Oshi No Ko – The Final Act, the latest adaptation of Aka Akasaka & Mengo Yokoyari’s manga and the live-action film sequel to Amazon’s live-action drama will premiere in 51 countries worldwide, according to Toei planner and producer Ryuusuke Imoto.
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Eiga.com interviewed Imoto and PR producer Terashima*, where they spoke of the trials and tribulations of adapting the series to the small and big screens. As seen above, the series was a big hit on Amazon Prime Video in Japan, breaking the streamer’s 30-day record for the most domestic views for an Amazon-original Japanese series. The pair is targeting more success from now on: “A month has passed since the theatrical release,” Imoto said, “and while I am happy with the reaction from the public, there are of course some things I wish we could have done differently.“
“However, we plan to release it overseas, so this project is still ongoing. By partnering with Amazon, the drama series is already being distributed in 200 countries around the world. The film is scheduled to be released in 51 countries globally [as of December 25, 2024], so we are thinking about how customers in each country will view it. It’s still in the making.“
In addition to the series’ domestic success, other triumphs included smashing their goal of 100k subscribers for the YouTube channel (currently 152k), a sense that the passion of the original Oshi no Ko manga was conveyed to audiences, and achieving proper synergy with Oshi no Ko‘s creators and Shueisha.
Oshi no Ko Live-Action Producers Discuss Challenges and Lessons Learned
Oshi no Ko is a massive mixed-media project, with the anime, novel, and live-action adaptations all planned during the manga’s serialization and timed precisely for maximum intended impact; in Mainichi‘s interview with KADOKAWA Chief Anime Officer Takeshi Kikuchi this month, it was revealed that the anime (adapted by KADOKAWA-subsidiary Doga Kobo) was produced with the timing of the manga’s ending in mind. The live-action series has also been in development for around 2 years, with the film released only 2 days after the final volume. Despite working closely with author Aka Akasaka, Imoto feared that growing fan concerns regarding unfaithful adaptations would be turned onto Oshi no Ko.
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For Terashima, the challenge was to convey that the reality was the opposite of that. “There are people who are doing their best, but if we use the wrong words, the people who are doing their best will not be rewarded. In fact, we live in a world where they’ll be criticized. On the other hand, I don’t think that being sincere [about adapting the work] is something to be exaggerated. It is the natural thing to do.“
He later said that adapting to the times, and deciding what information to release where and when was paramount for the future. “Otherwise, a single word, sentence, or image can be perceived in completely opposite ways. I learned that if you don’t anticipate everything, your intentions won’t be conveyed. I once again realized that I need to seriously consider how to communicate with customers, and I believe I need to continue to pursue this in the future,” he added.
Another challenge the team plans to review later is Oshi no Ko‘s underwhelming box office performance. The film debuted 7th with just 135 million yen (~$875k) in its opening weekend (Yahoo). On the topic, Imoto said, “One thing we regret is that we wish we had been able to connect this [social media success] to box office sales a little more. The box office hasn’t finished yet, and it’s not the time to talk about what the cause was, but we need to analyze it properly and make sure we can use it for the next time.“
Fans can view the Oshi no Ko live-action on Amazon Prime Video, the anime on HIDIVE, and the manga on Manga PLUS. Amazon describes the series:
“Two pop idol Ai fans are reincarnated as her ‘secret’ baby twins, Aqua and Ruby, and grow up supporting her until the tragic day she is stabbed by a stalker. Flash forward a few years later and Aqua and Ruby are high school students determined to make it on their own in the cutthroat world of entertainment for personal reasons.“
Source: Eiga.com
© Aka Akasaka × Mengo Yokoyari / SHUEISHA, TOEI
*Terashima’s reading (寺嶋) is not confirmed.
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