Remaking <i>Mother</i> : The Global Emergence of Japanese Scripted Formats

Until recently, most Japanese scripted television formats did not travel beyond East Asia. However, starting with Mother (2010), Japanese broadcasters have opened up new markets in Europe, the Middle East and Latin America, undermining the theory that transnational flows of Japanese scripts are determined by a cultural proximity based on regionalism. Through an industry studies analysis of the rollout of Mother as a scripted format, this article examines how the Japanese television industry achieved this breakthrough. I argue that while the quality and narrative transparency of the original story played a role in its success, adopting a flexible approach toward the adaptation process was also crucial. I also discuss why recent successes in the global scripted formats market not only represent a more proactive approach on the part of the Japanese broadcasting industry toward international business but also highlight its continued reliance on existing business models.