Long criticized for their lack of fidelity, adaptations of Japanese works for television or cinema are today enjoying unprecedented success. Japanese creators must organize themselves accordingly to meet the growing demand from Western producers, fueled by successes like that of the series Shogun.
Last year, the adaptation of the juggernaut One Piece, manga with more than 500 million copies sold, with a Mexican actor in the main role, was praised by spectators and critics alike. Other adaptations of major mangas into films and series are in preparation, such as the adventures of the ninja Naruto or the adventures of the superheroes of My Hero Academia.
France is not left out since at the end of November 2024, the television series inspired by the manga drops of god on oenology was crowned Best Drama Series at the International Emmy Awards. A rereading of the work Cat’s Eyes by Tsukasa Hojo, mangaka behind City Hunterwas also broadcast at the end of November on the TF1 channel.
“Demand from Western markets is clearly increasing” for Japanese works, popularized in particular thanks to streaming platforms, explains Kaori Ikeda, director of Tiffcom, the audiovisual content market organized on the sidelines of the Tokyo International Film Festival. To help the supply meet this demand, and aware that “Japan still lacks know-how” in the negotiation of rights, Tiffcom set up a system called “Story Market” last year, in which six Japanese publishing houses participated this year.
Many foreign producers have struggled with adaptations in the past, such as the Hollywood version starring Scarlett Johansson of Ghost in the Shell (2017), accused of “whitewashing”, the practice of choosing white actors to play characters in this case Japanese.
Considered too far from the original material, Death Note, transposition to the screen of the famous manga of the same name, had also been panned. “Manga authors are highly respected and fan communities are very vigilant“, underlines Klaus Zimmermann, producer of the television series adapted from the manga Drops of God dedicated to oenology environment.
This Franco-Japanese adaptation allows itself some liberties, in particular by introducing a French protagonist. But it was developed in close collaboration with the authors of the original work, explains the producer. “It was about finding the spirit of the manga so as not to distort it.“
“At every stage of production there was great understanding” on the part of all stakeholders, greets Yuki Takamatsu, responsible for negotiating rights at the publisher of this manga, the Japanese giant Kodansha. For him, past failures are partly explained by the publishers' difficulties in explain their wishes to foreign producers, but also by a less good knowledge of manga and animated films in the past.today, especially since Covid, producers watch anime with their children” et “are looking for more and more diverse content.
The historical series Shogun, which triumphed in September 2024 at the Emmy Awards by winning 18 awards, also “changed the situation” for Japan by attracting the attention of the whole world, estimates Masaru Akiyama of the Japan Association for the Export of Television Programs (BEAJ).
This fresco of 17th century Japan, adapted from a novel by the writer James Clavell but produced with a Japanese cast, producers and authors, is “a very strong stimulation for Japanese creators who saw that such success was possible“, underlines Ken Muratsu, one of the managers of Tiffcom.
