In the 41st episode (aired May 25th) 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 the peak was 76.7% at 8:06 AM. That scene was precisely…
" 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.
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.
◇Chikako's surgery begins
In episode 41, the day before Chikako's (Yukie Nakama) surgery, Rin (Mikami) spends the night with Chikako in her hospital room. On the day of the surgery, Rin is moved by the sight of nurse Fuyu (Tsubaki Nekozawa) skillfully assisting Dr. Imai (Yuta Furukawa) during the operation. Then, after the surgery, Chikako says something unexpected to Rin.
On this particular day, the level of attention reached its peak shortly after the opening credits, when the theme song played and the drama resumed. After that, the graph showed small fluctuations before slowly declining.
◇Attention suddenly peaked during the surgery scene
The peak of viewership for the day, at 8:06 AM, was when Chikako, led by Rin, entered the operating room. Imai calmly proceeded with the surgery on Chikako, who was asleep under anesthesia. Would the surgery go smoothly? It seems that this was what viewers were most interested in.
The viewership plummets to 69.3% during the continuation of the surgery and around 8:07 AM when Imai reports the results to his family, but it rises again to 74.5% around 8:08 AM, starting from when Rin tells Imai that Chikako has woken up. However, although Rin is shown showing concern for Chikako by slightly elevating her left arm to prevent swelling, it is actually a quiet scene with no particularly significant developments.
Chikako then offers Rin her thanks. This happens around 8:09 AM. "Thank you. Because you were by my side, I wasn't lonely." Rin's eyes well up slightly, perhaps from the feeling of accomplishment and the overwhelming gratitude she received. It's a pretty good scene, but it garnered a slightly lower attention rating of 71.7%.
◇"He didn't do anything for me, but I'm glad he was there."
The next scene, at 8:10 AM, shows Rin standing alone in the garden when Naomi arrives. The viewer engagement drops further to 67.8%, but rises again to 71.4% at 8:11 AM. After finishing nursing Chikako, Rin tells Naomi about her current feelings, saying, "I want to become a nurse," and "I want to use these hands of mine to help patients."
Naomi brushed her off in her usual manner, saying things like, "I've been thinking that for a while now," and "Even the nobility thanked you," but Rin suddenly remembered the words Chikako had said to her. "Thank you, Naomi. It's all thanks to you. You really didn't do anything, but I'm glad you were there." Naomi, not understanding, replied, "Huh?" and Rin repeated, "I'm glad you were there." It was a heartwarming exchange that made you realize that the trust between the two as the "ultimate buddies" was steadily growing.
◇"Nursing is a job. It's not a service."
After 8:12 AM, the level of attention declined, but the last time it rose was at 69.6% at 8:14 AM. Ms. Burns (Emma Howard) comes to the nursing interns who have returned to their dorms. At 8:14 AM, Ms. Burns doesn't deny that Rin played games with Chikako and stayed in her room, but she gives the interns a stern warning: "But don't forget. Nursing is a job. It's not a service."
Certainly, it would be impossible, and perhaps unreasonable, for a nurse caring for many patients to provide the same level of care as Chikako for every single one. Dr. Burns' words were absolutely right. I think those words left a lasting impression on viewers before the ending. (Text by Hiroki Sasamoto/MANTANWEB)
