The popular drama ‘Kidnapping Day’ starring Yoon Kye-sang will be remade in Japan.

One of Studio A Story’s representative IP, the drama ‘Kidnapping Day’, has confirmed a remake in Japan and will meet local viewers this summer.

‘Kidnapping Day’, which aired on ENA in 2023, is a sentimental buddy thriller that contains the special cooperation between a clumsy kidnapper and an 11-year-old genius girl.When it was aired in Korea, the fresh material, sensational directing, and the actors ‘passionate performances that provided a different level of immersion created a perfect harmony, heating up the living room theater.

‘ Kidnapping Day ‘, which captured both viewership ratings and buzz, achieved the highest average household viewership rating among ENA dramas of the year, and was also named one of Forbes’ ‘Best Korean Dramas of 2023’, proving its solid quality.

‘Kidnapping Day’, which has emerged as an attractive IP, is captivating not only the domestic market but also the global market.Not only has it received a lot of love calls, but remakes have been confirmed in three countries, showing the powerful power of well-made content.

Among these, the Japanese version of ‘Kidnapping Day’ began full-scale filming on location in May.The ‘trustworthy lineup’ responsible for the Japanese remake version is also attracting attention.

Writer Kentaro Ushio, who created numerous hit dramas such as ‘Naoki Hanzawa’, which recorded the highest viewership rating of 42.2% among Japanese dramas, and ‘Rocket Ghost in the Outskirts’, will write the script, and director Yoshihiro Fukagawa, who was recognized for his excellent directing skills with the drama ‘On a Starry Night’, will be in charge of directing.

Here, actor Takumi Saito, who boasts solid acting skills, and Yuno Nagao, who is gaining attention as a genius child actor, each take on the lead roles, raising expectations.

In particular, director Yoshihiro Fukagawa expressed his deep affection for “Kidnapping Day” by saying that it was “a work born to be seen,” and expressed strong trust in the work, saying that “it is a drama that contains all genres, with points that make you laugh while maintaining tension.” The Japanese version of “Kidnapping Day,” which has completed the strongest production team and a splendid lineup of actors, will be first broadcast on Japanese terrestrial TV Asahi on July 8.


Reporter Lee Jeong- annjoy@donga.com

This article is automatically translated using Google AI. If you notice any inaccuracies, please let us know at allkstar@donga.com.