What was the most captivating scene in the 89th episode (aired February 5th) of the NHK morning drama "Bakeke" (General TV, Monday-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 69.6% at 8:07 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.
◇Three peaks of attention
In episode 89, the drama resumes with a scene from one morning when the trash dumping suddenly stops. Toki (Takaishi), Heaven (Tommy Bastow), Nishikori (Yoshizawa Ryo) and others feel uneasy, when Tsukasa (Okabe Takashi) returns from delivering milk and tells them something he witnessed.
The "attention level," which indicates the percentage of viewers watching the TV intently, peaked three times: at the beginning, middle, and end of the program. However, each time it fell just short of the 70% mark, and the peak was slightly lower than the previous day.
◇Why did the commotion subside?
The drama started right at 8:00 AM, with a high interest rate of 68.5%. With so many mysteries left unsolved at the end of the previous day, it was only natural that attention was focused on the next development. Seeing the situation where not a single piece of trash was found, Nishikori muttered, "It's kind of creepy, in a way," and viewers likely felt the same way.
Toki's beaming smile as he finally steps outside the house is dazzling. Just then, Tsukasasuke returns from delivering milk and tells him that something terrible is happening at Governor Eto's (Sano Shiro) house. This is just before 8:00 AM. It seems that the governor's dine-and-dash allegations have shifted public attention from Toki to the governor.
◇Is Heaven to blame for the commotion? Heaven apologizes to Toki
After this, Nishikori visits Governor Eto's home and the details are revealed, but the interest rate remains in the low 60s. The next time it rises is at 8:07 AM, when it hits its highest point of the day at 69.6%. When Toki says she's going to bed first, Heaven apologizes, saying she's sorry, and that it was her fault for getting him involved in the "Rashamen" incident. When Heaven repeatedly says, "It's my fault, I'm sorry," Toki clearly replies, "That's not true."
Afterwards, Toki, sounding as if he was about to burst into tears, tells Heaven, "That's not true. Please don't say things like that," and then asks him in a stronger tone, "Never apologize again." This part was cut short at around 8:08 AM, but the attention it received was suddenly declining.
Haven had previously been married to a black woman and was fired from his job at the newspaper for that reason. Feeling responsible, his ex-wife became unstable and eventually injured her landlord with a razor, which meant the marriage could not continue. Because of her actions, her beloved partner was seen as an outcast and ostracized by the community he belonged to. Perhaps Haven is now reliving the feelings his ex-wife had. Toki knows about Haven's past, which is why he so strongly denied it. This may have been a crucial moment that will influence future developments.
◇Toki and Heaven go for a walk for the first time in a while
The attention rating peaked at 65.2% at 8:14 AM, towards the end of the episode, creating a slightly smaller "peak." This was the scene where Heaven asked Toki, who was preparing a meal in the kitchen, if he wanted to go for a walk. The episode ended with Toki happily chanting "A walk, a walk, a walk" as he washed rice.
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)
