In the sixth episode (aired April 6th) of the NHK Asadora drama series "Kaze,Kaoru " (NHK General, Monday-Saturday, 8:00 AM, etc.), Ai Mikami and Juri Kosaka , 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 71.8% at 8:13 AM.
" Kaze,Kaoru" is based on the story of two trained nurses, Chika Ozeki and Masa Suzuki, who graduated from the same nursing school. The drama depicts how these two women struggle with how to interact with patients and doctors, clash with each other, grow as individuals, and eventually become the "ultimate buddy duo." Mikami plays Rin Ichinose, and Uesaka plays Naomi Oya.
◇ Maintained a high level of attention from 8:06 AM until the very end.
In the sixth episode, Rin (Mikami) tells Mitsu (Mizuno Miki) in Tochigi that she has decided to marry him. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Naomi (Uesaka) works hard at a low-paying match factory while studying English, but one day she gets involved in a theft and is fired.
The "attention level," which indicates the percentage of viewers watching the screen intently, rose to over 65% after the opening credits when the theme song played, and then steadily increased to between 68% and 71% from 8:06 AM onward. The numbers suggest that the level did not drop significantly after 8:06 AM, indicating that viewers were largely captivated throughout the program.
◇"You can't be happy in this country, even if you stand on your head."
Episode 6 begins with a scene in Nasu, Tochigi, where Rin and her mother, Mitsu, are talking before Rin's wedding day. After the opening, the setting shifts to Tokyo, depicting a few days in the life of Naomi, who is facing hardship.
Between 8:03 and 8:05 AM, the scene takes place in a row house where Naomi, who lives there, is loved by her neighbors. For viewers, the conversations with the neighborhood ladies are heartwarming and reassuring to watch.
At 8:06 AM, when the show's viewership jumped to over 69%, the scene shifts to the match factory where Naomi works. Naomi, who is bad at detailed work and prone to making mistakes, is constantly subjected to sarcastic remarks from the factory manager (Yusuke Hanato). Even after working all day, she only earns enough to cover one box of matches, and while working, Naomi mutters in English, "This job isn't worth it. The pay is too low."
One day, Naomi witnesses her colleague Hatsumi (played by Saya Hinoguchi), who works there with her baby on her back, returning home from the factory with a book in her hand. The next day, the factory manager tells Naomi that the book he brought is missing and, without any basis, casts a suspicious eye on her. He explains that he had put some money in the book to use as a bookmark and fires Naomi. Naomi realizes that Hatsumi was responsible, but takes the blame, saying, "Fine, I'll quit. I'll just quit if that's what you want." Then, she curses in English, "Shitty old man's shitty factory. What a joke."
Enraged by this, the factory manager retorted, "Is that Christian English you learned? I heard you were an orphan picked up at a church, but you were abandoned by a prostitute? That's what it all comes down to, isn't it? Be grateful you weren't turned in to the police." Naomi suppressed her anger and left the scene.
After helping out at the church's soup kitchen, Naomi searches for work in town but can't find anything. She volunteers to be an interpreter for a foreign couple who are trying to buy hairpins, and manages to make a sale, but the shop owner is cold towards Naomi, who is looking for work.
The peak of the day, at around 8:13 AM, was recorded at 71.8%. Naomi tries to impress the shop owner by showing him that she can speak English and asking to be hired, but he tells her, "Fortunately, you're not bad-looking. You'll either end up as someone's mistress, or you'll become a prostitute..." Understandably dejected, Naomi returns to the church and asks the missionary Mary (Anya Floris) in English, "Take me to America someday."
Later, at around 8:14 AM, Naomi ranted in both Japanese and English, saying things like, "There are no jobs. There's no way I'll get a good marriage offer. But if I don't get married, a woman can't live a normal life," "I can't be happy in this country no matter how hard I try," and "I'm getting out of this country!" The show still garnered a high level of attention, at 71.2%, although the viewership dropped slightly.
From 8:06 AM onwards, Naomi gets caught up in a theft incident and is unfairly fired. When she tries to find work, she's turned away without even being listened to. As viewers experience her increasingly dire situation firsthand, it's likely they couldn't take their eyes off the screen. When Naomi, cornered and desperate, finally "explodes," viewers may have felt the same surge of emotion as she did.
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)
