A new cross-border romance drama starring Jun Shison has officially set its premiere date. The NTV series The Tree That Won’t Fall Even After Ten Chops is scheduled to begin airing on April 12, drawing attention as a collaborative project that blends Japanese and Korean storytelling elements.
The drama is planned by renowned producer Yasushi Akimoto, known for shaping numerous entertainment projects in Japan. This time, the story focuses on a love story that unfolds across Japan and South Korea, weaving together themes of identity, fate, and emotional resilience.
In the series, Jun Shison portrays the complex character Kim Min-seok, also known as Aoki Teru. After losing his Japanese parents during childhood, the character is adopted by a powerful Korean conglomerate family and raised as a potential heir. However, following the death of his adoptive father, he is forced out of the family and stripped of his position. More than two decades later, he returns to Japan, where his life takes an unexpected turn.
There he meets Kawase Momoko, a doctor who lost her father in an accident. Although the two encountered each other briefly as children, neither remembers the past connection. As their lives intersect again after 23 years, a quiet but powerful romance begins to develop. Yet their relationship soon faces a series of unforeseen trials that test both their emotions and their past.
The drama is particularly notable because it marks the first time Jun Shison has taken the lead role alone in a prime-time commercial television series. To portray his character convincingly, he will deliver extensive dialogue in Korean throughout the drama, including scenes filmed on location in South Korea.
The linguistic challenge has already become one of the most discussed aspects of the production. Fans and industry observers alike are curious to see how Jun Shison handles the demanding role, which combines emotional depth with cross-cultural performance.
With its multinational setting and romantic storyline spanning decades, The Tree That Won’t Fall Even After Ten Chops is expected to attract audiences interested in both Japanese drama and Korean cultural elements. The project also reflects a broader trend of regional collaboration in Asian television, where stories increasingly cross national boundaries in both narrative and production.
