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 "excerpt": "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, also known as the KonMari Netflix show, is an 8-episode 2019 reality series where Marie Kondo declutters Los Angeles homes using her spark-joy method; Emmy-nominated, one season, produced by The Jackal Group.",
 "snippet": "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, also known as the KonMari Netflix show, is an 8-episode 2019 reality series where Marie Kondo declutters Los Angeles homes using her spark-joy method; Emmy-nominated, one season, produced by The Jackal Group.",
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 "markdown": "# Tidying Up with Marie Kondo\n\n*Tidying Up with Marie Kondo* is an American reality television series in which the Japanese organizing consultant [Marie Kondo](https://www.edgepedia.org/marie-kondo) visits cluttered homes in the Los Angeles area and helps their residents declutter using her KonMari method, keeping only the belongings that \"spark joy.\" The eight-episode first season premiered globally on Netflix on January 1, 2019, and the show ended after that single season.<sup>[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80209379)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/80209379)</sup>\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Format | Eight-episode reality series; Kondo guides people \"at a crossroads\" through home makeovers built on the question of whether an object sparks joy<sup>[1](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80209379)</sup> |\n| Premiere | January 1, 2019, released globally on Netflix; all eight episodes aired that day<sup>[3](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvyeapVBLWY)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[2](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/80209379)</sup> |\n| Production | Produced by The Jackal Group; executive producers included Gail Berman, Joe Earley, Marie Kondo, Takumi Kawahara, Hend Baghdady, and Bianca Barnes-Williams<sup>[2](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/80209379)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[4](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/tidying-marie-kondo)</sup> |\n| Rating | TV-PG; genre listed as reality television<sup>[2](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/80209379)</sup> |\n| Recognition | Two nominations at the 71st Emmy Awards: Outstanding Structured Reality Program and Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program<sup>[4](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/tidying-marie-kondo)</sup> |\n| Reception | 81% on the Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer (37 reviews) and 72% on its audience Popcornmeter; a Metascore of 65 on Metacritic<sup>[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/tidying_up_with_marie_kondo/s01)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/tidying-up-with-marie-kondo/critic-reviews/)</sup> |\n| Follow-up | Kondo later hosted the Netflix series *Sparking Joy*, described as taking her signature approach a step further<sup>[7](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81231940)</sup> |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Premise and format\n\nEach episode follows a household overwhelmed by possessions as Kondo, accompanied by her translator Marie Iida, leads the family through the KonMari method, a five-step approach to evaluating belongings on an emotional level in which objects that do not \"spark joy\" are let go.<sup>[8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/marie-kondo-brings-something-besides-her-famous-tidying-skills-to-reality-tv-gratitude/2018/12/30/7f806e7a-0ad1-11e9-88e3-989a3e456820_story.html)</sup> The series is based on her international bestseller *The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing*.<sup>[9](https://archivesaware.archivists.org/2019/01/30/responses-and-retrospectives-alexandra-bisio-on-tidying-up-with-marie-kondo/)</sup>\n\nKondo's on-screen manner differs from earlier decluttering television. The Washington Post's review contrasted her with predecessors such as \"Clean House\" and \"Hoarders,\" noting that she brings a calming influence, even asking the owners if she may kneel in a spot and silently greet their home before beginning.<sup>[8](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/marie-kondo-brings-something-besides-her-famous-tidying-skills-to-reality-tv-gratitude/2018/12/30/7f806e7a-0ad1-11e9-88e3-989a3e456820_story.html)</sup> [The New Yorker](https://www.edgepedia.org/the-new-yorker)'s Troy Patterson described the show as grafting Kondo's methodology onto a makeover-show format with little conflict, and observed that the word \"tidying\" understates the physical task, which can involve gathering an entire wardrobe accumulated over decades into a single pile.<sup>[10](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-television/tidying-up-with-marie-kondo-reviewed-the-organizational-consultant-as-freelance-exorcist)</sup>\n\n### Season 1 episodes\n\nAll eight episodes were released on January 1, 2019, with runtimes of roughly 35 to 47 minutes.<sup>[11](https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379?s=i&trkid=13752289)</sup>\n\n1. **Tidying With Toddlers** (47 min): a harried couple with two young children learn to pare down playroom clutter, organize the kitchen, and sort clothes.<sup>[11](https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379?s=i&trkid=13752289)</sup>\n2. **Empty Nesters** (36 min): a retired couple cut back on clothing, store Christmas decor, and display old family photographs.<sup>[11](https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379?s=i&trkid=13752289)</sup>\n3. **The Downsizers** (35 min): a family in a cramped apartment creates temporary storage and makes better use of hard-to-reach cabinet space.<sup>[11](https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379?s=i&trkid=13752289)</sup>\n4. **Sparking Joy After a Loss** (44 min): a grieving widow learns to store her purses, make a memory box, and say goodbye to things she no longer needs.<sup>[11](https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379?s=i&trkid=13752289)</sup>\n5. **From Students to Improvements** (41 min): two writers sort through sentimental items and gadgets to organize their library.<sup>[11](https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379?s=i&trkid=13752289)</sup>\n6. **Breaking Free From a Mountain of Stuff**: a family of four tames its garage, folds scarves, and clears out old toys.<sup>[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/tidying_up_with_marie_kondo/s01)</sup>\n7. **Making Room for Baby**: an expectant couple stores shoes, folds socks, and tackles paper clutter.<sup>[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/tidying_up_with_marie_kondo/s01)</sup>\n8. **When Two (Messes) Become One**: newlyweds with two dogs merge their possessions and organize pet accessories.<sup>[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/tidying_up_with_marie_kondo/s01)</sup>\n\n## Reception\n\nCritics responded favorably. The Rotten Tomatoes critics consensus called Kondo \"a delightful instructor\" who gently encourages viewers to cut clutter from their lives; the season scored 81% among 37 critics and 72% with audiences.<sup>[5](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/tidying_up_with_marie_kondo/s01)</sup> Metacritic recorded a Metascore of 65, with five positive and four mixed reviews and no negative ones; Paste gave it an 87, and The Guardian a 40.<sup>[6](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/tidying-up-with-marie-kondo/critic-reviews/)</sup> The show earned two Emmy nominations in 2019, for Outstanding Structured Reality Program and for Kondo as Outstanding Host for a Reality or Competition Program, though it did not win either category.<sup>[4](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/tidying-marie-kondo)</sup>\n\n**Cultural impact.** The series fed a broader American decluttering moment. Within weeks of its release, Goodwill and online resellers such as thredUP and Poshmark reported donation and sales boosts as viewers slimmed down their wardrobes.<sup>[12](https://time.com/5541135/marie-kondo-apps/)</sup> *Time* placed the show in a wider organization trend alongside Inbox Zero and the popularity of neatly arranged \"organization\" imagery on [Pinterest](https://www.edgepedia.org/pinterest) and Instagram.<sup>[13](https://time.com/5559039/organization-tidying-up-benefits/)</sup>\n\n**Criticism.** Some commentary targeted Kondo herself. The journalist [Barbara Ehrenreich](https://www.edgepedia.org/barbara-ehrenreich) posted a now-deleted tweet saying she would be convinced America was not in decline only when the decluttering guru \"learns to speak English,\" a jab at Kondo speaking Japanese on the show; writers in several outlets described the criticism as carrying racist and classist undertones.<sup>[14](https://thetartan-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/edition/pdf/423/Vol113Issue15.pdf)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[9](https://archivesaware.archivists.org/2019/01/30/responses-and-retrospectives-alexandra-bisio-on-tidying-up-with-marie-kondo/)</sup> The New Yorker review also raised the possibility of [Orientalism](https://www.edgepedia.org/orientalism) in the series's framing of its Japanese star.<sup>[10](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-television/tidying-up-with-marie-kondo-reviewed-the-organizational-consultant-as-freelance-exorcist)</sup>\n\n## Aftermath\n\nThe show ended after one season, and Netflix later announced *Sparking Joy*, a follow-up in which Kondo takes her approach \"a step further\" in a transformational format.<sup>[2](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/80209379)</sup><sup> • </sup><sup>[7](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81231940)</sup> In January 2023, promoting a new book, Kondo said she had \"kind of given up on\" keeping her home tidy at all times after the birth of her third child, telling a webinar that \"my home is messy, but the way I am spending my time is the right way for me at this stage of my life.\"<sup>[15](https://www.axios.com/2023/01/27/marie-kondo-tidying-up-parenting)</sup>\n\n## References\n\n1. [Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/80209379)\n2. [Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, New On Netflix USA](https://usa.newonnetflix.info/info/80209379)\n3. [Tidying Up with Marie Kondo | Official Trailer, Netflix on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WvyeapVBLWY)\n4. [Tidying Up With Marie Kondo, Emmy Awards and Nominations, Television Academy](https://www.televisionacademy.com/shows/tidying-marie-kondo)\n5. [Tidying Up With Marie Kondo: Season 1, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/tidying_up_with_marie_kondo/s01)\n6. [Tidying Up with Marie Kondo critic reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/tv/tidying-up-with-marie-kondo/critic-reviews/)\n7. [Sparking Joy, Netflix Media Center](https://media.netflix.com/en/only-on-netflix/81231940)\n8. [Marie Kondo brings something besides her famous tidying skills to reality TV: Gratitude, The Washington Post](https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/tv/marie-kondo-brings-something-besides-her-famous-tidying-skills-to-reality-tv-gratitude/2018/12/30/7f806e7a-0ad1-11e9-88e3-989a3e456820_story.html)\n9. [Responses and Retrospectives: Alexandra Bisio on \"Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,\" KonMari, and Archival Appraisal, ArchivesAware](https://archivesaware.archivists.org/2019/01/30/responses-and-retrospectives-alexandra-bisio-on-tidying-up-with-marie-kondo/)\n10. [\"Tidying Up with Marie Kondo,\" Reviewed: The Organizational Consultant as Freelance Exorcist, The New Yorker](https://www.newyorker.com/culture/on-television/tidying-up-with-marie-kondo-reviewed-the-organizational-consultant-as-freelance-exorcist)\n11. [Watch Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, Netflix Official Site](https://www.netflix.com/title/80209379?s=i&trkid=13752289)\n12. [Spring Cleaning Comes Early as Apps See a Donation Boost Thanks to Marie Kondo, Time](https://time.com/5541135/marie-kondo-apps/)\n13. [Americans Are Obsessed With Tidying Up. But There's a Downside to Being Organized, Time](https://time.com/5559039/organization-tidying-up-benefits/)\n14. [Marie Kondo and the rise of minimalism, The Tartan (Carnegie Mellon)](https://thetartan-assets.s3.amazonaws.com/edition/pdf/423/Vol113Issue15.pdf)\n15. [Marie Kondo: \"I've kind of given up on\" keeping home always tidy, Axios](https://www.axios.com/2023/01/27/marie-kondo-tidying-up-parenting)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Series and fictional screen worlds › Unscripted, reality, and web-native series › Celebrity, family, lifestyle, and court reality series › Lifestyle, dating, and docusoaps › Wealth, real estate, and lifestyle series*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n",
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 "speakable": "Tidying Up with Marie Kondo, also known as the KonMari Netflix show, is an 8-episode 2019 reality series where Marie Kondo declutters Los Angeles homes using her spark-joy method; Emmy-nominated, one season, produced by The Jackal Group."
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