The ninth episode of the NHK Asadora drama series "Bakebake " (Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times), starring Akari Takaishi as the heroine, aired on October Getsuku. The shocking appearance of the heroine Toki's (Akari Takaishi) father, Tsukasanosuke(Takashi Okabe), and the subsequent events drew laughter from viewers.
In episode 9, Toki's arranged marriage is called off because Tsukasanosuke and Kan'emon (Fumiyo Kohinata) cannot let go of their samurai pride. The matchmakers , Den Ushimizu(Shinichi Tsutsumi) and his wife Tae (Keiko Kitagawa), suggest that Toki leave the Matsuno family and marry into a family rather than marry a son-in-law.
Toki replied, "It's boring if I'm the only one who's happy..." "I'm only happy when we're all happy together," and declined the marriage proposal, saying, "I'm sorry to have to deal with such a generous offer."Tsukasanosuke, who was listening to the exchange outside the room, had a complicated expression on his face.
Later, thanks to the efforts of the Ushimizu family, Toki gets his second chance at a matchmaking meeting. On the day, while Toki and the others are getting ready, Tsukasanosuke goes off to do some delivery work and doesn't come back. When they arrive at the Ushimizu home where the matchmaking is to take place, Tsukasanosuke is waiting for them, having had his topknot shaved off at the barber's.
The Matsuno family is shocked by the appearance of Tsukasanosuke with his chopped head. Kan'emon (Fumiyo Kohinata) shouts, "A topknot is the soul of a samurai!", but Tsukasanosuke explains that after much deliberation and thought, he decided to become a samurai who would make Toki happy. "This is fine. It may look a bit awkward, like a fallen warrior," he says, touching his head shyly.
At that moment, his arranged marriage partner , Ginjiro Yamane(Kanichiro), and others arrive. The Yamane family, former samurai of the Tottori domain, have not forgotten their samurai spirit, and both father and son are wearing topknots and kamishimo (traditional Japanese formal attire). Tsukasanosuke collapses, deeply regretting his decision and saying, "I shouldn't have cut it..." Kan'emon declares, "How pathetic! You're just like a fallen warrior!" Den also apologizes, saying, "I'm sorry. I'm one of our fallen warriors." Unable to contain his anger, Ginjiro bursts out laughing.
Tsukasanosuke's shocking appearance with his topknot removed attracted attention, and "Ochimusha" became a trending topic on X for a while. Comments on social media included, "Hilarious this morning," "A Asadora?! This is like a comedy skit," "Too funny," "This is the funniest Asadora I've ever seen lol," "It's funny that "Ochimusha" is trending in the Reiwa era," and "I could feel Tsukasanosuke's love for his daughter, and even though it was a comedy scene, I almost cried. It's uncool, but cool."
