The second episode of the 2025 NHK Taiga drama " UNBOUND (Berabou) " (General TV, Sunday 8pm and others), starring actor Ryusei Yokohama , entitled "Yoshiwara Hosomi 'Ahh Oedo'", was broadcast on January 12th, and the average viewership rating (according to Video Research, Kanto region, same below) was 12.0% for households and 7.0% for individuals.
" UNBOUND (Berabou)" is the 64th taiga drama, depicting the life of Tsutaya Juzaburo(or "Tsutajyu" for short), who is said to have built the foundations of Japan's media industry and pop culture. The script was written by Yoshiko Morishita, known for "Drama 10 'Ooku'" which was broadcast on NHK two years ago and became a big hit.
In the second episode, the performance of Fuka Koshiba, who plays Hananoi, became a hot topic.
Tsutaju (Yokohama-san) comes up with an idea to attract people back to Yoshiwara through the Yoshiwara guidebook "Yoshiwara Saimin."
In order to get the Edo famous Hiraga Gennai (Ken Yasuda Ken) to write the preface for Hosomi, he goes to consult with the local book wholesaler Urokogataya Magobei (Kataoka Ainosuke). He is told that if he can persuade Gennai himself, he will promise to publish the work, so he rushes to find Gennai.
Eventually, Tsutae learns that the man he brought to Yoshiwara who calls himself "Zenuchi" and knows Gennai is in fact Gennai himself, but Gennai is reluctant to allow Hosomi to write the prologue, citing reasons such as the fact that he is "dedicated to one man."
Hananoi, realizing that the "Segawa" mentioned by Gennai was the female impersonator "Segawa Kikunosuke II," danced as Gennai's "loved one," and Gennai then picked up his brush... and the story unfolded.
Hananoi's brilliant wit in dealing with Gennai and saving Tsutae drew reactions on social media such as, "She's so cool," "Hananoi is lovely," and "I'm in love with Hananoi!!" There were also comments about Koshiba, who played the role of Hananoi, such as, "Not only is she beautiful, but her deep voice is amazing," and "She's such a beautiful woman that it makes me dizzy...I'm surprised she can do something like this because she was known for playing cute roles."
