Variety, Drama & Anime Drive TV Asahi’s Gains

Variety, Drama & Anime Drive TV Asahi’s Gains

TV Asahi Corporation led viewer ratings across Japanese commercial networks in fiscal 2024, thanks in large part to the broadcaster’s variety formats, dramas and anime, Kotaro Nishio, co-director of the international business department, says. “These genres are among TV Asahi’s greatest strengths, and we look forward to presenting them widely at MIPCOM.”

Anime, in particular, is a key highlight for this market, led by the flagship Doraemon and Shin chan. “Last year, we expanded our late-night anime slots from one to three, and in April this year we launched a short anime slot. The importance of anime as a genre for our company continues to grow,” he says.

Doraemon, beloved in Japan for generations, has sold widely across Asia and TV Asahi has set its sights on further globalization of the brand. “In Europe, we have already developed various projects in Spain and Italy, and now we plan to relaunch the series in France with a brand-new dubbed version to further strengthen its presence,” Maiko Sumida, the head of animation sales and development, says. “We are especially pleased to have engaged renowned French voice actors for this project. At MIPCOM, we plan to host a booth session featuring the main voice actors, Emmanuel Curtil and Brigitte Lecordier, to share the charm of Doraemon with attendees.”

TV Asahi has also been scaling its format efforts, aligning with Craig Plestis’s Smart Dog Media in the U.S. to co-create SONG vs DANCE, which has aired in Japan. New for MIPCOM are Love Time Travel, “a romance reality show where modern young people travel back in time to see if they can make love happen,” Nishio says, and Guess it Right, “a modern revival of TV Asahi’s legendary variety show, reimagined with a fresh approach.”

On the scripted front, Their Marriage is a key highlight, with the series “ranked number one in views in the drama category on Japanese AVOD platforms during the July to September season,” Nishio says. “The story explores whether love can survive even after discovering a hidden past about one’s partner, combining deep human themes with thrilling plot twists.” Masked Ninja Akakage, meanwhile, is a “revival of a popular ninja adventure from 60 years ago, brought to life for a modern audience in the October season.”

Across the board, “TV Asahi aims to keep taking on challenges across a wide range of genres—from anime and formats to remaking dramas,” Nishio says. “We see MIPCOM as a valuable opportunity to connect with people from various fields, creating and sharing more creative and entertaining content.”

The efforts to make connections don’t end in Cannes. In 2026, TV Asahi is opening TOKYO DREAM PARK, a large-scale entertainment complex featuring a theater, a state-of-the-art concert hall and event spaces. “Centered around TV Asahi’s intellectual properties, this facility will further accelerate our media strategy and actively deliver a wide variety of entertainment experiences to people,” Nishio says.