<figure id="attachment_315610" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315610" style="width: 2500px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="ab485347"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/c49b93aeaf2404fc2a329c516a786c77.jpg" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315610" class="wp-caption-text">A scene from the filming of &#8220;The Last Man&#8221; in Ebisu, Tokyo.</figcaption></figure>
 Masaharu Fukuyama (54) and Takuya Kimura (50) have long captured the hearts of women as two of the most handsome men in Japan. They are still going strong as handsome older men, and it has been a long time since they appeared side by side in a drama series in the same season. The result, &#8230;&#8230;, can be said to be a complete one-man victory for Fukuyama.
 The TBS Sunday drama &#8220;Last Man &#8211; The Blind Investigator,&#8221; in which Fukuyama plays the lead role, is the only drama this season to maintain double-digit ratings. Moreover, in recent years, the ratings for Sunday theater have been dropping rapidly, and it is common for the ratings to not reach double digits. The station must be very grateful to Mr. Fukuyama, as the brand was on the verge of a decline.
 In contrast, Mr. Kimura&#8217;s Gekkan 9 drama &#8220;Kazama Kochin &#8211; Kyobo 0&#8243; (Fuji Television) is struggling badly, unexpectedly falling below double digits in viewer ratings. This one may be called a pinch for the Kimura brand, not the Tsuki 9 brand&#8221; (TV magazine editor).
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 (TV magazine editor) &#8220;Both works are complete episodes set in the police department. Why in the world did they differ so much? Entertainment journalists familiar with the drama scene cited two reasons.
<h2> (1) The image demanded by the drama industry, which has become a staple of the entertainment industry.</h2>
 The first is the &#8220;firmness of Fukuyama vs. the challenge of Kim Tak.
 The first was the image of &#8220;firmness vs. challenge. Although the setting is different, there is a certain sense of security, as many people on the Internet have said, &#8216;He looks just like Yukawa from Galileo.
 Not only the characters, but the film itself is a moderately comical detective story, making it perfect for Sunday nights when you want to relax and watch. It may sound strange to say this, but Mr. Fukuyama&#8217;s acting ability is said not to be that high to begin with. I think it was a good decision for him not to take on difficult roles, but to stick to the image that the TV audience wants.
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 Conversely, it was Kimura who boldly challenged this image.
 In the special drama &#8220;Kyobo,&#8221; he played a ruthless and devilish instructor, and overturned the reputation of &#8220;no matter what he does, he&#8217;s still Kimura Taku. It was thought that he would continue to do well, but surprisingly, he was not sought after for serial dramas.
 The average viewer rating for Kimutaku&#8217;s first series was in the double digits. It would have been fine for a special, but for a serial drama that would be watched ten times, the public was still looking for Kimutaku&#8217;s personality.
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead=" The selection of &quot;Partners&quot; that determined the winners and losers"></div>
<figure id="attachment_315618" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-315618" style="width: 476px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="4c33e360"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2023/06/1f8b3a9b96706b6b6beea9d1dc1f0705.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-315618" class="wp-caption-text">Kimura Kimitaku is struggling with his starring role in &#8220;Kazama Kochin &#8211; Kyojo 0-&#8220;.</figcaption></figure>
 What is even more ironic is that the other reason also seems to be largely due to a &#8220;strategic error.
 It&#8217;s the choice of &#8216;partner.&#8217; Mr. Fukuyama&#8217;s partner is popular veteran actor Yo Oizumi, and the two have long been known to be good friends, with Mr. Oizumi often imitating Mr. Fukuyama. Many people watch the drama to see the combination of the two.
 In fact, comical dialogue that seems to be completely ad-libbed is inserted throughout, and this has been well received. I feel that not only Mr. Fukuyama but also Mr. Oizumi have contributed greatly to the strong ratings.
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 On the other hand, Kimura&#8217;s partner is &#8230;&#8230;.
 He is partnered every two episodes with a young actor of the moment, such as Eiji Akachu, Yui Aragaki, or Takumi Kitamura, in the form of an instructor and a student. However, their scenes are far more numerous than Kimura&#8217;s, and Kimura&#8217;s presence is diminished. It looks like just a one-off drama starring a young actor, and just when the relationship between the two is finally warming up, they are replaced by the next student. This is not enough to get viewers hooked.
 The two actors are indeed no longer able to attract a wide range of viewers with their individual charms alone. That is why I believe that choosing the right character and partner will continue to be their lifeline in the future.
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 One of the editors made the following interesting analysis.
 Fukuyama-san enjoys cameras and often talked about high-end cameras with the cameraman on set. But even though he is a successful and well-paid actor, I was impressed that he was very cautious, wondering if the features were worth the price. I think he probably considers the cost-effectiveness of the films he performs in the same way and chooses them carefully.&#8221;
 This time, it was just a matter of whether the strategy turned out to be a good or a bad one. In any case, it seems that the presence of the two is still exceptional.

 Yusuke Kondo

 Born in Ehime Prefecture. After working at a broadcasting station, she became a freelance writer. She specializes in interviews with celebrities and analysis of popular events, and is always on the lookout for serial dramas and popular Japanese movies. She is a famous beautiful writer in the magazine industry.

 Nanako

 Two big-name actors star in dramas with a distinct difference. The two dramas are Masaharu Fukuyama's "Last Man" and Takuya Kimura's "Kazama Kimichika: Kyobo 0". While Fukuyama's drama achieved double-digit viewer ratings, Kimura's struggled. Surprising reasons behind the main character's character and the "partner"'s strategic mistakes.

A new character that challenged the audience was a backfire, and the &#8220;partner&#8221; was chosen incorrectly&#8230; Masaharu Fukuyama and Takuya Kimura &#8220;have a clear difference in the drama series they starred in.

A new character that challenged the audience was a backfire, and the “partner” was chosen incorrectly… Masaharu Fukuyama and Takuya Kimura “have a clear difference in the drama series they starred in.

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