The second episode of Fuji TV's Wednesday 10pm drama "If This World Were a Stage, Where Would the Dressing Room Be?" (Wednesdays at 10pm), written by Koki Mitani and starring Masaki Suda, aired on October 8th. Towards the end of the episode, the old lady at the information desk (Rinko Kikuchi) performed a dance in front of the aspiring director Hisabe (Suda) and others, sparking a stir on social media.
◇The following contains spoilers.
In the second episode, strip shows are strictly regulated due to revisions to the Entertainment and Amusement Act, and the enthusiasm that was there two years ago at the WS Theater has become a lie. The audience for the show featuring dancer Patra (Amika) is deserted and not at all excited.
Meanwhile, Kube is wearing a happi coat from the WS Theater and is in charge of the pin-up spot for Patra's show. The night before, the manager of the WS Theater, Daimon (Nozoe Yoshihiro), asked him if he wanted to work there.
Accompanied by theater staff member Ban (Nomaguchi Toru), Hisabe visits the dancers' dressing room to say hello. There, he meets Rika (Nikaido Fumi). However, when Hisabe pledges his all to "I'll do my best," Rika looks away, seemingly uninterested.
Afterwards, struggling financially, Daimon summons Rika and the other dancers and announces that WS Theater will be closing. Meanwhile, Hisabe reveals that small theaters are booming in Tokyo, and passionately appeals to Daimon, Rika, and the others, "We're going to put on a play! We're going to make WS Theater the best in Shibuya...no, the best in Tokyo!"
When Kube insists on turning the WS Theater into a theater for plays, dancer Monet (Akimoto Sayaka) objects. Monet criticizes Kube for looking down on them, telling him that stripping also requires skill, and urges him, "It's an art, too!" Then the old lady at the information desk appears and says, "Just do it without complaining," insisting, "What you're doing isn't an art. In my opinion, it's not dancing."
Then, looking back at how they practiced more enthusiastically in their time, they immediately performed a dance with graceful steps. They then called Daimon's wife, Fre (Nagano Satomi), onto the stage and the two of them performed a synchronized dance, shouting, "You can't call yourself a real dancer until you can dance at this level!"
On social media, Oba-san's dancing scene became a hot topic. Comments included, "Oba-san! She can dance!", "Who is Oba-san?!", "Oba-san and his wife are so cool," "Oba-san and his friend looked so cool dancing on stage," "Rinko Kikuchi tap dancing."
