Yankii Romance, Kung Fu Dads, and Cardi B: Staff Picks

Last Updated on 2026-03-10 by a-indie

Not a film, not anime — but you’ll be up until midnight anyway.

Streaming services like Netflix are full of content that defies easy categorization. In this BELONG Media roundtable, we decided to step into that hard-to-talk-about zone on purpose.

A dating reality show packed with yankii delinquents, a drama about 51-year-old men channeling their inner eighth-grader through kung fu, and a Netflix audition show judged by global hip-hop stars.

Each of us brought a pick to the table, and before we knew it, the conversation wouldn’t stop.

Following our pillow fight episode — with Wakiki taking the day off — this round features Maririn, Takita, and yabori.

Participants: Maririn, Takita, yabori

Takita Falls Hard for 『Lav Joto』

yabori

So Maririn, you said you wanted to talk about some video content you’ve been into lately — how were you thinking about that category?

Right. Films, dramas, and anime always get talked about — but there’s actually so much content out there that doesn’t fit any of those categories. Things like Netflix original dating reality shows, stuff I personally love but never really get a chance to bring up. I was thinking somewhere along the lines of “everything except films, dramas, and anime.” Though anything goes, really.

Maririn

yabori

Got it. Takita, why don’t you go first?

I was thinking either a dating reality show or a YouTube channel. With Netflix I always end up going to anime, dramas, or films anyway. But what I really want to talk about is this show I got completely obsessed with over the holidays — it’s called 『Lav Joto』, a yankii dating reality show.

Takita

yabori

『Lav Joto』? What’s that?!

I watched it! It was great.

Maririn

It’s a dating reality show where everyone’s a yankii — and in the very first episode, someone kicks a desk and a fight breaks out the moment they meet (laughs). I found it through all the buzz online. I was never really into reality shows before — I watched Terrace House back in college when Taylor Swift did the theme song, but that was about as far as my interest went. But I’d never seen a yankii dating show before, so I gave it a shot and got completely hooked.

Takita

yabori

Like the kind of yankii you’d actually see around your neighborhood?

My hometown was full of yankii types so it felt pretty close to home. There’s this one cast member called Milk — he looks kind of intimidating but he’s actually really innocent. He’s 22, works in construction, and even though he’s younger than me, he somehow comes across as older (laughs).

Takita

yabori

Like a blue-collar, manual labor type?

Exactly. And then there’s Tsu-chan — looks really intimidating but is so pure and devoted that you can’t help rooting for him. But honestly the funniest moment was this legendary line: “Water’s messed up, man!”

Takita

yabori

What do you mean?

There’s this member called Baby (Yuria) who’s absolutely stunning, and they go to what’s like a show pub, where part of the entertainment involves spraying water on the audience. She completely loses it — throws her drink, storms out. Everyone around her is panicking going “What’s wrong, what’s wrong?” and she just goes, “Water’s messed up, man!”

Takita

yabori

That’s iconic (laughs).

And then comedian Nagano quips back, “She’s a Gremlin!” (laughs). Nagano’s the MC watching the footage in the studio, and that one line just got me. It’s funny, but you can also tell these people are completely serious — and that earnestness is what makes you fall for them.

Takita

yabori

So you found yourself developing genuine affection for yankii (laughs).

They’re just so straightforward! I’m turning 35 this year, and I think it’s precisely because I’m older that I can watch it and find it charming. Growing up, the yankii in my hometown were honestly a bit scary. Season 1 has wrapped up, but Season 2 is apparently confirmed for 2026, so I think it’s going to get exciting again.

Takita

yabori

You’ll absolutely end up watching Season 2 without a second thought (laughs). Maririn, what did you think?

I genuinely enjoyed it. In the early episodes everyone’s kind of posturing to protect their pride, but as the episodes go on and you learn more about each person, you start to understand their backgrounds — that’s what really got me.

Maririn

yabori

So there’s something like a graduation ceremony at the end?

Yes, and I actually cried at the finale. The setting is a school deep in the mountains called Rabu Joto Gakuen — the whole premise is that they’re living together in this rehabilitation-type environment. So the final episode really does feel like a graduation ceremony. Tekarin (Hikaru) starts speaking up at the end with “Can I say something?” and it was just remarkable.

Takita

yabori

Every class has that one person, right — the one who starts going, “I’m so glad I was in this class” (tears).

Except they’re all yankii (laughs), so literally everyone ends up saying it.

Maririn

yabori Declares His Love for 『Ramune Monkey』 and Omori Nao

yabori

I don’t have Netflix, so mine’s a TV show — do you two know 『Ramune Monkey』, the Fuji TV drama?

I’ve heard of it, but I haven’t watched it.

Maririn

yabori

There are three main characters — Sorimachi Takashi, Tsuda-ken (Tsuda Kenjiro), and Omori Nao. Do you two know Nao-kun?

I know who he is. But you’re the first person I’ve ever heard call him “Nao-kun” (laughs).

Maririn

yabori

I genuinely love Nao-kun so much!!! I’ve been a fan ever since I watched the drama 『My Housekeeper Nagisa-san』! In that one, Nao-kun plays this middle-aged man who works as a housekeeper.

Oh really?

Takita

yabori

So Nao-kun’s character cleans the house and cooks as this older male housekeeper, and whenever it looks like his contract might get cancelled, he looks over at you with these eyes like an abandoned puppy — and that completely got me (laughs). That’s basically what people call “oji-kyun,” a crush on an older man.

(laughs)

Maririn

yabori

Anyway, back to 『Ramune Monkey』 — it’s about three men who were in a film club together in middle school making kung fu movies. Now at 51 they reunite, and a skeletal body is discovered at a construction site in their old neighborhood. They start to remember that their former female faculty advisor had gone missing, and the three of them set out to solve the mystery.

That sounds really interesting.

Maririn

yabori

The combination of this cast is just perfect. Nao-kun is deeply rooted in film, Tsuda-ken is a voice actor, and Sorimachi comes from trendy TV dramas — same generation, completely different worlds. That casting choice is genuinely interesting!

It’s been a long time since Sorimachi headlined a drama, hasn’t it. I wouldn’t have thought to watch this if you hadn’t mentioned it — I’ll check it out.

Takita

yabori

Do it! The storyline alternates between the 51-year-old present-day scenes and the middle school flashbacks, and the mystery of the past gradually unravels. Watching 50-something guys indulge in the full fantasy and energy of their inner eighth-grader is absolutely the highlight!

Maririn Discovers the Joy of 『Rhythm + Flow』

I wanted to go in a slightly different direction from you two. There’s a Netflix hip-hop audition show called 『Rhythm + Flow』.

Maririn

yabori

An overseas show?

Yes. I loved Season 1 — the judges are T.I., Chance the Rapper, and Cardi B. I actually subscribed to Netflix specifically to watch this. It came out in 2019, right at the peak of hip-hop’s global moment, and they assembled that lineup to judge an audition show that searched for amateur rappers from across the United States.

Maririn

yabori

What a lineup!

Hip-hop overseas carries a completely different weight from what you see in Japan. Everyone genuinely has their life experience poured into their rap, and they’re trying to change their lives with it. There are so many different challenges — freestyle, one-on-one diss battles, original tracks with music video production. Someone who was absolutely brilliant at freestyle completely fell apart in the diss battle because they said they didn’t want to put anyone down, even as a performance. That kind of drama is what makes it so compelling.

Maririn

yabori

Right, each person’s character comes through so clearly.

And above all, Cardi B’s personality is just wonderful — I became a huge fan through this. I already knew Chance the Rapper from seeing him at Summer Sonic, but Cardi B is who I fell for here. She herself came up from a really difficult background, so she engages with every contestant with complete honesty. “This part didn’t work, but this part was great” — her gestures, her words, everything is charming.

Maririn

yabori

That makes sense. Strong judge personalities really hold the whole show together. Takita, did you know about this one?

I didn’t! Cardi B, Chance the Rapper, T.I. — they were all at their peak between 2019 and 2020, and I was a fan of each of them. I honestly can’t believe I never watched it. Netflix’s algorithm just never recommended it to me for some reason (laughs).

Takita

yabori

Right (laughs). Do the judges change season to season?

In Season 1, T.I., Chance, and Cardi each start by searching for contestants in their own regions, then the three of them judge together from the second round onward. Season 2 has a different lineup. But for me, Season 1 is still the best. I won’t spoil who wins, but that person has gone on to achieve Grammy nomination level success.

Maririn

yabori

Seriously! These overseas audition shows are everywhere, aren’t they. In the UK you’ve got 『The Great British Bake Off』 as a cooking contest, and 『The Great British Sewing Bee』 as a sewing competition — Japan really doesn’t have much of this kind of show.

That’s true. Outside of 『Rhythm + Flow』, I also love 『The Big Flower Fight』 — it’s a competition where contestants build enormous decorative sculptures out of flowers. That one’s brilliant too.

Maririn

Editor’s Note

From the pure-hearted romance of yankii delinquents, to a 50-something “oji-kyun” mystery, to a high-stakes hip-hop survival battle — this turned out to be a wonderfully all-over-the-place episode (laughs).

But what all three shows have in common is that they’re full of raw humanity and real emotion.

Whether it was Takita’s pitch-perfect response to the “Water’s messed up” moment, or Maririn’s genuine love for Cardi B, you could feel everyone’s passion coming through.

If you have some free time this weekend, give one of these a try!

BELONG Media Editorial Team
A music media outlet covering indie rock and music from Japan, the West, and Asia. Publisher of 26 issues of the roots rock-themed print magazine BELONG Magazine.

In 2021, we appeared as guests on J-WAVE’s SONAR MUSIC. In 2022, we launched our English-language sister site A-indie.

The editorial team runs primarily on a diet of shoegaze and dream pop.