Daily Capital launches Taiwan-Japan film fund with romance slate

By Marcus Bennett

Daily Capital has reached 70% of its NT$100 million fundraising target, about $3.1 million, founder Chang Chen-yu told Variety at the fund’s launch on TIFFCOM’s opening day.

Variety reported that the fund focuses on Taiwan-Japan film and television co-productions. The fund aims to invest in at least five projects across film, television and animation over its first two years. Chang said operations should begin by year-end.

The launch occurred at the “Taiwan Originals: Project Showcase” within TIFFCOM, the Tokyo International Film Festival market, according to Variety.

At the launch, Chang said: “The name ‘Daily’ reflects the idea that meaningful progress is built through daily efforts.”

What changes for Taiwan-Japan producers?

According to Variety, Daily Capital plans to pair Japan’s intellectual property and production expertise with Taiwan’s flexible financing and co-production experience. The fund will also use local production incentives and distribution networks to reach audiences beyond Japanese- and Mandarin-speaking markets.

The practical distinction lies in when the money enters.

“Investment amounts will vary according to each project’s scale and needs, whether it’s a film, series or animation. We expect to come in during development or pre-production, contribute to script discussions and help assemble the core creative team. We also aim to keep the primary capital recovery period within three years,” Chang said.

Variety reported that Daily Capital has identified K2 Pictures and Remow as co-development partners in Japan. K2 Pictures, founded by producer Kii Muneyuki, brings together Japanese filmmakers Iwai Shunji, Miike Takashi, Nishikawa Miwa and Kore-eda Hirokazu.

Remow is backed by Japanese entertainment and media companies, including Shueisha, Toei, Amuse, Shochiku, TBS Holdings and Fuji Media Holdings. According to Variety, it provides access to established IP libraries and distribution networks.

For Taiwan projects, this creates a route into Japanese development expertise, existing intellectual property and established distribution channels. It also places script discussions and team assembly inside the fund’s mandate.

“Love Ends in Bloom” leads the slate

Variety reported that the fund’s first announced investment is “Love Ends in Bloom,” a 10-episode historical romance and business drama set in 1930s Chiayi and Alishan. The series follows a Japanese geisha who devises a cross-border marriage scheme to save her mother. She then falls into a forbidden romance with a Taiwanese timber magnate.

Variety places the narrative within the Japanese colonial period of 1895–1945, when Taiwan’s cypress industry was thriving. The series views that history through the Japanese woman’s eyes.

According to Variety, the project grew from Chang’s return to his hometown of Chiayi in 2023. The railway station was under renovation, prompting him to reflect on the city’s forestry and railway history.

“Despite our proximity, Taiwan, Japan and Korea are rarely seen together in one narrative,” Chang said in a previous interview with Variety.

Variety identifies Juliana Hsu as the writer; her credits include the period drama “Gold Leaf.” Sun Jie-heng directs; he directed the wartime historical drama “Three Tears in Borneo.”

Filming is slated to begin in February 2027, with a mid-2028 release targeted, according to Variety.

The test for a second fund

Chang set two tests for the fund: distribution and financial returns.

“The fund will measure success by whether its projects reach Japanese broadcasters, regional platforms and global streamers, and meet projected returns,” Chang said. “Those results could help Daily Capital raise a larger second fund focused on Taiwan-Japan and wider Asian co-productions.”

The February 2027 filming of “Love Ends in Bloom” is Daily Capital’s first production test. The distribution reach and projected returns of its projects could then support a larger second fund for wider Asian co-productions.