Badly in Love Season 2: An Okinawa Sweets Guide for the Netflix Hit
Share
On August 4, 2026, Netflix's breakout Japanese dating show Badly in Love (Ravu Jōtō / ラヴ上等) returns for Season 2 — and this time it trades the mainland for the blue water of Okinawa. If you got hooked on Season 1's cast of former "yankee" delinquents falling clumsily in love, here's what makes the show tick, and — since we're a Tokyo candy company — exactly what to snack on while you binge it.
What Is Badly in Love?
Badly in Love is a Netflix reality dating series following young men and women who were once known as "yankee" — Japan's tough, delinquent youth subculture — as they live together and search for love. Season 1 landed in December 2025 and quickly found an audience far beyond Japan, even winning Best Reality & Variety at the 2026 Global OTT Awards in Busan.
Season 2 raises the stakes with a change of scenery: the cast moves into a seaside school setting in Okinawa, Japan's southern island paradise. Hosts MEGUMI and comedian Nagano return, joined this season by Okinawa-born artist Awich as a first-time dating-show MC — and the theme song comes from SPEED, themselves an Okinawan group. The ten episodes roll out weekly on Tuesdays across three weeks (August 4, 11 and 18).
Why the Yankee Romance Hits So Hard
So why has a show about reformed delinquents charmed viewers around the world? Here's how we'd put it. Yankee culture has a reputation for being quick to fight — but that same directness is exactly what makes the romance so intense. These are people who confront things head-on. They don't play it cool or hide their feelings behind games; when they like someone, they crash straight into it.
At the same time, yankee pride runs deep. Face matters enormously — nobody wants to be caught looking uncool or uncertain. So you get this wonderful tension: tough people who refuse to show a lame side, suddenly turning completely clumsy the moment love is involved. Watching someone who acts fearless go shy and awkward over a crush is the whole magic of the show.
The Snack Culture Behind the Toughness
There's a sweeter side to yankee culture than the tough image suggests — and it's tied to candy. Classic yankee life revolves around two things: the local dagashiya and fierce hometown loyalty. After school, the tradition is to gather at the neighbourhood dagashi shop — hanging out over cheap, nostalgic dagashi sweets that cost almost nothing.
And the loyalty to home is real: yankee culture is famously rooted in a deep love of one's local area — and a habit of never leaving it. That's part of why an Okinawa season feels so fitting. Okinawa is a place with an especially strong sense of local identity, its own food, its own music, its own pace. Put a cast of hometown-proud romantics on an island that's proud of itself, and the setting does half the storytelling.
Okinawa Sweets to Watch Season 2 With
Since Season 2 lives and breathes Okinawa, the perfect binge snack is Okinawan sweets. Here are the ones we'd actually reach for.
Chinsuko
Okinawa's signature shortbread-style cookie — crumbly, buttery and lightly sweet. The island's most iconic everyday sweet and its number-one souvenir.
Beni-imo Tart
A little tart filled with Okinawa's vivid purple sweet potato (beni-imo). Naturally colourful, gently sweet, and a staple box you'll see in every Okinawan gift shop.
Sata Andagi
Okinawan doughnuts — dense, round and fried until golden, crisp outside and cakey within. Our team's personal favourite of the island's sweets.
Mitsuya, Kyoda
At Michi-no-Eki Kyoda in Nago, a shop called Mitsuya (三矢) sells sata andagi in a whole range of flavours — genuinely delicious, and worth the detour if you ever go.
If you only try one Okinawan sweet, make it sata andagi — and if you're ever actually on the island, our specific recommendation is Mitsuya at the Michi-no-Eki Kyoda roadside station in Nago. They fry sata andagi in a spread of different flavours, and it's some of the best we've had.
That roadside-station detail is very Japan, by the way: a michi-no-eki is where locals — not tourists — buy the real regional treats. It's exactly the kind of hometown-proud spot the show's cast would know by heart.
Your Badly in Love Snack Plan
How to Binge Season 2 the Japanese Way
- Start with dagashi. Grab a handful of cheap, nostalgic Japanese candy — it's the snack the cast literally grew up on after school.
- Add an Okinawan sweet. Chinsuko or a beni-imo tart on the side turns a binge into a mini trip to the island.
- Save sata andagi for the drama. Warm, filling and satisfying — perfect for the big confession episodes.
- Pace it out like the release. The show drops weekly across three Tuesdays; a fresh snack for each batch keeps the ritual going.
- Cool down with something icy. For the hot Okinawan setting, a kakigori mood fits the island perfectly.
Why It Matters
Part of what makes Badly in Love travel so well is that it's a window into a very Japanese kind of emotional honesty — tough on the outside, hopelessly sincere underneath. Pair it with the right snacks and you're not just watching a dating show; you're tasting the culture it comes from, from after-school dagashi to the sweets of Okinawa. For more of what Japan actually eats, see our guide to Japanese sweets and desserts and snacks by season.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does Badly in Love Season 2 come out?
Season 2 premieres globally on Netflix on August 4, 2026, with ten episodes released weekly on Tuesdays across three weeks (August 4, 11 and 18).
Where is Season 2 set?
Season 2 takes place in Okinawa, Japan's southern island, with the cast living together at a seaside school setting overlooking the ocean.
What is a good snack to watch it with?
Lean into the Okinawa setting with island sweets like chinsuko, beni-imo tart and sata andagi, plus some classic dagashi — the cheap after-school candy tied to yankee culture itself.
What is sata andagi?
Sata andagi are Okinawan doughnuts: round, dense balls fried until golden, crisp on the outside and cake-like inside. They come in many flavours and are a beloved Okinawan treat.
Curious about the subculture behind the show's cast? We break it down in our guide to what yankee culture actually is - shaved hairlines, modified bikes and all.
Snack Like You're in Japan
Every PopnCandy Tokyo box is packed with authentic Japanese candy and DIY treats — 12 to 15 items including 2+ hands-on kits, shipped straight from Tokyo. The perfect binge-watch companion.
See the Plans