The "Hanzawa Naoki" season 2 finale earned an audience rating was 32.7%, the most viewed drama in the Reiwa Era

Back in the ’80s and ’90s, seeing audience ratings for Japanese drama final episodes surpassing 25%, let alone over 30% was a little more common.

But there are very few drama episodes that have surpassed the 40% mark.

The drama “Naoki Hanzawa” has been a cultural phenomenon in Japan and its first season which aired in 2013, the final episode had a 42.2% rating, surpassing TBS 2000 drama “Beautiful Life ~Futari de Itahibi~” which had a 41.3% rating.

The other two highest rated commercial drama finale’s that surpassed 40% is the final episode of the 1982 drama “Tsumiki Kuzushi” which received a 45.3% rating, followed by the February 5, 1979 episodes of “Mito Komon” which received a 43.7% rating. The 2013 finale of “Naoki Hanazawa” is currently ranked #3 in the most watched drama finale.

The most watched episode in the last 22 years is the “64th NHK Kouhaku Uta Gassen” (2014) second half, which featured the shocking graduation announcement of AKB48’s Oshima Yuko which earned a 44.5% audience rating.

But with the final episode of TBS’ Sunday drama “Naoki Hanzawa” (second season), the September 27th episode had an average household rating of 32.7% which is magnificent, considering drama ratings are not the way they used to be since the Internet age. But also making it the top viewed drama in the Reiwa Era.

Each episode of this second season of “Naoki Hanzawa” has been over 22% continuing its phenomenon status in Japanese entertainment.

(Kanto Area, After 1977)

◇79年　ＴＢＳ・水戸黄門（第９部）………43・７％

◇79年　ＴＢＳ・女たちの忠臣蔵……………42・６％

◇79年　日　本・熱中時代……………………40・０％

◇79年　日　本・太陽にほえろ！……………40・０％

◇83年　ＴＢＳ・積木くずし…………………45・３％

◇13年　ＴＢＳ・半沢直樹……………………42・2％

◇00年　ＴＢＳ・ビューティフルライフ……41・３％

◇11年　日　本・家政婦のミタ………………40・０％

(Kansai Area, after 1980)

◇81年　ＴＢＳ・水戸黄門（第11部）………42・２％