Nippon TV, CJ ENM partner for cross-cultural rom-com series 'Merry Berry Love'
If you're into K-dramas and J-dramas, here's one to circle. Merry Berry Love pairs a down-on-his-luck spatial designer with a strawberry farmer on a quiet Japanese island. It sounds simple, which is exactly why it could work - two people, one place, a lot to lose and maybe more to find.
Production is underway across South Korea and Japan, with crews moving between both countries. You can feel what they're aiming for: a romance that's gentle, funny, and grounded in the details - work, family, place.
Who's in it, and who's steering the ship
Ji Chang Wook (The Manipulated) plays Lee Yubin, a spatial designer who needs a reset. Mio Imada (movies and tv series) (Tokyo Revengers) is Karin Shirahama, the strawberry farmer who doesn't have time for nonsense - until she does.
The series is directed by Kim Soojung (Semantic Error) and written by Lee Jaeyoon (Divorce Insurance). It's developed and produced by CJ ENM and co-produced by Nippon TV.
Where you'll be able to watch
Merry Berry Love is set to air on Nippon TV in 2026 and stream globally on Disney+. That global window comes through the ongoing collaboration between Nippon Television Holdings, Inc. and The Walt Disney (movies and tv series) Company (Japan). For industry folks, that's a clear signal: local stories, international lanes.
Why this co-production matters
Producers from both sides recently talked at the Tokyo International Film Festival about the growing need for Japan-Korea co-productions. The short version: audiences are already crossing borders, so the shows might as well do it too.
Projects like this can smooth out scheduling, budgets, and release plans - and give fans more to binge without waiting a year for licensing deals. And yes, it's also a bet on chemistry: not just between the leads, but between two TV markets learning how to move in step.
Quick production snapshot
- Title: Merry Berry Love (working title)
- Leads: Ji Chang Wook, Mio Imada
- Director/Writer: Kim Soojung / Lee Jaeyoon
- Story: A spatial designer and a strawberry farmer find love on a remote Japanese island
- Status: Filming in South Korea and Japan
- Companies: Developed/produced by CJ ENM, co-produced by Nippon TV
- Release: Nippon TV in 2026; global streaming on Disney+
What to watch for next
Teasers, first-look stills, maybe a poster with those island colors - that's what's likely up next. We'll also be watching how bilingual dialogue is handled and whether the show leans into everyday textures: farm rows at dawn, ferry rides, cramped workrooms.
Here's what this could mean: if Merry Berry Love clicks, expect more mid-budget, cross-border romances with clear paths to global release. If it stumbles, it'll be a reminder that co-production is a tool - the story still has to sing.
