Japanese Drama 'Until the T-Shirt Dries' Sparks Online Buzz
Listen to the story
A Japanese television drama called "Tシャツが乾くまで" (Until the T-Shirt Dries) is causing a big reaction online. The show stars actress Yu Aoi and airs on TBS, a major Japanese TV company, in its Friday night time slot.
The fifth episode of the drama broke a viewing record on TVer, a popular Japanese streaming website. It got the highest number of views ever for a TBS Friday night drama shown on the platform.
After the episode aired, viewers rushed online to share their thoughts. Many people asked whether the story really involved an affair, a secret romantic relationship between characters. Others focused on a character named Mitsuru, saying he had turned into a "scary" or dangerous-seeming person in the story.
Some viewers described feeling moyamoya after watching, a Japanese term for a confused or unsettled feeling that stays with you. This suggests the episode left many questions unanswered, which likely helped fuel the online discussion.
Actor Ayumu Nakajima, who appears in the drama, commented on what viewers can expect next. He suggested that audiences should simply let themselves be "swept along" by the story's twists and turns, hinting that more surprising developments are coming in future episodes.
The strong online reaction and record-breaking viewership suggest the drama has become one of the most talked-about shows of the current TV season in Japan.
Vocabulary10 words
- drama
- a TV show that tells a story
- episode
- one part of a TV series
- TVer
- a Japanese website for watching TV shows online
- affair
- a secret romantic relationship
- character
- a person in a story
- moyamoya
- a confused, unclear feeling that stays with you
- streaming
- watching video online instead of on normal TV
- time slot
- a fixed time period for a TV show
- viewership
- the number of people watching something
- swept along
- carried by events without much control
Quiz
Answer key
1. The highest TVer views for a TBS Friday drama 2. Whether there was an affair and about a character named Mitsuru 3. A feeling of confusion or being unsettled
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
A Japanese television drama called "Tシャツが乾くまで" (Until the T-Shirt Dries) is causing a big _____ online. The show stars actress Yu Aoi and airs on TBS in its Friday night time slot.
The fifth episode of the drama broke a viewing _____ on TVer, a popular Japanese streaming website. It got the highest number of views ever for a TBS Friday night drama shown on the platform.
After the episode aired, viewers rushed online to share their thoughts. Many people asked whether the story really involved an _____, a secret romantic relationship between characters.
Others focused on a _____ named Mitsuru, saying he had turned into a "scary" or dangerous-seeming person in the story.
Some viewers described feeling _____ after watching, a Japanese term for a confused or unsettled feeling that stays with you.
Actor Ayumu Nakajima, who appears in the drama, commented on what viewers can expect _____.
He suggested that audiences should simply let themselves be "swept along" by the story's _____ and turns.
Discussion questions
- Why do you think dramas that leave viewers confused ("moyamoya") become so popular?
- Have you ever watched a TV show that caused a lot of online discussion? What was it about?
- Do you prefer watching TV live or on streaming websites like TVer? Why?
- What makes a TV character seem "scary" or dangerous to viewers, in your opinion?