watchlist2023: what happened This time last year, we listed nine things on our
Here’s what happened...
watch list for 2023. Among these were Southeast Asia’s upsized story-telling initiatives, the
Upgraded story-telling definitely hap-
evolving alliances between programmers
pened and continues, and not only in Korea,
and platforms, and the distribution manoeu-
where the release of Korean blockbusters
vering as the difficulty of a direct-to-con-
like Doona! makes competitors tremble.
sumer model sunk in. 12 months ago, hopes
Poster titles in the up-sized storytelling space
were high that the pandemic recovery was
in Southeast Asia include Cattleya Killer from
underway, and travel was coming back. We
ABS-CBN International Productions, which
were watching the rise of LGBTQ+ program-
premiered on Prime Video globally in June,
ming; Korea’s obsession with the international
with Bagman on its way.
(read U.S.) market; the effort by producers
In early November, Kamila Andini and Ifa
everywhere to hang onto some of their rights/
Isfansyah’s Cigarette Girl (Gadis Kretek) by
IP instead of giving everything away in return
Base Entertainment premiered on Netflix
for full production funding; formats fortunes in Asia; consolidation, led by the Zee/Sony
Shin Hyun-been in Tell Me That You Love Me
Arjo Atayde in Bagman
merger in India; and, of course and as always, production budgets.
worldwide, capturing audiences in its home
Ruby Lin & Kelly Lin in Taiwan’s At the Moment
market immediately and rising to the global non-English top 10 by its second week.
tell better more universal tales continues.
This was followed about a week later
Meanwhile, scripted adaptations are enjoying unprec-
by 10-episode Taiwanese original, At The
edented attention, led by Korea and Japan. As this magazine
Moment, an anthology about love/inti-
went to print, Hong Kong-based Asian streaming platform, Viu,
macy during the pandemic. The Netflix
deepened its production relationship with the Philippines’ ABS-
original series, executive produced by
CBN, announcing a local adaptation of 2018 K-drama, What’s
Nick Tai with five directors and stars
Wrong with Secretary Kim. The romcom, scheduled to release
plucked from a who’s who of Taiwanese
in 2024, is the fourth adaptation between ABS-CBN and Viu
blockbusters, became Taiwan’s #2 for
after The Broken Marriage Vow (Doctor Foster), the Philippines’
the week of 6-12 Nov, rising to #1 for
version of Studio Dragon’s Flower of Evil; and an adaptation of
13-19 Nov.
Unbreak my Heart (2023) with ABS-CBN and GMA Network.
There’s also India’s The Railway
In Japan, Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) was counting
Men: The Untold Story of Bhopal
down to the 27 November premiere of the Korean adapta-
1984, which premiered to a place on
tion of 1995 Japanese drama, Tell Me That You Love Me,
Netflix’s top 10 global non-English a hot
a 16-episode Studio Genie original for streaming platform,
minute after its release.
Genie TV (formerly Olleh TV) and cable service Ena, as well as
The pursuit of global streaming sales is not without its risks (witness the 50+
on Disney+ worldwide (ex-China). What happens to Asian storytelling in 2024? As we enter the
Taiwan TV ‘orphans’, completed without
new year, funding is tougher, streaming pick ups are less cer-
platform commitment and still not picked
tain, and domestic broadcasters have advertising/revenue is-
up). But even so, creators’ determination to
sues. But the storytelling skills gained? Those can’t be rebottled.
8 Dian Sastrowardoyo in Cigarette Girl
contentasia december 2023