Fuji Television Geki 9 Sees Further Decline in Viewer Ratings, Exploring the Causes Behind Its Slump and Potential Path to Extinction

Mei Nagano (24), the lead actress of the Geki 9 drama “Kimi ga Kokoro ga Kurutte Kara de” (Because You Gave Me Your Heart), which started on January 8, has been struggling badly. The average household rating for the first episode was 7.2% (Kanto region, same below), 5.8% for the second episode, and 5.6% for the third episode. The latest fourth episode also recorded 5.4%, and the ratings have continued to drop since the first broadcast. Despite the fact that Nagano was the star of the show, the numbers have not been good.

The possibility of a third consecutive season without double-digit viewer ratings is now on the rise, following last July’s “Cinderella in Midsummer” and October’s “One Day: What a Commotion on a Holy Night”. Geki 9″ used to be the “king” of TV dramas, but that is now a thing of the past. A drama producer discusses the current situation.

Considering that the average viewer rating was around 10% until the April season of last year’s “Kazama Kimura 0” starring Takuya Kimura (51), I think the resurgence of romantic dramas is one of the reasons for the slump. In the past, the subject matter of “Tsuki 9” was so synonymous with romantic dramas. However, due to sluggish viewer ratings, Fuji Television had sealed off romantic dramas in “Geki 9” after “Suddenly, I’ll Get Married Tomorrow” in the January ’17 season. That change of course was a success, and the ratings have been stable for the past few years.

Last July, Fuji revived the royal love story with “Cinderella in Midsummer” after a long absence, but as a result, the numbers were not good, and the average rating of 5.7% was the worst ever recorded for the same frame. The October season’s “One Day: Karafuda on a Holy Night” continued in the same vein with an average rating of 5.3%, further breaking the worst record for the series. Once viewership slumps, it is difficult to recover. …… If this trend continues, this film may further break the worst record for “Tsuki 9.”

Tsuki 9″ has been stuck in a long, dark tunnel. What is the cause of the sluggish viewer ratings? A drama producer cited “the growing complexity of the scripts” as the cause.

I think that the current “Gekkan 9” is trying too hard to create unexpected stories and characterizations. In recent years, dramas such as “VIVANT” (TBS) and “It’s Your Turn” (Nippon TV) have become social phenomena, and the drama industry is experiencing an unprecedented “boom in consideration,” so I feel that there is a demand for outlandish characters and complex stories. However, I think “Tsuki 9” has been pulled in a bad way.

For example, in “Cinderella in Midsummer,” a resident doctor with a bad mouth and attitude intervened in every episode, and the story was dragged down by the intervention of his bad attitude. In “One Day,” the same day is depicted from three different characters’ perspectives, so if you missed even one episode, it was hard to catch up. Since it’s Monday, the start of the week, I don’t think it’s all that difficult to say, but I think “Tsuki 9” needs a simple, bright, easy-to-understand storyline like in the past. At least, that’s what I think.

In the case of “Because You Gave Me Your Heart,” expectations were quite high before the broadcast began. However, when the lid was opened, it turned out to be an epic love story that was too heavy for a Tsuki 9 drama, and the complicated story with fantasy elements may have stunned the viewers. I think Fuji Television intended to create a buzz by daring to complicate the setting and make it unexpected, but as a result, I don’t think they have been able to overcome the same issues as the past two dramas” (TV magazine writer).

(TV magazine writer) “There is still a possibility that the show will recover, but if it breaks the record for the worst average viewer rating for three consecutive seasons, a “certain possibility” will become a reality. However, if the drama series breaks the worst average rating record for the third consecutive season, the “possibility” of the “disappearance” of “Tsuki 9” may become a real possibility.

The drama was a work of art for Fuji Television to once again prove that “love story = Gekkan 9. However, the viewer ratings have been declining since the start of the broadcast. Some people in the company are even suggesting that it would be better to change the Gekkan 9 slot to a variety show. Until now, we used to laugh at the idea that we could get better ratings by replaying past masterpieces, but that is no longer a joke,” said a Fuji Television insider.

Will “Tsuki 9” make a comeback again, or will it be eliminated as a drama that does not fit the times? The signature content of the TV drama world is facing a critical moment.