Top 15 dramas with the lowest average rating (AsaJo)

AsaJo recently released a list of the top 15 dramas with the lowest average rating:

1) Otto no Kanojo - 3.8% (TBS / Autumn 2013)
Starring Kawaguchi Haruna
HEAT - 3.8% (FujiTV / Summer 2015)
Starring AKIRA

3) Kazoku no Uta - 3.9% (FujiTV / Spring 2012)
Starring Odagiri Jo

4) Message - 4.4% (NTV / Winter 2003)
Starring Mannaka Hitomi

5) Kazoku no Urajijo - 4.5% (FujiTV / Autumn 2013)
Starring Zaizen Naomi

6) Lion Sensei - 4.7% (NTV / Autumn 2003)
Starring Takenaka Naoto
Tatakau! Shoten Girl - 4.7% (FujiTV / Spring 2015)
Starring Watanabe Mayu & Inamori Izumi

8) Risk no Kamisama - 5.1% (FujiTV / Summer 2015)
Starring Tsutsumi Shinichi
Asunaro Sansannanabyoshi - 5.1% (FujiTV / Summer 2014)
Starring Yanagiba Toshiro

10) Keiji Ichiro - 5.2% (TBS / Winter 2013)
Starring Kato Haruhiko

11) Regatta Kimi to ita eien - 5.5% (TV Asahi / Summer 2006)
Starring Hayami Mokomichi

12) Hito Natsu no Papa e - 5.6% (TBS / Summer 2003)
Starring Ueto Aya

13) Ranpo R - 5.7% (NTV / Winter 2004)
Starring Fujii Takashi

14) Masshiro - 5.8% (TBS / Winter 2015)
Starring Horikita Maki

15) Omotesando Koukou Gasshobu - 5.9% (TBS / Summer 2015)
Starring Yoshine Kyoko

Based on the results above, here are some trends I would like to highlight:

- 10 out the 15 dramas come from the last 5 years i.e. 2010 to 2015. This coincides with the general view that drama ratings have been really low in recent years.

- The number of dramas from each of the Big 4 private networks in ascending order: TV Asahi = 1 / NTV = 3 / TBS = 5 / FujiTV = 6 i.e. TBS and FujiTV are in the race for the most number of low-ratings dramas. Surprisingly, TV Asahi's only entry  was Regatta in 2006 which had hogged the No.1 title for a long time before "Kazoku no Uta" came along to be referred to as a textbook example of a lowly-rated flop in the drama world. Now, this undesirable title belongs to "Otto no Kanojo" and "HEAT". This also means that TV Asahi has been doing so well in the ratings game at least in the last 10 years or so even though it was lagging behind the other three for a long time.

- Big and small names alike are not spared the low ratings curse. Apparently, it was rumoured that Odagiri was so sick of being under the ratings pressure brought about by "Kazoku no Uta" that he has reportedly vowed to stick to late-night or WOWOW dramas from now on.

- In terms of the season which has the most worst performers -> Winter = 4 / Spring = 2 / Summer = 6 / Autumn = 3. This seems to coincide with the general observation that summer dramas tend to do badly because people are outside enjoying the summer holidays.

- Being bad at the ratings game doesn't necessarily mean that it is a critical flop too. The most recent example was "Omotesando Koukou Gasshobu" which did rather badly in ratings but its female lead who is a newbie Yoshine Kyoko actually won the Best Leading Actress award in the Drama Academy Award. Baffles me how it happened but she must have won over those who watched the drama and voted for her.

Just an ending note, out of these 15 dramas, I've only watched the first episode of "Risk no Kamisama" which really spooked me so much that I didn't want to continue. It's not that I consciously shy away from these dramas because of ratings but I guess there must be something about them which turns me away.

How many of these dramas have you watched? And do you think they are really as bad as the ratings reflect?

Odagiri Jo saying "No" to leading roles in primetime dramas?

Found this interesting article from Real Live which talks about Odagiri Jo apparently saying "No" to leading roles in primetime dramas as what he declared during a recent press conference of his Spring 2014 drama, "Reverse Edge ~ Okawabata Tanteisha". Although it sounded like he was joking then, it seems like there is some truth to that after all.

In a nutshell, here's what the article had to say about Odagiri's conscious choice to avoid taking on leading roles in primetime dramas:

Odagiri was initially scheduled to be co-leads with Ueno Juri in the TBS Spring 2014 drama "Arisu no Toge". However, he asked to be lowered to a supporting role. According to an entertainment agency's insider, his decision was largely due to the trauma he suffered in 2012 when his drama "Kazoku no Uta" registered very low ratings and had to be shortened by three episodes. Since then, Odagiri would only take on leading roles if they are in movies or late-night dramas.

In actual fact, "Arisu no Toge" got off to a pretty good start at 14.2%. Although it dropped to 11.9% for its second episode, that was actually a normal trend because most dramas would suffer a fall in ratings in the second episode and anything between two and three percent was acceptable. However, there is still a likelihood that the drama might head into single-digit territory if things do not pick up from the third episode onwards. As such, no matter what happens to this drama, Odagiri would not be blamed for the results so in this sense, his choice to turn down the leading role is a smart move.

Although Odagiri is not really the type of actor who shines in supporting roles, if the drama in which he plays a supporting role does well, he can earn some credit in having contributed to its success. On the other hand, if the drama becomes a flop, he won't be liable for it. In the current TV drama landscape where it's extremely difficult to get high ratings, Odagiri's choice would allow him to concentrate on his acting rather than be affected by the movement of the drama's ratings. In a way, the timing of his choice would be appropriate to prolong the length of his career.

I don't think there's anything wrong with Odagiri's strategy of avoiding leading roles in primetime dramas but somehow, this article gives off a slightly negative vibe as if he's doing it for the sake of not wanting to take responsibility for the ratings. Luckily, the last paragraph wraps up the story by offering an alternative view on this issue and I tend to believe this argument about Odagiri wanting to concentrate on his acting rather than be affected by the controversy over ratings which are affected by various factors, not just the cast. 

Of course, I think it also works commercially for him because ditching the label of an actor who can't bring in ratings is definitely better in the long run. Odagiri's name had been mentioned constantly over the past few years as a symbol of an actor who could only churn out low ratings whenever the media talked about "Kazoku no Uta" or to draw comparisons with this drama and the lowest-rated drama of a particular season and it was only until last autumn when Kawaguchi Haruna took over that position with "Otto no Kanojo" (against her own will, of course). Even for Odagiri who has been in the business for some time, there is no doubt he would have been affected by that constant teasing and reminders of that undesirable title so wanting to prove himself but not exposing himself to unnecessary risk is definitely a move he must take in order to ensure the continuation of his career. Like what I mentioned previously in the article about TV stations selecting the same few strong actors to act in their dramas, the advertisers want assured returns on their investments. They would surely be less willing to invest in a drama if the lead actor has been stuck with the label of being unable to pull in viewers. That's why it's absolutely crucial for Odagiri to get people to forget what happened and allow him to move further and upwards in this line of business..

"Kazoku no Uta" shortens its run

FujiTV announced on 12 May that its spring drama "Kazoku no Uta" will end its run prematurely on 3 June with a total of 8 episodes. The drama had been plagued with plagiarism claims and low ratings since it started showing in April 2012.

Source: Nikkansports

Kazoku no Uta goes further down to 3.4%

FujiTV spring drama "Kazoku no Uta" dropped to 3.4% for its broadcast in the Kanto region on 29 April which is 0.2% lower than the previous week. In response to the low figures, FujiTV president Toyoda Go commented during the TV station's regular press conference on 26 April that the production crew will be making adjustments in order to boost the ratings and support from the viewers.

Source: Nikkansports

Kazoku no Uta slips below 5% for its 2nd episode

This article attempts to give a reason why "Kazoku no Uta" did so badly for its 2nd OA but I still think the copycat claims before its run already dealt a big blow to what it could have achieved. It would take a very interesting story and great acting to save this and to be frank, I feel bad for the staff and cast who continue to make this drama despite all the bad press and criticism.

Source: Daily Sports

"Kazoku no Uta" scored a rating of 3.6% in the Kanto region for its 2nd episode shown on 22 April, as announced by Video Research on 23 April. The drama faced stiff competition in the same timeslot with TBS drama ATARU taking the largest share of viewers at 16.9% followed by NTV's popular variety show "Gyoretsu no dekiru Houritsu Soudanjo" at 16.2% and TV Asahi's screening of "Clash of the Titans" getting 12.6%. "Kazoku no Uta" started with a low rating of 6.1% for its first OA a week ago and dropped even lower than that for the 2nd episode.

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.

Preview of Kazoku no Uta - Spring 2012

Title: Kazoku no Uta (The family's song)
Official website: here
O.A. Start Date: 15 April 2012
Timeslot: Sundays 9pm
Broadcast by: FujiTV
Theme Song: Gekkou by Saito Kazuyoshi
Cast: Odagiri Jo, Yusuke Santa Maria, Kanjiya Shihori, Muro Tsuyoshi, Nakajima Kento, Sugisaki Hana, Omori Ayane, Fuji Tatsuya, Maekawa Yasuyuki, Tootasu Matsumoto, Ootsuka Nene

"Kazoku no Uta" may change its storyline following allegations of plagiarism

During FujiTV's regular press conference on 24 Feb, its president Toyoda Gou commented on recent reports of alleged plagiarism regarding the new spring drama "Kazoku no Uta". The controversy began when a scriptwriter Ban Kazuhiko remarked on his Twitter that the drama's setting of a former rock musician suddenly realises that he has three daughters with three different women was very similar to the TBS drama "Papa wa Newscaster" which he wrote the script for and hinted at the possibility of plagiarism. The TBS drama which was aired in 1987 starred Tamura Masakazu as a newscaster who finds himself having to live with three daughters born by different women.

President Toyoda said that the producers in charge of "Kazoku no Uta" had met Ban and TBS director Yagi Yasuo on 20 Feb regarding this matter where the producer-in-charge admitted having the impression of watching Ban's drama as a kid. Following that meeting, the drama's setting will be tweaked accordingly.

Source: Nikkansports

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Hmm...bad publicity even before the drama started. We'll see how they can twist the story to make sure it doesn't end up being called a copycat.

Odagiri Jo in spring 2012 drama "Kazoku no Uta"

Odagiri Jo will be starring in FujiTV's spring drama "Kazoku no Uta" starting from April at 9pm on Sundays. This is his first leading role in a FujiTV drama.

The drama is about a former popular rock band musician Hayakawa Masayoshi who suddenly finds himself as the father to three daughters in junior high school and how he copes with the difficulties of parenthood. Besides Odagiri, Yusuke Santa Maria will play his good friend Tamura Yasuhiro while Kanjiya Shihori plays a photographer Aota Yoko who likes Masayoshi and Ootsuka Nene plays Mizushima Asako, a former photographer who knows about Masayoshi's glorious days as a musician.

Source: Excite