Will star Japanese writers and Korean production bring drama gold?
The Korean Foundation of International Cultural Exchange is working with the Japan Broadcast Writers Association in a joint “TV drama project,” which was announced at the TV Drama Writers’ Conference of East Asia, held in the city of Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture on June 10 and 11.
Plans were announced for a drama series in which eight Japanese drama writers will each be responsible for scriptwriting two hours’ worth of material, to be produced by a Korean production company and air as early as December. Writers include Inoue Yumiko (Pandora, First Kiss) and Oishi Shizuka (Kunitori Monogatari, Komyo ga Tsuji). Casting is unconfirmed, although the names being thrown around for consideration include Lee Byung Heon, while director Yoon Seok-ho of Winter Sonata has given his informal assent.
Given the success of Winter Sonata (and by extension, Yonsama) in Japan, I suppose the director was an obvious choice. There have been other joint-production attempts to capitalize on the Hallyu craze, but they haven’t had the success they were aiming for. There was the 2004 short drama Friends pairing Won Bin with Fukada Kyoko, and, more recently, Tokyo Shower. (I believe 2006’s Japanese drama Rondo with Choi Ji Woo fared better, although it perhaps didn’t live up the hope of becoming a runaway hit.)
Meanwhile, production house Olive Nine is already working on a drama to be filmed in Japan, tentatively titled Lovers in Asuka. The 20-episode series is set in the town of Asuka in Nara Prefecture and will be written by Kang Eun Jung, one of the writers of Lovers in Paris. I suppose they figured they hadn’t milked the “lovers in [insert city]” concept enough yet.
I’m not sure about Asuka, but I’m curious to see how Japanese scriptwriters bring (or don’t bring) a different feel to a kdrama production. (Also, the rotating writers thing worries me — although it’s not an automatic detractor, it’s a risky move.)
Via Hankook Ilbo
SONG OF THE DAY
Lamp - “ムード・ロマンティカ Ｎｏ.２” (Mood Romantica No. 2) [ Download ]
RELATED POSTS
- A king’s welcome for Legend’s king Yonsama
- Korean-Japanese co-production Tokyo Showers
- Animating Winter Sonata
Tags: drama production, j-doramas, Tokyo Showers, Winter Sonata
Cast in the Cha Tae Hyun role is 33-year-old actor and member of pop group SMAP Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (Kusanagi said in an interview with Sakei Sports, “I’ve met Cha Tae Hyun before… Filming this won’t merely fun and laughs, but will also touch hearts”). 
