Drama Review (Episode 01): ファースト・クラス

I decided to give First Class a try this spring season because it looked sort of interesting with the premise reminding me of Confessions of a Shopaholic and 13 Going on 30. I enjoy reading fashion/lifestyle magazines myself so anything that takes place in the infamous publishing industry sparks my interest by default. After having watched the first episode, I think it's safe to say this drama is a keeper for me.

I kept thinking that one of the guys in it - a photo shoot assistant - looked awfully familiar. Turns out it's KAT-TUN's Nakamura Yuichi. The cast overall seems good, I also recognised Nanao from Last Cinderella but my favourite was probably the lead female actress (Sawajiri Erika). Most people might know her from 1 Litre of Tears? But I have yet to watch that. I just really like the kind of character she plays in this. Very straight-forward and open with a good heart的ね。

The story revolves around this new intern girl (Sawajiri Erika) who, with some luck, manages to get a placement at First Class, a widely-known fashion magazine. She always dreamed of working in the fashion industry and now finally has been given the chance to prove herself in it... but she soon realises, that the industry is a lot tougher and the people working in it a lot more selfish and cruel. The first episode already proved how far one of her superiors is willing to go to make life so much harder for the new intern than it needed to be. Bullying seems to be part of the routine as part of this industry. 

I'd recommend checking out this new series. I think it looks promising! Check out a press conference with the main cast and some scenes of the first episode here (no English subtitles).