Netflix is adding Nippon TV’s new romcom, "Turn to Me Mukai-kun", to its line up on Wednesday (12 July), in a non-exclusive deal that shares post-broadcast streaming rights with the Nippon-owned Hulu Japan.

Hulu Japan and Netflix will air the manga-based series weekly, immediately after Nippon TV’s 10pm free-TV premiere. 

A global release will follow on Netflix in what Nippon TV described in its announcement as a first-of-its-kind agreement. 

No dates for the global release have been confirmed.  

"Turn to Me Mukai-kun", which replaces Nippon TV’s Copy That? in the 10pm slot, stars Eiji Akaso as a 33-year-old man whose life seems perfect in every aspect except one – the absence of his true love. Fate intervenes when he unexpectedly reignites a flame with an unforgettable ex. 

In June, Netflix’s top shows in Japan showed a strong preference for anime and Korean drama, with only a single Japanese drama title – TBS Sparkle’s "Let’s Get Divorced" – reaching #1 on the domestic Japan list. 

#1 spots across the five Top 10 TV lists for Japan in June were Korean drama "Young Lady and Gentleman" (29 May - 4 June); JTBC/Korea’s "She Would Never Know" (5-11 June); CyberAgent’s anime fantasy, "[Oshi No Ko]" (12-18 June); Japan Ufotable’s anime series "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba: Swordsmith Village Arc" (19-25 June); and Japanese drama, "Let’s Get Divorced" (26 June-2 July).

No Japanese series since "Alice in Borderland" and "Sanctuary" last year has topped Netflix global list of non-English-language titles. 

The top title since April has been "The Days", based on the Fukushima Daichi nuclear accident in 2011, which reached #4 for the week of 12-18 June 2023. 

Other than both seasons of "Alice in Borderland", which appeared on the top 10 list for four weeks this year, Japanese titles that have made the 2023 global charts include romantic drama "From Me to You: Kimi ni Todoke" and "Sanctuary".