What was the scene that most captivated viewers in the 85th episode (broadcast on January 30th) 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 71.9% at 8:14 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.
◇Attention gradually increases from the middle of the game
In the 85th episode, Shoda (played by Shogo Hama), who has decided to become an English teacher, proposes marriage to Sawa (played by Wan Marui). At the end of the episode, viewers were drawn to Sawa's "choice."
The "attention level," which indicates the percentage of viewers watching TV who were paying close attention to the screen, was relatively low at around 50% in the early stages, but at 8:05 a.m. it reached 63.7%, the first time it had reached the 60% range that day, and after fluctuating from the middle of the show onwards, the graph gradually rose steadily upward.
At 8:05 AM, Sawa's mother began asking her about Shoda, who was helping her with her studies. The second half of the episode showed Shoda meeting with Nishikori (played by Ryo Yoshizawa) to discuss something. Viewers may have had a premonition that something was about to begin.
◇The first peak is the “prologue” to the proposal
After a scene at around 8:06 a.m., in which Sawa is shown studying alone at the Shiratori Club salon, the ratings reach their first peak (67.3%) at 8:07 a.m.
At 8:07 AM, Sawa was studying at the empty Shiratori Club at dusk when Shoda, dressed in a suit, rushed in. After drinking some water and calming down a bit, Shoda began to speak, "I wanted to be the first to tell you, Osawa." It was a moment that finally gave off a "Yes!" vibe, and it was no wonder the attention was so high.
However, when Shoda said, "I asked (the Shimane Prefecture governor) to let me be an English teacher at Matsue Junior High School, and he agreed," and Sawa congratulated him, saying, "Shoda, you're teaching, you're so cool, I love you. Congratulations," the ratings dropped to 61.8% at 8:08 a.m. It seems viewers were getting impatient as Shoda was slow to get to the point.
The next segment, at around 8:09 AM, is when Shoda finally proposes marriage to her. He begins by saying, "This is why I became a teacher today..." and then honestly expresses his feelings: "Let's become husband and wife. I'm in love with you, Osawa. That's why I've decided to become a teacher. Starting next month, I'll give you 25 yen a month. With that, I'll pay off the debt on your house, Osawa, and we'll move out of the tenement house." The viewership rating began to rise again, at 66.5%.
◇What will Sawa's choice be in response to Shoda's decision?
After Shoda proposes, the scene suddenly shifts to a tenement house in Tengokucho. As Sawa gazes blankly at the "other side of the river" from the well in the tenement house, Toki (played by Takaishi) arrives. This is the point where the ratings hit their second peak at 68.6% around 8:10 AM. What "choice" does Sawa make? This is the moment when viewers want to know the answer as soon as possible. After this, the attention rating remains in the high 60% range until the end.
From 8:11 AM onwards, Sawa began to slowly pour out her feelings. "I'm such an idiot," she muttered, before revealing, "I was so happy... so happy... I felt like I was in heaven... or rather, I was already in heaven... I didn't have the slightest reason to refuse... I just couldn't get hold of him... That person's hand... I just couldn't get hold of him no matter what."
When Toki asked, "Why?" Sawa replied, "It's because of O-Toki. I can't be O-Toki. I can't walk the same path as O-Toki. I can't be Cinderella."
Toki, who didn't know who "Cinderella" was, apologized, "Oh, I see. I don't really understand, sorry," and handed her a bouquet of flowers, saying, "And...by the way...sorry for one more thing...I brought something like this."
Sawa is deeply moved by Toki's repeated apologies. As Toki approaches, Sawa begins crying into his chest, which was recorded at around 8:14 a.m., and the viewership rate reached its highest point of the day at 71.9%.
"I loved you," "It's all your fault," Toki repeatedly apologizes to a sobbing Sawa, and the 85th episode comes to an end.
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)
