Aiba ◎× bu Teeters on the Edge—Gets Surprise Lifeline Amid Looming Arashi Breakup Boom Next Year

Triple starring in a traditional drama slot starting in July

The popular group Arashi, who have announced their effective disbandment following a concert tour next spring, currently have four members—excluding leader Satoshi Ohno (44)—active as solo performers.

Among them, Masaki Aiba (42) serves as MC for the variety shows Aiba Manabu (TV Asahi), Ah!! Minna no Dōbutsuen (NTV), and Aiba ◎× bu (Fuji TV). Additionally, beginning July 9, he will co-star alongside Nao Omori (53) and Nao Matsushita (40) in the new serial drama Daitsuiseki: Keishichō SSBC Kyōkōhan Gakari (TV Asahi).

The drama is the first to spotlight the “Investigation Support Analysis Center (SSBC),” which was newly established within the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department in 2009. It portrays the work of a new division under SSBC called the “SSBC Violent Crime Unit” and the people surrounding it.

“TV Asahi’s Wednesday 9 p.m. crime drama slot has aired many iconic detective dramas like Hagure Keiji Junjō-ha (1988–2005) and Aibō (2002–present). SSBC Violent Crime Unit is the first new series in that slot since Keiji 7-nin launched in 2015, marking a 10-year gap. Aiba’s Aiba Manabu has maintained strong viewership, and his last three leading roles in serial dramas have all aired in the network’s ‘Friday Night Drama’ slot (Fridays at 11:15 p.m.). His consistent success likely earned him this return to a primetime GP slot (7–11 p.m.) after eight years.

In the April season of this year’s Wednesday 9 p.m. slot, his agency senior Yoshihiko Inohara (49) starred in Tokuso 9, which ended its series run. SSBC Violent Crime Unit is expected to become its successor,” said a TV network reporter.

Meanwhile, Aiba’s variety shows Aiba Manabu and Minna no Dōbutsuen air on Sunday at 6 p.m. and Saturday at 7 p.m., respectively. However, Aiba ◎× bu is broadcast at 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays—a notably ambiguous time slot.

There were constant rumors of its termination

“This program succeeded Arashi’s signature Thursday 7 p.m. show VS Arashi in January 2021, with Aiba taking the lead and rebranding it as VS Damashii. It was a game-based variety show, but ratings struggled. In April 2022, it was revamped as VS Damashii: Gradation, yet the numbers failed to improve, and it ended in September 2023.

The follow-up program, Moku7 ◎× bu, launched in October 2023 with Aiba remaining as MC. In it, Aiba and other entertainers started fictional school clubs and took on various challenges. However, ratings remained lackluster. Additionally, fallout from the sexual abuse scandal involving the late Johnny Kitagawa, founder of the former Johnny’s Office, led to the show being dropped from the golden time slot in April last year. It was retitled Aiba ◎× bu and moved to a local Kanto-area slot,” said a Fuji TV insider.

Recent average household viewership ratings were 2.4% on June 7, 2.6% on June 14, and 2.8% on June 21 (according to Video Research, Kanto region). While these figures are among the top for that time slot compared to other networks, for a program hosted by an Arashi member, both the airtime and ratings are underwhelming, and rumors of cancellation have persisted. However, the announcement of Arashi’s disbandment in May appears to have shifted the outlook.

“There were talks of cancellation, but with Fuji TV now looking to capitalize on the ‘Arashi breakup business,’ they can’t afford to cut Aiba’s show. Fuji’s variety shows have been underperforming across the board in recent years, so it’s even possible the program could return to a GP (prime-time) slot eventually,” the same insider added.

Can Aiba ◎× bu really survive? Entertainment reporter Takayuki Shiroshita commented:

“I do think the announcement of Arashi’s activities ending next year has given the show a new lease on life. If they cancel it outright now, and it comes time to compete with other networks for special programming later, Fuji might find themselves told, ‘You’re not a priority anymore.’ Of course, no one would say that out loud—it’s an unspoken rule.

Once Arashi officially ends their activities at the end of May next year and all members go solo, if the ratings are still poor, they can just cancel it then.”

That’s how significant the disbandment bonus truly is.