Tackling the Projected Shortage of 790,000 IT Professionals by 2030 with Entertainment — Kikkake Creation Launches 'HR Entertainment Business'
Against the backdrop of a projected shortage of up to 790,000 IT professionals by 2030, IT engineer recruitment agency Kikkake Creation has launched a new 'HR Entertainment Business' aimed at reinventing recruitment communication through the power of entertainment. As the first initiative, an original short drama series depicting the career choices of young engineers, titled 'An If Story Starting with a Kikkake ~This is My Choice~' (3 episodes), will be released sequentially starting May 21, 2026.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: May 22, 2026 at 19:00
- 🔍 Collected: May 22, 2026 at 10:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: May 23, 2026 at 11:12 (24h 41m after Collected)
〜 Reinventing Recruitment Communication with the Power of Entertainment to Solve the Social Issue of the DX Talent Shortage 〜
Operating under the mission of "Shaping a Good Future Now," Kikkake Creation Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Gaito Kawashima; hereinafter "the Company"), provider of the IT engineer job change support service "Kikkake Agent," is launching its "HR Entertainment Business" to reinvent recruitment communication through the power of entertainment. As the first phase, the original short drama "An 'if' Story Starting from a Kikkake ~This is My Choice~" (3 episodes in total) will be released sequentially starting Thursday, May 21, 2026.
■ What is the HR Entertainment Business?
As Digital Transformation (DX) becomes an urgent national priority, a shortage of up to 790,000 IT professionals is anticipated by 2030, making corporate hiring challenges more severe than ever. However, in today's information-rich era, the connection between companies and job seekers cannot be fully conveyed through "job postings and advertisements" alone.
The Company has built long-term relationships with potential job seekers by leveraging the "realities of careers" shared through one of Japan's largest IT job change YouTube channels, "IT Bosatsu Moreau Channel" (over 35,000 subscribers, approx. 2,800 videos), and the editorial expertise of being "close to engineers' daily lives" accumulated through the tech & lifestyle media for IT engineers, "KIKKAKE ITREND."
The "HR Entertainment Business" is a new business domain built on this knowledge, delivering stories of working people to society through the power of entertainment. Moving forward, through various forms of expression, the Company will portray the perspectives, lives, and careers of IT engineers from all angles, aiming to contribute to the transformation of corporate recruitment communication, the elevation of engineers' status, and the promotion of DX across Japanese society.
The short drama announced today is the first work in this initiative.
■ The First Release: "An 'if' Story Starting from a Kikkake ~This is My Choice~"
To announce the launch of the HR Entertainment Business, we are releasing an original short drama (3 episodes) aimed at young IT engineers and Generation Z individuals who are worried about their careers.
Recently, changing jobs to become an "IT Consultant" has gained popularity due to attractive conditions. However, in an era overflowing with information, it is not uncommon for people to make decisions based solely on societal norms or trends, only to regret after joining that "it was different from what I really wanted to do." This drama depicts the realistic struggles and "if choices" of a certain engineer, proposing hints for career choices that engineers can genuinely accept.
Episode 1 is Now Available!
Feeling stagnant in his recent work, engineer Kakeru Kurita decides to change jobs. Convinced by the advice that "both annual salary and career will skyrocket," what awaits him after he makes the leap...?
▶ Watch Episode 1 here: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSxAuyTER/
■ Why Make This Short Drama Now?
In recent years, the demand for IT consultants has surged against the backdrop of DX promotion. While it attracts immense popularity in the job market as an appealing option for salary increases and career advancement, there are many cases where people prioritize phrases like "good conditions" or "trends" over confronting their own strengths and true feelings, leading to a gap after they join a company.
While we believe that stepping up to an IT consultant is a wonderful goal, we also believe that there are as many "right answers" as there are job seekers.
Through this work, we produced the drama with the hope that viewers will find a path that genuinely excites them, beyond just societal norms or favorable conditions.
■ Production Overview
[Title] An "if" Story Starting from a Kikkake ~This is My Choice~
[Cast] Ryusei Maeda (as Kakeru Kurita) / Nana Owada (as Mana Hosaka) / Ryuta Kimura / Rinka Sakurai / Erika Oka
[Director] Tomoyuki Fujiwara
[Production Company] BitStar Inc.
≪Synopsis≫
Kakeru Kurita (Ryusei Maeda), an IT engineer troubled by his career, changes jobs to become an IT consultant based on an agent's recommendation. However, he becomes exhausted and regrets his days spent away from the development work he loved. What if he had chosen a different path back then...? Through an "if" story starting with an encounter with "Kikkake Agent" advisor Mana Hosaka (Nana Owada), this short drama depicts his journey to find his "own unique career" without being swayed by society's correct answers.
■ Future Developments
Starting with this short drama, the HR Entertainment Business will broadcast the stories of IT engineers in various formats. With "empathy" as the starting point, we aim to create unprecedented recruitment experiences by combining abundant data generated from our proprietary media with cutting-edge AI technology.
Operating under the mission of "Shaping a Good Future Now," Kikkake Creation Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Shibuya-ku, Tokyo; CEO: Gaito Kawashima; hereinafter "the Company"), provider of the IT engineer job change support service "Kikkake Agent," is launching its "HR Entertainment Business" to reinvent recruitment communication through the power of entertainment. As the first phase, the original short drama "An 'if' Story Starting from a Kikkake ~This is My Choice~" (3 episodes in total) will be released sequentially starting Thursday, May 21, 2026.
■ What is the HR Entertainment Business?
As Digital Transformation (DX) becomes an urgent national priority, a shortage of up to 790,000 IT professionals is anticipated by 2030, making corporate hiring challenges more severe than ever. However, in today's information-rich era, the connection between companies and job seekers cannot be fully conveyed through "job postings and advertisements" alone.
The Company has built long-term relationships with potential job seekers by leveraging the "realities of careers" shared through one of Japan's largest IT job change YouTube channels, "IT Bosatsu Moreau Channel" (over 35,000 subscribers, approx. 2,800 videos), and the editorial expertise of being "close to engineers' daily lives" accumulated through the tech & lifestyle media for IT engineers, "KIKKAKE ITREND."
The "HR Entertainment Business" is a new business domain built on this knowledge, delivering stories of working people to society through the power of entertainment. Moving forward, through various forms of expression, the Company will portray the perspectives, lives, and careers of IT engineers from all angles, aiming to contribute to the transformation of corporate recruitment communication, the elevation of engineers' status, and the promotion of DX across Japanese society.
The short drama announced today is the first work in this initiative.
■ The First Release: "An 'if' Story Starting from a Kikkake ~This is My Choice~"
To announce the launch of the HR Entertainment Business, we are releasing an original short drama (3 episodes) aimed at young IT engineers and Generation Z individuals who are worried about their careers.
Recently, changing jobs to become an "IT Consultant" has gained popularity due to attractive conditions. However, in an era overflowing with information, it is not uncommon for people to make decisions based solely on societal norms or trends, only to regret after joining that "it was different from what I really wanted to do." This drama depicts the realistic struggles and "if choices" of a certain engineer, proposing hints for career choices that engineers can genuinely accept.
Episode 1 is Now Available!
Feeling stagnant in his recent work, engineer Kakeru Kurita decides to change jobs. Convinced by the advice that "both annual salary and career will skyrocket," what awaits him after he makes the leap...?
▶ Watch Episode 1 here: https://vt.tiktok.com/ZSxAuyTER/
■ Why Make This Short Drama Now?
In recent years, the demand for IT consultants has surged against the backdrop of DX promotion. While it attracts immense popularity in the job market as an appealing option for salary increases and career advancement, there are many cases where people prioritize phrases like "good conditions" or "trends" over confronting their own strengths and true feelings, leading to a gap after they join a company.
While we believe that stepping up to an IT consultant is a wonderful goal, we also believe that there are as many "right answers" as there are job seekers.
Through this work, we produced the drama with the hope that viewers will find a path that genuinely excites them, beyond just societal norms or favorable conditions.
■ Production Overview
[Title] An "if" Story Starting from a Kikkake ~This is My Choice~
[Cast] Ryusei Maeda (as Kakeru Kurita) / Nana Owada (as Mana Hosaka) / Ryuta Kimura / Rinka Sakurai / Erika Oka
[Director] Tomoyuki Fujiwara
[Production Company] BitStar Inc.
≪Synopsis≫
Kakeru Kurita (Ryusei Maeda), an IT engineer troubled by his career, changes jobs to become an IT consultant based on an agent's recommendation. However, he becomes exhausted and regrets his days spent away from the development work he loved. What if he had chosen a different path back then...? Through an "if" story starting with an encounter with "Kikkake Agent" advisor Mana Hosaka (Nana Owada), this short drama depicts his journey to find his "own unique career" without being swayed by society's correct answers.
■ Future Developments
Starting with this short drama, the HR Entertainment Business will broadcast the stories of IT engineers in various formats. With "empathy" as the starting point, we aim to create unprecedented recruitment experiences by combining abundant data generated from our proprietary media with cutting-edge AI technology.
FAQ
キッカケクリエイションが新たに開始した事業は何ですか？
エンタテイメントの力を活用して企業の採用コミュニケーションを再発明する「HRエンタテイメント事業」です。
日本のIT業界では2030年にどのような課題が予測されていますか？
DX推進が急務となる中、2030年には最大約79万人のIT人材不足が見込まれています。
HRエンタテイメント事業の第一弾施策は何ですか？
Z世代などの若手エンジニアに向けたオリジナルショートドラマ『"キッカケ"から始まるifの物語 〜これが僕の選択〜』（全3話）の公開です。
ショートドラマの制作プロダクションはどこですか？
株式会社BitStarが制作プロダクションを務め、藤原知之監督のもと制作されました。
このショートドラマはどのようなメッセージを伝えていますか？
条件の良さやトレンドといった世間の正解だけでなく、自分自身が心から納得してワクワクできるキャリアの道を見つけてほしいというメッセージを込めています。