Will Hashimoto Kanna’s NHK Asadora Be Series’ Worst-Rated?

Hashimoto Kanna in Omusubi
Not even Hashimoto Kanna can save NHK's morning drama Omusubi, with many saying its gyaru character rubs them the wrong way.

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It coulda been a contender. Indeed, with Hashimoto Kanna in the leading role, everyone had high hopes that NHK’s latest morning drama, Omusubi, would do smash numbers. Now, the show is fighting not to become the station’s worst-rated asadora ever – and some are blaming the gyaru.

The morning drama – officially 連続テレビ小説; renzoku terebi shosetsu; known popularly as the morning drama (朝ドラマ; asa dorama) or asadora for short – has been a staple of Japanese public broadcaster NHK since 1961’s debut Musume to Watashi (My Daughter and Me). Each series runs in 15-minute episodes every weekday with 130 episodes per run. Each story focuses on the life of a protagonist – either a real person or a composite character, often a woman – in a specific time in Japan’s history.

The series is a cultural staple in Japan – but, ratings-wise, it’s had its ups and downs. The most popular run was 1983’s Oshin, which focused on the struggles of women during and after both World Wars. The show, regarded as a TV masterpiece, racked up a 52.6% viewership. By contrast, the series’ worst entry, 2009’s Welkame, stalled out at 13.5%

Hashimoto lands the role without an audition

The latest installment, Omusubi, focuses on the life of fictional character Yomeda Yui, a nutritionist. It follows Yomeda from her youth in the Heisei Era (which is now, gods help us, considered retro) as a rebellious gyaru to her adulthood.

NHK reportedly offered the lead role to actress Hashimoto Kanna without an audition, banking on her talent and star power to see the show through. It was a safe bet, as everything (up until now) had been going Hashimoto’s way.

Hashimoto rose to fame at age 14 when a photographer snapped an iconic photo of her – the so-called “miracle shot” (奇跡の一枚; kiseki no ichimai) – while performing in the idol group Rev. from DVL. The shot went viral online, propelling her to instant fame. Since then, she’s made a name for herself as an actress, best known perhaps to international fans for her role as Kagura in the live-action Gintama films and as Chihiro/Sen in the musical production of Spirited Away.

Did the story’s gyaru character doom it?

Hashimoto Kanna as a gyaru in Omusubi
Hashimoto (right) gets to relive her idol days in a para-para dance re-enactment in Omusubi. (Source: NHK’s official YouTube channel)

There are actors I love so much I’d watch them in a soap commercial on repeat. (I’m looking at YOU, Abe Hiroshi.) I’m sure that Hashimoto is that actor for many fans.

Sadly, her fame and talent haven’t proven enough to save Omusubi.

NHK’s newest asadora started in September with decent-enough ratings. However, it’s plummeted since then and is currently dwelling at an average of 13.2%. If it keeps up this performance, it’ll beat Welkame for the title of worst NHK asadora ever.

What went wrong? A writer for SPA! magazine blames the writing and characterization, saying the series just doesn’t have the same sort of compelling characters that the previous two asadoras have had. Asadoras run for half a year, which means they need compelling and interesting characters that the audience can relate to.

Many critics also blame the script for making Yomeda Yui a rough-edged gyaru, with viewers saying the character’s “tiresome.” SPA! says the series sees Yomeda turn from “a sweet high schooler” into an unlikeable gyaru who “can’t read the room and has an egotistical side.”

“I’m not hip to gyaru,” writes one commenter on Yahoo! News JP, “but I could’ve enjoyed the show even with the script’s flaws if I could sympathize with the protagonist. But before she becomes gyaru, she’s wishy-washy, and after she becomes gyaru, she’s reckless. I can’t get into that.”

Time will tell if the series will end up as NHK’s worst asadora – and what the network learns from the disaster as a result.

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