Taiwan-Japan Film Fund Daily Capital Launches at Tokyo Market, Backs Period Romance ‘Love Ends in Bloom’

Daily Capital, a new fund focused on Taiwan-Japan film and television co-productions, launched on the Tokyo International Film Festival market TIFFCOM’s opening day at the “Taiwan Originals: Project Showcase” event.

The fund aims to raise NT$100 million (about $3.1 million) and invest in at least five projects across film, television and animation over its first two years. Fundraising has reached 70% of the target, and the fund expects to begin operations by year-end, founder Chang Chen-yu told Variety.

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

In Japan, Daily Capital has identified K2 Pictures and Remow as co-development partners. Founded by producer Kii Muneyuki, K2 Pictures brings together Japanese filmmakers including 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, with access to established IP libraries and distribution networks.

“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.

The fund plans to pair Japan’s IP and production know-how with Taiwan’s flexible financing and co-production experience. It will also tap local production incentives and distribution networks to reach audiences beyond Japanese- and Mandarin-speaking markets.

Its first announced investment is the series “Love Ends in Bloom.” Set in 1930s Chiayi and Alishan, the 10-episode historical romance and business drama follows a Japanese geisha who devises a cross-border marriage scheme to save her mother, then falls into a forbidden romance with a Taiwanese timber magnate. The story unfolds during the Japanese colonial period (1895–1945), when Taiwan’s cypress industry was thriving, and views the era through a Japanese woman’s eyes.

The project grew out of 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.

Written by Juliana Hsu, whose credits include period drama “Gold Leaf,” and directed by Sun Jie-heng, director of wartime historical drama “Three Tears in Borneo,” “Love Ends in Bloom” is slated to begin filming in February 2027, targeting a mid-2028 release.

“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.”