Popular actor Ryoko Yonekura (50) was reportedly raided by the Matri (Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare Kanto Shinetsu Health Bureau Narcotics Control Department) on suspicion of violating the Narcotics Control Law, sending shockwaves throughout the world–. ■[4 original images] “She’s so thin…” Ryoko Yonekura, a shot of leaning toward a big-name actor in a slender figure that has caused a string of worried voices, She also reportedly declined to become an ambassador for Jaguar Land Rover Japan’s popular “Defender” model, and was absent from the “21st Clarino Beautiful Legs Grand Prix 2025” award ceremony on October 6. On October 11, Shukan Bunshun reported that Yonekura was under investigation by the Matrix for violating the Narcotics Control Law. Bunshun’s investigative team had received information in late June that Yonekura was under investigation by Matri, and on August 20, a raid was conducted on Yonekura’s apartment. A follow-up report was struck on September 14, and it was reported that Yonekura was directly interviewed at Haneda Airport upon her return from overseas on September 6. And before the Bunshun report, X also posted a photo of a large group of reporters gathered in front of Yonekura’s home as of October 8 (*now deleted). Following the magazine media, TV reporters also moved in on October 6. There was a series of withdrawals from a series of events, and there was a sense of disquiet. …… The future developments surrounding Yonekura will be closely watched, but the impact of this news report is still quite large. Many fans are concerned about the future of her masterpiece “Doctor X – Surgeon Daimon Michiko” (TV Asahi).
Is the “repeat broadcast” golden relay of “Doctor X” to “Partners” in jeopardy?
Doctor X” is a medical drama series featuring a genius surgeon, Michiko Daimon, played by Yonekura, and was broadcast for seven seasons from October 2012 to October 2009. The highest record was set in the final episode of Season 3 in October 2002, when it received a 27.4% household viewership rating (Kanto region/video research) and the highest instantaneous viewership rating of 31.3%. In December last year, “Doctor X Final the Movie,” the first movie in the series and the final installment, was released. The film also recorded box-office revenue of 3.28 billion yen. Since the series has been actively aired repeatedly on TV Asahi, many people have been lamenting that “Doctor X” will no longer be aired depending on future developments, saying, “Doctor X will probably not be aired again,” “Maybe it will be impossible to rerun Doctor X for a while,” “What’s going to happen to Doctor X? What’s going to happen to Doctor X? It was whispered that Yonekura’s fee for “Doctor X” was an unprecedented 4 million yen per episode, and it was said that the fees for the other actors in the series were also higher than usual, but it was also said that the reason for this was that the Teresa side holds many rights, including re-runs. In other words, the station’s wishes are given priority and repeat broadcasts are easy to make. Teresa often repeats “Partners” starring Yutaka Mizutani (73) and “Forensic Woman” starring Yasuko Sawaguchi (60) on weekday afternoons and evenings, and “Doctor X” has often been aired as one of these series. Last November, in commemoration of the release of the movie version, the weekday afternoon gogo-wide slot (1:55-3:50, Kanto local) aired “My Best X” featuring the first series and other past masterpieces, but the ratings were almost on par with those of wide shows broadcast in the same time slot. For example, on November 14 of last year, the first series of “Doctor X” was broadcast on the same day as “My Best X”. For example, on November 14 last year, the sixth episode of the first series of “Doctor X” was repeated, and the household viewership rating was 4.2% (Kanto region/video research), while the individual viewership rating was 2.1%. Two wide shows, “Information Live Miyaneya” (NTV) and “Gogosma” (TBS), were broadcast in the same time slot, and both programs received 4.4% of the household viewership that day. The ratings for individuals were 2.2% for “Miyaneya” and 2.3% for “Gogosma,” which were almost the same as the repeat broadcast of “Doctor X. Even the repeat broadcast of “Doctor X” is enough content to compete with a live broadcast of a wide-ranging show that offers the day’s seasonal topics. Furthermore, although TV Asahi feels that the evening 4:00 p.m. slot has become established as a repeat broadcast slot for “Partners,” the November 14 episode of last year that aired immediately after “Doctor X” received 5.2% household and 2.5% individual ratings. These figures were the highest for both households and individuals in the same time slot, ahead of news programs on other stations. In other words, the “Doctor X” and then “Partners” format is the “strongest relay” that outperforms live broadcast wide shows and news programs on other stations. TV Asahi’s average household viewer ratings for FY2024 were the highest for “All Day” (6:00 am to midnight), “Golden” (7:00 pm to 10:00 pm), and “Prime” (7:00 pm to 11:00 pm), achieving a triple crown for the third consecutive year. In addition, the station also achieved a “double triple crown” in individual viewer ratings for the first time since its inception. It is clear that “Doctor X” and “Partners” are the driving forces behind the station, as they both receive great viewer ratings even for repeat broadcasts. In the midst of all this, a surprising news report came out about Yonekura Ryoko. While the future of “Doctor X” is the focus of attention, there are also many who are concerned about the future of “Doctor X”.
Pinzuba NEWS Editorial Department