MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes usually doesn’t watch dating shows, but Netflix surprised him with one. Although he only started watching it because people were fighting in the trailer, there is much more to it.
I’m not a big fan of dating shows. I find them fascinating, especially in combination with social media, but I would never actually watch them – usually. For inexplicable reasons, I stumbled upon the trailer for Season 1 of Badly in Love. This is a Japanese dating show where delinquents (can be translated as daredevils, bad boys, or juvenile delinquents) want to find true love.
For this, a group of various women and various men are brought into a converted school to conduct activities inspired by school stuff. Here, I must admit that it wasn’t the premise that got me to tune in, but a scene in the trailer where two of the guys just look at each other and then shove each other around – yes, a dramatic chord was hit there.
This scene does a disservice to the series, as Badly in Love contains much more than just an overly dramatic dating show.
You can watch the trailer (the series is also available in English or with German subtitles) here:
Love is only secondary
Right from the first episode, the series tries to create a hostile atmosphere. When two guys meet at the beginning, it breaks out into shoving. One usually feels that it is scripted and overly dramatic. These are elements that I usually don’t like.
Quickly, however, a different dynamic develops between the characters that breaks through the pure seeking love
. Friendships form, and instead of being happy when someone has to leave the house, sadness arises and the promise that they will see each other again.
Not love is at the forefront, but friendship. Besides the overly dramatic moments, Badly in Love creates a show about forgiveness, personal trauma, and finally feeling at home.
Even if one doesn’t always believe the protagonists when they claim to be tough gangsters, a profoundly honest atmosphere often develops. You can see how the contestants slowly feel more comfortable and have found people who have gone through similar problems and experiences.
One believes the friendships found in Badly in Love more than the relationships found, and that’s exactly what makes the series so positive. I had feelings in many places like I did with Superman or A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms. In a world full of bad news, the series provided the perfect form of distraction. That’s why I was even more pleased by the announcement of a second season than by the first trailer for Avengers: Doomsday.
But the potential is not fully realized.
The typical elements of such a show are (unfortunately) still present
Despite my very positive feelings for the series, there are some points of criticism. The over-dramatization harms the beautiful moments, especially because they often seem scripted. The commentators, who occasionally say unnecessary things, disturb more than they are funny.
What also stood out negatively to me was the handling of Oto-San. What she tells and what she does is quite heavy and tragic. The series focuses too much on creating drama with her. Maybe she should have been removed from the show at a certain point.
Of course, the other stories are also dramatized, but aside from Oto-San, I didn’t find it so severe with the others.
A big highlight, however, is Shunya Tsukuhara, called Tsu-chan. He disregards everything that is usual in dating shows and just enjoys his time on the show. He doesn’t even flirt aggressively. Although he initially presents himself as the toughest gangster, he is one of the most pleasant participants, for whom one simply cheers.
Despite the points of criticism, I quickly binge-watched the series and am now very much looking forward to the second season, which started on Netflix on 04.08. And even if you have no interest in the genre, feel free to check out Season 1, because you never know how much you might actually enjoy it.
Have you had experiences with series and shows where you thought you would never like them? Feel free to share in the comments. You can find a more classic but quite good series here: 21 million views in a week: A new action series rightfully dominates the Netflix charts
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