SEOUL, October 27, 2023 – Kakao Entertainment continues to make waves in the global content industry, inking new content partnerships with top industry players aimed at introducing creative new IP to its worldwide fanbase. The most recent success comes via a fresh new deal signed with Fuji TV, one of Japan’s premiere television networks, at the Fuji Television Global Vision 2023 event in Japan on October 26. Under the deal, the two companies are establishing a major IP expansion partnership, with the inaugural project aimed at a Japanese TV adaptation of Kakao Entertainment’s Aquaman webtoon that will air on Fuji TV.

Purpose of a content partnership

The key objective of Kakao Entertainment’s partnership agreement with Fuji TV is to collaborate on developing Kakao Entertainment’s webtoon and web novel titles into video content and the adaptation of Fuji TV’s video titles into webtoons and web novels. There is also tremendous potential to create new spinoff content that further extends the franchise for each IP. Both companies are seeking to leverage their powerful IP collection to craft compelling content that resonates with audiences in Korea, Japan, and across the globe.

Inaugural project – Aquaman series

The first major project is the Japanese TV adaptation of Kakao Entertainment’s acclaimed webtoon Aquaman, originally produced by McQueen Studio for Kakao Webtoon. The Japanese version is scheduled for release in 2025 and will be broadcast on Fuji TV and their in-house OTT platform, FOD. As co-producer and owner of the original title, Kakao Entertainment will oversee planning and development, while Fuji TV handles production. Further production details will follow soon.

Aquaman is a heartwarming romance that follows three individuals as they navigate love, friendship, and real-life challenges. With elegant artistry and themes that touch on careers and relationships, the webtoon series gained immense popularity globally, accumulating around 200 million views on Kakao Page and Kakao Webtoon during its serialization from 2016 to 2019.

Jake Hwang, Kakao Entertainment’s IP business team lead, attended the event and talked about the huge upside of the company’s expansive IP list. “We have a huge library of IP that has already shown high value and boundless potential worldwide through successful titles like Moving and A Business Proposal,” said Hwang. “This new partnership with Fuji TV, starting with our amazing Aquaman series, will help us continue that record of success and further strengthen Kakao Entertainment’s global competitive advantage.”

Ending note

Notable participants at the Fuji Television Global Vision 2023 event also included Skybound Entertainment, a leading American entertainment company known for The Walking Dead, and the popular Chinese video-sharing platform, Bilibili. Both companies have also entered into IP collaboration agreements with Fuji TV. The new partnerships and the collaboration with some of the world’s most competitive creative shops are a strong testament to Kakao Entertainment’s rising global prominence, driven by its exceptional and diverse IP library.