Nippon TV & Anyway Content Enter Co-Development Partnership

Japan’s Nippon TV and the U.K.’s Anyway Content have entered a co-development partnership to create the original scripted series How to Be a Sensei for the global market.

The comedy drama pairs Itaru Mizuno (Rebooting), a creative director and scriptwriter for Nippon TV, with British comedy writer Zoë Tamlin (Have I Got News for You, Hypothetical). Set in Japan and the U.K., the bilingual series will center on a young British woman following her dream of becoming a manga artist in Japan and one day being called “sensei.”

The series is in advanced development following a writing room that was held recently in Tokyo. It will be taken out to the international market by Nippon TV for the first time at the upcoming MIPCOM in Cannes.

Mizuno has been working in the production division of Nippon TV since 2012. His recent work includes Rebooting, which drew more than 15 million viewers on broadcast in Japan and over 35 million viewers on streaming services. He worked on Double Booking, whose follow-up, Connected, has been optioned for adaptation in the U.S. market. Another recent project, Issak, was a finalist for Series Mania Forum’s Co-Pro Pitch in March 2024.

Tomalin is part of the writing team for the BBC’s Have I Got News For You. Her other credits include producing and script editing UKTV’s Hypothetical, co-creating Channel 4’s Late Night Forever and writing for 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown. Recently, she wrote three episodes of Badjelly, which is being brought to the market by WildBrain and is set to deliver in 2025.

“How to Be a Sensei is a sisterhood comedy-drama about two young girls, one from the U.K. and one from Japan, who pursue their dream of becoming manga artists,” Mizuno said. “Along the way, they clash hard but also inspire each other to grow, ultimately forming a strong and lasting friendship. I’ve always been fascinated by the question, How can people from different cultures and backgrounds respect and learn from one another? This project captures that very essence. The cultural contrast between Japan and the U.K. provides a rich foundation for comedy, while the universal theme of young people chasing their dreams is something that resonates globally.”

He continued, “Meeting the team at Anyway Content and working alongside my incredible partner, Zoë, has been a stroke of inspiration. I’ve been moved by their creativity as well as sense of humor, and mutual respect deepened as the writers’ room in Tokyo proceeded successfully. I’m confident that How to Be a Sensei will turn into something very special.”

James Baker, chair of Anyway Content, added, “Recent successes have proven there is an appetite globally for storytelling that explores universal themes through different cultures. The partnership with Nippon TV is driven by the sole aim of enabling this funny, emotional and romantic tale to be told authentically through the brilliant creative minds and different perspectives involved.”