Jayuro Pictures Makes Amazon History, Sets New Goal of 'Investment Convergence' [K-Content Japan]

Following the Japanese Adaptation of "Marry My Husband,"
Production of "Mary Berry Love" Continues
Korea's High-Risk Model vs. Japan's Consortium System:
Narrowing the Investment Gap is Key

The Korean Wave in Japan, initially sparked by "Winter Sonata," is evolving beyond the export of finished content into "hybrid productions" that combine capital and talent from both Korea and Japan.

Poster of the Japanese version of "Marry My Husband"./CJ ENM Japan

Jae-won Chun, CEO of Jaruro Pictures Entertainment, shared firsthand experiences with The Asia Business Daily during the "Korea-Japan Content Co-Production Week" hosted by the Korea Creative Content Agency in Tokyo on September 30.

A representative example is the Japanese version of "Marry My Husband," where Jaruro Pictures oversaw local production. By hiring Japanese writers and actors and steering the story away from revenge to focus on a "love" narrative that resonates with local sensibilities, the show achieved the highest number of viewers ever for a Japanese Amazon Prime Video Original drama.

Chun explained, "By bringing together the passion of Korean directors and the dedication of Japanese actors and staff, we were able to create a high-quality hybrid result that goes beyond mere novelty."

This success was also underpinned by efforts to reconcile different production practices between the two countries. Major Japanese production companies such as Shochiku engage in thorough discussions on all details during pre-production. On set, they strictly follow a principle called "dandori" (meticulous preparation), executing decisions exactly as planned.

In contrast, while Korean crews adhere to pre-set frameworks, they are accustomed to making on-the-spot adjustments—such as changing camera angles or adding lighting and art elements. Chun noted, "While these differences in how quickly stability and change are pursued sometimes led to conflicts on set, understanding and respecting these differences allowed us to create a great work."

This know-how continued with the production of "Mary Berry Love," a project jointly planned by CJ ENM and Nippon TV. For this drama, which will premiere on Disney+ on October 7, Jaruro Pictures and Shochiku once again partnered as co-producers. The new production scaled up in size and ensured a 50-50 split between the Korean and Japanese crews compared to previous projects.

Jae-won Chun, CEO of Jayuro Pictures Entertainment / Korea Creative Content Agency Tokyo Business Center.

Such large-scale projects were also enabled by support from public institutions. Chun stated, "The Korea Creative Content Agency provided pre-production spaces at KOCCA CKL TOKYO, covering everything from script and art meetings to actor auditions and costume fittings." He added, "This allowed all staff from Korea and Japan to use it as a base camp and carry out their work in comfort."

Jaruro Pictures's next challenge is to reconcile investment models between Korea and Japan. In Japan, the industry maintains a consortium (production committee) system where broadcasters minimize risk in advance by investing capital obtained through contracts with advertisers. In contrast, Korea is accustomed to a "high-risk, high-return" structure. Chun commented, "Narrowing this gap and developing a new hybrid investment concept is key to the future of these joint ventures."

Based on this awareness, Jaruro Pictures is now planning a global tentpole season series with a Japanese broadcaster. The genre will be hardboiled mystery, thriller, and action.

Chun stated, "By leading an era of hybrid content spanning Japan, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Thailand, we aim to demonstrate why our two countries must walk this path of co-creation in the world of culture."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.