What was the most captivating scene in the 105th episode (aired February 27th) of the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake " (General TV, Monday-Saturday 8:00 AM and other times), starring actress Akari Takaishi ? When we looked at minute-by-minute trends in "attention level" (surveyed by REVISIO, Kanto region, preliminary figures), which indicates the percentage of viewers glued to the screen, the peak was 70.1% at 8:14 AM.
" Bakebake" is the 113th morning Asadora. The heroine, Toki Matsuno, and her husband, Lefkada Heaven, are based on Setsu Koizumi, the daughter of a fallen samurai from Matsue, and Lafcadio Hearn(Yakumo Koizumi), known for his works such as "Kwaidan." The drama boldly reconstructs the characters, changing some of the names of characters and organizations to create a fictionalized portrayal.
◇Toki works hard as a literary assistant
In episode 105, Toki (Takaishi) begins to fully assist Heaven (Tommy Bastow) with his writing as a literary assistant. While Heaven is at school, he rushes around looking for material.
One day, on the way home from class, Haven is introduced to his colleague Robert (Joe Tremaine) and his Japanese wife, Ran (Misako Renbutsu). Perhaps inspired by Ran's ability to speak English, Haven suggests to Toki that he resume his English studies. One day, Toki and Haven are invited to Robert and Ran's home.
The "attention rate," which indicates the percentage of viewers watching the TV intently, fluctuated wildly after the opening, but it reached around 70% three times. There were no scenes that kept viewers' attention for long periods, but it seemed to be fairly successful in keeping them glued to the screen at certain points.
◇A letter from Eliza to Heaven
The first of the three "peaks" came at 8:06 AM, with an attention rating of 69.7%. It was the scene in which Heaven received a letter from Eliza (Charlotte Kate Fox), a colleague from her days as a newspaper reporter. The letter explained that Heaven's "Japan Diary" had been well-received in the US, leading to a flood of requests for lectures and work, and invited her to return to the US. The moment Heaven mentioned the name "Eliza," Toki flinched, and he couldn't help but wonder how Heaven looked as she read the letter. Viewers were likely captivated by Takaishi's performance as "Toki, curious about Eliza's letter," with her casual glances and slight smile. Just like Toki, viewers were likely watching the events unfold with a bit of nervous anticipation.
The next peaks, at 8:10 and 8:11 AM (both 67.7%) and 8:12 AM (66.6%), are when Toki and Heaven are invited by Robert and Ran to dine at their home. This is the scene where Toki and Ran meet for the first time. "This is my first time meeting a Western husband. This is my first time meeting a lovely wife." Toki is excited to visit the Western-style mansion for the first time. However, he gradually finds himself unable to keep up with the English conversation between the three, and is left behind. This is a turning point that later becomes a catalyst for Toki to resume his English studies.
That night, Toki resumes studying English with Heaven, and shows enthusiasm, saying, "I still have a long way to go before O-Ran-san, but I'll do my best to become like her." This is the 12-minute mark.
◇The peak of attention is when sleepiness suddenly strikes
The final peak of the day, recording a record high of 70.1%, was at 8:14 AM. The scene continues from Toki being taught English by Heaven. Shortly after the lesson begins, Toki asks, "Is it okay to stop here for today?" and lays down, saying, "I'm feeling strangely sleepy..."
Then, around 8:14 AM, Toki begins muttering things like, "What is this?" and "I wonder if Oise-san's curse has come now?" It's typical of "Bakebake" that it neither clearly confirms nor denies the curse, but viewers can't help but wonder about Toki, whose behavior has suddenly become strange. Toki falls asleep, and the drama comes to an end.
Was Toki's sleepiness caused by a curse? Some online commenters wondered if she was pregnant. In fact, her first son was born two years after moving to Kumamoto. Will the answer be revealed in the 22nd week?
The data used is REVISIO's proprietary indicator "Attention Level" (Kanto region, preliminary figures) published by the company that surveys TV program and commercial viewing habits in 2,000 households in the Kanto region and 600 households in the Kansai region. A dedicated device equipped with a human body recognition sensor constantly measures whether people are looking at the TV screen, and calculates the percentage of people in front of the TV who are paying close attention to the program. (Text by Sasamoto Hirozai/MANTAN)
