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Nippon TV Scripts Emotional Dramas
By Chelsea Regan

At Nippon TV, the scripted formats that are resonating best with viewers around the world are two of its emotional drama titles: Mother and Woman -My Life for My Children-. Both series have at the center of the action a female character who, despite the trials and tribulations that life throws her way, perseveres. “Universal themes with a human touch are working well for us,” says Sayako Aoki, manager of sales and licensing for the international business development unit at Nippon TV. These are titles that have “elements or angles that are totally original but somehow so relevant to you,” says Aoki. “To find a perfect balance between these two criteria has always been a challenge.”

Meeting the challenge, in addition to Mother and Woman, Nippon TV has in its scripted-formats slate the long-running drama I’m Mita, Your Housekeeper, which follows a mysterious housekeeper who will do anything that is asked of her, for better or worse. Nippon TV’s most recent format, A Girl of 35, tells the story of a woman who awakes from a 25-year-long coma, with a 35-year-old body but a mind of a 10-year-old. “Although the settings might seem unusual at first in both titles, viewers can actually sympathize with the story of each family as the episodes unfold while reflecting on how they got to where they are right now,” says Aoki. “We believe this can be appealing to global viewers.”

In the international media industry today, “buyers are always looking for good stories worth telling, but I feel the methods and schemes of how to deliver such stories to viewers is diversifying,” explains Aoki. “We have started to see an increasing number of international projects across territories and platforms, or collaborations involving brands, advertisers and non-traditional players.” And as COVID-19 continues to affect the world, Aoki expects that 2021 will see this trend continue.

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