What Drama Captivates Viewers the Most Now? Spring 2026 April Season Drama First Episode Attention Ranking

REVISIO Inc. (Headquarters: Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yasushi Koriya; hereinafter REVISIO), which measures "attention" (gaze) to TV screens by installing human recognition technology-equipped devices in homes, has created a ranking of attention for the first episodes of the Spring 2026 April season dramas and analyzed popular trends. Higher attention indicates that viewers in front of the TV were more captivated.

*Not all dramas are covered.

REVISIO Spring 2026 Drama First Episode Attention Ranking

The first episodes of the Spring 2026 April season dramas saw four works surpass the top attention rate (66.8%) of the previous season (Winter 2026 dramas) for individuals overall.

Fuji TV's "Fufu Bessei Keiji" (Detective with Separate Surnames) took the top spot in overall individual attention (71.7%). This work received particularly strong support from male viewers, recording a high male attention rate of 75.3%. Following in second place was "LOVED ONE" (69.4%), also from Fuji TV. TBS's "Nichiyo Gekijo 'GIFT'" (67.7%), which ranked third, not only secured the top spot in household TV on-air rate (viewership rating) but also ranked second in attention among female viewers and the core demographic (13-49 years old), indicating that it captivated a wide range of audiences.

Incidentally, interesting results showed that preferences varied by demographic, with Nippon TV's "There is no tree that cannot be cut down 10 times" and "Tatsuki-sensei is too sweet!" ranking high in female attention, and TV Asahi's "Error" ranking high in the core demographic.

Overall Individual Ranking - Top 3 Picks

1st Place: Fuji TV "Fufu Bessei Keiji"

Cast: Jiro Sato, Ai Hashimoto, Yuma Yamoto, Kaito Nakamura, Kyoko Saito, Rui Tsukishima, Misa Shimizu, Yuki Saito, Yajuro Bando, and others

Overall Individual Attention: 71.7%

Fuji TV's "Fufu Bessei Keiji" proudly took the top spot in overall individual attention. The biggest feature of this work is its overwhelming support from male viewers. The male attention rate recorded an extremely high 75.3%, also ranking first in that demographic and significantly driving the overall figures.

In terms of casting, Jiro Sato, who can handle a wide range of roles from comedy to serious and has strong support from male viewers, starring in the drama was a major hook. In addition, the unusual combination with Ai Hashimoto and the appearance of former Hinatazaka46 member Kyoko Saito are presumed to be strong factors that captivated male viewers.

Furthermore, the unique setting of "a married couple hiding their relationship while working as partners" is also one of its charms. The unique thrill of wondering when colleagues will find out, and the humorous, everyday comedic dialogue scenes have been well-received, while the suspense elements are also firmly depicted.

This exquisite balance and tempo of laughter (comedy) and mystery-solving (suspense) likely succeeded in keeping viewers engaged and focused on the screen until the end of the program.

2nd Place: Fuji TV "LOVED ONE"

Cast: Dean Fujioka, Kumi Takiuchi, Yusei Yagi, Keito Tsuna, Seira Anzai, Asuka Kawadoko, Takuya Kusakawa, Takuro Kamikawa, Kazushige Komatsu, Sayaka Yamaguchi, and others Overall Individual Attention: 69.4%

Fuji TV's "LOVED ONE" ranked second. This work ranked first in attention among the core demographic (13-49 years old) with 67.1%, and also ranked second among male viewers (70.4%) and fourth among female viewers (68.4%), indicating strong support from a wide range of generations without being biased towards a specific demographic.

This work is a forensic human mystery where members of the forensic medical team "MEJ," including Masumi Mizusawa played by Dean Fujioka, tackle numerous difficult cases. "LOVED ONE," which is also the title, is a word that expresses the respect forensic doctors have for the deceased, and at the same time, represents "a precious being who was someone's family, lover, or friend."

The "mystery-solving" element of a forensic mystery has a strong power to make viewers curious about what happens next and keep them captivated. In addition, the emotional human drama that portrays empathy for the deceased and their families is thought to resonate with a wide range of generations. The success of this classic combination of "high-quality mystery x moving human drama" is likely why it achieved high attention, ranking first in the core demographic (13-49 years old) and second overall, without being biased towards a specific gender or age group.

3rd Place: TBS "Nichiyo Gekijo 'GIFT'"

Cast: Tsutsumi