What was the most captivating scene in the 114th episode (broadcast on March 12th) of the NHK Asadora drama "Bakebake " (General TV, Monday to 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 69.9% at 8:04 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.
◇Kanemon, who came up with the Japanese name for Heaven
Episode 114 begins with Toki (Takaishi) and Heaven (Tommy Bastow) visiting Governor Eto (Shiro Sano) to ask for Heaven's permission to become a Japanese citizen. Eto flatly rejects their request, and Toki visits Nishikori (Ryo Yoshizawa) at the junior high school to ask for his help, but Nishikori also turns them down. Disappointed, Toki and Heaven are visited by Kan'emon (Fumiyo Kohinata). Kan'emon tells Heaven, who is about to become a Japanese citizen, that he has thought of a name for her.
The "attention rate," which indicates the percentage of viewers watching the TV intently, reached a high level of over 60% right from the start, reaching its highest level of the day early on. The final scene also saw a peak in viewership, leading to the next episode, the 115th.
◇Why doesn't Nishikori help Heaven?
The opening scene, at around 8:00 AM (68.4%), shows Toki and Heaven talking with Governor Eto in the reception room. "I'm not angry," Eto says, but when asked if Heaven would be okay with becoming Japanese, he replies, "Is that so?", apparently still bothered by the fact that she left Matsue and moved to Kumamoto. When Heaven and Toki whisper to each other, "I knew you were angry," Eto snaps, "I'm not angry," but then softens his tone and says, "Don't be angry." Having been betrayed by Heaven, whom he adored, Toki must have hated her a hundred times more than he loved her. The harmonious conversation between the three is a delightful scene.
After that, the attention rating dropped to the 58% range during the opening, but recovered when the drama resumed. At 8:04 a.m., it reached its highest level of the day, 69.9%. This is the scene where Toki visits Matsue Junior High School and is reunited with Nishikori, who has just come out.
"I thought I would have turned down that offer from Haven." "You mean that offer?"
Nishikori flatly refuses Toki's request, saying there is no need to listen to her. When Toki asks if he is still angry about her going to Kumamoto, Nishikori answers in a low voice.
"Really, no one knows anything."
Toki responds with a "Huh?" to the meaningful words, and then clearly denies it, saying, "I'm not angry." This is all up to 8:04 AM.
At 8:05 AM, Toki begins by asking, "Is that true?", and Nishikori presses him, asking why he won't talk to the governor.
"Because I think it's better not to become Japanese."
Toki is surprised, and he mutters, "Is that surprising?", before leaving, saying, "I thought you'd understand a little."
"You know what? It's better not to become Japanese." Sawa (Wan Marui), who was listening with him, asks Toki, and he responds, "I don't know," but then mutters, "I do." Toki, who married Heaven, a foreigner, does indeed "understand" what Nishikori is trying to say. However, he probably "doesn't want to understand."
This question-and-answer exchange continued from around 8:05 a.m., and while interest levels dropped slightly to 68.3%, it is clear that the program continued to attract the attention of viewers.
◇Heaven is confused by his own change.
The interest rate remained in the low 60s towards the middle of the story. The interest rate also did not increase when Kan'emon (played by Fumiyo Kohinata) gave Heaven a Japanese name. Perhaps this was because the Japanese name was "Yakumo," the same as that of the model, Yakumo Koizumi, and therefore not surprising.
Just before the end of the match, at around 8:14 a.m., the level of attention rose again to 68.8%, and here again Nishikori got involved.
Heaven wakes up in Matsue for the first time in a long time. Hearing the sound of rice pounding, she gets up from her futon and goes outside. This scene overlaps with the scene from episode 23 (broadcast on October 29, 2025), when Heaven wakes up in Matsue for the first time.
At the time, Heaven woke up to the sound of rice pounding and was deeply moved by the fantastical morning scenery in Matsue, the "capital of the land of the gods," a place she had longed to visit. Leaving the inn still clad in her yukata, she saw the beautiful cityscape, heard the sounds of people selling things, and heard the sound of bells ringing in the distance. "As the sound of bells echoed in the distance, people clapped their hands and prayed to the gods, facing the direction of the sun and the shrine. All of this felt mysterious and fresh," she muttered to herself, "this is exactly where I had hoped to come with you... this is the capital of the land of the gods."
However, this time, Heaven is seeing the same thing, but she feels it completely differently. As if to express Heaven's inner thoughts, the music and images in the film become increasingly strange. As Heaven becomes shaken by her own changes, Nishikori calls out to her on the bridge, "What are you panicking for?"
Nishikori, stricken with illness and emaciated, no longer has the brightness and lightness he once possessed, and his demeanor seems to fade away at any moment, but it seems supported by his sharp gaze and strong will. What will Nishikori, who has been close to Heaven's life in Japan and knows her and Toki the best, have to say? What is Nishikori's true intention, as he continues to use suggestive language? The ending was so intriguing that it made me want to see the next episode as soon as possible.
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)
