Nippon TV, Japan’s leading multiplatform entertainment powerhouse, has announced that the Korean remake of its scripted drama series Life’s Punchline, produced by Studio Dragon, a subsidiary of CJ ENM, is scheduled to premiere on South Korea’s tvN on November 6. The 12-episode series, titled Happy Anding (Korean title: 뜨거운 안녕), will air every Friday and Saturday at 10:30 PM through December 12. Based on Nippon TV’s hit series, the drama is a poignant story of reckoning with past failures and growth, following a struggling comedy trio who decide to disband after a decade and the devoted fan whose life becomes intertwined with theirs.
The Korean adaptation is directed by Jung Jee Hyun (Twenty-Five Twenty-One, Search: WWW), written by Ahn Areum (Once Again), with Yang Hee-seung (Crash Course in Romance) participating as creator. The series stars Kang Hoon (A Time Called You), Cho Hyun-chul (D.P.), and Kim Jeong-jin as the three members of the comedy trio “Asura,” alongside Lee E-dam (Daily Dose of Sunshine) as their dedicated fan, Yoon Ga-i (SNL Korea) as her younger sister, and Moon-hee (Duty After School) as the perfect, beloved girlfriend of a member of “Asura”. In addition, seasoned actors form a strong supporting cast, including Lee Seo-hwan (Squid Game) as their former high school teacher.
The original Japanese series follows three young men in a comedy trio who decide to disband at age 28 after ten years of chasing stardom. Facing the harsh reality of having no career or savings while their peers move on to marriage and stable jobs, they find themselves in the midst of a “quarter-life crisis.” Their story intertwines with a burnt-out fan and her younger sister, as all five find the courage to restart their lives.
The Korean adaptation Happy Anding brings a fresh narrative approach by seamlessly integrating elements of Korean-style comedy, such as situational humor and dress-up skits, throughout the overarching storyline. Built on the original story’s theme of learning to say a meaningful goodbye to one’s dreams, Happy Anding preserves key character dynamics, including sisters, best friends, a long-term couple, and the special bond between comedians and their fans.
This upcoming broadcast marks another major Korean remake of a Nippon TV series on tvN, following the 2018 adaptation of its award-winning drama Mother, which was selected for the official competition at the 1st Cannes International Series Festival (CANNESERIES 2018).
Sally Yamamoto, Scripted Format Sales & Licensing at Nippon TV, “We are delighted to bring Life’s Punchline to Korean audiences through this adaptation by Studio Dragon and tvN. The original series resonated with viewers in Japan through its deeply human story of overcoming setbacks and finding hope to move forward. At its heart is a simple message: “Life is a grand comedy”—that our failures and detours are never in vain, but rather the setups that ultimately lead to an ending filled with warmth and laughter. We hope audiences in Korea will embrace this story as warmly as viewers did in Japan.”
