dele (TV Asahi) wins the 2019 J-Drama Mipcom Buyers’ Award

dele, an 8×60’ series produced and aired by TV Asahi, received the 2019 J-Drama Mipcom Buyers’ Award at the J-Creative Party held at Mipcom (Cannes, France), on Tuesday, October 15.

The Award celebrates its 10thanniversary. It was created in 2009 by The International Drama Festival

in Tokyo and Mipcom. Every year, it distinguishes a recent Japanese drama with the highest

potential in the international market. The winner is picked by a jury of a dozen industry buyers and

professionals attending Mipcom.

“We are very proud to bring Japanese series to Mipcom and to give them exposure to international

buyers” says Shingo Saito, Secretary General of the Bureau of the International Drama Festival in

Tokyo. “We want to convince producers that if you make a drama that is popular abroad, then you

can do more business and sell more Japanese content.”

dele.LIFE is an unusual company run by paralyzed and wheelchair-bound computer programmer

Keiji Sakagami. Clients sign up to the company and after they die, dele.LIFE deletes all their digital

records on their computers and smartphones. Keiji Sakagami works with a freelance jack-of-all

trades, Yutaro Mashiba, whose job is to verify the clients’ death. They are not supposed to look at

their clients’ files, but when they feel something strange in the death of a client, they cannot help

getting involved.

“We are honored to receive the J-Drama Mipcom Buyers’ Award. The theme of digital property left

after death is more relevant than ever. “dele” was born out of the collaboration between TV Asahi

and writer Takayoshi Honda. We are thrilled that the story has appealed to international buyers and

we hope that it will reach more audiences around the world” says Yumi Shimizu, Head of Content

Sales at TV Asahi.

The other nominees:

– Natsuzora – Natsu’s Sky / Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK)

– Your Turn to Kill / NipponTV

– Stepmom and Daughter Blues / Tokyo Broadcasting System Television

– What Did You Eat Yesterday? / TV Tokyo Corporation

– Daughter of Lupin / Fuji Television Network

– Perfect Crime / Asahi Television Broadcasting Corporation

– Perfect World / Kansai TV

– My Husband’s Wives / Yomiuri Telecasting Corporation

The past winners of the J-Drama Mipcom Buyers’ Award are：

2018Grand Prix Anone Nippon Television Network Corp.

Remake Award My Beautiful Neighbor KANSAI TELEVISION CO. LTD.

2017Grand Prix Break Out TV TOKYO Corp.

Honorable Mention Award Desperate for Love Yomiuri Telecasting Corp.

2015 Grand Prix The Emperor’s Cook TBS Television, Inc.

2014 Grand Prix Time Never Stops TV Asahi Corp.

2013 Grand Prix Woman – My Life for My Children – Nippon Television Network Corp.

2012 Grand Prix The Locked Room Murders Fuji Television Network, Inc.

2011 Grand Prix Threads of Our Hearts NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp.)

2010Grand Prix Jin TBS Television Inc.Special Jury Award Mother Nippon Television Network Corp.

2009 Grand Prix Aishiteru – Kayo Nippon Television Network Corp.