Shogakukan’s “MangaOne” Riots Lead to Changes… Reboots” in the TV industry are accelerating

Original scripted dramas are on the rise.

The aftermath of the “Manga One” manga distribution service run by Shogakukan has also reached the TV industry.

A firestorm erupted when it was discovered that the editorial department had appointed a male manga artist as the author of a new serial, despite knowing that he had sexually abused the artist. The distribution of the work was suspended, and Shogakukan apologized and set up a third-party committee. TV stations are also bracing themselves for a series of uproar. Dramatizations of Shogakukan’s works have been suspended for some time. Some TV stations have even issued a notice to stop dramatizing Shogakukan’s works for the time being, even those that are already underway.

Speaking of Shogakukan, in the fall of 2011, the company ran into trouble with the original author, manga artist Hinako Ashihara, over the script for “Sexy Tanaka-san” (NTV), a drama adaptation of the company’s popular manga. It is still fresh in our minds that Ms. Ashihara’s disclosure of the circumstances of the incident led to a flood of criticism of the production team, which ended tragically.

After the “Sexy Tanaka-san” incident, the production team was thoroughly instructed to treat the original work with caution when dramatizing it. At the same time, stations are discovering and nurturing new scriptwriters and adopting writers’ rooms where multiple scriptwriters think about the overall development of the work and the structure of each episode. This is because original works can be altered at the discretion of the station. The “Manga One” scandal is likely to accelerate this trend.

A manga magazine editor says that the increase in the number of dramas with original scripts is due in part to the situation in the manga industry.

Fantasy manga, such as ‘reincarnation stories,’ which are easily adapted to anime, are popular, and it is simply difficult to make live-action dramas from them. I think that genres that are popular in the late-night and missed-out shows, such as adultery and revenge dramas, will continue to be made into live-action films.

Actors who play the roles in original works are welcoming the increase in the number of original works.

The ideal situation would be to see an original script for a popular work like “Reboot” (TBS), which was released in January,” said an entertainment agency executive.

Incidentally, only two drama series in the prime time slot of commercial TV networks in April are based on manga, including “Tonari, Himitsu no Kitchen” (Fuji TV), starring Haruka Kiminami (40).

Original works such as “Reboot” and “VIVANT,” also a Sunday drama, are not predictable in terms of viewer ratings, but if they are successful, they are huge. The advantage is that when they become a hit, they can be easily made into a series or a movie.

Because it is easy to monetize, each station is increasing the number of drama slots, but this makes it easier for productions to be buried in the background. There will probably be a battle for the best known scriptwriters and scriptwriters who can write attractive original works.

The drama industry’s shift away from original works has some unexpected advantages.

The TV industry, including the production staff, has been rejuvenated as famous producers and successful scriptwriters have gone to foreign distribution sites with strong financial resources. New talents such as Miku Ikata, who created a social boom with “silent” (Fuji), will emerge rapidly.

A reboot is about to begin in the world of television.