Here’s a “winter drama” to watch now–exciting for consideration! Candidates for new popular series!

Sunday Gekijo won the triple crown!

Sunday Gekijo ranked first in household viewer ratings, core viewer ratings (ratings among men and women aged 13-49), and TVer registrations. According to a TBS employee, “the mood at the station is celebratory.

The number of views of the first episode of “Reboot” was 4.78 million, ranking first in the history of Sunday dramas. The cream puffs from Hayase’s confectionary store, which appear in the show, are being sold at a TBS-operated cafe!

Ryohei Suzuki (42) is a regular actor, starring in his third Sunday theater production, following the “TOKYO MER” series and “Gekkokujo Kyuuji”. Tsutomu Kuroiwa, who wrote the script, has also worked on numerous Sunday dramas, including “TOKYO MER,” “Grand Maison Tokyo,” and “My Family.

Incidentally, Mr. Kuroiwa is also in charge of Season 2 of the “LIAR GAME” series, one of the works that brought Erika Toda (37) into the limelight. I think the strong sense of tag-teaming with the main cast leads to a sense of stability in the work as a whole,” said drama watcher Kawada Mihiro.

Writer Kumao Oyama also praised the drama, saying, “Despite the absurd storyline, in which Matsuyama Kenichi (40), a minor citizen, fights an evil organization by getting plastic surgery to look like a corrupt detective played by Suzuki, you are drawn in by the high tension throughout the story and the performers’ artistic skills. “Toda and Matsuyama,” said writer Oyama Kumao.

In addition to Toda, Matsuyama, and Ren Nagase (27) of King & Prince, Atsuhiro Tsuda (49) of Diane and Ryokka Fujisawa (32) of Mrs. GREEN APPLE, the cast includes a number of high-profile faces, and that’s because this is a Sunday theater with big budgets like those for movies. That’s why.”

The director of the production company cited “the production team’s recklessness” as a factor in the success of the film.

The model for Hayase’s confectionery store is an actual store in the suburbs of Tokyo, but they got permission to film it after repeated negotiations because it fits the worldview of the drama,” he said. While many stores are used for filming due to a lack of manpower and time, “Reboot” was particular about the choice of location, so the picture is fresh. We started location scouting last January and cranked it up in the summer. We also spent a lot of time on editing.

A senior programming executive from a commercial broadcaster analyzed that the reason for the slight drop in viewer ratings is that “the work shows good and evil, love and betrayal through complex character relationships, and some viewers are dropping out, saying, ‘I thought I was close to the truth, but today’s episode made it even more difficult to understand. However, broadcaster Aida Pudding believes that “the more gimmicks and information, the more it sticks with viewers who like to think about it.

But, says Aida Pudding, a broadcast writer, “The more gimmicks and information there is, the more it sticks in the viewer’s craw. There is no end to the speculation. I think this is an element that has never been seen in the Sunday theater before, and it is contributing to attracting new viewers. However, I feel that they have spread the story too wide, so I wonder how they will recover the foreshadowing before the final episode. ……”

TV Asahi also doing well

TV Asahi, which has been releasing high-profile works such as “Shiawase na Kekkon” and “Slightly Esper” for several consecutive seasons, is doing well with “Reunion – Silent Truth” recording 3,329,000 views in the distribution channel. The “Okome no Onna: Kokubetsu Bureaus Data Investigation Division, Zokoku Shitsu” also got off to a good start with 2,525,000 views.

The power of the original story, the script, the direction, and the actors all work together to create a high quality mystery. The fact that there is no end to the number of people who consider the original novel, even though there is an original novel, must mean that the mystery is presented so well. In addition to the fine performances by Ryoma Takeuchi (32) and Mao Inoue (39), one cannot take one’s eyes off Noriko Eguchi (45), who plays the detective, for her monstrous performance.

While “Reunion” targets women and young people, the theme of “Okome no Onna” is tax and tax evasion, which many people are interested in. It is characterized by the fact that it is designed for all generations, including cutting into politics and current events.

She attracted a lot of attention when she displayed a prize banner at the first sumo tournament held on January 11, the first day of the tournament. Nanako Matsushima (52), who is starring in her first drama series in about 10 years, cut her hair at her own suggestion and sipped sake hunched over, showing her seriousness about her role. Mao Daichi (70) revealed an episode in which she ate eight giant hot takoyaki (octopus dumplings).

Why does Matsushima go to such lengths? A TV Asahi employee confided, “Because there is a battle that she absolutely cannot lose.

The drug scandal involving Ryoko Yonekura (50) led to the cancellation of reruns and sales of “Doctor X” and other series starring Yonekura. The worst was over, but the sense of urgency to create a new popular series as soon as possible intensified. Both “Special Investigation 9” and “Forensic Woman” had already ended. The expectations for “Okome no Onna” are high.

The series has been well received by watchers.

The age of the cast members and their characters are well balanced. I can imagine that some of the regular members of the cast will be replaced to give it a fresh feel, like in “Forensic Woman”. It must have been made quite strategically. I am now looking forward to the sequel,” said Kawada.

The second part is here] From the stability of the royal road to the original line…from now on, the emphasis will be on the script! Winter Dramas You Should Start Watching Now!

From “FRIDAY” March 6, 2026 issue