It's been a while since we've done a Dramataku, hasn't it? I'm pleased to be able to bring back the feature with a focus on Mei-Chan No Shitsuji, the drama that took home the award at the 60th Television Drama Academy Awards in April. A school drama in the vein of Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, it tells the story of Mei, a young lady whose parents have both passed away in an accident. Suddenly, she finds her life is very different, as she is suddenly enrolled in the St Lucia School For Girls, a high end academy where each girl has her own extremely handsome butler. Sounds ludicrous, doesn't it?
If you find your guiltiest pleasure (or one of em, at least) is watching dramas with storylines so hilariously unrealistic that you can't help but laugh out loud at the prospect of this, then this is the show for you. Hit the jump to see why Mei-Chan No Shitsuji captured my heart this season.
Mei-Chan No Shitsuji Based on the manga by Riko Miyagi Original Japan Broadcast: January 13th, 2009 - March 17th, 2009 Theme Song: My SunShine by ROCKï½€A´TRENCH
As I said before, if the more out of this world a drama's storyline seems the more you find yourself attracted to it, be prepared to fall madly in love with Mei-Chan No Shitsuji. As the show opens, you'll meet a mildly befuddled Shinonome Mei (played by Nana Eikura) being escorted into the St. Lucia School For Girls by S Rank butler Shibata Rihito (played by Hiro Mizushima). She's obviously not the type of lady-in-training (read: stuck up brat) that normally attends the school, so right off the bat, you can tell things will be difficult for her. Why does she have an S Rank butler with her, though? It's a bit of a mystery.
Mei-Chan wastes no time in showing off one of its biggest strengths: its ensemble cast. With familiar faces such as Takeru Sato (Rookies, Mr Brain) and Yu Yamada (Binbo Danshi, Nodame Cantibile Europe), this drama gives you a reason to smile at the sight of a lot of your old favorites as they take on new roles. My personal favorite laugh-out-loud duos are the psychic student and matching butler, but you'll likely love them all.
Mei goes through the classic everyone hates me syndrome, with Rihito being her only real defender. Of course, he quickly establishes himself as a sort of knight in shining armor (as all the butlers should be to their ladies), and any viewer hoping for her hardcore dose of ikemen is going to get it good in the form of Rihito. His character is wonderful in that fantasy world sort of way, but it's really Sato who steals the show as Mame Shiba, Rihito's younger brother who is not-so-secretly in love with Mei. As the show goes on, you'll see both brothers compete for her affection in a variety of hilarious ways.
Of course, the only thing that can make a show like this better is a good villain, and it has several. Yu Yamada plays Lucia, an elegant girl that all the other students admire who is next in line to become the head of a distinguished family (called the Hongo family). She is accompanied by the best butler I can possibly imagine in terms of comedic effect, Shinobu, who wears all white from head to toe and even has white hair. He spends most of each episode skulking around doing Lucia's dirty work. I was constantly amused by how over the top this guy was.
As the show progresses, you'll learn Lucia's true intentions, watch the butlers battle with one another for the sake of their ladies, and watch the romance develop between Rihito and Mei under the guise of "a butler's devotion to his lady". It's all rather delightful, and as Mei wins over her classmates you'll also get to enjoy that sense of "determination conquers all!" that underlies so many of the dramas out there today. It definitely differs from the source manga in that it focuses on older versions of the characters and sometimes places them in more mature situations, but the result is still enjoyable in its own right.
Sure, it's a fantasy in every way, but it's a wonderful one, and I think it'll offer a lot of enjoyment for a viewer who wants a comedy with a bit of drama (and a touch of over-the-top silliness!) mixed in. Oh, and if you aren't madly in love with Shibata Rihito by the end of the show, your heart must be a blackened coal pit, because he's the most charming character I've seen in a drama since Hayahi Mokomichi's portayal of Night Tenjo in Zettai Kareshi. Don't miss it!
I'll have to check this out. As cheesy (and ridiculous) as Hanazakari no kimi tachi e was, I still got a few good laughs out of it (and you can never go wrong with Maki Horikita, IMHBAO), so I'm sure I'll enjoy Mei-chan.
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