Japan axes Netflix collaboration after outcry over dating show

Japan's justice ministry has announced it will terminate its collaboration with the controversial Netflix dating show, "Badly in Love," following widespread criticism over what some called the glorification of criminal behavior. Earlier this month, the ministry launched an unusual partnership with the streaming giant's "Badly in Love," releasing a poster featuring its Season 2 cast members, including heavily tattooed men.

The show, which spotlights Japan's "yankii" (delinquent) subculture by housing together young men and women with criminal pasts, including former yakuza gangsters and motorcycle gang members, has proven a surprising global hit since its December release. The ministry's rehabilitation bureau justified the campaign, arguing that the show's depictions of participants' harsh upbringing, atonement, and personal growth align with its belief that "a person can change."

However, the ministry received numerous concerns and criticisms about the show potentially causing discomfort among those victimized by crimes. The cancellation of the campaign does not mean the ministry denies efforts to rehabilitate individuals who committed crimes in the past, it stated. An episode of the show aired recently where a cast member admitted to setting someone on fire as a teenager, leading to the cancellation of the collaboration.