What was the most captivating scene in the 96th episode (aired February 16th) 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 63.5% at 8:10 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.
Dark clouds begin to gather over Heaven and the Matsuno family.
Episode 97 depicts the uneasy atmosphere that has begun to hang over the family once again, with Toki (Takaishi) and Heaven (Tommy Bastow) becoming increasingly dissatisfied as they get used to life in Kumamoto. Toki and Fumi (Ikewaki Chizuru) run away from the maid Kuma (Natsume Towa), who keeps a strict watch over their actions. Meanwhile, Tsukasa (Okabe Takashi) is secretly reuniting with a certain person.
The "attention rate," which indicates the percentage of viewers watching the TV intently, continued to rise slightly in the middle of the show, but peaked at just 63.5%. At the beginning and end of the show, it dropped to the 50% range, resulting in a very low level of attention.
◇Tsunosuke takes out a large sum of money. Toki and Fumi are having fun playing temari.
The interest rate rose slightly in the middle of the episode at 8:08 AM (63.1%) and reached its highest point of the day at 63.5% at 8:10 AM. The former scene depicts Tsukasa having brought something out of his house and having a secret rendezvous with a suspicious person.
In the previous day's episode, No. 96, Tsukasasuke had said, "I haven't felt any burning or tingling sensation since coming to Kumamoto, and I feel like I'm not alive." Perhaps amid his peaceful life, the "bad bugs" from before have started to stir. Around 8:07 AM, he meets up with a suspicious character at a coffee shop, and around 8:08 AM, we get to the main topic.
The person she is having a secret rendezvous with is businessman Arakane Kyushuo (played by Shukugawa Atom). Not only does he look suspicious, but he also introduces himself as "a Kyushu man who spends money recklessly," making him the epitome of a suspicious man. At the peak of the incident at around 8:08 AM, he demands to see the money, and when Tsukasa sees the large sum of money he has brought from his house, which Tsukasa has even borrowed money to use, he shows a surprised expression, making him a "small-time" man, and it makes you laugh.
The next segment, at 8:09 AM, draws less attention, and we learn that Arakane, who whispers, "I'll make you a millionaire," is apparently planning to make a killing in the azuki bean market. In the first episode, Tsukasa tried his hand at rabbit breeding, as it was popular among the wealthy, but the rabbit boom quickly burst, leaving him with huge debts. This was a scene of a secret rendezvous that could only lead to a repeat of that fate.
Attention levels rose again, reaching a peak of 63.5% for the day, and at around 8:10 AM, the scene switched to Toki and Fumi sneaking past the bears and playing with temari balls in the streets of Kumamoto. They finished singing the children's song "Anatagata Dokosa" (Where Are You?), and the two of them, enjoying the temari balls without a single mistake, were beaming with smiles on their faces. "Why do I have to go through so much trouble just to sing a temari ball song?" Toki's lament was perfectly justified. Viewers likely felt the same way. At that moment, the sound of applause was heard, and it was around 8:10 AM when Heaven, who had returned home, was standing there. Amidst the dark clouds that had begun to gather, this was perhaps the only moment of relief that day.
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)
