Court Rules For Korean Musical

[Mulboyne]

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A Tokyo Court has lifted a ban on a Korean musical opening in Japan. "Bijo wa Tsurai no" ("It's Tough Being a Beauty") is related to the Japanese manga "Kanna wa Daiseiko Desu!" (Kanna's Big Success!) by Yumiko Suzuki. It's a story of how a plain, overweight girl undergoes major cosmetic surgery to become a beauty. Despite having the looks, however, she doesn't know how to act beautiful and, initially, still can't get her man. The comic was turned into a hit film in Korea with Suzuki's consent. A Japanese film version followed in 2009, taking the manga as its source rather than remaking the Korean film. A year earlier in 2008, a Korean production company had decided to turn the film into a musical but without the permission of Suzuki or her publisher. The Korean side used the themes of the film as a source, rather than the manga. Similar rights disputes have cropped up elsewhere in the entertainment world and it's not always obvious that a chain of permission is necessary. The matter became more complicated, however, when the Korean musical planned to transfer to Japan, featuring some popular Korean stars. Shochiku in Japan arranged for shows in both Tokyo and Osaka but Suzuki decided to sue, saying this constituted an illegal use of her work.

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The Korean film

The court accepted that the basic premise of a girl becoming a beauty was the same but noted differences. The manga was set in a university, while the Korean film was set in the music business, where the ugly duckling has a great singing voice but is relegated to overdubbing talentless, good-looking stars. The court also decided the major characters and their relationships are also different from the manga. Shochiku said it was pleased with the decision while publisher Kodansha claimed it was an injustice for all copyright holders. They are considering alternative legal options.

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The Japanese film

I have some sympathy with Suzuki but the court's decision is not unreasonable. The Korean film took the manga's premise but created a very different story and can be considered a separate work.

[Ganma]

An ugly duckling story? How original. Maybe Hans Christian Andersen should sue too.