[theqoo] “HALLYU WITH WORLD CLASS QUALITY”, WHY JAPAN’S TOP ACTORS ARE FLOCKING TO K-CONTENT

Leading Japanese actors are increasingly appearing in Korean productions. High-profile stars such as Masaki Okada, Ayaka Miyoshi, and Lily Franky have successively chosen K-content for their next projects.

Industry insiders point to Japan’s uniquely domestic-market-oriented content environment as the reason behind this trend. The analysis suggests that they are choosing Korean productions as a “direct ticket” to reach global audiences beyond their home market.

Recently, there has been a string of “Korean debuts” by leading Japanese stars. Masaki Okada will make his first appearance in a Korean production through the Disney+ original series ‘Killers 2’, set to premiere on the 22nd. He is a versatile actor known for his role in the film ‘Drive My Car’, which won the Best International Feature Film award at the 94th Academy Awards, and enjoys high recognition not only in Japan but also in Korea.

Top model and actress Ayaka Miyoshi, who rose to fame through the Netflix series “Alice in Borderland,” is also expanding her career into Korean productions. Following her appearance on the Netflix Korea-Japan co-production variety show “Crazy Eats,” which helped her connect with Korean viewers, she has been cast in a leading role in the film “Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub.” Her character, Kaneko, is a former yakuza member and the lover of the central character, Jang Tae-young (played by Byun Yo-han). The film is set to be released this September.

Japan’s national treasure, Lily Franky, is also continuing his involvement in Korean productions. After leaving a strong impression playing Ito Hirobumi in the 2024 Korean film ‘Harbin’, he has chosen Disney+’s ‘Made in Korea’ as his next project. In this series, he transforms into the head of a yakuza organization, heightening the drama’s tension with his signature, weighty performance.

There is also an actor who has gone beyond just a few appearances to establish a base for his career in Korea: Shoda Kasamatsu. After portraying the leader of Japan’s Red Army Faction in the Netflix film ‘Good News’ and appearing in ‘Taxi Driver3’, he recently signed a management contract with the production company behind ‘Good News’ and has begun his activities in Korea in earnest.

He has already wrapped filming on the Korean films ‘SHAVING’ and ‘Ripples. Notably, in ‘SHAVING’, a film in which he plays the lead role and which is scheduled for release in the second half of the year, he stars alongside Byun Yo-han and Noh Jung-eui.

1. Learn some Korean

2. I don’t know why they keep bringing up “supply without demand.” It’s so obvious they’re just trying to ride the coattails of the Korean Wave, it’s really lame

3. “Illyu” (T/N: Japan Wave), what kind of bullsh*t is this?

4. There’s nothing positive about using them

5. ? But we don’t want them

6. Good News has some Japanese historical elements in it so I enjoyed it. But the remaining are so randomㅋㅋㅋ

7. But are they speaking in Korean then? If they are not planning on speaking Korean, then don’t use them

8. You guys can’t even speak Korean so don’t come here

9. Don’t come… why do you guys keep on coming?

10. Supply without demand