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Historic simulcast for YTV’s story of love and texting IN TODAY’s world, those who master the art of texting shall master the art of love.
YTV’s Masahiko Furukawa: love lost in translation
This is the conceit at the heart of Yomiuri Telecasting Co’s (YTV) latest drama, Texting In Tokyo, which will be simulcast in China and Japan when it is released early next year. The industry first is the result of a collaboration between Chinese streaming giant Bilibili, YTV and Japanese platform Tsutaya TV. “The broadcast model for Texting In Tokyo builds on our longstanding distribution relationship with Bilibili,” said Masahiko Furukawa, YTV’s international sales manager. “There are a lot of advantages to collaborating with a huge platform like Bilibili, particularly in terms of their reach and promotional power.” F u r u k awa a d d e d t h a t , although Bilibili has invested in Texting In Tokyo, it is not a co-production: “Bilibili advised us on a few cultural details that they thought might be lost on Chinese viewers, but otherwise they were happy for this to be a
purely Japanese creative project.” And he is confident that Chinese audiences will love the warmhearted, gender-clash drama as much as their Japanese counterparts — not least because the lead actor, Yuki Furukawa, is already a star in China. “Also, the text-dating culture in China and Japan is very similar,” Furukawa added. “Young people everywhere now use messaging apps like LINE as a tool for love.” True to its name, Texting In Tokyo is set in the Japanese capital. Seven young people meet at a day-long cookery course. They come from different backgrounds but their relationships quickly turn sour because of the different ways in which men and women communicate by text. Texting In Tokyo, which is executive produced by Kana Sasaki and produced by Norie Taga, is available as both a finished programme and a scripted format.
Star-studded ‘mystery without a cop’
Tomohisa Yamashita
JAPANESE superstar Tomohisa Yamashita was at MIPCOM for the launch of The Head, the new crime series from The Mediapro Studio. Yamashita plays Aki, a scientist on an isolated Antarctic research base where all but two scientists are brutally murdered — and both survivors accuse the other of the slaughter. Alexandre Willaume (Below The Surface, Rita, Those Who Kill) plays the commander of the base, fighting to uncover the truth of what happened. He is also searching for his wife, who has disappeared in the aftermath. “What intrigued me about this story is that it’s a murder mys-
tery without a cop,” Willaume said. “My character doesn’t have the tools a cop has. Will he find his wife alive, and if he does, can he live with what he discovers?” Veteran actor John Lynch plays one of the two murder suspects, and young unknown Katharine O’Donnelly plays the other. Director Jorge Dorado (Giants, The Pier) found O’Donnelly after a long search. “I saw her tape, then I rang her and asked if she felt ready to lead this series in a 10-week shoot and she said yes. I knew she was lying. But she was very impressive and I’m really proud to introduce her to the world.” The Head is produced by The Mediapro Studio and Hulu Japan.
MIPCOM News 3 • 19 • 16 October 2019
LAGARDERE TAKES NTV DRAMA FRANCE’s Lagardere Studios Distribution has acquired worldwide distribution rights for drama series Five Minutes Of Silence from Russian commercial broadcaster NTV. “The deal manifests a great step into the international markets and, most importantly, into French TV space, which has proven to be quite challenging for Russian content,” said NTV general producer Timur Weinstein. “We’re very excited that our hit series is now represented by such market leader as Lagardere Studios Distribution. We hope this is a beginning of a successful, productive partnership between our two great companies that will open European markets for NTV shows.” The deal covers multiple territories and includes acquisitions and format rights. ‘Five minutes of silence’ refers to the code used by first responders seeking accident victims trapped underground. Set in a small border town, the series follows a young man who risks his life to save others and is transformed from a spoiled brat into a real hero. It combines dramatic rescues, emotional family stories, and exciting stunt sequences shot in beautiful locations. The first two seasons scored over 14% average viewing share.
Five Minutes Of Silence (Lagardere Studios Distribution)