Jun Matsumoto’s Drama was a Complete Failure, Affecting His New Big Project as Lead in a Historical Drama

On April 15, a press conference was held to announce the cast of the NHK historical drama “Dousuru Ieyasu,” which will start in January next year.

The lead role of Tokugawa Ieyasu will be played by Matsumoto Jun of “Arashi”. The supporting cast includes such talented actors as Takayuki Yamada and Nao Omori, as well as young and popular actors such as Yuki Yamada, Yuko Itagaki, and Yosuke Sugino.

Speaking of the Warring States Period, it is said that it is the “iron plate” of Taiga dramas in terms of viewer ratings. And this time, the main character is Ieyasu, who is well-known to everyone. Both the Johnny’s office and NHK were in a “win-win” mood…” (Sports newspaper reporter)

Matsumoto is a member of the national idol group Arashi and he is ready to take on the challenge, but there are some concerns about his chances.

The reason is that the drama series “My Neighbor’s Chikara” (TV Asahi), which aired from January to March this year, did not do well at all in terms of viewer ratings. Despite casting not only Matsumoto but also popular actresses Aya Ueto and Nanako Matsushima, the average rating was 9.2% (Video Research, Kanto), an unexpectedly low figure. The show ended with an average rating of 9.2% (Video Research, Kanto).

Some say that now is not the time for average ratings, but in the same Thursday drama slot, the popular series “Doctor X” was aired before that, and it received an average rating of 16.5%. Matsumoto’s drama was about half of that rating, so it is no wonder that it was called a ‘great failure’ compared to that series,” said an advertising agency official.

Taiga dramas are long, lasting one year. A regular drama series is usually three months long, and even detective dramas such as NHK’s morning dramas and “Partners” (TV Asahi) last for half a year. This shows how long a drama drama series like “Taiga,” which runs for nearly 50 episodes.

Therefore, the filming process is like a hellish one, with long filming periods amidst a bad atmosphere if the ratings start to flake out. Because of the high profile of the drama, the lead actor and other members of the main cast are treated as war criminals, and this can have an impact on their subsequent career in show business.

In the case of “Idaten” (1919), the only historical drama to end with average ratings in the single digits, the shooting was a “wake,” and at times I felt sorry for the actors and actresses I was covering. It was often reported that the actors and crew were tense.

Mao Inoue, who starred in “Hanamayu” (’15), which ended up being tied for the second worst of all time, was mentally driven into a corner by the storm of bashing from various quarters. Her relationship with her agency became strained as they “didn’t protect her,” which may have been a contributing factor, and she eventually went independent.

On the other hand, Haruna Kawaguchi, who played the role of Erika Sawajiri in “Kirin ga Kuru” in a short period of time, has been in demand for dramas and commercials since then, and has become a popular actress, hosting NHK’s “Kohaku Uta Gassen” (Red and White Singing Contest). She has since become a popular actress, hosting NHK’s “Kohaku Uta Gassen” (Red and White Singing Contest). In other words, a historical drama has that much influence.

Will “Matsumoto Ieyasu” really be accepted by viewers? Whether “Matsumoto Ieyasu” will be accepted by viewers or not… There is no doubt that this drama will be a major turning point in his career as an actor.