Working around (c) Nikkan Gendai (Daily Gendai)

Kentaro Sakaguchi's "CODE" is off to a good start...but "only one" concern remains for the lead in a drama series in two consecutive seasons

The average household rating for the first episode was 6.1% (in the Kanto area, according to Video Research), but there were many comments on the Internet such as "quite interesting," "I was glued to the screen," and "I want to see the rest of the story," which foreshadow further growth in the ratings.

Considering that the previous Sunday drama series on Nittele, "But There's Passion," did so poorly that the ratings dropped to the 2% range in the middle of the season, expectations are high among those involved. The story is a crime suspense in which the main character, played by Sakaguchi, is trying to get to the bottom of his fiancée's death and obtains a mysterious app called "CODE" that grants any wish, so some say that it is too heavy for Sunday nights, but since many viewers of NTV Sunday dramas are drama lovers who have their own opinions on the matter, it is not a bad thing. However, since viewers of NTV's Sunday drama slot tend to be drama lovers who have their own opinions, there should be no problem with a serious storyline as long as the content and acting skills are up to the task.

Some say that since Shota Sometani (30) and Mayu Hotta (25), who co-starred in the previous season's Fuji TV Geki 9 "Kazama Kochin - Kyobo 0" are also in the cast, "the two were very bachi-bachi in Kyobo, but this time the opposite is true, so it should be worth watching. Remakes of foreign dramas are not likely to be a flop. "When a Couple Breaks" (NTV) starring Izumi Inamori, which became a hot late-night drama in spring, was originally remade in the UK and then in Korea and became a big hit. It is a common belief that remakes of foreign dramas with established reputations do not flop in the first place. However, when it comes to crime suspense dramas, the power of the visuals is also an issue.

Compared to Korean and Chinese dramas, the visual quality of Japanese dramas is a few notches below that of their Korean and Chinese counterparts, or at least, the visual quality of Japanese dramas is not as good as it should be. I have no concerns about the acting skills of Mr. Sakaguchi and the other cast members, but I wonder how they will be perceived by viewers accustomed to the latest foreign dramas. If there is any cause for concern, it would be that." (Producer, Tokyo-based key station) All eyes will be on Sakaguchi's second half of the season, starting with the April season Nittele Saturday drama "Dr. Chocolate.

Source: https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/8fcf0fa0943aa78ff7a8183d8df1fc83afe95d49