Japan\u2019s Nippon TV and the U.K.\u2019s Anyway Content have entered a co-development partnership to create the original scripted series How to Be a Sensei for the global market.<\/p>\n
The comedy drama pairs Itaru Mizuno (Rebooting<\/em>), a creative director and scriptwriter for Nippon TV, with British comedy writer Zo\u00eb Tamlin (Have I Got News for You<\/em>, Hypothetical<\/em>). 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 \u201csensei.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n Mizuno has been working in the production division of Nippon TV since 2012. His recent work includes Rebooting<\/em>, which drew more than 15 million viewers on broadcast in Japan and over 35 million viewers on streaming services. He worked on Double Booking<\/em>, whose follow-up, Connected<\/em>, has been optioned for adaptation in the U.S. market. Another recent project, Issak, was a finalist for Series Mania Forum\u2019s Co-Pro Pitch in March 2024.<\/p>\n Tomalin is part of the writing team for the BBC\u2019s Have I Got News For You<\/em>. Her other credits include producing and script editing UKTV\u2019s Hypothetical<\/em>, co-creating Channel 4\u2019s Late Night Forever<\/em> and writing for 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown<\/em>. Recently, she wrote three episodes of Badjelly<\/em>, which is being brought to the market by WildBrain and is set to deliver in 2025.<\/p>\n \u201cHow to Be a Sensei<\/em> 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,\u201d Mizuno said. \u201cAlong the way, they clash hard but also inspire each other to grow, ultimately forming a strong and lasting friendship. I\u2019ve 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.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued, \u201cMeeting the team at Anyway Content and working alongside my incredible partner, Zo\u00eb, has been a stroke of inspiration. I\u2019ve been moved by their creativity as well as sense of humor, and mutual respect deepened as the writers\u2019 room in Tokyo proceeded successfully. I\u2019m confident that How to Be a Sensei<\/em> will turn into something very special.\u201d<\/p>\n James Baker, chair of Anyway Content, added, \u201cRecent 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.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Japan\u2019s Nippon TV and the U.K.\u2019s Anyway Content have entered a co-development partnership to create the original scripted series How to Be a Sensei for the global market.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1412,"featured_media":21520,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[70],"tags":[9774,9775,8233,9776,1296,9777],"class_list":["post-21519","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-top-stories","tag-anyway-content","tag-how-to-be-a-sensei","tag-itaru-mizuno","tag-james-baker","tag-nippon-tv","tag-zoe-tamlin","pmpro-has-access"],"yoast_head":"\n