MUMBAI: Is it a romcom? A legal thriller? A dark comedy with a deadly title? Max says: Why not all of the above? In a bold eastward expansion of storytelling, Warner Bros. Discovery and Japanese streaming powerhouse U-Next are taking their relationship to the next level by giving Japanese dramas a global passport.
After launching Max within U-Next in Japan last year, the partners are now flipping the narrative. A curated bouquet of 10 Japanese series, including TBS’s much-awaited Love is for the Dogs and TV Tokyo’s deliciously morbid Please Die My Beloved, will be released across key international markets starting with the U.S., Brazil and Southeast Asia.
Also in the lineup: Ignite (a legal drama with teeth), Mr. Mikami’s Classroom, Who Saw the Peacock Dance in the Jungle?, La Grande Maison Tokyo, its special episode Light of My Lion, Until I Destroyed My Husband’s Other Family, and Baby Assassins. The slate cuts across genres from slow-burn psychological thrillers to culinary family sagas and assassin-led chaos ensuring there’s more than one flavour for every binge palate.
This cross-cultural programming exchange is no accident. U-Next president and CEO Tenshin Tsutsumi confirmed that since their exclusive tie-up with WBD in September 2024, expanding Japanese IP globally has been a core focus. “We’re handpicking shows that don’t just do well at home but hit the right emotional notes internationally,” he said.
U-Next currently offers the largest SVOD catalogue in Japan, per GEM Partners, with add-ons like e-books, e-manga, e-magazines, and a seven-year Premier League streaming deal thrown into the mix. Its 2023 merger with Paravi has also deepened its access to local favourites from TBS and TV Tokyo making it a treasure trove of binge-worthy content.
For WBD, it’s another power move in its global localisation playbook. Operating across 220+ territories in 50 languages, the media giant is leaning into regional partners to give local stories international wings, proving that you don’t need subtitles to go viral, just good storytelling.
The international rollout of the Japanese drama collection on Max will begin later this year. Dates? Still hush-hush. But the message is loud and clear: Japan’s dramas are no longer just for Japan. And Max is ready to stream the love.