<figure id="attachment_378626" class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 1464px;" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-378626"><a href="#" data-ident_hash="7e1bc8be"><img src="https://res.cloudinary.com/fridaydigital/image/private/t_article_image/wpmedia/2024/06/90a6c1d8e9ea6cdc44bce9be1bcd621e.png" alt=""></a><figcaption id="caption-attachment-378626" class="wp-caption-text">The flagship drama slot stands at a major crossroads.</figcaption></figure>
The Fuji TV drama series &#8220;366 Days,&#8221; starring Alice Hirose (29), which started airing on April 8th, concluded on the 16th of this month.
Inspired by the world of the artist &#8220;H Y&#8221;&#8216;s hit song &#8220;366 Days,&#8221; the series tells an original story about a man and woman who reunite after 12 years to try to fulfill a love that didn&#8217;t blossom in high school. However, its ratings were tough. The first episode averaged a household rating of 7.2% in the Kanto region. As the series progressed, the ratings continued to drop, remaining in the low 5% range. Although there was a slight recovery towards the end, it ended with an average rating of 6.6%. Throughout its run, the series never reached double-digit ratings..
However, the industry&#8217;s evaluation is not necessarily negative, as revealed by a key network drama producer.
&#8220;There were mixed opinions, but sticking to a &#8216;traditional storyline&#8217; likely made it easier for viewers to follow. The synchronization with the music and the plot twists resolved in the final episode were well-executed and pleasantly surprising. If I were to nitpick, I would have liked to see a bit more careful depiction of each character&#8217;s emotional changes leading up to the finale.
&#8220;After the second episode, the series struggled with low ratings, partly because the first episode resembled &#8216;Because You Gave Me Your Heart&#8217; from the previous season on Fuji TV. In terms of acting, Alice Hirose and Gordon Maeda were excellent, and their reputation within the industry has undoubtedly risen.&#8221;
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>
<div data-friday-nextpage-lead="Even within the station, there are whispers that Geki 9 is no longer needed."></div>
The actors performances and the traditional storyline of 366 Days were well-received, ranking 4th among April period dramas in terms of favorite registrations on the streaming site TVer, even surpassing TBS&#8217;s Sunday drama Anti-Hero. 
&nbsp;
However, internally at Fuji TV, the series&#8217; performance is being taken seriously. It has set a disappointing record for their flagship Monday 9pm drama slot. Following Midsummer&#8217;s Cinderella last July, “ONE DAY &#8211; Holy Night Noise” in October, and “Because You Gave Me Your Heart&#8221; in January, 366 Days marks another season without achieving double-digit ratings throughout the year. 
Despite the actors&#8217; talent and the well-regarded concept, the current &#8216;Monday 9pm&#8217; slot finds itself in a deep valley of poor outcomes. However, for the upcoming July season, Fuji TV is preparing a decisive move. They are eagerly progressing with the production of &#8216;The Beginning of the Sea,&#8217; starring Ren Meguro (24).
 
&#8220;The upcoming drama &#8216;The Beginning of the Sea,&#8217; slated for the July season, reunites the production team behind the social phenomenon silent (October &#8217;22/Fuji TV), focusing on the theme of &#8216;parental love&#8217; in a completely original work. Screenwriter Miku Namikata, who last collaborated with Meguro two years ago on &#8216;silent,&#8217; returns for this project. The cast includes talented actors like Kasumi Arimura (31), Shinobu Otake (66), and Sosuke Ikematsu (33). The seriousness of Fuji TV&#8217;s efforts to revive the &#8216;Monday 9pm&#8217; slot is evident from the casting and production team.&#8221;(According to a TV magazine writer)
While hopes are high for “The Beginning of the Sea” to become the savior of the dishonored “Monday 9pm” slot, Fuji TV insiders caution, &#8220;If this drama fails, it could lead to the worst-case scenario.” If the results don&#8217;t improve with this high-stakes drama, it may further fuel the internal debate about the necessity of the Monday 9pm slot, as has been whispered about within the network.
&#8220;Over the past year, Fuji TV has aimed to return to the core strength of &#8216;Monday 9pm&#8217; with romantic dramas. While they typically achieved around 10% average ratings in the past, this year&#8217;s departure from romance has resulted in disappointing outcomes, posing significant challenges for the network. &#8216;The Beginning of the Sea&#8217; is a gamble to revive the slot without relying on romance, but if unsuccessful, it could signal that the &#8216;Monday 9pm&#8217; drama format is no longer relevant to modern audiences.
Currently, &#8216;Monday 9pm&#8217; episodes still command budgets of up to 30 million yen each. If these investments don&#8217;t yield results, there&#8217;s discussion about changing the slot to a different type of content that could attract higher viewership. While Fuji TV values this traditional format, they are at a critical juncture where tough decisions may need to be made.&#8221; ( Fuji TV insider)
Facing a critical juncture, Monday 9pm prepares for the upcoming drama “The Beginning of the Sea,” starting in July, which could mark the beginning of its revival. 
&nbsp;
<div data-friday-ad-slot="AD_inArticle"></div>

 AFLO

 Fuji Television's once flagship drama series, "Tsuki 9," is now at a crossroads. This season's "366 Days" failed to reach double-digit viewer ratings even once, which means that it "failed to get double-digit viewer ratings even once throughout the year.

Fuji TV’s Monday 9pm Drama Slot Sets Record Low Ratings

Access Ranking