Netflix Japan and Disney+ Korea-Exclusive Content Successfully Launched
Korean original content featured on global over-the-top (OTT) streaming services has ranked high in viewing charts not only domestically but also in Japan.
Actor Han Hyo-joo, who appeared in the Disney Plus original drama "Moving." [Photo courtesy of Disney Plus]
According to the OTT industry on the 22nd, dramas such as 'Moving' recently released by Netflix and Disney Plus, along with 'Mask Girl,' have taken the number one spot in viewing rankings in Japan. On the other hand, original content produced in Japan appears to be receiving little attention in Korea.
'Moving' and 'Mask Girl' are both Korean-produced dramas based on Korean webtoons, and were considered highly anticipated original content for the second half of the year on the two OTT platforms.
According to the OTT ranking aggregation site FlixPatrol, the Korean original drama 'Moving,' released by Disney Plus on the 9th, has held the number one viewing rank in Japan for 11 consecutive days. 'Moving,' a 20-episode series, has currently released up to episode 9. This suggests that the popularity of 'Moving' will continue in Japan for the time being.
This year, Korean dramas 'The Devil Judge' and 'Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim' also reached number one on Japan's Disney Plus viewing charts, but 'Moving' is the first Disney Plus exclusive original content to claim the top spot.
Netflix's Korean original drama 'Mask Girl,' released worldwide on the 18th, reached number one in Japan on the 20th. Netflix's Korean original content released this year has consistently ranked high in Japan.
At the beginning of the year, 'The Glory' held the number one spot for 41 days, 'Queen Maker' for 15 days, and 'Hunting Dogs' for 5 days at the top.
Last year as well, Korean content dominated the popular charts on Netflix Japan. Starting with 'Our Beloved Summer' in January, followed by 'All of Us Are Dead' in February, 'Juvenile Justice,' 'Thirty-Nine,' 'Forecasting Love and Weather' in March, 'Business Proposal' in April, 'Doctor John' in June, 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo' and 'Itaewon Class' from July to September, and 'Little Women' in October, Korean-produced content consistently topped the charts.
Japanese popular actor Sato Takeru, when asked by fans to recommend a drama, chose 'Extraordinary Attorney Woo,' saying, "I want to recommend Japanese works, but most of the shows I found really interesting are Korean or American productions."
He also emphasized, "Japan needs to make efforts."
Earlier in June, Netflix released the original Japanese content 'The Days' in Japan. This 8-episode drama, which deals with the Fukushima nuclear power plant explosion during the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake, attracted attention before its release. However, after its release, it only managed to reach number one for a single day locally in Japan.
'The Days' also drew attention in Korea due to the high interest in the Fukushima nuclear wastewater discharge issue but did not translate into commercial success.
Rather, among domestic Netflix users, only Japanese animations such as 'My Happy Marriage' and 'Jujutsu Kaisen' have maintained steady popularity, occasionally appearing in the top 10 rankings.
Currently, in the Japanese OTT market, Netflix and Amazon Prime Video are competing for the number one market share. Disney Plus ranks around fifth.
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