The Kaze,Kaoru.:Rin meets Shimizu Usaburo, the "gentleman in a tailcoat." Viewers were captivated by an unexpected scene. A look back at episode 10 by "level of attention."

In the 10th episode (aired April 10th) 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 71.5% at 8:13 AM. This is the first time in two episodes that the highest value has exceeded 70%.

" 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.

◇Attention level exceeds 70% for the first time in two episodes.

In the tenth episode, Rin (Mikami) and Tamaki (Miyajima Ruka) are guided by Naomi (Uesaka) to a soup kitchen at a church. Rin leaves the exhausted Tamaki in the care of Naomi and Yoshie (Harada Taizo) and continues her search for work, but she can't find any. Feeling lost and without a place to go, Shimizu Usaburo (Bando Yajuro) approaches Rin and speaks to her.

The "attention level," which indicates the percentage of viewers watching the screen intently, hovered around the mid-to-high 60% range for most of the time. However, it rose to 71.5% at 8:13 AM, and remained relatively high at 67.7% during the ending at 8:14 AM.

◇Rin meets Usaburo, but her level of attention is only moderate.

The highlight of the 10th episode is the encounter with Shimizu Usaburo, played by Kabuki actor Bandō Yajūrō. Usaburo, who runs "Mizuho-ya," a shop in Nihonbashi, Tokyo, that deals extensively in imported goods, appears to be a character who will become deeply involved with Rin and Naomi.

Rin is looking for a job, but is turned down everywhere she goes. Just as she is feeling lost and dejected, a gentleman in a tailcoat and hat appears and offers her some chocolate. Rin takes a bite of the chocolate and is moved, saying, "I've never tasted anything this delicious before. It's like magic..." After learning of Rin's situation, the gentleman hands her his business card and tells her to come visit him tomorrow before leaving.

This was a long segment, from 8:06 AM to the early 8:12 AM range. At 8:06 AM, when the two exchanged words, the viewership rating rose slightly to 67.8%, but after that, it continued to fluctuate around 65%.

◇The highest point was the scene after Rin was slapped.

After parting ways with Usaburo, Rin returns to the church where she had left Tamaki. Naomi, angered that Rin hadn't returned for so long, leaving Tamaki waiting alone, slaps Rin across the face. Rin apologizes to Naomi and hugs Tamaki. Following this somewhat surprising scene, the day's highest value of 71.5% was recorded at around 8:13 AM.

Rin, who was allowed to stay the night at the church, put Tamaki to sleep in her room. She followed Naomi as she left and thanked her, saying, "Thank you for your kindness," but Naomi replied curtly, "I couldn't let you go home alone at night with a child," and "The church is also a place to help people in need, so it's fine."

It was just a simple scene, but the stark contrast between the slap and the subsequent reaction likely made it stand out. For Naomi, who was abandoned by her parents shortly after birth, Rin's actions of leaving her daughter alone and neglecting her must have resonated somewhat with her own circumstances. That's why, thinking of Tamaki crying while waiting for her mother to return, she impulsively slapped Rin. Pastor Yoshie, who knew the situation well, watched the exchange between Rin and Naomi with mixed feelings. It was quite a poignant scene.

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)