‘Soul Mate’ Gay Romance Between Korean and Japanese Men, Set at Netflix
Patrick Frater Asia Bureau Chief Expanding its Japanese content, Netflix has set up “Soul Mate,” a live-action series that charts the ten-year romance between a Korean man and a Japanese man.
Traversing Berlin, Germany, Seoul, South Korea and Tokyo, Japan, “Soul Mate” starts when a man who left everything behind in Japan (portrayed by Isomura Hayato), is saved by a boxer named Johan (portrayed by Ok Taec-yeon) in a foreign land.
The narrative goes on to explore the “profound journey of souls connecting and enduring over the years despite the distance.” The project greenlight follows details of Netflix’s first Japanese same-sex rating reality show “The Boyfriend,” which will go to air from next month. “This series is a heartfelt depiction of love and its complexities, including joy, pain and unexplainable deep bonds,” said the streamer.
It is written and directed by up-and-coming creator Hashizume Shunki (“Scroll,” “More Than Words”). The idea for the series began with a conversation over coffee between Hashizume and executive producer Ota Dai, leading them to decide on the title “Soul Mate” early on. “We arrived at the ultimate destiny story, where people from different cultures and backgrounds meet in a foreign land and their lives intersect,” Ota said. “The story, filled with life’s joys and pains, combined with the exceptional performances from Isomura and Taec-yeon, will warm the hearts of viewers.” Isomura (“Extremely Inappropriate!,” “(Ab)normal Desire,” “The Moon”) said “The script moved me with its story of love amidst sadness and pain, and the incredible 10-year story arc crafted by director Hashizume has truly immersed me in the character.
