Netflix has lined up its upcoming Japanese original series, a mystery thriller adaptation of the hit manga Burn the House Down.
Created by up-and-coming artist Moyashi Fujisawa, the original manga began serialization in Kodansha’s Kiss magazine in 2017 and became an immediate success, attracting several adaptation offers in the year since.
The Netflix series, like the manga, will tell the story of Anzu Murata, a young woman who infiltrates the home of the wealthy Mitarai family as a housekeeper to reclaim the life that was taken from her. She is greeted by the beautiful and impeccable second wife of Mr. Mitarai, Makiko, and takes on a mission that will reveal the secrets behind a shocking fire that took place 13 years ago.
Anzu Murata will be played by popular Japanese actress Mei Nagano, while local screen veteran Kyoka Suzuki co-stars as Makiko Mitarai. Burn the House Down will be the first Netflix project for both of them.
Prolific director Yuichiro Hirakawa (The Promised Neverland, Group Demotion) has signed on to direct the series, with screenwriter Arisa Kaneko (Orange, An Incurable Case of Love) penning the adaptation. Shinichi Takahashi is the executive producer and Kei Haruna will produce.
Netflix says it is targeting Burn the House Down for a 2023 release.
The series joins a growing list of live-action Japanese originals for Netflix. With subscription penetration levels in North America and Europe, Japan represents an important growth territory for all global streaming platforms. At the end of Q1 2022, Japan had 48.4 million subscription video subscribers, with Amazon Prime accounting for 34% of the total, followed by Netflix with 14% and Hulu Japan with 6%, according to a report by research firm Media Partners Asia. The survey found that Japanese anime accounted for 51% of consumption (i.e. time spent viewing) on SVOD platforms in Japan, with Japanese live-action content receiving 18%, American series 10%, and American films and the Korean series representing 7% each.
