Netflix expanded its Japanese content and produced 'Soulmate,' a live-action series depicting a 10-year romance between a Korean man and a Japanese man.
“Soulmate,” which travels through Berlin, Germany, Seoul, Korea, and Tokyo, Japan, begins with a man (played by Hayato Isomura) who left everything in Japan being rescued by boxer Yohan (played by Taecyeon Ok) in a foreign country. The story explores “the profound journey of the soul that connects and endures through time despite distance.”
The greenlight project follows details about Netflix's first Japanese gay-rated reality show, “The Boyfriend,” which will air from next month.
“This series is a heartfelt portrayal of love and its complexities, including joy, pain, and deep, inexplicable bonds,” the streamer said.
Shunki Hashizume, a new writer of 'Scrolls' and 'More Than Words', was in charge of writing and directing. The idea for the series originated from a conversation between Hashizume and executive producer Dai Ota over coffee, and the two decided on the title 'Soulmate' early on.
“We arrive at the ultimate fateful story of people from different cultures and backgrounds meeting in a strange land and their lives intersecting,” Ota said. He said, “The story of the joys and sorrows of life combined with the outstanding acting of Isomura and Taecyeon will warm the hearts of viewers.”
Isomura (Extremely Inappropriate!, (Abnormal) Desire, The Moon) said, “The script that depicts love in the midst of sadness and pain was touching, and the incredible 10-year story that Director Hashizume created was touching. I really got into the character. Working with Taecyeon was inspiring. His charm draws me in more every day. Filming in Japan, Korea, and Germany gave this project a truly global feel.”
Ok of the Korean boy band 2PM, whose acting credits include “Vincenzo” and “La Grande Maison Paris,” said, “Johan Hwang’s character caught my attention, and his inner conflict and pain stayed with me long after I read the script. “To prepare, I lost weight, did some boxing training, and continued to train diligently,” he said.
Other recent Japanese content from Netflix includes an untitled romance series based on the 2010 French film “Les Émotifs Anonymes” (aka “Romantics Anonymous”) directed by Jean-Pierre Ameris.
Mixing romance and humor, this film depicts a romance between a man and a woman with different anxiety disorders. The man cannot physically touch another person, and the woman cannot make eye contact. But they share one thing in common: a love of chocolate.
The cast includes Japan's Shun Oguri, Korea's Hyo-joo Han, Jin Akanishi, and Yuri Nakamura. The director of the series currently in production is Sho Tsukikawa (“Yuyu Hakusho”). The production was done by Yong Film and Ryu Film, and Ricky Project was in charge of production cooperation.