Korean Medical Drama ‘God’s Quiz’ Gets Japanese Remake for December Release
A Japanese adaptation of the Korean medical-investigation series ‘God’s Quiz’ will debut on Amazon Prime Video Japan on December 4, with Shotaro Mamiya in the lead role.
The Korean medical-investigation drama “God’s Quiz” is being remade in Japan, extending the series’ reach more than 15 years after its original debut. Amazon Prime Video Japan announced the project on social media and said the adaptation will be released on December 4, with Japanese actor Shotaro Mamiya playing the lead role. The announcement places the established Korean franchise before a new national audience through a streaming-first release.
The remake is based on the OCN series of the same name, which starred Korean actor Ryu Deok-hwan. The original premiered in 2010 and ran for five seasons through 2019, an unusually long span for a cable drama built around a recurring investigative format. It was billed as Korea’s first medical crime-investigation drama.
The Japanese version will follow a man once regarded as a gifted surgeon who leaves surgery and becomes a forensic pathologist. In that role, he investigates suspicious deaths and tries to uncover the truths concealed behind them. The premise preserves the combination of medical reasoning and criminal investigation that defined the Korean production.
Mamiya is known for television titles including “Nanba MG5” and “Cinderella of Midsummer,” as well as films such as “Tokyo Revengers” and “The Strange House.” He said he first watched the Korean original in his early twenties after his manager told him the role was one he should play. Mamiya said he hoped audiences would enjoy the new production and added that he was also looking forward to seeing how it had been completed.
Shunki Hashizume is directing the adaptation. Hashizume previously made the Japanese Netflix series “Soul Mate,” which stars Korean singer and actor Ok Taec-yeon. The new project therefore brings together a Korean source property, a Japanese cast and production team, and a global streaming platform.
The remake marks a new chapter for a franchise that developed its identity over five Korean seasons. Rather than simply introducing a recent Korean hit to another market, the Japanese production is revisiting a series that helped establish the medical-investigation genre on Korean television. Its December streaming launch will test how the original concept translates for Japanese viewers while retaining the central forensic mystery that sustained the Korean drama.