Kanna Hashimoto: No Scandal Impact, But Onigiri Faces Inevitable Decline

At this rate, there is a risk of a crash.

Power harassment allegations and a love scandal. Kanna Hashimoto (25), who has been causing quite a stir, is still considered to have no problems within the industry and with sponsors.

“As for the power harassment issue, it’s just an internal dispute within her agency, and it’s something that tends to follow rising talents and actresses. Since it hasn’t caused any trouble for outsiders, no one in the industry is making a big deal out of it. Her relationship with Taishi Nakagawa (26) was reported in the past, and fans generally reacted positively to it. Hashimoto popularity remains solid,” said a producer from a major TV network.

However, Hashimoto’s role as the heroine in the NHK morning drama Onigiri continues to struggle, remaining in a low trajectory despite the controversies. At this rate, there seems to be a risk of a crash.

Looking back, the drama started strong with a 16.8% viewership rating for its premiere, the best start in the past three years of morning dramas. However, shortly after the broadcast began, the internet exploded with comments like “It’s the return of ‘Chimudondon’!” and many people piled on. On X (formerly Twitter), a “#ReflectionMeeting” hashtag emerged and became a daily sensation. But now, those posts have become fewer, and even the reflection meeting seems to be on the verge of disappearing.

The weekly average viewership has started to decline, dropping from 16.1% in the first week to 12.9% in the fourth week. However, in the fifth week, it recovered to 14.7%. The reason for this is believed to be:

“It seems that the setting, which takes the story back to the time of the 1995 Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake, had an impact. The reduction in the number of gal characters, who viewers were already tired of, in this episode likely helped. Furthermore, the long-awaited appearance of Riisa Naka (35) as the legendary gal Ayumi Yoneda was significant. Seeing her mysterious past and current state unfold likely made viewers think, ‘This is getting interesting,'” said a TV magazine writer.

Is the gal character really necessary?

It seemed to have made a comeback, but in the sixth week, it dropped again to 13.6%.

“It seems that it didn’t have enough of an impact to stop the downward trend. It’s a bit late to say this now, but in past morning dramas, the story typically began with the heroine’s childhood. If they had followed the chronological order and started with the earthquake arc, they might have been able to retain viewers a bit longer,” said the writer mentioned earlier.

So, what will happen with Onigiri going forward? A film journalist, who claims to have retired from watching the drama, shared their thoughts:

“There were just too many things to criticize, and more than anything, the story isn’t very interesting. I really question whether the gal character was even necessary. I think it could have been done without it.”

As for the gal character, the NHK website describes it as:

“Born in the first year of the Heisei era, the heroine, working as a nutritionist, connects people’s hearts and futures in this ‘Heisei Youth Graffiti.’ With the spirit of a gal who always cherishes her true self, the protagonist, Ayumi Yoneda, will boldly and energetically navigate through the tumultuous Heisei and Reiwa eras, facing struggles but enjoying life to the fullest!”

This description has sparked criticism on social media, with some viewers commenting, “If it’s not based on a true story, why force the gal character? She could have just aimed to become a nutritionist without that,” and “The profession of nutritionist just doesn’t seem to resonate, and I think that dulled viewers’ interest.” The film journalist continued:

At this point, with all this confusion.

“I think the profession of nutritionist is in line with contemporary issues like food loss and lifestyle diseases. The large theme of conveying the importance of food isn’t bad at all. However, unfortunately, that message isn’t coming through. In episode 5, there was a scene where a gal collapses from malnutrition, and I thought the heroine would go on to educate the gals about nutrition and save the picky eaters. But that didn’t happen. Even though the setting is a farm in Itoshima, there are inexplicably many scenes set in Tenjin, which I can’t understand. My honest impression is that the theme isn’t being utilized at all.”

So, is it possible to recover from here?

“With this much confusion, it may be difficult. From the very beginning, there were many viewers who were concerned about the casting of the heroine. With Hashimoto cast as the lead, it felt like NHK was aiming for young people and just chasing ratings. That might be fine, but the content isn’t something young people would find interesting. I think the problem is a disconnect in perception. Until they realize that, it may be difficult to turn things around.”

Is a crash inevitable after all? I asked someone involved in producing dramas for commercial TV.

“In the case of an original script for a morning drama, they can adjust the script based on audience reactions, so there might be some changes. In episode 8, suddenly two years pass, and the setting moves to Kobe. Honestly, I can’t predict how the story will unfold from here.”

Perhaps there’s still hope.