Kasumi Arimura as a Magazine Reporter?! Despite Slumping Ratings, These Spring Dramas Are Worth Watching

For viewers who have grown accustomed to binge-watching entire seasons thanks to the rise of original streaming dramas, the inability to see much value in watching shows in real time has become a headwind for terrestrial TV serials. However, there are also many who say, “The casts may not be particularly flashy, but they’re full of talented actors. There are many hidden gems this season, and I actually feel it’s been an exceptionally strong one,” according to drama watcher Mihiro Kawada.

[Part 1 is here] Behind-the-scenes stories and data on this spring’s must-watch dramas that critics praise despite modest ratings!

 

Viewers sympathize with Nagasaku’s confused protagonist

By Episode 4, streaming views for Toki Sude ni Osushi!? (TBS) had increased by 100,000 compared to the previous episode, showing remarkable late momentum.

“The story follows a mother who has finished raising her children and enrolls in a sushi academy to become a sushi chef. The characters all have distinct personalities, the dialogue has great rhythm, and it’s simply enjoyable to watch. It also resonates with the social theme of middle-aged people taking on new challenges. Casting Hiromi Nagasaku, who is 55 in real life, as a protagonist who is 50 was an excellent decision.

Yumiko Udo, who invites Nagasaku’s character to join the sushi academy, is also from the bubble generation at 57 years old. Screenwriter Ruri Hyodo studied under Yuji Sakamoto, known for ‘Quartet’ (TBS) and ‘The Makanai: Towako Omameda and Her Three Ex-Husbands’ (Fuji TV), and won the Kuniko Mukoda Awardjust five years after her debut. I’m eager to see what she creates next,” said Oyama.

Kawada also praises the drama for featuring a cast that spans multiple generations.

“The protagonist played by Nagasaku is a mother who has finished raising her children and is uncertain about what to do with the next stage of her life. That makes her highly relatable to the core demographic of TV drama viewers. At the same time, the show’s comedic elements make it surprisingly addictive.

I also recommend Saba Can, Into Space! (Fuji TV), in which a high school teacher and student work together to develop food for space missions. Rather than following the traditional Monday 9 p.m. romance formula, it feels like a youthful version of ‘Downtown Rocket or Rikuoh.’ It gives viewers the atmosphere of a Sunday theater drama at the beginning of the week.”

A director at a television production company also praised the fact that Saba Can, Into Space! filmed on location in Fukui Prefecture, contrasting it with other productions.

“It’s true that Joyful Minowa Shopping Street in Arakawa Ward is a standard location for shopping district shoots, and I understand budget constraints, but having important scenes overlap with other dramas isn’t ideal. The fresh visual scenery is one of ‘Saba Can’s’ greatest strengths.”

Meanwhile, GIFT (TBS), which has reportedly struggled somewhat, may simply be dealing with the challenge of focusing on the relatively unfamiliar subject of wheelchair rugby.

“The opening episodes were carefully paced and somewhat slow, but it’s gradually developed into the kind of passionate story typical of Sunday theater dramas. In terms of feel, it’s similar to ‘No Side Game, Gekokujo Kyuji, and The Royal Family,’ which is credited with helping Arima Kinen betting sales surpass ¥70 billion for the first time in 26 years. I’d definitely recommend it to viewers who enjoyed those series,” Kawada said.

Featuring an accomplished cast including Shinichi Tsutsumi (61), Yuki Yamada (35), Ken Yasuda (52), and Michiko Kichise (51), GIFT got off to a strong start by ranking first in both household and core audience ratings. Meanwhile, Mikaiketsu no Onna: Metropolitan Police Department Document Investigation Officer (TV Asahi) also performed solidly, with the first episode of its third season ranking second in household ratings.

Streaming view counts

While some have criticized the cast for lacking star power, Married with Separate Surnames Detective (Fuji TV) has attracted attention for its unconventional married couple portrayed by Jiro Sato (57) and Ai Hashimoto (30).

“Hashimoto has always had the image of being delicate and ethereal, but this time she delivers an excellent performance as a boyish, slightly awkward, yet strong-willed detective. It’s also impressive that she doesn’t get swept up in Sato’s often highly eccentric acting style, instead responding with cool precision and sharp timing, making their unusual married couple dynamic work perfectly,” said Aida.

The screenplay was written by Koichi Yajima, founder of the theater company Tokyo Mahalo.

“Resident playwrights for theater companies are often very skilled at writing scripts tailored specifically to their actors. Although Hashimoto has little experience with full-fledged comedy and this is her first detective role, she performs with remarkable ease and appears to be thoroughly enjoying herself,” Kawada said.

In terms of TVer favorites and streaming views, Moonlit Journey—The Answer Lies Within the Classics— (Nippon TV) sits comfortably in first place. A producer at one of the major television networks commented:

“Nippon TV is producing dramas with streaming distribution in mind, and drama strategy has reached a turning point where success can no longer be measured by television ratings alone.”

The producer continued:

“TBS is beginning to place importance not only on ratings and streaming view counts but also on the average viewing time per person. Their strategy is to cultivate deeper engagement with viewers and steer them toward merchandise and live events.

Fuji TV, meanwhile, is pursuing a strategy of overwhelming quantity—producing more dramas to maximize total streaming views. However, it’s difficult to say that its production system has kept pace. On LOVED ONE, the screenwriter stepped down after clashing with the director, and as a result, the script for the final episode reportedly still hadn’t been completed even by May, leaving the production in turmoil from beginning to end.”

At TV Asahi, which has shifted toward a strategy of creating trends by releasing headline-grabbing productions such as Happy Marriage and Just a Little Esper, a commercial network programming executive revealed:

“Revenue from streaming platforms such as TVer, Netflix, and U-NEXT has also become an important priority.”

The executive added:

“For members of the drama department, one of the major evaluation criteria on the self-assessment forms they submit for the coming year is how much they contributed to the company through streaming business and secondary licensing revenue. Producing shows that generate excitement on social media and across the internet has become essential.”

Nippon TV, which was one of the first broadcasters to adopt core demographic ratings as its guiding principle for drama production, has accelerated its youth-oriented strategy. According to a network producer, the key driving force behind that approach is:

“Producing dramas with strong mystery and speculation elements.”

Last season’s biggest hit, Reboot, which continued to accumulate streaming views through repeat viewing even after its broadcast ended, shared several characteristics with many recent hit dramas. One of them was being an original screenplay.

“Adaptations of popular source material benefit from an existing fan base that provides strong initial momentum, but they also have the disadvantage that viewers already know the ending and major developments. Original scripts, on the other hand, keep audiences guessing, making them ideal for encouraging fan theories and generating discussion on social media.

Another important element is having mysteries that viewers want to talk about, clues that make them want to rewatch earlier episodes, and cliffhangers that leave them eager to discuss the story with someone before the next installment. Getting viewers to participate actively—that’s the secret to sustaining audience enthusiasm over time,” Aida explained.

“What does it mean for a drama to be a hit?”

As the environment surrounding television drama viewing undergoes dramatic change, this season offers viewers a chance to appreciate the fruits of television creators’ trial and error as they continue searching for the formula for success.

From the June 5 and 12, 2026 issue of “FRIDAY”