Yasuko Sawaguchi’s Kasouken no Onna Retirement Looms Despite Calls to Stay Mariko

On July 3, the latest installment of the popular TV Asahi drama series Kasouken no Onna, starring actress Yasuko Sawaguchi (59), began. The series, which started in October 1999, is set at the Kyoto Prefectural Police’s Forensic Science Laboratory. It follows forensic researcher Mariko Sakaki (played by Sawaguchi) and her team as they use DNA analysis and image processing to solve increasingly violent and high-tech crimes. 

 

Kasouken no Onna was previously broadcast in the long-standing Thursday 8:00 PM Thursday Mystery slot on the same network. Following the cancellation of that slot, the series moved to the newly established Tuesday 9:00 PM slot. It now airs in the Wednesday 9:00 PM slot, which also features other popular series like Aibou and Special Investigation Nine.

 

However, the first episode of the new season, broadcast on July 3, recorded an average household rating of 7.8% (according to Video Research, Kanto region), marking the lowest debut rating in the series’ history. The second episode on July 10 garnered a rating of 8.1%, and the third episode on July 17 saw a rating of 8.8%, showing an upward trend, but it has not achieved double-digit ratings since the October 2022 debut of Season 22 (up until the July 17 broadcast this year).

 

“A general decline in TV viewership ratings is affecting all networks, and this show is clearly caught in that trend. The main viewer demographic has always been people in their 50s and older, and the core ratings targeted at the 13 to 49 age group, which networks have been focusing on recently, are not expected to improve. The series has been running for so long that the mystery-solving elements in the story are starting to run out, leading to viewer fatigue.” (broadcasting reporter)

Interestingly, the decline in ratings for the series began around the time of the release of its first feature film, Kasouken no Onna, which came out in September 2021. Following the film’s release, Season 21 aired from October 2021 over two six-month periods, with a total of 18 episodes. The average rating for the entire season was 9.6%, marking the first time that the average rating for all episodes fell into the single digits.

 

 

“With hopes for the film’s success boosting the drama, the show was extended over two seasons. However, the film’s box office revenue reached only 540 million yen, failing to generate the momentum needed for the drama series.

 

Despite featuring a familiar cast from the drama, including Takashi Naito (69), Mayumi Wakamura (57), and Toru Kazama (61), as well as special cast member Kuranosuke Sasaki (56) for the film, it wasn’t enough to draw in a larger audience. Although the series has continued through subsequent seasons, the trend has been negative, and discussions within the network have started about ‘the best way to conclude the show.'” (Industry insider) 

 

The Kasouken no Onna is produced in collaboration between TV Asahi and the major film company Toei, with both the series and its film adaptations distributed by Toei. The series is filmed at Toei Kyoto Studio, which, due to a decrease in period drama productions, has seen reduced activity.

 

“Filming in Kyoto is costly, and many actors and crew, who mainly work in Tokyo, dislike it. Although Toei didn’t have high expectations for the film adaptation of Kasouken no Onna, it was produced and distributed due to a long-standing partnership with TV Asahi.

 

However, Toei’s real interest lies in the latest Aibou film. They no longer see much value in Kasouken no Onna and have even suggested internally that a neat conclusion with Season 25 might be best.” (says a TV Asahi insider)

 

TV Asahi may not have anticipated the long life of Kasouken no Onna. As a safeguard or compensation for the series’ potential end, they aired the special drama series Railway Detective starring Yasuko Sawaguchi from 2000 to 2021. Additionally, in 2020 and 2021, Sawaguchi starred in the special drama The Flower Sensei, where she played a new politician and flower arrangement master. There could be potential for either of these shows to be adapted into a regular series in the future. 

Online, there are passionate fans who express their support, saying things like, “I want Mariko to keep going even when she’s 70 or 80. I love how she hasn’t changed,” and “I thought the show would become repetitive, but I was moved to tears from the very first episode.”

However, as Yasuko Sawaguchi approaches 60 next year, it seems that Kasouken no Onna might soon reach its retirement age.

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