Experts say K-content industry could adopt K-pop's strategy of incorporating foreign elements
A slew of Korean-Japanese collaborative projects are poised to debut on screens this year, and experts promise mutual gains for both countries — with Japan aiming to globalize its traditionally localized broadcast content and Korea seeking to broaden its audience reach.
On Tuesday, Kakao Entertainment announced a partnership with Japan’s content studio Babel Label, unveiling plans to co-develop innovative series and films, as well as adapt popular webtoons and web novels for the screen.
For their first project, the two companies will co-produce a project directed by Fujii Michihito. The acclaimed filmmaker is known for clinching six awards at the Japanese Academy Film Prize for "The Journalist," featuring Shim Eun-kyung, and earning 13 accolades at the 48th Japan Academy Film Prize for the thriller "Faceless."
Meanwhile, Netflix is launching a new culinary entertainment show titled "K-foodie meets J-foodie," starring Korean singer and food YouTuber Sung Si-kyung alongside Yutaka Matsushige -- the star of the beloved Japanese food drama “Solitary Gourmet.”
Slated for release Thursday, the series, developed and produced by a Korean company and featuring Japanese actors and staff, will have the two well-known foodies explore restaurants in Seoul, Tokyo and Fukuoka.
Another Korea-Japan collaboration on the horizon is Japanese Netflix rom-com series "Romantic Anonymous," featuring Korean actor Han Hyo-joo and Japanese star Shun Oguri. The series follows the love story between Lee Han-na (Han) a prodigious chocolatier and Sosuke Fujiwara (Shun), the head of a popular chocolate shop. The series is directed by Sho Tsukikawa, known for the megahit romance flick "Let Me Eat Your Pancreas" (2017) and is expecting a Netflix release in 2025.
One more significant venture involves the iconic Japanese sci-fi film "The Human Vapor" (1960) being adapted into a Netflix series by Yeon Sang-ho, the mastermind behind "Hellbound" and "Train to Busan."
This reimagining follows the aftermath of a scientific mishap that transforms its subject into a gaseous mutant. The reboot, titled "Human Vapor," will feature a fresh plot set in contemporary Japan.
The series is produced and penned by Yeon, with co-scripting by Ryu Yong-jae, known for "Parasyte: The Grey," and directed by Japanese director Shinzo Katayama. "Human Vapor" will star two Japanese actors — Shun of "Romantic Anonymous" and Yu Aoi — in the main leads, and is slated for a Netflix release in 2025.
Broadcasting industry experts underscore the advantages these collaborations offer both nations.
“Japan boasts a globally successful animation sector, yet its television broadcasting remains largely localized, adhering to traditional viewership trends,” said Lee Sung-min, an associate professor in the department of media arts and sciences at Korea National Open University.
“Consequently, concerns about globalizing the broadcasting industry persist. Korea, with its experience in bringing dramas and TV content to the global stage, may provide Japan with valuable opportunities to exchange ideas and strategies, and extend its reach.”
Lee further noted that Korea also stands to gain from this partnership as Korea's interest in Japanese popular culture has surged significantly. He further suggested that the Korean broadcasting industry could adopt strategies similar to K-pop, where companies integrate foreign members into groups to attract global audiences.
“The era of cultural resistance between Korea and Japan has largely dissipated, particularly among the younger generation,” Lee said.
“Since the opening of Korea's market to Japanese popular culture products in 1998, older generations may have harbored mixed feelings, but for those who grew up in the years that followed, such exchanges are natural," he added.
yoonseo.3348@heraldcorp.com
