Japan’s TBS & Netflix partner for multi-series deal

Japan’s Tokyo Broadcasting System (TBS) has partnered with Netflix to launch two of its drama series and a reality show to global audiences.

The agreement will begin with TBS’ primetime drama Japan Sinks: People Of Hope, which will debut on 10 October, with a new episode launching on Netflix weekly, three hours of the initial broadcast in Japan.

The series, which stars Shun Oguri and Matsuyama Kenichi, is based on the 1973 novel by Komatsu Sakyo, and set in 2023 Tokyo amid a looming national crisis.

The streamer will also launch TBS drama series Let’s Get Divorced in 2023. Produced by Isoyama Aki and scripted by Kudo Kankuro and Oishi Shizuka, the series tells the story of a married couple who want to separate, but have been kept together by circumstance.

Coming this December, meanwhile, is a reboot of romance-themed reality show The Future Diary, which originally ran on TBS 20 years ago.

Returning as Netflix original series, the premise sees a man and a woman discover a mysterious diary that predicts them falling in love – even though they don’t know one another.

TBS’ DX business division president, Yayoi Nakatani, commented: “We believe this new partnership will enable more people to enjoy TBS Group dramas and relaunches of popular TBS programmes internationally. As part of our growth strategy, TBS has set a goal to expand into global markets.”

Naomi Satoh, Netflix’s manager of live-action content acquisition, added: “We are honoured to have the opportunity to collaborate with some of Japan’s leading talent to share uniquely Japanese stories with the global market.

“Today, with a variety of media available to viewers in addition to television, I am confident that this initiative will broaden the scope of entertainment and provide entertainment choices that audiences appreciate.”