Japanese drama “Last Note” starring Uchida Yuki and Teranishi Takuto draws mixed TV ratings and strong online buzz

Fuji TV’s new drama “Last Note” (titled in Japanese as ラストノート) premiered on 9 May with 50‑year‑old Uchida Yuki and 31‑year‑old Teranishi Takuto in the lead roles. The series follows 49‑year‑old saleswoman Ichinose Aoi (Uchida) and 30‑year‑old Higurashi Sumiharu (Teranishi), whose romance defies a nearly 20‑year age gap and becomes entangled with a romance‑fraud plot. A detailed review highlighted the show’s adult‑love themes, complex character dynamics and the contrast between its “pure love” marketing and the darker, suspenseful elements involving fraud and family pressures.

The first episode recorded an average household viewership rating of 5.0 % in the Kanto region, which was modest for a prime‑time slot. However, the episode sparked significant online discussion, with social‑media users noting the unexpected “romance‑fraud” twist: “思っていた展開とちがっていて、かなり最初からビックリしました！！” and “視聴率はいまひとつですが、ネットでは話題になっています。” The episode quickly rose to the top of TVer’s drama rankings and remained in the top three the following day. Teranishi’s performance as the “romance‑fraudster” has been praised, boosting his reputation after his first lead role in a commercial TV series.