From gravure idol to global Netflix producer. MEGUMI has signed a multi-year exclusive deal with Netflix after her debut show, a dating reality series starring Japan's "yankee" delinquents, ranked No. 8 in Netflix's global non-English series chart. In a streaming landscape dominated by Korean content, Japan's unscripted storytelling is making a dramatic entrance.

"Badly in Love": When Yankee Culture Met Dating Reality TV

On February 16, 2026, Netflix announced a multi-year exclusive partnership with MEGUMI, a Japanese actress-turned-producer, to create multiple new unscripted series for the platform's global audience.

The catalyst behind this landmark deal is "Badly in Love" (Japanese title: "Ravu Jōtō"), MEGUMI's debut unscripted production that premiered on Netflix on December 9, 2025, rolling out over three weeks. The show brings together 11 men and women from Japan's "yankee" subculture, among them former gang members and people who have served time in juvenile detention, to live together for 14 days at a secluded academy. On the final day, at an emotional "graduation ceremony," each participant must confess their feelings to the person they've fallen for.

The results were extraordinary. The show debuted at No. 8 on Netflix's Global Weekly Top 10 for non-English series, held the No. 1 spot on Japan's Netflix charts for four consecutive weeks, and became the first Japanese unscripted title ever to crack the Top 10 in South Korea. It also ranked highly in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore, a sign of appetite across Asia for Japanese reality content.

What Is "Yankee" Culture? A Quick Guide for International Viewers

If you're familiar with anime and manga titles like "Tokyo Revengers" or "Crows," you already have some idea of what "yankee" means in Japan. Unlike the American usage of the word, Japanese "yankee" (ヤンキー) refers to a youth delinquent subculture that peaked between the 1970s and 1990s. Think modified motorcycles ("bōsōzoku" biker gangs), pompadour hairstyles, school uniforms deliberately worn in rebellious ways, and ornate embroidered jackets called "tokkōfuku."

The show's title is a clever wordplay. "Jōtō" (上等) comes from "kenka jōtō" (喧嘩上等), a classic yankee battle cry meaning "bring it on" or "I'm always ready for a fight." By pairing "Love" with "Jōtō," the show declares: "We're going all-in on love, too."

What makes the show genuinely compelling is its raw emotional honesty. Cast members openly discuss their criminal pasts, troubled childhoods, and personal trauma. The fights are real, the tears are real, and the clumsy attempts at romance are painfully authentic. In an era where most dating shows feature polished contestants with impressive resumes, "Badly in Love" deliberately chose people from society's margins, and that is what made it land.

MEGUMI's Remarkable 25-Year Reinvention

Born in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture in 1981, MEGUMI moved to Kurashiki in Okayama at the age of five and grew up there. She originally wanted to be a singer. After years of failed auditions, she pivoted at 19 and debuted as a gravure idol, a type of glamour model particular to Japan's entertainment industry. In the early 2000s, she became one of Japan's most popular gravure talents and transitioned into variety TV shows.

But MEGUMI refused to be typecast. She pursued acting and won Best Supporting Actress at the 62nd Blue Ribbon Awards in February 2020, for her performances in the 2019 films "Typhoon Family" and "One Night." The Blue Ribbon is one of Japan's longest-running film prizes.

The real transformation came during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Realizing that her career as a performer depended entirely on receiving offers from others, MEGUMI decided to create content herself. She started small, shooting Instagram dramas at home against a blue screen, then scaled up to streaming dramas, short films, and TV series. She joined the content studio BABEL LABEL as a producer and simultaneously built a business empire: a pancake café called "Cafe Tamon" in Kanazawa, and a bestselling beauty book.

In 2025, her first Netflix unscripted production became a global hit. Now 44 years old, MEGUMI has signed an exclusive multi-year deal that positions her as one of the most significant Japanese creators in the global streaming era.

Why Netflix Is Betting Big on Japanese Unscripted Content

Kazutaka Sakamoto, Netflix's Vice President of Content, explained the deal by saying he was immediately struck by MEGUMI's creative vision when watching the raw footage of "Badly in Love." The conviction led to what Netflix described as their fastest-ever decision to greenlight a second season, followed by the exclusive producer partnership.

This deal reflects a broader shift in the global streaming landscape. "Unscripted" content, meaning reality shows, documentaries, and competition series made without traditional scripts, has become a crucial content pillar alongside dramas and films. South Korea has dominated this space with shows like "Singles Inferno," "Physical: 100," and the "Heart Signal" franchise. Japan has struggled in the global unscripted market since "Terrace House" ended its run.

"Badly in Love" broke this pattern by doing something completely different from Korean dating shows. Instead of featuring attractive professionals getting to know each other through curated activities, it showcased society's outcasts expressing raw, unfiltered emotions. Korean shows like "Heart Signal" or "Transit Love" tend to feature participants with aspirational careers and lifestyles. MEGUMI's show inverted that formula, and international audiences took to the contrast.

Talent Is Moving From Broadcast TV to Netflix

According to industry insiders, talent is moving from terrestrial TV stations to streaming platforms such as Netflix at an accelerating pace. Young creators who have given up on broadcast TV, where budget cuts make it hard to produce the content they want, keep moving to Netflix in search of "an environment where I can pursue what I want to do." Generous production budgets, creative freedom and a direct route to viewers around the world are things traditional TV stations struggle to offer.

At the same time, some voice concern about dependence on foreign platforms. Global companies like Netflix may pull out if they don't see profits. Some point out that high salaries can include fees for secondary use of the work, or that contract terms can have blind spots. Many in the industry say, "You need a cool head before you jump."

Next Up: A Heisei Gravure Drama and a Film

For the ABEMA original drama Gravure, due to stream in 2027, MEGUMI is planning and producing an empowerment drama set in the entertainment world of the 2000s, based on her own experience as a gravure idol. Michihito Fujii, winner of the Japan Academy Prize for Best Director, is on board as executive producer, and auditions for the lead actress have begun.

She is also producing the film FUJIKO, set for release in 2026. As founder of the international cultural exchange event "JAPANESE NIGHT," she travels to festivals such as Cannes and Kabul to keep promoting Japanese film to the world.

Several unscripted projects are said to be in development in parallel at Netflix, and a second season of Badly in Love has been confirmed, set by the sea.

Unscripted Stories for an "Era Without Right Answers"

On signing the deal, MEGUMI said: "Precisely because this is an era without right answers, I want to carefully capture real emotions and wavering hearts, and show how precious they are."

Japanese entertainment has long had global influence through "scripted" content with scripts or source material: anime, manga and games. But the success of Badly in Love and MEGUMI shows that Japan can also be globally competitive in unscripted content. Content that captures raw human emotion and culture without relying on a script could become a new way to bring Japan's rich subcultures and distinctive values to the world.

[Update, July 2026] Season 2 of Badly in Love began streaming exclusively on August 4, 2026. Its 10 episodes were released over three weeks, on August 4, 11 and 18, set at "Love Jouto Marine Academy" overlooking the sea in Okinawa. MEGUMI and Nagano returned as hosts, joined by Okinawa-born rapper Awich. Season 1 also won the top prize in the Best Reality & Variety category at the Global OTT Awards 2026 in Busan, South Korea. According to Netflix, season 1 spent four straight weeks at No. 1 on Japan's weekly Top 10 (series), four straight weeks in South Korea's weekly Top 10, and three straight weeks in the weekly Global Top 10 (non-English series).

Has a homegrown reality show from your country become popular around the world?

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