Ji Chang-wook Returns to Romance With Japan's Mio Imada in 'Merry Berry Love'

Korean actor Ji Chang-wook is stepping back into romance for the first time in three years. He will star opposite Japanese actress Mio Imada in the new cross-border drama "Merry Berry Love," a CJ ENM global production set to premiere on Disney+ in October.

"Merry Berry Love" follows Yu-bin, a Korean space designer whose career has collapsed overnight, and Karin, a Japanese strawberry farmer, as the two build an unlikely romance on a scenic island. The series is pitched as a sweet-and-tart love story that crosses national and cultural lines.

Ji plays Lee Yu-bin, a once-successful designer in South Korea who loses everything in a single day. Hoping to rebuild, he heads to Charo Island, where he becomes entangled with Karin and her strawberry farm. It is a familiar setup for K-drama fans, but a notable pivot for Ji, who has spent recent years in heavier material.

The actor has shown wide range across projects such as "Welcome to Samdal-ri," "The Worst of Evil," and "The Manipulated." "Merry Berry Love" marks his first return to the romance genre in three years.

CJ ENM said the series will launch globally on Disney+ in October and air weekly on Wednesdays on Nippon TV, a major Japanese broadcast network. "'Merry Berry Love,' starring Ji Chang-wook and Mio Imada, will be released worldwide in October through Disney+ and Japan's Nippon TV," the company said. "We ask for viewers' anticipation for a work that global audiences will find exciting."

The dual-platform rollout points to a broader shift in how Korean studios are building projects for both streaming and traditional broadcast in Asia. By pairing a Korean lead with a Japanese co-star and securing a Nippon TV slot alongside a global Disney+ launch, CJ ENM is positioning "Merry Berry Love" to reach Korean, Japanese, and international viewers at the same moment. It is the kind of cross-market packaging that is becoming more common as K-content producers look beyond a single home audience.