In the 117th episode (aired March 17th) of the NHK Asadora drama series "Bakebake " (NHK General, Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM, etc.), starring actress Akari Takaishi , what scene captivated viewers the most? We examined the minute-by-minute changes in "attention level" (according to REVISIO, Kanto region, preliminary figures), which indicates the percentage of viewers glued to their screens, and found that the highest value was 69.7% at 8:09 AM.
" Bakebake" is the 113th morning Asadora. The heroine, Toki Matsuno, and her husband, Lefkada Heaven, are modeled after Koizumi Setsu, the daughter of a fallen samurai family in Matsue, and Lafcadio Hearn(Yakumo Koizumi), known for his works such as "Kwaidan." The drama boldly reconstructs these events, changing some of the character and organization names to portray them as fiction.
◇Why did Heaven go to the milk hall?
For some reason, Heaven (Tommy Bastow) doesn't go to Imperial University and instead spends his time at a milk hall. Episode 117 will reveal exactly what Heaven is doing there.
Toki (Takaishi) and her family had no idea that Heaven was actually a regular at the milk hall, but only Tsukasanosuke(Takashi Okabe) felt something was off about Heaven's behavior. Then, as Heaven was killing time at the milk hall as usual, Tsukasanosuke appeared before her. Tsukasanosuke began to explain that he felt the "same scent" between them. This was a rather unusual episode, with most of the 15 minutes consisting of a conversation between Tsukasanosuke and Heaven.
The "attention level," which indicates the percentage of viewers watching the screen intently, started somewhat low in the early stages, but remained in the high 60s from the middle of the program after the opening credits. Although it didn't reach the 70s for any point, as it did the previous day, it can be said that it largely maintained the viewers' interest.
◇The peak time is 8:09 AM when people toast with milk.
As the opening sequence, featuring the theme song, ended around 8:03 AM, viewership soared to 64.5% at 8:04 AM and 68.1% at 8:05 AM. The 8:04 AM segment showed Heaven getting ready for work at home, while the 8:05 AM segment depicted him changing direction on his way to work and heading towards the milk hall. After that, viewership fluctuated slightly in the high 60% range until the end. Viewers were likely curious as to why Heaven was at the milk hall.
At 8:07 AM (67.8%), Tsukasanosuke suddenly sat down in the seat in front of Heaven, who was reading a letter with a serious expression in the milk hall. Attention gradually increased, reaching its highest point of the day at 69.7% at 8:09 AM. Milk was also delivered to Tsukasanosuke, and the two toasted with milk around 8:09 AM.
Immediately after the toast, Tsukasanosuke takes a sip of milk and is startled by its heat, a typical "tickle" moment for Tsukasanosuke, but actually, the 8:09 AM hour is filled with small talk before getting to the main topic. Tsukasanosuke, who used to deliver milk, says that the milk in Matsue was good, but the milk in Tokyo is good too, and asks Heaven if there are any milk halls like this in Matsue now. "I wonder," Heaven replies. In a way, it's a very realistic conversation.
◇"My stepson is great. I was great back then."
However, viewers seemed unable to tolerate this development, and their interest began to wane slightly from 8:10 AM onwards. This was around the time when Tsukasanosuke, speaking from his own experience, recounted his experiences during the Meiji era when samurai lost their jobs. Tsukasanosuke, who said he felt a "same 'vibe'," must have sensed something about the situation Heaven is currently in.
"I haven't changed at all, yet I'm told I'm 'unnecessary' and 'outdated' by the times and by this world. It's really painful to hear things like that."
When Heaven hears those words, he reveals that he was fired from Tokyo Imperial University, at around 8:12 AM, and the audience's reaction is slightly higher at 67.8%.
The viewership also rose to 68.6% around 8:14 AM, just before the ending, and this scene features a lighthearted conversation. Tsukasanosuke promises, "I won't tell anyone about what happened today, even if my mouth were to split open," but Heaven nods, giving him a somewhat suspicious look, to which Tsukasanosuke playfully retorts, "You think I'll tell, don't you?" He then encourages Heaven, "Don't worry, find a job, and write a bestseller."Tsukasanosuke's next comment is excellent.
"My stepson is great. I was great back then."
Up until now, Tsukasanosuke has only been portrayed as an unreliable troublemaker, but this time, he quietly stands by Heaven as she faces a harsh reality. Episode 117 was the first time we saw a fatherly side of him.
The data used is REVISIO's proprietary "Attention Level" index (Kanto region, preliminary figures), which surveys 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 recognition sensor constantly measures whether people are looking at the television screen, and calculates the percentage of people in front of the television who were paying close attention to the program. (Text by Hiroki Sasamoto/MANTAN)
