It has been announced that the omnibus drama "Non-REM Window 2025 Winter," written by comedian Bakarhythm and others, will be broadcast from 10:30 pm on December 21st. This is the eighth installment of the popular omnibus drama series, and two stories will be broadcast: "Gradation," starring Koji Yamamoto, and "Toilet Paper Race," starring Nanase Nishino and Yosuke Asari.
This is a slightly mysterious "new sensation sci-fi short story" drama that was conceived and written by Bakarhythm, and is the eighth installment of the popular series since the first episode aired in April 2022. "Gradation" is written by Bakarhythm and directed by Uchida Hidemi, while "Toilet Paper Race" is written by Hata Masafumi and directed by Tsubakimoto Keijiro.
◇ "Gradation" Synopsis
An incident occurs in a multi-tenant building in Tokyo, where a man named Teramoto armed with a hunting rifle barricades himself in an office and takes several employees hostage. The police seal off the building, and a tense stalemate ensues at the scene. The hostages, bound with Kessoku Band, are Ueno, in his 40s; Fujiki, in his 30s; and a female employee, Tanazaki. As the hostages whisper to each other in an extremely tense atmosphere, Tanazaki reveals a shocking escape plan.
Will they be able to survive this strange situation and return safely?
◇Comment from lead actor Koji Yamamoto
This is the second time I've acted in a work written by Bakarhythm, and his works are always interesting and have a style that I really like, so I was happy to be able to appear in it.
This time it's "Gradation." I think the title gives you a vague idea of what it's like, but maybe not, and I believe it's a "world first" to express gradation in this way. The script also has really detailed, carefully calculated stage directions, and I think it's a worldview that only Bakarhythm can create. If you miss the gradation, it will probably just pass by as if nothing happened, but if you focus on the drama little by little, you'll realize you've been watching it, you'll finish watching it, and before you know it, you'll find it interesting... I hope that everyone will feel that way. Everyone, please look forward to it.
◇ "Toilet Paper Race" Synopsis
Akiyoshi (39), a manga artist, and his wife Kumi (34), who works at a coffee shop. They both work and spend roughly the same amount of time at home, but for some reason, Akiyoshi is always the one who has to change the shampoo, calendar, and toilet paper in the house.
Due to the difference in the amount of rent they pay, Akiyoshi is particular about balancing the household chores, and in order to change this unfair situation, he secretly starts a battle with his wife over the issue of changing toilet paper. Meanwhile, Kumi has a compelling reason for not wanting to lose to her husband.
AI calculations, thorough monitoring... a ruthless battle of wills between husband and wife. Who will win this fierce "toilet paper race" and avoid the next exchange?
◇Comment from lead actress Nanase Nishino
"Toilet Paper Race" is a story about a husband and wife who each want to force the other to change the toilet paper at the right time. I have actually thought to myself at times, "I always have to change it," so I think it's a story that is highly relatable. It starts off at a point that anyone who has actually lived with someone can definitely relate to, and then develops into something amazing, creating an interesting story. I play a lovely couple with Asari-san, so please check it out.
◇Comment from lead actor Yosuke Asari
During filming this time, I basically spent a lot of time thinking about the toilet (laughs), and for some reason, I had a strange phenomenon where I felt like I needed to go to the toilet a little while while I was on set. I don't know if that's something you can attribute to my character (laughs), but I tried not to prepare too much and act as relaxed as possible.
I played a married couple with Nishino-san, and my personal favorite scene was when Nishino-san was lying on the sofa watching a video of an animal. I felt like, "That's the moment men fall in love."
Be sure to check it out! And if you can feel the battle that is happening behind the scenes in the toilet paper race... it's an incredibly tense production!!
◇Comment from Bakarhythm
Thankfully, it has become something of a regular occurrence, so I feel like "that time of year has come again."
I write "Non-REM Window" in my spare time, using the time that other comedians and entertainers are spending eating out or going out for drinks.
Yamamoto-san, who stars in "Gradation," is a great actor I've worked with on "The Hot Spot" and on other projects before, so I was really happy to hear that he would be doing a short story with me.
The story I worked on this time, "Gradation," is based on the situation you often see in detective dramas, where a hostage is taken or someone is taken hostage. It started with me thinking, "How can I escape?" and I came up with the idea of a comedy sketch. What if I were to encounter such a situation? This is purely a fantasy, and it's impossible in reality, so to avoid such a situation, I want to make sure that I'm always aware of crime prevention and ensure my own safety. This is the eighth installment, and it's once again very entertaining, so I hope you'll check it out.
