Japanese Animation TV Ratings September 15 to 21

NHK’s long-running morning drama franchise Renzoku Terebi Shōsetsu, affectionately known as Asadora, continued its strong ratings run during the week of September 15 through 21. The newest entry in the franchise, Anpan, aired on Thursday, September 18 at 8:00 a.m. and earned a 17.7 percent rating in the Kanto region. A repeat airing on Saturday, September 20 at 12:45 p.m. brought in 11.6 percent. Anpan is a live-action weekday morning series inspired by the life of Anpanman creator Takashi Yanase and his wife Nobuo Komatsu.

On the anime side, the feature film Fortune Favors Lady Nikuko aired on NHK-E on Sunday, September 21 at 3:15 p.m. and earned a 0.9 percent rating.

Ratings reflect estimates of the share of households watching in Japan’s Kanto region during the live broadcast window and do not include delayed or recorded viewings.

My take: A 17.7 percent live rating is genuinely impressive by modern television standards, and it speaks to how deeply the Asadora format is woven into daily life in Japan. Anpan having that kind of pull for a story about the creator of Anpanman feels fitting.