Mei Nagano Struggles, Alice Hirose’s Fate? Is Monday 9 PM’s Debut Lead Route at its Limit?
It might be their selling point to feature fresh dramas starring trendy actors in their debut lead roles, but it’s not necessarily yielding results. Nevertheless, despite this situation, Fuji TV has announced the broadcast of “366 Days” for the April term of Monday 9 PM. This drama marks the debut lead role for actress Alice Hirose (29) in both the Monday 9 PM slot and Fuji TV consecutive dramas.
The drama is inspired by the world of the representative song “366 Days” by the Okinawan male-female quartet group HY. It tells an original story about a man and a woman who, twelve years after their high school days, set out to fulfill a love that didn’t blossom during their school years.
“Even Suzu Hirose (25), who is the younger sister, has yet to lead in a Monday 9 PM drama. It’s notable that Alice, the elder sister, is being cast. Due to the recent decline in the Monday 9 PM slot, many actors decline lead roles as they see no benefits. However, actors who were relatively well-received in the past as leads from the previous ‘brand’ of the slot still accept Monday 9 PM debut lead roles… It’s possible that the upper management at Fuji TV hasn’t realized that the strategy of casting debut leads for Monday 9 PM dramas has reached its limit.” (Broadcast reporter)
Furthermore, considering that even Kimura Takuya, who once consistently achieved ratings of over 20% with his Monday 9 PM dramas, couldn’t reach double digits with last year’s April term drama “Kazama Kimichika- Kyojo Zero,” which garnered only 9.8%, it suggests that the Monday 9 PM time slot itself may have become increasingly challenging to attract viewers.
“For example, in recent years, there have been sequels to popular past dramas such as ‘Ichikei no Karasu,’ which even had a theatrical release, ‘Inspector Asagao’ starring Juri Ueno (37), and earlier hits like ‘HERO’ starring Kimura Takuya and ‘Code Blue -Doctor Heli Kinkyu Kyumei-‘ starring Tomohisa Yamashita (38). Alternatively, there’s the option of tackling big-budget productions like ‘VIVANT,’ which aired in the Sunday drama slot last July and was a massive hit with ample funding. Perhaps these are the only two choices available to defend the Monday 9 PM brand effectively.” (Same source)
If “366 Days” were to fail, perhaps even Fuji’s executives would finally wake up. In any case, it seems that the Monday 9 PM slot is facing a significant turning point.
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