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Fuji TV’s Wednesday 10pm drama ‘Political Pan’ aired on October 8, drawing an average household rating of 5.6% for its premiere (Video Research, Kanto region). The original screenplay comes from Nogi Akiko, known for hits like ‘Unnatural’ and ‘MIU404,’ and stars Satomi Ishihara alongside a heavyweight supporting cast including Kazunari Takahashi, Atsuro Watabe, Masao Kusakari, and Yumi Kawai. Reactions on 5ch were full of surprise that the numbers didn’t take off despite the star-studded cast and acclaimed screenwriter, with jokes about how the title ‘Political Pan’ evokes the master thief Lupin, as well as doubts about Fuji TV’s programming sense in general.
Satomi Ishihara’s highly-anticipated drama: Fuji’s ‘Political Pan’ opens at 5.6% — script by Nogi Akiko
It has been learned that the premiere of Fuji TV’s Wednesday 10:00 pm drama ‘Political Pan,’ starring actress Satomi Ishihara, drew an average household rating of 5.6% (Video Research, Kanto region).
The series is an original story by hitmaker Nogi Akiko, who has delivered numerous hits including ‘Unnatural’ and ‘MIU404,’ and won the Japan Academy Prize for Best Screenplay for the film ‘Last Mile’ and ‘The Voice of Sin’ (based on the novel by Takeshi Shiota).
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Original article here
What people said
I'll watch it later anyway though
but it wasn't that interesting
so it's basically like 'Pan the Bread Thief'? (a popular kids' picture-book character)
It's a coined word combining 'political' with 'Lupin,' the byword for master thief
So it's a socially-conscious drama about politics?
( ´◔‿◔`)
I opened this thread thinking the title read 'Politi-Calpan,' not 'Political Pan'
What's with Fuji TV?
Is there some rule that every drama title
has to have 'Lupin' crammed into it?
Seriously, let Lupin go already.
These drama titles are so lame.
Kids these days
don't even know who Lupin is.
He must be swamped
Looks like the generation whose brains got fried by 'Keizoku' (a 1999 hit drama) is now in charge of casting, so he keeps getting picked
Still, Kusakari's age is unbelievable
With a cast and a hot screenwriter like this lined up…
and it's still only 5.6%?
Even re-airing Vivant wouldn't crack 10% at this point
These days in Japan they just hide behind 'core viewer ratings,' a bogus metric that's basically a scam
Take 'Atarashii Kagi' (New Key)—stuck in the 2% range on regular ratings, yet they claim it's fine on core ratings and won't cancel it, which is just dumb
That's because it was just a crossover cash-in using 'Unnatural' and 'MIU404'—shows with no plans for real sequels—to pull in an audience
And yet this one's cast fees are probably way higher, no comparison
https://mantan-web.jp/article/20261008dog00m200000000a.html
Wow, they really shoehorned Korea into this one
It satirizes politics, but at its core it's a Robin-Hood-style thief drama
A righteous thief, huh
So it's one of those feel-good 'Sukatto Japan'-style comeuppance shows
( ´◔‿◔`)
Even she has her hits and misses
She just had a huge flop with 'Last Mile'
( ´◔‿◔`)
Background and Talking Points on This Story
The 5.6% figure is a household rating for the Kanto region. The ‘core viewer rating’ mentioned in the replies is a separate metric based on individual viewership that Video Research introduced in recent years. Because a low household rating can still coexist with a high core rating—which networks weigh heavily when deciding whether to keep a show on air—the two figures aren’t easily compared. Many in the thread felt the show ‘underperformed’ relative to Nogi Akiko’s past work, but a serial drama’s reputation isn’t set in stone after one episode; ratings commonly shift from week to week. As several replies noted, the title ‘Political Pan’ is said to be a coined term blending ‘political’ with the master-thief icon ‘Lupin’—a naming choice that’s as much about signaling the show’s theme as it is about catchy wordplay.
*This article is compiled and summarized from the 5ch (Geinou/Sports News+) thread “[Ratings] Satomi Ishihara-starring drama ‘Political Pan’ opens at 5.6% — script by Nogi Akiko.”
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