Japan’s TV Asahi has acquired the rights to the Hong Kong version of hit boys love series “Ossan’s Love” and is expected to air the series in Japan, Variety has learned.
The 15-episode Hong Kong version, produced by PCCW’s domestic free-to-air channel ViuTV and which will conclude this Friday, is an adaptation of the Japanese series of the same name produced by TV Asahi. It is currently uncertain when the Hong Kong version will be aired in Japan and on which platform.
The Hong Kong edition stars Edan Lui and Anson Lo, members of the 12-piece local boy band Mirror, and veteran actor Kenny Wong. It follows closely the original plot of the Japanese original, in which a salaryman (Lui) is caught in a love triangle after both his boss (Wong) and flatmate (Lo) fall in love with him.
The boys love genre, which is gay but not explicitly sexual, has a large following across Asia, but this is the first time that a Hong Kong TV series features gay romance in its main plotline. The series has become a hit locally since it was aired two weeks ago, recording an average viewership of more than 450,000 last week, the highest-rated TV series since ViuTV was inaugurated in 2016.
The show further boosted the fame of the young entertainers, who have been mobbed by fans at public events. Dedicated fans have splashed over HK$1 million ($129,000) buying billboard ads and digital displays, as well as renting a minivan to celebrate the birthday of the show’s lead star Lo and promote the song he sings for the show.
Meanwhile, PCCW’s Asian regional OTT platform Viu has struck volume supply deals with China’s Huace Film & TV and Huace Croton Media, which will bring more than 65 Chinese drama titles to the streaming platform. They will be made available in the seven east Asian territories — Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia — within Viu’s 16-market footprint. Hit titles including “Eternal Love,” “The Princess Wei Young,” “Love O2O,” “Love and Destiny” will be released from July onwards.
Other titles to be streamed on Viu include hit film “Demon Slayer The Movie: Mugen Train,” K-drama titles “Penthouse 3” and the fourth season of crime thriller “Voice.”