Winter Dramas You Can Still Catch — Buzzing with Theories and New Hit Candidates

Sunday Drama Achieves Triple Crown!

The TBS winter drama Reboot has achieved the triple crown, topping household ratings, core demographic ratings (ages 13–49), and TVer registration numbers. According to a TBS employee, “The mood at the station is celebratory.”

“The first episode’s catch-up streaming was watched 4.78 million times, marking a record for Sunday dramas. Even the protagonist’s shop in the show, Hayase Patisserie, has had its cream puffs sold at a TBS-run café, which has generated a lot of excitement!”

Ryohei Suzuki (42) is a veteran of Sunday dramas, starring previously in the TOKYO MER series and Gekokujou Kyuji. Scriptwriter Tsutomu Kuroiwa has also worked on numerous Sunday dramas, including TOKYO MER, Grand Maison Tokyo, and My Family.

“Incidentally, Kuroiwa also handled LIAR GAME Season 2, which helped put Erika Toda (37) on the map. His strong rapport with lead actors contributes to the overall stability of the work,” noted drama watcher Mihiro Kawada.

The story is a fantastical one: average citizen Kenichi Matsuyama (40) undergoes plastic surgery to look like Suzuki’s corrupt detective to fight an evil organization. Yet writer Kumao Oyama praised it, saying, “The overall high energy and the cast’s skill naturally draw viewers in.”

The production features a star-studded cast, including Toda, Matsuyama, King & Prince’s Ren Nagase (27), comedy duo Diane’s Atsuhiro Tsuda (49), and Mrs. GREEN APPLE’s Ryoka Fujisawa (32), made possible by the big budget Sunday drama scale.

A director from the production company attributed the success to careful planning by the production team:

“The model for Hayase Patisserie is a real shop in suburban Tokyo. The team negotiated extensively to secure filming permission because it perfectly fit the drama’s world. While many productions rely on cooperative shops due to time and manpower constraints, Reboot carefully chose locations to make the visuals feel fresh. Location scouting started last January, filming wrapped in summer, and editing was done meticulously.”

While ratings have slightly declined recently, a commercial TV programming executive explained, “Because the drama depicts complex human relationships with themes of good vs. evil and love vs. betrayal, some viewers get confused—feeling like they’re getting closer to the truth yet understand even less—and drop off.”

Screenwriter Purin Aida, however, sees it differently: “The numerous twists and amount of information appeal to viewers who enjoy analyzing the story. Who is rebooting whom—who is posing as someone else via plastic surgery, and who is the mastermind? There’s endless speculation. These elements, not seen in previous Sunday dramas, have attracted new viewers. The challenge now is how all the foreshadowing will be resolved by the finale.”

TV Asahi is also doing well

After several consecutive quarters of delivering hit shows like Shiawase na Kekkon and Chotto Dake Esper, TV Asahi is seeing strong results, with Saikai ~Silent Truth~ recording 3.329 million plays on streaming platforms. Okome no Onna – National Tax Agency Data Investigation Division, Zakkoku Room also got off to a strong start with 2.525 million plays.

“Saikai is a high-quality mystery where the power of the original work, the script, the direction, and the actors all come together perfectly. Even though there’s an original novel, people can’t stop analyzing it, which shows how skillfully the mystery is presented. Of course, Ryoma Takeuchi (32) and Mao Inoue (39) give excellent performances, but you can’t take your eyes off Noriko Eguchi (45) in her role as a detective either,” said Ooyama.

While Saikai targets women and younger viewers, Okome no Onna is about taxes and tax evasion, a topic many people are interested in. It also tackles politics and current affairs, making it appealing to all generations.

“By displaying sponsorship flags at the Grand Sumo New Year Tournament, which started on January 11, the show gained immediate attention. Nanako Matsushima (52), starring in a TV drama lead role for the first time in about ten years, personally decided to cut her hair and portray her character with a hunched posture while sipping sake, showing her dedication to the role. She reportedly brings luxurious daily gifts to the set, and Mao Daichi (70) revealed that she devoured eight giant takoyaki balls in one sitting,” explained a commercial TV executive.

Why does Matsushima go so far? A TV Asahi employee revealed, “Because this is a fight they absolutely cannot lose.”

“During Ryoko Yonekura’s (50) drug scandal, the network had to prepare for the possible shelving of her lead series, including Doctor X, halting reruns and program sales. They narrowly avoided the worst-case scenario, but there was a strong sense of urgency to create a new hit series as quickly as possible. Both Tokusou 9 and Kasouken no Onna had already ended, so expectations for Okome no Onna are very high.”

Viewers and drama watchers are also praising the series.

“The cast’s age range and characters are well-balanced. You can imagine refreshing the regular cast slightly, like in Kasouken no Onna, to keep it interesting. It seems to have been made very strategically. I’m already looking forward to a sequel,” said Kawada.

[Part 2 here] From classic stability to a unique approach focusing on scripts is key! Winter dramas worth watching even now.

 

From “FRIDAY” March 6, 2026 issue