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 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 deeply rooted anxieties, even as they find common ground in their shared love of chocolate. Their tentative meetings at Le Sauveur, a small Tokyo chocolate shop, set the stage for a quietly intense romance that unfolds at a deliberate, character-driven pace.
Production is led by director Shō Tsukikawa, known for his warm visual style, and screenwriter Kim Ji-hyun, who brings Korean storytelling 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, owner of a local bar who offers comic relief amid the protagonists' emotional hurdles. Song Joong-ki appears in a special cameo, further elevating anticipation for a cross-cultural ensemble that bridges two of Asia's largest entertainment industries.
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Netflix officially announced "Romantics Anonymous" on May 31, 2024, emphasizing its status as a Korea-Japan co-production. The series is shot across locations in Hokkaido and Tokyo, capturing crisp winter landscapes and intimate interior scenes that underscore the characters' inward journeys. Music for the series includes the theme song "Confession," performed by Kim Chaewon of LE SSERAFIM, which debuted alongside the first two episodes at Busan.
Early reactions from viewers highlight the show's mood-driven storytelling and meticulous attention to chocolate-making detail, from tempering glossy ganache to crafting 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 its core, "Romantics Anonymous" remains faithful to Jean-Pierre Améris and Philippe Blasband's original concept: two socially anxious individuals forging a romantic connection through a shared passion. By transplanting the story to an East Asian context and blending 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.
