Netflix’s new series “Romantics Anonymous” reimagines the 2010 French-Belgian romantic comedy “Anonymoi Romantikoi” through a Korean-Japanese co-production lens.
Starring Shun Oguri and Han Hyo-joo, the eight-episode drama series premiered at the 30th Busan International Film Festival on September 19, 2025, before debuting globally on Netflix on October 16, 2025.
THE series follows Sosuke Fujiwara (Oguri), heir to a confectionery empire who suffers from mysophobia, and Hana Lee (Han), a gifted chocolatier with scopophobia that makes eye contact unbearable. Both characters struggle with deep-seated anxieties, even as they find common ground in their shared love of chocolate. Their tentative encounters at Le Sauveur, a small Tokyo chocolate shop, set the stage for a quietly intense love story that unfolds at a deliberate, character-driven pace.
The production is led by director Shō Tsukikawa, known for his warm visual style, and screenwriter Kim Ji-hyun, who brings Korean narrative sensibilities to a Japanese setting. Principal photography began in March 2024 under Yong Film, with the cast including Japanese stars Yuri Nakamura as Irene, a celebrated psychologist, and Jin Akanishi as Hiro Takada, a local bar owner who provides comic relief amid the protagonists’ emotional obstacles. Song Joong-ki appears in a special cameo, further raising anticipation for a cross-cultural ensemble uniting two of Asia’s largest entertainment industries.
Netflix officially announced “Romantics Anonymous” on May 31, 2024, underlining its status as a Korea-Japan co-production. The series is filmed on location in Hokkaido and Tokyo, capturing crisp winter landscapes and intimate interior scenes that highlight the characters’ inner journeys. Music for the series includes the theme song “Confession”, performed by LE SSERAFIM’s Kim Chaewon, which debuted alongside the first two episodes in Busan.
Early reactions from viewers highlight the show’s mood-driven storytelling and meticulous attention to detail in chocolate making, from tempering shiny ganache to creating perfect cubes for display. While the original film focused on shy chocolatiers in rural France, this adaptation updates the premise to urban Japan and infuses it with subtle South Korean production values, resulting in a series that feels both familiar and refreshingly new.
At the center remains “Romantics Anonymous”. loyal to the original concept of Jean-Pierre Améris and Philippe Blasband: two socially anxious individuals creating a romantic bond through a shared passion. By transplanting the story into an East Asian context and fusing Japanese and Korean creative teams, Netflix demonstrates its commitment to global storytelling and highlights how universal themes of love and self-acceptance transcend language and culture.
