Which winter drama series, which aired from January to March 2026, captivated viewers the most during their final episodes? When ranked by "attention level," which indicates how glued viewers were to their screens, "Reboot" (TBS, Sundays at 9 PM), which ranked first in "household viewership," also came in first in attention level. It showed astonishing strength, dominating the top spots regardless of gender or generation. Looking at the other dramas that followed "Reboot," differences in tastes across genders and age groups became apparent.
The data used is "Attention Level," a proprietary index published by REVISIO Corporation, which surveys program and commercial viewing habits in 2,000 households in the Kanto region and 600 households in the Kansai region. Using a dedicated device equipped with a human body recognition sensor, it constantly measures whether people are looking at the TV screen and calculates the percentage of people in front of the TV who were paying close attention to the program.
While viewership ratings show the percentage of households or individuals who tuned into a program, they don't actually reveal how intently they were watching the program on screen. Combining viewership ratings with attention levels reveals the true picture of how a program is being viewed.
This ranking is based on the final episodes of 17 serial dramas that aired during prime time or golden time slots on NHK and commercial broadcasters from around January to March.
◇ "Reboot" ranks first in both "household viewership" and "level of attention."
First, the top three shows in REVISIO's "Household TV-On Rate," which is equivalent to the so-called "household viewership rating," are: 1st place is "Reboot" at 11.2%, 2nd place is "Okome no Onna - National Tax Agency Data Investigation Division, Miscellaneous Affairs Office -" (TV Asahi, Thursdays at 9pm) at 7.5%, and 3rd place is "Aibou season 24" (TV Asahi, Wednesdays at 9pm) at 7.1%. Following these are "Saikai ~Silent Truth~" (TV Asahi, Tuesdays at 9pm) at 5.6%, "Delinquent to Doctor" (Fuji TV, Mondays at 9pm) at 5.1%, and "Mirai no Musuko" (TBS, Tuesdays at 10pm) at 5.0%.
Since the top three shows in the first episode were "Reboot," "Delinquent to Doctor", and "Okome no Onna," the lineup actually didn't change that much even by the final episode.
"Reboot," which ranked first in "household TV-on rate," also demonstrated overwhelming strength in terms of attention. It ranked first in "overall individuals" (all age groups), "men," and "core viewers" (slightly younger generations of men and women aged 13-49), all with over 70% attention. Furthermore, it ranked third in "women" (all age groups) with over 70% attention. Not only did it occupy the top spot in both the "viewership" and attention rankings, which often feature different shows, but it also dominated the top ranks in attention across genders and age groups. It is quite rare for a show to dominate the top spot to this extent.
◇The films ranked 2nd and below, which were supported by women, were "Themis's Uncertain Court" and "He's Definitely My Husband."
In terms of overall attention from individuals, "Reboot" came in first place (72.2%), followed by "Themis's Uncertain Court" in second place (NHK General, Tuesdays at 10pm) and "He's Definitely My Husband" in third place (Fuji TV, Mondays at 10pm). Fourth place and below were "Reunion ~Silent Truth~" (TV Asahi, Tuesdays at 9pm), "Former Forensic Investigator Housewife" (TV Tokyo, Fridays at 9pm), and "The Rice Woman - National Tax Agency Data Investigation Division, Miscellaneous Affairs Section -" (TV Asahi, Thursdays at 9pm).
In terms of "household TV-on rate," "Themis's Uncertain Court" ranked 8th and "He's Definitely My Husband" ranked 10th, roughly in the middle. Nevertheless, their high rankings are due to the strong support they received from the "female" demographic, the main audience for dramas, who were captivated by them.
Incidentally, the films that ranked in the "Overall Individual" and "Women" categories for popularity are exactly the same. The rankings for 4th to 6th place are also the same, but the rankings for 1st to 3rd place are slightly different. 1st place goes to "Themis's Uncertain Court," 2nd place to "He's Definitely My Husband," and finally "Reboot" appears at 3rd place.
It seems that female audiences were more captivated by the solid courtroom drama of "Themis's Uncertain Court" than by the "reboot," which was filled with flashy plot twists and "theories."
◇The songs that captured the hearts of men were "DREAM STAGE" and "Soda Master".
On the other hand, "Reboot" was the most popular choice among men. "Themis's Uncertain Court" came in 5th place, and "He's Definitely My Husband" came in 9th, suggesting they didn't attract as many male viewers.
The second-ranked "male" drama was "DREAM STAGE" (TBS, Fridays at 10 PM), and the third-ranked was "Soda Master" (Fuji TV, Wednesdays at 10 PM). The common thread between these two dramas is that they all feature male leads and are predominantly male casts, making them "dramas for men."
◇Younger audiences prefer "DREAM STAGE" and "PUNCH-DRUNK WOMAN"
Among the "core audience" of men and women aged 13-49, "Reboot" ranked first, followed by "DREAM STAGE" in second place, and "PUNCH-DRUNK WOMAN - XX Days Until Escape -" (Nippon Television Network, Sundays at 10:30 PM) in third place. The reason these three shows captivated viewers is likely because they featured their favorite idols, such as Ren Nagase in "Reboot" and Jesse in "PUNCH-DRUNK WOMAN." (Text by Hiroki Sasamoto/MANTAN)
