A nother milestone in Japan-Korea cultural relations is achieved with the two-part drama special "Friends" (TBS, Monday and Tuesday, 9 p.m.). Japanese idol Kyoko Fukada and Korean heartthrob Wonbin portray a couple who meet in Hong Kong and then strike up a cross-Japan Sea e-mail exchange that turns into a long-distance romance.
The four-hour drama, which is a coproduction between TBS in Japan and MBC in Korea, will be aired in both countries. Fukada is already known in Korea for her work with Yun So-Na, a popular Korean TV actress, in a Japanese drama series last summer. In "Friends," however, she actually gets to speak Korean. As far as milestones go, the series will mark the first time a dramatic series will be shown in Korea with a Japanese actress in the leading role. The producers in both countries are projecting ratings of more than 40 percent.
Fukada plays Tomoko, a rather average young Japanese woman who works in a department store. Her mother is an assistant editor at a prominent magazine, and Tomoko can't help but compare her humdrum existence to her mother's exciting life. While sightseeing in Hong Kong with a friend, Tomoko becomes the victim of a pickpocket. She chases a young man whom she believes to be the culprit and hands him over to the police, but the man, Ji Fung (Wonbin), an amateur filmmaker from Korea, is not the pickpocket. Instead of being angered by her accusation, he asks Tomoko to model for him. They become friends and, after returning to their respective countries, begin their e-mail exchange.