Pop stars Yoshinori Masakado and Noel Kawashima are starring in "Chat Boy," a vertical-screen short-drama series produced by STARTO ENTERTAINMENT [1, 2].
The production represents a shift in storytelling formats, utilizing a vertical orientation to examine the complex relationship between artificial intelligence and humanity [1].
Masakado, a member of the Ae! Group, and Kawashima, a STARTO ENTERTAINMENT artist, headline the installment as part of the S DRAMA series [1, 2]. The project departs from traditional cinematic ratios to better align with mobile viewing habits.
The drama has a runtime of nearly two hours [1]. This length is unusual for vertical content, which typically consists of short-form clips or social media reels.
Screenings for the production took place at Imagica Media Studio in Tokyo’s Takeshiba neighbourhood [1]. The venue hosted the presentation of the work, which aims to blend technological themes with narrative drama.
The announcement of the project occurred this month [1]. By focusing on AI, the production seeks to explore how digital intelligence interacts with human emotion, and social structures [1].
“A vertical-screen short-drama series produced by STARTO ENTERTAINMENT”
The move toward a nearly two-hour vertical production suggests that entertainment companies are testing the limits of 'mobile-first' content. By moving beyond short-form clips into feature-length narratives, STARTO ENTERTAINMENT is attempting to validate vertical cinema as a legitimate medium for long-form storytelling rather than just a social media tool.
