ANN/THE KOREA HERALD – Japanese adaptations of popular Korean content are on the rise, driven by increasing difficulties in importing Korean media and a desire by Japanese broadcasters to control how they air potential hits.
One notable example is the adaptation of Naver Webtoon’s Hell is Other People, a highly popular horror series that found success as both a webtoon and a TV show.
This story has now been reimagined as a Japanese film, set to hit theatres in Japan on November 15. Directed by Wato Kodama, known for his work on Netflix’s Sword Guy, the film stars Rintaro Hachimura and Shuntaro Yanagi in the lead roles.
Hell is Other People was previously made into the hit Korean drama starring actors Im Si-wan and Lee Dong-wook. In the Japanese film, Hachimura takes on the main protagonist’s role previously played by Yim while Yanagi plays the role portrayed by Lee.
The Japanese film is expected to follow the plot of both the original webtoon and its Korean drama adaptation, centring on the chilling experiences of a young man who moves into a hostel with disturbing residents.
Another webtoon set to be reimagined for Japanese screens is Marry My Husband. According to Studio Dragon, the popular webtoon will be reimagined as a Japanese TV series.
The drama production company, a subsidiary of entertainment powerhouse CJ ENM, told The Korea Herald it is currently exploring the possibility of collaborating with a Japanese drama production company for the Marry My Husband adaption.
This is spurred by the popularity of both the Marry My Husband Korean drama and the original webtoon in Japan, according to a Studio Dragon official.
The Marry My Husband drama, which logged over 800 million views globally, was released in January and went on to become the first K-drama to reach the top spot on Amazon Prime Video’s global rankings.
SBS’ hit sports drama Stove League (2019), which reached a peak viewership rating of 20 per cent during its run and won the grand prize at the 2020 SBS Entertainment Awards, is also set to be remade into a Japanese series.
Although details regarding the Japanese remake, including the casting and crank-in schedule, remain undisclosed, the series is under discussion between Studio S, SBS’s drama production subsidiary, and Japan’s NTT Docomo Studio & Live, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding in August.
Previously, Japan would mostly import hit K-dramas, but the landscape is changing.
“In the past, Japanese viewers would watch K-dramas through platforms such as Netflix, but nowadays, Japanese people may be more inclined to produce local versions.
“This may be because K-dramas, which are more expensive than before, have become more costly to import,” said Chief researcher at Eximbank Kim Yoon-zi.
Kim further explained that the growing number of exclusive contracts between streaming platforms and K-drama production companies that limit shows to a specific service or platform may be prompting Japanese content companies to remake Korean content.
“These days, K-dramas are frequently sold to streaming platforms first, limiting viewing options for Japanese viewers. This exclusivity may be driving Japan to remake K-dramas for wider local broadcasting,” she added. – Lee Yoon-seo
