Netflix Japan Festival 2021
I wrote about the See What’s Next summit that Netflix hosted for Korean content back in February and over the past weekend Netflix Japan hosted their own event and released some of their plans for their future on the platform. While a lot of the content is not going to be released for International audiences, sadly, there were some good developments that leave me hopeful for the future of Japanese content on Netflix. One of the main takeaways that came out of the festival was that Netflix Japan intends to start focusing on Japanese films.
“Our next big bet is expanding feature films. Japan is home to extraordinary talent who shape the cinematic history of the world. With creators as diverse as the ones we work with today, we’re excited to play a role in the history of great local talent finding their voices and delivering them to audiences everywhere,” - Sakamoto Kaata, Netflix VP of content in Japan.
Over the recent months, a lot of news about new Japanese content coming to Netflix has already been announced. Released was a considerable amount of Netflix Originals and a collaboration with the Japanese channel TBS, and a NIPPON TV deal that covers over 30 titles. A majority of those titles will only be released for Japan and other areas of Asia. I was hopeful that this event would secure more international releases as it is so hard to get Japanese content outside of Japan, and am a bit sad about the lack that is listed.
If you are into anime, Netflix is keeping up with their expanse in the catalog. I’m not going to focus on them in this post, Netflix has always been steadily in the anime game. Here’s the video presentation for that if you are interested.
Here are the dramas, movies, and series we’ll be seeing on the platform in the next several months.
-We Couldn’t Become Adults: Movie (Available Now)
”A friend request with a lost love sends a man back into his memories of the 1990s -- when life seemed to burn a little brighter.”
-Asakusa Kid: Movie (12/9)
”In 1965, Takeshi Kitano (Yuya Yagira) drops out of a university and enters the Asakusa France Za, which is a performance theater. He becomes an apprentice to Senzaburo Fukami (Yo Oizumi), who is a legendary entertainer. Senzaburo Fukami demands that Takeshi Kitano keep the mindset of an entertainer, not only on stage, but also in his daily life. Takeshi Kitano cultivates his dream of becoming an entertainer with other apprentices. Due to the popularity of TV, people attend the theater less and less, but Takeshi Kitano spends his youthful days with Senzaburo Fukami and other apprentices who are full of talent and unique personalities.”
-The Future Diary: Reality (12/14)
”Two people who have never met before are cast to live out a romantic storyline by following a rough "script" in the diary that is handed to them containing only a rough outline of a story. Their semi-fictional exchange, based on the casts' own words, takes them through an experience that could ultimately influence how they view one another. Viewers will be left asking themselves whether the casts' scripted adventures will lead to real romance. A reboot of a top reality series that made waves from 1998 to 2002.”
-The Journalist: Drama (1/13/2021)
”Anna Matsuda (Ryoko Yonekura) is a reporter for the Toto Newspaper. She is referred to as “Shinbun Gyokai no Itanji” (nonconformist in the newspaper field). Following her beliefs as a journalist, she carries out her work.”
-Love is Blind: Japan: Reality (2/2022)
”Love is Blind is the Netflix's American unscripted series where singles who want to be loved for who they are, rather than what they look like, have signed up for a less conventional approach to modern dating where they hope to meet the person they want to spend the rest of their lives with... without ever having seen them. The show was nominated for 2 Primetime Emmys including Outstanding Structured Reality Program With no distractions from the outside world, the singles talk to a stream of potential love interests and when back in the real world, as the couples plan towards their wedding day, they will quickly discover whether they can turn their emotional connection into a true love before the fast-approaching ceremony. Takashi Fujii and Yuka Itaya will be navigators for Love is Blind: Japan and see how the social experiment goes on.”
-Love Like the Falling Petals: Movie (3/24/2022)
”Haruto Asakura (Kento Nakajima) falls in love with hairdresser Misaki Ariake (Honoka Matsumoto) and asks her out. Watching Misaki Ariake work hard to achieve what she wants, Haruto Asakura, who almost gave up his dream to become a photographer, begins to pursue his dream again, but Misaki Ariake is diagnosed with a disease that ages her 10x faster than normal.”
-Last One Standing: Reality (3/2022)
No official synopsis.
-Alice in Borderland S2: Drama (12/2022)
No official synopsis yet, but this should follow the events at the end of the first season of the drama.
-Fishbowl Wives: Drama (2022)
”Due to an accident, Sakura Hiraga (Ryoko Shinohara) gave up on her dream. She is now married and her husband runs a hair salon. They live in a luxurious penthouse apartment. Her life seems glamorous and she is envied by everyone. What everyone does not know is that Sakura Hiraga is abused physically and verbally by her husband. She is unable to leave her situation. Sakura Hiraga considers herself a goldfish in a fishbowl. One day, due to a goldfish, she meets a man.”
-He’s Expecting: Drama (2022)
”Kentaro Hiyama (Takumi Saito) works at an advertising agency. His romantic partner is Aki Seto (Juri Ueno). Aki Seto works as a freelancer writer and an editor. She prioritizes her working career first and ignores her parents' pressure to marry. One day, Kentaro Hiyama learns that he is pregnant. Kentaro Hiyama and Aki Seto are surprised by the pregnancy. They both didn't expect to become parents. Kentaro Hiyama now faces a lot of difficulties due to his pregnancy. Kentaro Hiyama and Aki Seto must decided whether to have their baby or not.”
-First Love: Drama (2022)
”A man and a woman retrace their memory of an unforgettable first love. They first met in the 1990's and grew up together in the 2000's.” The drama is based on the Utada Hikaru song ‘First Love’.
-Sanctuary: Movie (2023)
”Describes how a young sumo wrestler joins the sumo world with the belief that he can get fame and riches through the sport.”
-Let’s Get Divorced: Drama (2023)
”There are many shows and movies depicting a couple's divorce and its hardships, but in this romantic comedy, we see a high-powered couple secretly join forces to achieve a divorce... but with so many forces working against them, will they succeed.”
-The Queen of Villains: Reality (Date Unknown)
”In the golden era of 1980s Japan women’s wrestling, Dump Matsumoto went from nearly being fired to becoming the most famous heel in the history of Japanese pro wrestling. But her success jeopardizes her friendships with fellow wrestlers and makes her a target of vicious fans. Having turned the entire nation against herself, where will she go from here?”
-A Blueprint of Love: Movie (Date Unknown)
”This remake has Japanese and Korean cast and the story takes place in Japan. Ibuki, an 18-year-old aspiring architect, attends art university where he meets the beautiful and charming Yuna. While learning about Japanese fine architecture, they fall in love with each other for the first time. Before they break each other’s hearts, Ibuki promises Yuna to build her a home one day.”
-Toma Ikuta: Documentary (Date Unknown)
”Toma Ikuta is a Japanese actor who started his career as an idol from Johnny’s & Associates, and he has been focusing on acting and has played various characters since 1997 such as in No Longer Human and Hanamizuki and won Blue Ribbon Awards in 2011, followed by a TV series IDATEN: The Epic Marathon to Tokyo in 2019. In 2020, he won the Best Performance by an Actor at Tokyo Drama Awards 2020 for If Talking Paid.”
-Gundam: Live-Action Movie (Date Unknown)
No official synopsis.
I am looking forward to several titles, most notably The Journalist and Alice in Borderland S2. While still small compared to the content that Netflix has for Korea, the movement of titles on the site makes me hopeful for the future and that we’ll here of more developments and additions.
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