The January winter drama season has begun. The previous season was a big success, with TBS's "So, You Make It" ("Jay, You Make It") breaking the station's record for viewership, but what about this season? We've compiled a list of favorite subscribers on TVer (as of midnight on the 25th), which is one barometer of popularity.
Compared to the twice-yearly rescheduling periods of April and October, January seems to have more unique programs. Incidentally, in January last year, TBS's Sunday Theatre aired "Mikami Sensei," Fuji TV's Monday 9pm slot aired "119 Emergency Call," Nippon TV aired "Hot Spot," and TV Asahi aired "Private Banker."
Excluding "AIBO Season 24" (TV Asahi, Wednesdays at 9 PM), which has been continuing since the previous season, the series with the most subscribers at present is "Reunion: Silent Truth" with 911,000. This human love mystery series stars Takeuchi Ryoma, who also garnered attention last season with his line "So, you make it," and is based on a novel by Yokozeki Dai. The cast, including Inoue Mao, who is appearing in a drama series for the first time in three years, is also attracting attention.
Next in line with 885,000 viewers is Sunday Theatre's "Reboot" (TBS, Sunday 9pm) starring Suzuki Ryohei. This original work by Kuroiwa Tsutomu, who has continued to produce hits in the highly popular Sunday Theatre slot, including "TOKYO MER: Running Emergency Room," also starring Suzuki, as well as "Grand Maison Tokyo" and "Last Man: The Blind Investigator." The suspenseful drama is full of tension and is stimulating deep reading and debate.
Currently in third place is "Okome no Onna - National Tax Agency Document Investigation Division, Miscellaneous Affairs Room" (TV Asahi, Thursdays 9pm) with 739,000 viewers. This is Nanako Matsushima's first lead role in a TV Asahi drama series, and it is a thrilling entertainment drama in which she plays a skilled investigator at the Tokyo Regional Taxation Bureau who fights against unscrupulous tax evaders.
Coming in fourth place is the Monday 9pm drama "Yandoku!" (Fuji TV, Mondays 9pm) starring Hashimoto Kanna with 638,000 viewers, followed by "Punch-Drunk Woman: XX Days Left Until Prison Break" (Nippon TV, Sundays 10:30pm) starring Shinohara Ryoko and co-starring Jesse with 575,000 viewers. At the moment, only "Professional Insurance Investigator Amane Ren" (Fuji TV, Thursdays 10pm) with 535,000 viewers and "Tokyo PD Metropolitan Police Department Public Relations Unit 2" (Fuji TV, Tuesdays 9pm) with 508,000 viewers have exceeded 500,000 viewers.
Furthermore, the number of subscribers for the "Wednesday 10pm dramas" that I am personally paying attention to is "Winter Something, Spring Something" (Nippon TV) with 488,000, and "Ramune Monkey" (Fuji TV) with 412,000. Both have decent subscriber numbers, so I'd like to keep an eye on how they develop in the future. (MANTAN/Tateyama Natsuyuki)
