The fourth episode of the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake " (General TV, Monday to Saturday 8:00 AM and others), starring Akari Takaishi , was broadcast on October 2nd, and the bad father behavior of the heroine Toki's ( Miharu Fukuchi) father, Tsukasanosuke(Takashi Okabe), became a hot topic among viewers.
Okabe's Tsukasanosuke, Tsukasa nosuke, was a high-ranking samurai of the Matsue domain, but even in the Meiji era, he was unable to let go of his samurai pride, and as a result, he stopped working, lost his income, and lived a difficult and impoverished life. In the third episode (broadcast on October 1st), he was introduced to Kanari Hatsuemon (Tanaka Hosaki), an acquaintance from his time working at the castle, and began selling rabbits. Having made 200 yen in one month, Tsukasanosuke said, "I decided to take a gamble and borrow as much as I could from a moneylender while the market was good." However...
In the fourth episode, 10 days have passed since Tsukasanosuke disappeared from Toki, Fumi (Chizuru Ikewaki), and Kan'emon (Fumiyo Kohinata). As Tsukasanosuke does not return home for several days, the Matsuno family becomes increasingly worried.
One day, on his way to school, Toki spots Tsukasanosuke wandering around on the sandbar from a bridge. Tsukasanosuke sees Toki and runs away, but Toki follows his father into the river. Toki pulls his father's arm, saying, "Let's go home," but Tsukasanosuke stubbornly refuses to go home.
Toki tells Tsukasanosuke. Fumi then comes over and adds, "Without you, it doesn't taste as good. My favorite clam soup is nothing like that." Toki repeatedly says, "Let's go home," and pulls her father's hand.
Tsukasanosuke asks, "Is it enough if the clam soup is delicious?" and "Is it enough if your father returns and the four of you can live happily as a family?" Toki nods, and Tsukasanosuke says, "Toki... you've grown into a good daughter. So... will you work? Starting tomorrow?" Toki replies, confused, "Tomorrow... school..." to which Tsukasanosuke snaps, "There's no more school!"
Tsukasanosuke explains that the price of rabbits has plummeted, making them practically free, and that he has accumulated debts that he could not repay even if he worked his entire life. "Not just for 100 years... I don't even have enough money to send you to school for a single day," he says. When Tsukasanosuke says, "No matter how poor you are, I will at least give you some clam soup," Toki collapses in shock.
That night, Toki is served "shimeko soup" made with rabbit meat for dinner. Whenever Toki is going through a difficult time, he always asks Fumi to tell him a ghost story, so he begs her to tell one while crying, but on this particular day, it only makes him feel more resentful.
Comments on social media included, "Confirmed to be a bad dad in the first week lol," "He's such a scumbag I'm shaking...," "Takashi Okabe jumps to number one in the morning drama's bad dad championship," "He's the famous bad dad of Asadora, but there's still room for leniency," "Takashi Okabe is still by far the best in Japan at the moment when it comes to playing a Takashi Okabe Takashi lol," and "Takashi Okabe is a scumbag, but when it comes to playing a lovable role, no one can beat him."
