Blog Post #2: I got Bumble premium for a week at a Chinese restaurant
I think the title of this post is quite self explanatory but I promise there is more too this then meets the eye.
It started on a random Saturday when I was bored in my room, I was done with all my homework and engaging in one of my favorite games. Swiping on Bumble! I had been at it for around 20 minutes not really seeing anyone noteworthy and those I did swipe right on not ending up as matches. Thats when I got one of those annoying pop-ups about how there was a promotion for Bumble premium for a week for only ¥1,000 Yen ($7 USD). Which I guess was a steal? I never really got the appeal to pay for a dating app since my likes page was always around 300+ and if I ran out of likes I would just log off the “game”. But since I was starting to bring this project to life I looked at the message with a different view. I thought how maybe this would be a great opportunity to look into how the current dating app culture is right now. Or maybe even an interesting story to note here! Premium gives quite a lot of insight as it offers unlimited likes, 3 complements, access to see who already likes you, and travel mode. And like with all things in dating right now it could be noncommittal, as you can sample it for a week. I decided, in the name of science, I would try it after I get some dinner first as it was getting pretty late at night and I had to stop somewhere first.
The Japanese connivance store is probably one of the best innovations in modern history. I don’t mean that as hyperbole either, I can only name a few other things that top its brilliance. But this is not a post about Japanese connivance stores as it is just a transition space between my college dorm room and the local Chinese restaurant. I found myself there because I had to get an Apple gift card in order to make the ¥1,000 yen payment (I am not about to give Apple or Bumble my credit card information). After grabbing the gift card I meandered to the alcohol section to look at the new seasonal offerings, a part of my routine at this point. I looked onto the wall of unlimited drink options from beer to sake to soju and highballs. With so many options the decision of what to drink is always a daunting yet simple one. As so many options looked at me through the glass doors I only focused at one section, the sours. If Japanese connivence stores are in the top 10 best things in the world then sours would have to be in the top 5. So no matter what other tempting options there are I would always end up back at the sours. I grabbed a orange and green grape sour and some water then headed to the cashier who sadly did not bat an eye at my purchase (I swear I am not an alcoholic I just want to try the drinkssss).
Min Min
Min Min is a small Chinese restaurant just a stones throw away from my building. It might also be the sole reason that I haven’t sold my soul to UberEats as I know the warm glow of Min Min will always welcome me. When you walk in the whole world instantly gets this yellow filter like the one they use for Mexico in breaking bad and the waitresses greet you with some of Japans best customer service performances. When I first started going there I felt a bit overwhelmed but after some of the most legendary pregames happening there I felt like a regular walking in there by myself. As I took a seat at one of the small booths I saw that despite it being Saturday night the place was practically empty. Before I got started my Bumble premium experiment I first ordered my usual, fried rice with gyoza! A real steal of a meal only coming in at around ¥850 ($6 USD) and filling enough to get the stomach ready for drinking.
After ordering I finally got to work with my new premium status by first looking at who in my area liked me first! since many of my university dorms are nearby I was a little scared that I would see someone that I knew on there which has got to be one of the most awkward experiences when using dating apps. But after seeing that no one I knew was there I started to look at the people who were there. But surprise surprise the guys near me were all old and or did not look very attractive. I should preface that my settings are for 25-37 as I want an older man but not too old as he could be my dad, yet even with these perimeters I was starting to as if 37 was too old lol. By the time I got done with the “near me” section my food had came to the table. I decided to leave the rest for when I got home, not like they are going anywhere.
After my meal I went back to my room to start drinking what I had bought earlier and with the over 300 profiles I had to approve. As I sat at my desk I felt like an employer screening potential employees. White guy? probably a tourist, won’t be committed to the company. “Intimacy without commitment”? not the mindset we are looking for. No abs? Ok maybe we can negotiate on that lol. Quick side note though, is it just me or does every guy with “intimacy without commitment” look like high key chopped? Idk might just be me. On the flip side though I was starting to find some guys I did actually like! Girls if you want a confidence boost I suggest you get the “look who already likes you” feature because it will make you think “dang I didn’t know someone like that would every like me”. Some notable guys I got out this experiment are; Tattoo artist (we talked for a few weeks but he lives in Osaka and I am not going down there just to see him, although he did say I might get a free tattoo), Freelancer (similar to tattoo guy but lives in Tokyo which I hate going to, NEXT), Firefighter (really sweet guy! I am planning on meeting him in November but his family lineage is like 400 years old? and his parents dislike foreigners which ya understandable).
Overall the week that I had Bumble premium came and went without much to take note of. As a matter of fact I felt like for once I got bored of Bumble. despite paying to have the premium features I didn’t feel inclined to use it very often as I knew that if anyone liked me I would just have their profile ready for me to review at the end of the day. And while that is pretty convenient the page gets crowded easily if you keep swiping left because the app also lets you “backtrack” profiles you already rejected. Then with all your options already in front of you the chats start to sound like automated emails “hi my name is Lisa! You are so handsome! Thank you for matching” type beat. Then if everyone replies its hard to make real deep connections that can transfer over to actually meeting IRL.
So my opinion? skip paying for the apps. We are women, the men will come anyway there is no need to pay for any “advantages” when we are all going to end up in the same place anyway. Plus I think having limited likes is better for the mental health as it’s a built in way to remind yourself to put the phone down and go do something else. Because at the end of the day men are just a small step in the journey. So take your ¥1,000 Yen get a drink and go to Min Min at this point I’ll join you.
For Publishing on October 25th 2025