Netflix’s Badly in Love (Love Joto) is an unconventional dating show. It follows 11 individuals with ties to yankii culture — a specific type of delinquent culture in Japan — as they live in an old school building and attempt to find love. Unsurprisingly, it delivered some of the most unforgettable scenes we’ve seen on Japanese reality TV in years.
By throwing unapologetically intense yankii singles into one house for 14 days, the show swung between hilarious, touching and unhinged, often within the span of the same episode. From physical fights to emotional breakdowns, here are the seven moments from Badly in Love we can’t stop talking about.
1. Baby’s Hatred of Water
One of the show’s most viral running jokes came in episode four, when the cast went to a show club to meet “transfer student” Amo, a new female cast member. Things escalated quickly after Amo splashed water at Baby during her burlesque-style dance performance.
After the performance, Amo went to each of the cast members to introduce herself; when she spoke to Baby, Baby threw her drink on her. This incident actually delayed Amo’s introduction into co-living with the cast, and Baby’s expulsion from the show was even considered because the ice in Baby’s drink had caused a minor scratch on Amo’s face. This episode caused a lot of commotion, from serious concerns about Baby’s volatility to Baby’s quote, “Mizu wa yabe daro” (“Water, seriously?”). After watching the scene, commentator Nagano iconically joked, “She’s like a Gremlin.”
2. Tsu-chan’s Loyalty
Tsu-chan might look intimidating, but he was behind one of the show’s most moving moments. At the end of episode three, he shared with Kii-chan that he hadn’t been in a relationship for four years — because he was waiting for his ex-partner to find happiness first.
When Tsu-chan decided to move back to his hometown, he explained, his ex had said she would come with him, but he decided to end things abruptly instead, as he didn’t want to force his partner’s child to change communities.
“I made it a point not to date anyone until I knew she and her kid were happy,” Tsu-chan said, much to the shock and admiration of his female castmates. This pivotal scene reframed Tsu-chan not just as the funny, tough guy, but a deeply caring and admirable cast member.
3. Milk and Tsu-chan’s Fight… and Instant Friendship
Badly in Love wasted no time setting the tone, with members Milk and Tsu-chan getting into a physical confrontation immediately upon arrival. They clashed so hard that security had to physically pull them apart. It made clear exactly what this show was going to be — not your average Japanese dating show, to say the least.
But then, after being pulled apart, Milk sat next to Tsu-chan, and somehow the two became close friends, with Milk even becoming Tsu-chan’s biggest admirer throughout the season. It showed the audience yankii logic at its finest, and made us all fall in love with these men who wear their hearts on their sleeves — or rather, fists.
4. Yanbo’s Shock Expulsion
One of the season’s most controversial moments came when Yanbo was expelled after joking about quitting marijuana — a remark that crossed a hard line, especially in Japanese culture.
“You gave me such a great opportunity, but I ended up throwing it away because of something I said,” Yanbo apologized as he was getting expelled. “I’m supposed to be an adult, but I was weak and let alcohol twist my words.”
The fallout was heart-breaking, particularly for Tekarin, who had been developing feelings for him. As Yanbo prepared to leave, he gave her his omamori (a protective charm) as a keepsake. Tekarin kept the charm on her for the rest of the season, even as she tried to move on by dating her other castmates.
5. The Yakatabune Yukata
The yakatabune (traditional boat outing) episode delivered multiple turning points: Nisei rejecting Oto-san, Baby and Tsu-chan’s surprise connection and emotions ramping up across the board.
But let’s be honest: The real stars of the episode were the yukata. The cast donned unconventionally flashy get-ups, and the outfits elevated the scene into something that felt like a fashion editorial about modern yankii.
“This group’s so scary,” Nagano commented after seeing their looks. “I’d hate to have to serve them.”
6. Oto-san Crying
Which time? Exactly.
Oto-san cried endlessly above her love for Nisei, to the consternation of audiences worldwide. But the most memorable of Oto-san’s breakdowns took place in the smoking area, where she tearfully confessed her unrequited feelings for Nisei. Oto-san’s clearly unreciprocated devotion was vaguely awkward and painful to watch.
It didn’t help that Amo, also pursuing Nisei, briefly made an appearance and looked pointedly at the two of them with a condescending smirk before walking away.
“She was bawling, so I figured it wasn’t right to interrupt,” Amo said in a confessional after.
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7. Tackle’s Tackle
In episode three, Tackle showed us all exactly how he got his nickname. Newcomer Tenten tried the takoyaki that Kii-chan had made, which Tenten claimed wasn’t very good. Tackle, ever devoted to Kii-chan, immediately responded by physically tackling Tenten.
Tackle later said in a confessional: “Kii-chan made it, so say it’s good, even if you have to lie.” Though he did add, “But it really wasn’t good. It wasn’t takoyaki at all.”
