Can the “success factors” of morning dramas save “Omusubi”?

Now the face of NHK

The 111th NHK TV drama series, “Omusubi,” has begun airing.

It stars Kanna Hashimoto (25). She was a “local idol” in her hometown of Fukuoka Prefecture, where the drama is set.

In 2001, when she was in her third year of junior high school, a picture of her dancing at a local event spread rapidly on the Internet bulletin board “2channel” and “Twitter. She was featured on NHK news programs and wide shows. At the age of 25, she has appeared in countless movies, TV dramas, stage performances, and commercials. She also has regular appearances in variety shows, and in 2010 and 2011, she was chosen to host NHK’s “Kohaku Uta Gassen” for two consecutive years. He is now the face of NHK.

With Hashimoto in the lead role, expectations for the drama were sky-high. However, many viewers were left wondering “Oh well…” after watching the first episode. Immediately after the broadcast, “#Reflections” started up on the Internet.

X comments included “The return of Chimu-don” and “The nightmare of Chimu-don”, and some were worried about the return of “Chimu-don” (first half of FY 2010), which had an unusual upsurge in “#Reflection”.

It is said that there are “necessary concepts” for morning dramas, and that fulfilling these elements will increase their chances of success.

The first of these is a story about a woman who “rises to the top. Most morning dramas feature female protagonists. The concept is that the protagonist overcomes hardships and eventually grows into a prominent figure. The models for the main characters are women who actually existed and made their mark on history. This is what is known as the “royal road” of morning dramas.

Tears in moderation

However, not all morning dramas are the same. Although the concept of a story about a woman’s success in life remains the same, sometimes the main character is not a great man, and sometimes, as in this case, a “modern drama” with an original script is produced.

However, for some reason, there are only a few “modern dramas” that are highly acclaimed. There have been a number of such productions in the past, but at that time the Internet was not widely available and there was no proliferation of evaluations and opinions about the dramas, good or bad. ところが’10年代に入って放送された『てっぱん』、『純と愛』、『まれ』、『半分、青い。』 (Teppan), “Jun to Ai,” “Mare,” “Half Blue,” “Okaeri Monet,” “Chimu Dodon,” “Soar! and “Soar!” were all met with harsh criticism.

The second was “just the right amount of tears.

The second is “just the right amount of tears.” “Viewers are moved to tears when they see the main character, who lived through the turbulent Meiji, Taisho, and Showa eras, grow up while fighting against the times,” said one viewer. The Pacific War was the most tragic event for the Japanese people, and they are in awe of those who survived that era.

In Reiwa and Reiwa 2025, there was also the tragedy of the “Great East Japan Earthquake,” and the “Half Blue” and “Welcome Home, Monet” also brought tears to the hearts of viewers. Although the tragedy is also depicted in “Half Blue” and “Welcome Home, Monet,” many viewers have experienced it for real, and I feel more nervous than tearful when I watch the show. I think there is also a feeling of ‘I don’t want to watch it yet'” (broadcaster).

However, since morning dramas are also home dramas, “ups and downs” and “overcoming hardships” are not necessarily prerequisites. The third element is important. The third element is to eliminate the gap between the communicator and the receiver.

The third element is to eliminate the gap between the viewer and the audience. “Since this is a drama that viewers watch during their morning commute to work or school, too many sad scenes will turn them away. As a home drama, it is necessary to have a moderate amount of sadness and joy, but the key is how much the viewers can understand and sympathize with the story. In other words, it is important to eliminate the gap between the story and the viewer’s emotions. To put it this way, “Omusubi” has a problem in that there are many questionable scenes in the script,” said a producer of a commercial TV drama.

For example, a scene like this. The main character, Yoneda Yui, played by Hashimoto, refuses to participate in club activities because she has to help her family, who are farmers. However, her family is not poor and seems to have enough manpower. She wonders if she needs to help out, but in the end, she joins the calligraphy club because “the older students are cool,” and she ends up doing “gyaru” activities on Saturdays and Sundays.

Why did they involve “gyaru”?

Frankly speaking, viewers cannot get their heads around it. Because they cannot see “Why did they involve gyaru in the story? is not clear to viewers. Because this is a morning drama that is watched by many generations, there are many viewers who are not familiar with gal culture. Therefore, there are too many scenes that make the viewer wonder, “What’s going on? What does it mean?” There are just too many scenes that leave the viewers wondering “What’s going on?

As was the case with “Chimu Dodan,” it seems as if they are trying to get local “popularity” by showing the regional characteristics of the area. However, the gals’ information and banter are half-hearted. If you want to make a comedy, you need to do proper research on Fukuoka Prefecture’s gyaru, and then write a script that will make the locals laugh with characters that they can understand. If you don’t do that, you will get a lot of flack when you come up with scenes that lack realism.

The fourth rule is,

The fourth rule is to create a climax every five minutes, or three climaxes in an episode of 15 minutes. The last climax serves to maximize expectations for the next broadcast.

When these five rules are laid out, “Omusubi” does not deviate too much from the concept of morning dramas. However, the “mountain” that rises once every five minutes is not very high.

Possibility of rewriting the script more and more

So, how can “Omusubi” get rid of its stigma in the future?

Looking at NHK’s website, the introduction page for “Omusubi” reads as follows

A heroine who is going through the rough and tumble of the Heisei and Reiwa eras. She lives positively in her own way and enjoys herself to the fullest, regardless of what others think of her!　Yes, she is a “gal.

Although “Omusubi” has many causes for concern, the drama has just begun. It is well known that morning dramas are constantly being rewritten to suit the situation. If this works out and the drama gets into the right frame of mind, there is no denying that it will be well received.

But the fact that #Reflections is up and running and the internet is getting excited means that it is getting that much attention. That is one way to enjoy morning dramas, isn’t it?