The Unlimited Possibilities of Japan's Unscripted Content

Dai Ota

Content Manager, Netflix Japan

From outrageous variety shows to unique dating formats, local unscripted television is beloved in Japan. It's such a core part of our entertainment culture, that 70 percent of linear programming in the country is reality, variety and dating shows.

As the local content team for Netflix in Japan, we're passionate about understanding local audience tastes and developing must-watch titles that appeal to our members here. While global success for our shows is exciting to see, we're committed first and foremost to telling stories that Japanese viewers will embrace and share.

This week at our APAC Unscripted Showcase, I shared new details and titles from our upcoming unscripted slate. We're excited to move into a new phase of our content strategy, ramping up our investments in unscripted and bringing new concepts to the screen. We want to elevate the unscripted category with great production values and storytelling from Japan's most innovative creative voices.

We're currently working on over 15 unscripted titles, and we're excited to share more details about what's ahead for this year.

Refreshing Romance

Finding love is the adventure of a lifetime, and although romance reality is a staple of unscripted content, we believe there are fresh new ways to explore the format.

Dating show Is She The Wolf? is a good example of how we work with our collaborators to unlock more potential from existing concepts. This series originated as Who Is The Wolf? on ABEMA, featuring some female and/or male contestants with secret identities as 'wolves' who were not allowed to fall for anyone. For Netflix, we worked with ABEMA to appeal to a broader audience and experiment with storytelling. The series has been embraced by Japanese audiences, and we're excited to bring it to Netflix members worldwide on September 3.

In its first season on Netflix this year, dating show Love Village broke new ground by featuring ordinary people aged 35 to 60 searching for love - the first time a Japanese reality show focused on this demographic. We're excited to share that this year we'll return with Season 2, which will continue fleshing out this creative concept with new contestants and returning fan-favourite emcees Atsushi Tamura and Becky.

And, in Love Like a K-Drama, we are introducing an innovative hybrid where K-Drama romance meets acting competition, as four Japanese actresses and four Korean actors are paired up to try and land lead roles in six K-dramas, along with lively commentary from studio emcees Haruna Kondo (Harisenbon), Aa-CHAN (Perfume), Shusuke Fukutoku (Jarujaru), Hayato Komori (GENERATIONS), and Maria Tani. We know audiences in Japan and around the world are swooning for K-Romance, and we're partnering with a local Korean production team to bring this new concept to life on November 28.

Looking for Different Laughs

Similarly, in comedy, we are continuing to explore new horizons to tap into the audience's appetite for more authentic experiences.

Last One Standing has been described as the Squid Game of unscripted comedy. The first season on Netflix last year saw Japanese comedians competing to improvise funny stories in their own words, while they play roles in a serious drama series, and the concept really resonated with Japanese audiences. In the upcoming Season 2, a new group of Japan's comedians will be sharing more of their own stories. This new season continues to be helmed by top creator-producer Nobuyuki Sakuma, and we're excited to announce it will premiere on October 10.

Sakuma is also producing LIGHTHOUSE, which features musician-actor Gen Hoshino and comedian Masayasu Wakabayashi (from the comedy duo Audrey) embarking on a six-month conversation based on "single-line journal" where they share their personal stories, struggles, and fears with each other and the viewers. Gen Hoshino also created the opening song "Mad Hope" featuring Louis Cole and Sam Gendel, as well as five ending songs inspired by his conversation with Wakabayashi in the episodes. This creative approach to comedy showcases two of Japan's top entertainers as you've never seen them before.

And this is just the beginning. We will continue to pursue fresh ideas across genres, delivering a diverse variety of unscripted content all uniquely crafted for our Japanese audiences locally. As the landscape of unscripted television evolves, we are committed to being the go-to destination for immersive, authentic and must-watch unscripted experiences.

Get more details on all the unscripted titles here.

2023 2H and onwards Japan Unscripted Appendix

*Title information below is In order of the launch date

Is She the Wolf? (Netflix Reality Series)
Release Date: September 3, 2023 (ex-Japan, all episodes)

Studio Members: Natsuko Yokosawa, Karen Takizawa, RIKU (THE RAMPAGE), Nako Yabuki
Guest host: Ep1-3 Hiromasa Yashiki (of New York), Ep4-6 Kan Yamazoe (of the comedy duo Aiseki Start), Ep7-12 Yuki Hirako (of the comedy duo Alco&Pieace)
Cast: Taiju Shiratori, Masaki Nakao, Who-ya(from Who-ya Extended), Robin Furuya, Tomoki Yonemura, Sakurako Okubo, Gabby, JU!iE, Honoka Nishimura, Mikako(from FAKY)
Main theme song: BTS 「Lights」（Wholesale company: Def Jam Recordings）
Inserted song: BTS 「FAKE LOVE -Japanese ver.-」(Wholesale company: Def Jam Recordings)
Production: ABEMA
Production Company: TV Man Union
Executive Producer: Mitsuko Kobayashi (Netflix)
Total Episodes: 12 episodes
Title page: http://netflix.com/title/81642184
Logline: Five men and five women search for true love as they get to know one another on dates and by embarking on a group project. The twist: lurking among the female participants are an unknown number of 'lying wolves' who are not allowed to fall in love, and they must make it to the end without being found out or accepting anyone's confession of love. That means all the contestants who are not 'wolves', as well as the audience, are constantly trying to figure out if the connections that are blossoming on the show are really the beginnings of true romance, or simply the deceptive maneuvers of the 'wolves'. Studio MCs include Natsuko Yokosawa, Karen Takizawa, RIKU (THE RAMPAGE) and Nako Yabuki.

LIGHTHOUSE (Netflix Series)
Release: Tuesday, August 22

Cast: Gen Hoshino, Masayasu Wakabayashi (Audrey)
Main Theme Song: Gen Hosino / Mad Hope (feat. Louis Cole, Sam Gendel) SPEEDSTAR RECORDS
Director: Masanori Ueno
Developed and produced by: Nobuyuki Sakuma
Executive Producer: Shinichi Takahashi (Netflix)
Producers: Yoko Usui, Takeshi Arita
Production: D:Complex
Presented by: Netflix
Total episodes: 6
Title page: https://www.netflix.com/lighthouse
Logline: Musician, actor and author Gen Hoshino and comedian Masayasu Wakabayashi (of the comedy duo Audrey) come together once a month for six months, and have some honest one-on-one conversations about their worries. As a duo, they are named "LIGHTHOUSE" by supervising producer Nobuyuki Sakuma. That's because their conversations are able to shine a light on people's worries, even as they themselves continue to grapple with their own darkness. Each of their conversations is based on a "single line journal," in which each entry contains single written lines that briefly describe the daily events and worries they experienced that month. Each line reveals a complex struggle that can't be fully expressed in a single sentence, and which relate to issues that everyone wrestles with,like work, family, the future, and interpersonal relationships. Their conversation is full of laughs and even changes their mindset as it unfolds over six months. Hoshino wrote the main theme song, "Mad Hope", as well as five new songs inspired by his conversation with Wakabayashi, and you'll see the live performances of these songs at the end of the episodes.

Last One Standing Season 2 (Netflix Comedy Series)
Release: Tuesday, October 22, 2023

Cast: Nobu and Daigo (Chidori)
Developed and produced by: Nobuyuki Sakuma
Executive Producer: Shinichi Takahashi (Netflix)
Producer: Yoko Usui, Seiya Horio
Production Company: Nobuyuki Sakuma Agency
Production: UNITED PRODUCTIONS
Production Cooperation:：Yoshimoto Kogyo
Presented by: Netflix
Title page: https://netflix.com/lastonestanding
Logline: Comedy survival talk show Last One Standing is finally coming back for a second season, starring the popular and powerful Japanese comedy duo Chidori, and produced by Nobuyuki Sakuma. In the first season, comedians and talents engaged in talk battles to move on to the next stage - starring in a thrilling drama with strong actors. A portion of the drama was unscripted, and the cast was tasked with sharing their stories in their own words. If their jokes didn't land in these unscripted scenes, they were off the show - just like Squid Game. After its premiere, Last One Standing featured in Netflix's Weekly Top 10 for four weeks in Japan. Fans tuned in for the endless jokes, and to find out who would be the last comedian standing. The competition kicks off with new faces in Season 2.

Love Like a K-Drama (Netflix Reality Series)
Release: Tuesday, November 28

Studio Members: Haruna Kondo (Harisenbon), Aa-CHAN (Perfume), Shusuke Fukutoku (Jarujaru), Hayato Komori (GENERATIONS), Maria Tani
Exectuive Producer: Dai Ota (Netflix)
Production: ABEMA
Production Company: TV Man Union
Title page: https://netflix.com/LoveLikeAKDrama
Logline: Can people really fall in love if they act in a romantic K-drama with kissing scenes? This is a reality dating show focusing on eight male and female actors from Korea and Japan as they live together, and pair up to try and land the lead roles in six mini K-dramas - and see if they fall in love. Will they be able to win an audition with the person they love, or will they have to witness the person they love kissing their rivals? Dreams, romance, and friendship intertwine beyond the borders of Korea and Japan, creating the purest heartbreak and sadness of a Korean drama in a very realistic way.

Love Village Season 2 (Netflix Reality Show)

MC: Atsushi Tamura, Becky
Producer: Hitoshi Nishiyama
Production Cooperation: En Network
Presented by: Netflix
Title Page: https://www.netflix.com/LoveVillage
Season 1 Logline: Singles aged 35 to 60 relocate to a house in a suburban neighborhood, where they live together and try to find love in a tranquil and idyllic setting, away from the realities of the world. The aim is for participants to find their everlasting love, by showing their real selves - crying, laughing and quarreling included. Will these participants leave the house and village with new romantic partners? Season 1 of this dating show was a hit that stayed in the Top10 on Netflix in Japan for six weeks upon its release.
Season 2 will return with studio MCs Jun Tamura and Becky. The new contestants will be recruited and more details will be coming soon.