiered on Netflix on February 18, 2025, introducing ten singles who embarked on a journey to find love in Nice, France, without the use of digital devices. The first episode, titled Day 1, 11 a.m. - Give Up Your Digital Devices, set the stage for this dating experiment. Participants gave up their smartphones and relied on handwritten letters and chance meetings to form connections.

The show featured studio commentary from Kyoko Koizumi and the comedy duo Reiwa Roman, who shared their thoughts on the participants' experiences. Koizumi, a former idol and actress, reflected on how love used to happen before technology, while Reiwa Roman added humor and perspective to the ongoing events.

In the premiere episode of Offline Love, ten participants arrived at different locations in Nice. Some immediately began searching for others, while others took time to adjust to being without their phones. The Maison Margaux letter lounge was introduced as a key location for communication, where participants could write and receive letters from 8 am to 10 pm.

Offline Love participants arrive in Nice

First participant of this Japanese show, Yudai arrived at Maison Margaux, where he received instructions to place his phone in the lower mailbox. He was given a guidebook, money, and a credit card, with the guidebook serving as an identifier for those in the experiment. The rules were simple, no electronic devices, including cameras or phones, were allowed.

In different parts of Nice, the remaining participants arrived:

Kanaka arrived at Garden of Arenas Cimiez and reflected on her reliance on her phone, hoping for a change.
Atsushi, a former Japanese national water polo player, was introduced at Castle Hill. He had competed in the Olympics twice but was no longer part of the national team.
Maho, a Paris-based aspiring model, entered at Old Town Nice, aiming to one day walk the runway at Paris Fashion Week.
Kensuke, a comedian, came to Jean Médecin Avenue and shared his belief that "every encounter is fate."
Nanami reached Sainte Rita Church, revealing that she had never fallen in love before. "I want to experience what it’s like to cry because of love," she said.
Sho, a model studying to become a high school health and physical education teacher, arrived at Port of Nice.
Next was Mimi, who reached Gare du Sud, and described herself as someone who easily fell in love if someone expressed interest in her.
Tohko, who had never traveled outside of Japan, she shared her concerns about navigating a new country.
Yudai, also a model and actor, shared his love for desserts, particularly French crème brûlée.

Nine participants were introduced, with keeping one as a mystery for the upcoming episode of Offline Love.

First meetings and letter exchanges

The Maison Margaux letter lounge became the first meeting point, where Offline Love participants had the opportunity to send and receive letters. Tohko wrote her first letter, hoping to connect with someone, while Atsushi also penned a letter and later received one inviting him to meet at Massena Square at 4 pm.

Meanwhile, Kanaka and Kensuke crossed paths and decided to go out for dinner together. At a café, Atsushi and Yudai recognized each other through their guidebooks and had a conversation about their experiences and careers. Elsewhere, Sho and Mimi met near Promenade des Anglais, with Sho expressing surprise at their encounter, saying:

"I'm amazed we actually met."

As the day progressed, participants adjusted to the challenge of forming connections without technology, relying on letters and chance meetings to navigate their journey.

Watch the first season of Offline Love currently streaming on Netflix.