The eight-part Netflix series “Beyond Goodbye,” directed by Hiroshi Kurosaki, would seem to be the latest Japanese romantic drama in which death plays a leading role, with the objective of wringing audience tears.

Based on an original script by industry veteran Yoshikazu Okada, who also worked with Kurosaki on the director’s hit 2017 NHK series “Hiyokko” and its 2019 follow-up, “Beyond Goodbye” takes a more international approach than the usual Japanese TV drama — beginning with its locations.

Much of the series was shot in Hawaii and New Zealand, with the latter substituting for the former on screen when the Hollywood writers’ and actors’ strikes severely impacted production in the United States last year.