Netflix to Stream Japanese Queer Romance 'Soul Mate'

Netflix will stream the 10-episode series "Soul Mate," in which a Japanese man and his Korean lover embark on a decade-long romance, Variety reported.

"Traversing the cities of Berlin, Seoul, and Tokyo, 'Soul Mate' tells a 10-year-long love story between two young men," Netflix said. "It all starts when Ryu Narutaki (Hayato Isomura), who left everything behind in Japan, is saved by a boxer named Johan Hwang (Ok Taec-yeon) in a foreign land."

Noting that the series comes from writer-director Shunki Hashizume, Netflix described "Soul Mate" as "a heartfelt depiction of love and its complexities, including joy, pain, and unexplainable deep bonds."

The site relayed, "The idea for the series began with a conversation over coffee between Hashizume and executive producer Dai Ota, leading them to decide on the title 'Soul Mate' early on."

"We arrived at the ultimate destiny story, where people from different cultures and backgrounds meet in a foreign land and their lives intersect," the site quoted Ota as saying. "The story, filled with life's joys and pains, combined with the exceptional performances from Isomura and Taec-yeon, will warm the hearts of viewers."

Taec-yeon, a member of the K-pop group 2PM, remarked, "The character of Johan Hwang intrigued me, and his inner struggles and pain stayed with me long after I read the script."

"To prepare, I lost weight and underwent boxing training," the actor-singer added, "and I've continued to train diligently during filming to portray Johan as best as I can."

No release date has been made public for the series, but, Variety noted, "The project greenlight follows details of Netflix's first Japanese same-sex dating reality show 'The Boyfriend,' which will go to air from next month."

In an earlier article, Variety described the reality program's format this way: "The show takes nine men to a beach house in order to find love. For a month, they live together and take turns working shifts at a coffee truck, forging deep friendships and learning about themselves along the way."