What was the scene that most captivated viewers in the 79th episode (broadcast on January 22nd) of the NHK morning drama "Bakeke" (General TV, Monday to Saturday, 8:00 AM and other times), starring actress Takaishi Akari? When we looked at minute-by-minute trends in "attention level" (surveyed by REVISIO, Kanto region, preliminary figures), which indicates the percentage of viewers glued to the screen, the peak was 70.8% at 8:12 AM.
"Bakeke" is the 113th morning drama. The heroine, Toki Matsuno, and her husband, Lefkada Heaven, are based on Setsu Koizumi, the daughter of a fallen samurai from Matsue, and Lafcadio Hearn (Koizumi Yakumo), known for his works such as "Kwaidan." The drama boldly reconstructs the characters, changing some of the names of characters and organizations to create a fictionalized portrayal.
◇The highest price was over 70% since the 71st event
The 79th episode continues the story of Toki's childhood friend Sawa (Marui Wan) and the prostitute Nami (Sato Honami), who remain in "Kawa, No, Mukou." Sawa, who has complicated feelings, instinctively avoids Toki (Takaishi), who has become popular in Matsue.
The "attention level," which indicates the percentage of viewers watching the TV intently, was low early on, but remained relatively stable from the middle of the show after the opening. From the middle of the show onwards, it recorded a slightly higher level of attention than in the 71st episode (broadcast on January 12th), marking the first time in a while that it had exceeded 70%.
◇Fumi, the popular girl disguised in a straw hat
Two episodes peaked in popularity that day. The first, at 8:06 AM (69.6%), was the scene in which Sawa bumps into Fumi (Chizuru Ikewaki) in the city of Matsue. As Sawa walks down a market street lined with vendors on both sides of the road, she comes across paintings and fans featuring Heaven (Tommy Bastow) and Toki, a married couple, for sale. She's bewildered by the popularity of her childhood friend, Toki. Then, she bumps into Fumi, disguised as she is. She's hiding her face with a lace-like appendix robe draped over a large, city hat. Viewers were likely momentarily taken aback by the exaggerated disguise.
Fumi seems strangely happy and excited about all the attention she's getting, which is unlike the usual Fumi. When she asks Sawa to "come and see Toki once in a while," it's easy to see why her feelings become even more complicated.
◇The most impressive scene was when Sawa walked away to avoid Toki who was talking to her.
The next peak was at 8:12 AM, when the highest point of the day was recorded at 70.8%, followed by 8:13 AM (70.4%) and 8:14 AM (69.5%). At 8:12 AM, Toki was hiding his face with a towel while shopping, but he let his guard down and was noticed. As he tried to run home, Toki saw Sawa enter Yamahashi Pharmacy, where the Shiratori Club is located, and chased after her.
Toki finds Sawa studying at the Shiratori Club and is happy to meet her, but she responds coldly, "So? I'm studying right now." The other members of the club who were studying become excited, and one by one they introduce themselves to Toki and start talking to him. This is the 8:12 and 8:13 AM time slot, which continues in the 70% range.
Following Toki's shopping scene, which contrasts with Fumi's "disguise," the story moves into the scene of Toki and Sawa's reunion. The contrast between Toki's happy expression and Sawa's cold, sad expression is a bit painful to watch, but it was a captivating scene.
Seeing this, Sawa dismisses Toki, who has invited her to drink, by saying, "Go ahead and drink," before packing her things and leaving. Toki hurries to the exit, but Sawa has already left. Just as he is about to give up, Sawa returns to Yamahashi Pharmacy, and the 79th episode ends.
The data used is REVISIO's proprietary indicator "Attention Level" (Kanto region, preliminary figures) published by the company that surveys TV program and commercial viewing habits 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. (Text by Sasamoto Hirozai/MANTAN)
