Research on the Localization Strategy in the Remake of Film and TV Drama Taking the Japanese Remake of Journey to the West as an Example

Abstract

Against the backdrop of globalization, the opportunities for cross-cultural exchanges in the cultural field are gradually increasing, and the development of film and television culture in various countries has ushered in opportunities. However, cross-cultural film and television communication also face obstacles due to the differences in cultural values and national identities among countries. In remakes, it is important to recode the stories and elements of the originals in such scope to reflect the localized folklore stories. The theme of this paper is to explore the dissemination of Journey to the West in Japan within the framework of popular culture and communication studies based on the theory of cultural localization. This paper finds that the Japanese remake of Journey to the West adopted methods of reimagining characters, incorporating traditional Japanese elements, and reflecting contemporary Japanese aesthetics to create a new local culture, and accelerated its localization through unique promotional techniques. At the same time, these approaches offer revelations of cultural transformation and pushing the boundaries of remakes.