The currently airing NHK Asadora drama series "Anpan" (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 a.m. and others) has passed the halfway point and entered the second half. Based on the "attention level" that indicates the degree to which viewers in front of the TV were "glued to the screen", a comparison of the numbers from the 1st to the 65th episodes of the five most recent Asadora(total of 125-130 episodes) revealed that "Ranman" (first half of 2023) gained wide support, mainly from those in their 50s and older, while "Anpan" captured the hearts of viewers in their 40s and younger, mainly men, and "Omusubi" (second half of 2024) captured the hearts of young women, highlighting the individuality of each work.
The data used was a unique indicator of "attention level" published by REVISIO, a company that surveys viewing habits of programs and commercials in 2,000 households in the Kanto region and 600 households in the Kansai region. A dedicated device equipped with a human body recognition sensor constantly measures whether people are looking at the TV screen, and calculates the percentage of people in front of the TV who are paying close attention to the program. The higher the number, the more people were engrossed in the program and unable to take their eyes off it.
The five works compared are "Ranman," starring Ryunosuke Kamiki and based on the botanist Makino Tomitaro; "Boogie Woogie" (late 2023), starring Shuri and based on the "Queen of Boogie" Kasagi Shizuko; " The Tiger and Her Wings " (first half of 2024), starring Sairi Ito and based on one of Japan's first female lawyers, Mibuchi Yoshiko; " Omusubi " starring Kanna Hashimoto ; and " Anpan " (first half of 2025), Takashi Yanase Mio Imada and based on "Anpanman" creator Yanase Takashi and his wife, Nobu Komatsu .
The results showed that "Ranman" came in first place for all age groups, including "all individuals," "all men," and "all women." It was clear that it especially captured the hearts of many viewers in the "men and women 60 and over" and "women 40-59" age groups. Although it did have some weaknesses, such as coming in last among "men 13-24," it appears that it was generally well-received by viewers of all age groups. It could also be said that the show was close to the typical viewing image of a Asadora.
◇ "Anpan" captures the hearts of men, especially those under 40 years old
Meanwhile, "Anpan," currently airing, is ranked first among the core audience (men and women aged 13-49). By gender and age, it is ranked first among "men aged 13-24" and "men aged 40-59." Perhaps the three Asada sisters, played by the stars Imada, Yuumi Kawai, and Nanoka Hara, have captured the hearts of male viewers. Among "women" (all ages), who are considered the main viewers of Asadora, it is ranked third after "Ranman" and "The Tiger and Her Wings." It has improved by 0.5 points compared to the early part of the show (episodes 1-25), and it will be interesting to see how it changes towards the end.
Among the five works, "The Tiger and Her Wings" had the highest household viewership rating (surveyed by REVISIO), but although it did not take first place, it often came in second or third place among both men and women of all ages, indicating that it captured the hearts of all genders and generations equally.
In the early part of the show (episodes 1-25), "Omusubi" was ranked first among "all men" of all ages, probably due to the high expectations for Hashimoto-san, and even at the halfway point this time, it was overtaken by "Ranman" but still ranked second. It is interesting to note that it was ranked first among "women aged 13-24" by generation.
Perhaps the gyaru culture and fashion depicted in the drama, such as the parapara, captured the hearts of women who were not familiar with that time. In the 65th episode, the heroine Yui (Hashimoto) proposes marriage to Shoya (Hayato Sano), and the two get married. This was a time when the romance between the two characters was gaining momentum, so it is possible that this generation's interest was heightened. (Text by Sasamoto Hirozai/MANTAN)
