Ichiban Sukina Hana”, “Palipi Komei”… Surprising Reasons for “Fuji TV’s Most Popular” Autumn Dramas with Sluggish Viewer Ratings

There were no super highlights like the previous season’s “VIVANT,” and viewer ratings were generally sluggish for fall dramas. The only station that has been showing some signs of life is Fuji Television Network. Its “out-of-the-box strategy” is reflected not in household and core ratings (ratings among men and women aged 13-49), but in the video distribution figures.

Drama watcher Kawada Mihiro says, “Fuji’s strength in terms of TVer favorite registrations is striking, with ‘Ichiban suki na hana’ and ‘My Lawyer is a handful’ in one-two, and ‘One Day’ and ‘Paripi Komei’ in fourth and fifth place.

(Drama watcher Kawada Mihiro) A director of a production company points out, “Fuji’s dramas this season are focused on casting and content to increase the number of views of missed broadcasts. For example, in “Pali Pi Kongming,” the famous military strategist of the Three Kingdoms period, Zhuge Liang Kongming, is reincarnated in modern-day Shibuya to help an unsuccessful singer rise through the ranks.

Another attempt to capture the younger generation was made in “Paripi Komei.

The music played in the play was distributed in conjunction with a music distribution service, and users spread the playlist on Spotify, creating a lot of excitement. This is a successful example of utilizing fields other than television, and I think other stations will be aware of it,” said Kawada.

The number of registered viewers for “ichiban suki na hana” (“The Most Suitable Flower”), written by Miku Ikata and produced by Ken Murase of “silent,” which set a record for the most total number of views in the missed streaming service, is number one. The “Quattro starring” cast of four beautiful women, including Mikako Tabe (34), Kohei Matsushita (36), Mio Imada (26), and Kamio Fūju (24), was also a hot topic.

When I was a student, it was difficult to form a group of two in class. The four discuss the emotional scars and difficulties they all have in life through the problems they have had to deal with. The story proceeds in a straightforward conversational style, making it easy to become emotionally involved. It also depicts themes that have not been touched on before, such as the troubles caused by good looks,” said broadcaster Aida Pring.

The director mentioned above says, “The current problem is the extremely tight shooting schedule.

There were times when there was only a week between location shooting and broadcast. Murase P. was very particular, and ‘silent’ was shot at the very last minute, and the actors and staff were quite exhausted.”

The tight schedule was well utilized in “My Lawyer is a handful.

The production company executive said, “Muro Tsuyoshi (47) was hospitalized with peritonitis during filming, so we were on a tight schedule, but we were able to take advantage of the tight shooting schedule by incorporating a line from ‘Monkey Gorilla,’ the winner of the ‘King of Conte,’ into the opening of the fifth episode.

Muro’s performance is making TV people groan. A senior executive at a commercial TV network praised Muro’s performance.

The actor’s manager, whom he plays, is too realistic. The distance and the way he walks alongside the actors and the way he interacts with them while driving…… young managers should study up (laughs). The dialogue with Yurina Hirate (22) is also extremely funny, and he manages to turn the brusque girl around and bring out her charm.

The producers of the key stations believe that “One Day” was “aimed at people who would watch it over and over again on the distribution channel” by having three storylines running simultaneously, but the numbers were sadly low for a monthly series.

The three storylines, a crime drama part by Kazuya Ninomiya (40), a work drama part by Miki Nakatani (47), and a locked room comedy part by Takao Osawa (55), run concurrently, but they do not intertwine at all, and it is not clear what the creators are trying to do. It is important to understand that this is no longer the era in which you can pull in viewers with a “kara no kaiyaku.

The double leader in household and core viewer ratings was the Sunday drama “Gekkokujo Kyuji” (TBS).

The story is a typical sports guts story, but the main character commits a crime and is bashed for it, which is a new twist, and we cannot take our eyes off the future development. The baseball scenes have a realistic feel without using cutscenes, thanks to the cast who can really play baseball,” said Oyama.

The “alleged stunt” that was beaten to death.

The production cost was a fraction of that of the previous season’s “VIVANT,” which featured an all-star cast and was even shot on location overseas, and one would think that there would be rejoicing within TBS. ……

The production cost is a fraction of that of the previous season’s “VIVANT,” which featured an all-star cast and was filmed on location overseas. The original story is just like that. It’s just the way the original story is written, and TBS doesn’t receive a single yen. …… Dramas other than “My Second Aoharu” starring Alice Hirose (28) and “Gekkokujo Kyuuji” have been receiving low ratings, and the atmosphere within the company is also sinking,” said a producer at a key station.

TV Asahi’s popular series “Mitazono, the Housekeeper,” which was brought to primetime with full force, is doing very well in terms of both viewer ratings and TVer subscribers.

The so-called “Johnny’s” sex-abuse problem has made it so that when former Johnny’s talents appear on screen, they are viewed through various filters, especially by young people, such as “They must have been cast because of their affinity with the TV station. The fact that the film, starring Masahiro Matsuoka (46), is doing well amidst this headwind is proof that he and his work are excellent. However, even with the change to an agent system, the headwinds will continue to blow against the old Johnny’s talent for some time to come. If there is no necessity to use them, they will not be able to pass in terms of sales,” said a producer from a key station.

The competition among actresses is also a highlight of this season. Kanna Hashimoto (24) has already appeared in “Tokumei! (Fuji), in which Kanna Hashimoto (24) plays an accountant who is sent on a special mission to cut costs.

He is at odds with Sawamura Kazuki (56) and others, but solves the case. I am a big fan of dramas in which an uncle is pushed around by a young woman. Her sparkling performance in the spring-cooled “The King’s Dedicated Ring Finger” is still going strong. She is into comedy dramas.

Some people say “Kanna Hashimoto is standing up too much and she’s full of herself” (Mr. Aida), but the numbers are not growing. …… Riho Yoshioka (30) in “Toki wo Kakeruna, Koibito-tachi” (Fuji) also has a good reputation, although the numbers are not good.

The work pays homage to Fujiko F. Fujio’s masterpiece “T. P. Bon,” and common words such as ″navigation method″ and ″fogetter″ appear in the work. Each episode is just over 20 minutes long, but the script does not over-explain, but leaves a lingering impression. The link between “love separated by time” and the main character’s “inability to cross the line” is well done, and the sadness of having to forget the other person is also heartbreaking,” said Oyama.

Yuria Sensei no Akai Ito” (TV Asahi), starring Miho Kanno (46), ranked third in household viewer ratings.

Her husband collapses and becomes unconscious while at a hotel with his male lover (Osamu Suzuka, 23). She ends up taking care of him at home, but she has to live with another mistress, a single mother (Mayu Matsuoka, 28), her child, who may be her husband’s illegitimate child, and her mother-in-law. …… and never gets tired of the series of shocking developments,” Kitagawa said.

Haruka Kiminami (38) plays the gap between a simple office worker by day and a belly dancer by night in “Sexy Tanaka-san” (NTV), and she does it all with her body.

Oyama said, “I liked the way the series was not just about transformation, but rather took the time to depict how the main characters change the old values that cling to men and women.

The number of drama slots that can be easily monetized has increased at each station, and Netflix and ABEMA have also become popular. With the overabundance of content, young viewers who do not know what to watch are now “watching the works of their choice”. Will Fuji be the “winner” by focusing on casting and distribution?

From the December 1, 2023 issue of FRIDAY