Netflix announced that it has signed a deal with Japanese creator MEGUMI to produce several unscripted projects for the streaming service exclusively.
Badly in Love is MEGUMI’s first unscripted project. In it, she explores Japan’s yankii, a youth culture characterized by rebellion and edginess and marked by strong loyalties. In her show, she combines this culture with a romantic reality format.
When it was released, her show became No. 8 on Netflix’s Global Weekly Top 10 for non-English content and became the first Japanese unscripted show to ever appear in Netflix’s Weekly Top 10 in South Korea. In Japan, it was No. 1 on the Netflix Weekly Top 10 for four consecutive weeks.
The creator said she felt a sense of duty. “While making ‘Badly in Love,’ I was really touched by the raw emotions, impulses, and unfiltered moments from everyone who appeared on the show.” She said that these are what make a person beautiful. “I want to honestly capture real feelings and the subtle shifts of the human heart, and show how precious they are.”
Kaata Sakamoto, VP of content for Japan at Netflix, said that they are proud to be working with MEGUMI. “Even with her very first unscripted production, MEGUMI demonstrated a unique ability to create stories that deeply move and resonate with viewers.” This led to their quickest-ever decision to greenlight a second season and to their deal.
There are several unscripted projects from MEGUMI in the works for Netflix. The deal is about bringing authentic stories to audiences around the world that reveal their true selves.
New original MEGUMI shows are coming to Netflix.
