Update to the Spring 2012 ratings race - 16 May 12

Here are the ratings of episodes shown on 14th and 15th May:

Kagi no Kakatta Heya Ep 5 - 15.6% (up 0.1%)
Hanchou 5 Ep 6 - 10.8% (down 1.5%)
Legal High Ep 5 - 10.9% (down 1.4%)
37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku Ep 6 - 13.6% (same figure for three weeks in a row)

Kagi continues its reign as No.1 drama with a gap of 0.66% with its nearest competitor ATARU but there's still half the season to go so it's too early to conclude the race. Kusanagi's drama has a relatively stable viewership base (over 13% for every episode so far) as seen from the figures and may just overtake Mikeneko for No.3 since there's only 0.2% separating these two dramas.

Review of 37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku Ep 1

Given that the title of this drama is extremely long, I would just refer to this using the main title i.e. 37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku.

If you've seen the Boku series from Kusanagi Tsuyoshi i.e. Boku no Ikiru Michi (co-star Yada Akiko where he played a teacher with a terminal illness), Boku to Kanojo to Kanojo no Ikiru Michi (co-stars Miyama Karen and Koyuki where he played a man who has to learn how to love and care for his daughter after his wife left the family) and Boku no Aruku Michi (co-star Karina where he played a man with autism) and you think that this drama is similar to these three just because there's the word "boku" in the title, you are only half-right. From the looks of it, this drama isn't going to be as tear-jerking as any of the Boku dramas because the lead character's not going to die or he doesn't have a disability or difficult situation to cope with. Even though this drama is pretty much a story about life lessons (similar to the Boku series), I was attracted to the premise of someone switching career paths at an age when people would consider too old for doing that. It is not easy to make such a decision and there must be a strong reason for doing that. It should be interesting to delve into the mindset of what made this person take the plunge into unknown territory.

The lead character in this drama is Konno Yuta (Kusanagi) who used to be a salaryman at a top foodstuff company. He made the decision to became a doctor when he was 30 and left his job without turning back even when his boss said that he would regret his decision. Well, when you are 30 and have been working in a company for a number of years, there would have been many things to consider before you decide to leave e.g. the salary you are getting, whether you are going to find a similar job elsewhere or when you will be content with your new job. There is too much at stake so a mid-career switch is really not as simple as it seems. However, as what Ep 1 has shown, Yuta has a very strong reason for doing what he does. He is obviously doing it for his girlfriend Suzu who's unable to speak for some reason and seems to be suffering from some kidney problems. It's quite clear that Yuta holds himself responsible for making sure Suzu can recover in future (maybe he was involved in what caused Suzu's condition) so that's why he could give up his career and go into unfamiliar territory. Becoming a doctor is not easy in Japan (actually, it should be difficult anywhere else in the world too) because not only you have to study for at least six years in university, there's also the internship and national exam to clear. From what we can see in this episode, Yuta has persevered for 7 long years before he finally reaches the internship stage.

Besides Yuta, there are three other interns Sawamura Mizuki (Mizukawa Asami), Shimoda Kentaro (Yaotome Hikaru) and Taniguchi Atsushi (Kiriyama Ren). Being the eldest in the pack, the three of them are wondering what made Yuta "lose his mind" and throw his well-paying job in a good company just to be a doctor. Sawamura in particular, thinks that Yuta is a nuisance because he keeps saying things which he isn't supposed to raise as an intern and it causes trouble for the rest of them in one way or another. She cannot comprehend why he wants to come to Toou University Hospital for his internship especially since Toou is known for its rigid ways and doesn't seem receptive to someone so different like Yuta. In actual fact, Yuta came to Toou in order to learn from Morishita Kazuaki (Tanabe Seiichi) who's an expert in kidney ailments so you can say that he's willing to bear with almost everything for Suzu's sake.

There are some moments of humour as well e.g. this scene where Sawamura finds that Yuta is her neighbour and she warns him not to poke his nose into her affairs. I think she means it to be that Yuta shouldn't tell people where she lives or what he knows about her lifestyle (since they are neighbours). However, Yuta takes it the wrong way and says that she shouldn't be worried since he has a girlfriend. Looks like Yuta is quite dense at times and can misinterpret what people are saying! He must have gotten the idea that Sawamura thought that he is interested in her! :-)

In medical dramas, you would usually have a central case in each episode where the lead character behaves differently from what others would expect him to do. It's no surprise that Yuta encounters problems with the old-fashioned ways in the hospital because he would point out faults which seem a given in the corporate world (printing presentation notes on paper instead of using digital files) and that shows in his way of treating patients as well. I won't go into details on what exactly the case is about but the gist of it is that Yuta feels that his superiors have not done enough analysis on the possible options and are jumping to conclusions just so it would make life easier for them. Yuta should have gone through the tough demands of his clients in his previous job so his mindset is that unless you've reviewed all the options, it's foolish to make a decision based on the limited information. What's more, you are dealing with someone's life here.

My first thoughts about this drama is that although it reeks of idealism i.e. Yuta gets away with what he does (as in the outcome turns out OK so he doesn't get punished), there is a balance with reality too. I think that's very refreshing to see in medical dramas these days because most dramas tend to make the lead character seem like a hero who can solve everything that is thrown at him. Yuta has his weaknesses (people thinking little of him and guessing that he's probably being a doctor for some frivolous reason) and he is clearly haunted by what Suzu has to go through regardless whether it is his fault or not (we'll probably find out later). That makes his character closer to reality and easier for viewers to identify with. Kusanagi does a good job in potraying Yuta and I really like that this character is flawed because that's what humans should be.

As Yuta "wreaks havoc" in the rigid university hospital with his corporate mindset, that should shake up the medical personnel there and I really look forward to how he's going to be a doctor just like how he was a salaryman. Just one thing of concern here, the professor in charge of the department Saeki (Matsudaira Ken) doesn't seem like he's going to be a supportor of Yuta's ways because he's known for transferring people out of the hospital if they go against him so I'm wondering if he will prove to be the biggest hurdle in Yuta's path to be a doctor.

Update - The ratings race as of 25 April 12

Some dramas have already gone through their second or even third OA and true to expectations, there's been a dip in the ratings generally although the extent of the drop differs.

Kagi no Kakatta Heya fell 1.8% to 16.5% but overall, it still has an average of 17.51% which is about 1% lower than ATARU's average. Looks like these two dramas are going to fight it out for the top rated drama title this season.

HOWEVER, if you think that this is the end of the story, the figures seem to be suggesting otherwise. There's a silent threat on the sidelines i.e. 37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku which increased its 3rd episode OA by 1.4% to 14.5%. Most dramas rarely get a figure higher than their first OA during the season except for the finale (the most recent exception would be Kaseifu no Mita though) so the drama must have been interesting enough to draw so many viewers. I haven't watched the first episode yet but considering the lack of publicity for this drama as compared to the big shots this season, it's heartening to see this drama on an upward trend. Just hope that it's not an once-off thing though!

Legal High dropped just 0.1% to 12.1%. Looks like it's going to be one that fits int the middle of the ranking because there isn't any obvious spike factor at the moment that could push it further up. I like Sakai Masato but somehow, I'm not in a big hurry to catch this yet. Maybe it's because I'm not so keen on his leading lady.

A look at first episode ratings for the Spring 2012 dramas so far

Dates in brackets indicate the day when the first OA took place:

1) ATARU - 19.9% (15 April)
2) Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri - 15.9% (14 April)
3) 37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku - 13.2% (10 April)
4) Toshi Densetsu no Onna - 10.3% (13 April)
5) Hanchou 5 - 10.2% (9 April)
6) Kaeru no Oujosama - 9.0% (12 April)
7) Kazoku no Uta - 6.1% (15 April)

ATARU did so well in its first OA which not only raises the bar for its competition but also for itself. Nakai acts in dramas once in a blue moon (8 years since Suna no Utsuwa) so I think this lack of exposure does help in building up the anticipation factor. Morever, the story itself does seem quite appealing although I have no idea how he's going to fit into the case solving process. My only concern is, if its subsequent episodes don't do as well, this high debut rating will probably mean nothing at the end. I feel bad for Kazoku no Uta not only because it's up against ATARU in the same timeslot but also it's probably not doing well because of the plagiarism claims against it. Too bad for Odagiri Jo who's yet to get another hit since Jikou Keisatsu.

Surprisingly, Mikeneko Holmes no Suiri did quite well for its debut and even beat Kusanagi's drama. Will be checking out both and see how they compare. Tonight, Ohno's drama makes its debut as well so there should be a fair bit of comparison between Aiba's and Ohno's dramas throughout the season in terms of ratings and critical reviews.

Kaeru no Oujosama getting a rating of less than 10% seems to be an early sign of trouble. There's been talk about this drama being a hybrid of J-movie Hula Girls and the US drama Glee so I wonder if this is one of the reasons for its lacklustre debut. There seems to be a fair bit of singing involved in this drama so it will be interesting to see Amami Yuki sing especially for those who've never seen her in her Takarazuka days. Still, it remains to be seen if this can sustain my interest for 3 whole months though.

Nagasawa Masami's drama does seem interesting in terms of story and 10.3% is a decent figure for a midnight slot drama. Wonder if the viewers are in it for the story or her sexy legs (or so her fellow cast members put it)?

All the spring dramas should be finishing their first OA within this week so the ranking is likely to change. Will anyone do better than ATARU? Frankly speaking, first episode ratings aren't exactly the best measurement of a drama's popularity (think Kaseifu no Mita which picked up tremendously in the later part of the season) so it's anyone's guess who will win the first round and if that will be the true winner come June.

Production press conference of "37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku"

The production press conference of "37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku" was held on 3 April where cast members Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Mizukawa Asami and Mimura etc. made appearances. The drama is scheduled to begin its run from 10 April at 10pm on Tuesdays. Kusanagi plays a 37-year-old guy who becomes an intern at the age of 37 after quitting his job as a salaryman.

Source: Sanspo

Preview of 37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku - Spring 2012

Title: 37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku (I became a doctor at 37)
Official website: here
Broadcast by: FujiTV / KTV
Cast: Kusanagi Tsuyoshi, Mizukawa Asami, Mimura, Yaotome Hikaru, Kiriyama Ren, Suzuki Kosuke, Saito Takumi, Tanabe Seiichi, Matsudaira Ken

Trailer of "37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku"

Here's the trailer of Kusanagi Tsuyoshi's new drama. Seems like an interesting one to watch out for from April.

Kusanagi Tsuyoshi to star in FujiTV spring drama "37sai de Isha ni Natta Boku ~ Kenshuui Junjou Monogatari"

SMAP's Kusanagi Tsuyoshi will be starring in FujiTV's spring drama "37-sai de Isha ni Natta Boku ~ Kenshuui Junjou Monogatari" (I became a doctor at 37 ~ An Intern's pure love story) which will be shown in the Tuesday 10pm timeslot. This is his first drama back in the same timeslot since his hit "Boku series" ended six years ago.

Kusanagi will play a former salaryman who worked at a foodstuff manufacturer who quite at the age of 30 and entered medical school in order to be a doctor. He becomes an intern in the internal medicine department of the university hospital at the age of 37. The story is based on the true life experience of Kawabuchi Keiichi, a doctor-cum-writer who graduated from University of Tokyo and worked at various companies. Later, he quit his job and spent a year coping himself at home before entering University of Kyoto's medicine faculty becoming an intern at 37. Kawabuchi then went on to publish two books on his experience in 2002 and 2011.

Source: Sanspo