The French-Japanese project Tokyo Crush has won the Best Project Award at the Co-Pro Pitching Sessions of the Séries Mania Forum. The series, created by Clémence Dargent and produced by Salle Commune Productions, stood out among the 15 projects selected for the event.
The jury, chaired by MK Kennedy (StudioCanal) and composed of Henriette Marienlund (DR Drama), José Pastor (RTVE), Frank Seyberth (ZDF) and André Béraud (ICI Radio-Canada Télé), highlighted the great potential of the story. ‘We loved the potential we saw for the story in and out of the kitchen. It felt fresh, with multiple points of entry for the audience, presenting a set of characters and conflicts ripe for great comedy: a culture clash, tradition versus modernity, competition, a will-they/won’t-they romance…. All of which made it unique,’ Kennedy said.
The series, which consists of eight 30-minute episodes, is being produced by Jonas Benhaiem and Jean-Félix Dealberto of French production company Salle Commune Productions, in co-production with Hiroko Oda of Japan’s Flag Inc. In recognition of its win, Tokyo Crush will receive a €50,000 development prize.
The story of this romantic comedy revolves around Mona, a daring Parisian chef hired to reinvent a struggling izakaya in Tokyo. However, she encounters resistance from Toshiro, the talented and handsome grandson of the founder, which sets up a plot full of tension, romance and culture clashes.
With this distinction, Tokyo Crush is positioned as one of the most promising bets on the international series scene, consolidating the relevance of the Séries Mania Forum as a platform to promote new television projects.
