Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Why is it that in fancy schools meant for rich kids, the smartest girl happens to be from a broke family and falls for the richest, Casanova-like dude on campus? I’ve written about how the trope is getting tiring while reviewing ‘Maxton Hall’, which is also a high-school-themed romance about the hot, rich, wild hunk courting the poor scholarship girl. Fortunately, Netflix’s Japanese series ‘Chastity High’ manages to be interesting despite its protagonist’s clichéd romantic life, because the primary focus is on how Ichica Arisawa, a model student, begins to blackmail other kids whenever she catches them violating the school’s ridiculously strict ‘no dating’ rule. She calls herself the ‘Love Keeper’ – she ensures nobody’s dating life makes it to the principal’s office for a price, as she decides to secretly pay off loan sharks hounding her mother.
Created by Soshi Masumoto, Yuka Yasukawa, and Ryo Ota, ‘Chastity High’ spans eight episodes and stars Ai Mikami as the primary protagonist, Ichica Arisawa. Episode one begins with the merger of Ichica’s expensive all-girls’ school with a boys’ school, prompting the Principal (Shinobu Terajima) to set up strict rules barring students from having intimate contact with the opposite sex, not just on campus, but also off campus! Students are outraged at the draconian rule, the punishment for which is either suspension or even expulsion. The student council is tasked with keeping an eye on their classmates and is encouraged to spy on students even after school hours, their vigilance soon gaining the hilarious moniker – “rabbit hunting.” When Ichica’s single working mother is unable to pay her term fee, Ichica uses these new rules for her own financial benefit by offering to save couples from being caught.
While the premise is almost dystopian in nature (banning hormonal teenagers from dating? Really?), ‘Chastity High’ explores the stories of different kinds of young couples in love – some sweet, others bitter. At the same time, there’s the other side of the coin: students obsessively spying on each other to get others in trouble while they should be studying or, well, having fun. The Principal seems like the antagonist, but she is very clear about her agenda – she doesn’t want students getting knocked up, both for their benefit and the school’s, which is built up like a secret – “ooh, that’s her true intention” – even though it’s quite obvious from the start. And even though it isn’t explicitly stated, the themes of the show astutely underlines how it’s ultimately the girls who pay a higher price for a steamy relationship gone wrong. It will definitely divide viewers over whether private institutions should be allowed to put curbs on the private lives of their students.
Ai Mikami strongly anchors ‘Chastity High’ as Ichica, a smart teen weighed down by financial burdens foisted upon her mother by her ex-husband. For Ichica’s her rich classmates, the fee she charges to keep their affairs secret is peanuts. She is a “rabbit hunter” by day, and come evening, she becomes the “Love Keeper,” saving teen couples from getting suspended or expelled. But she herself runs the danger of becoming a victim of the harsh rule when she finds herself attracted to “bad boy” Maki Ryogo (Miyase Ryubi), a wealthy, flirtatious brat whose father, Maki Akira (Ishiguro Ken), is a big donor to the school, and whose elder brother, Maki Haruto (Asaka Kodai), is a teacher. Obviously, to make the brat seem more humane, ‘Chastity High’ writers give him daddy issues – Ishiguro Ken’s Akira is a tyrant at home, an insufferable patriarch, a wife-beater, and a manipulative, hateful father. His brother’s character is no better: a teacher who has an affair with an underage student, one of the most problematic subplots, where there’s barely any censure of the inappropriate relationship.
The cinematography for ‘Chastity High’ is just as visually engaging as most Netflix high-school romances featuring fancy schools; the color palette is somewhere between the dark, edgy ‘Elite’ and the bright, bubbly ‘Heartstopper’. The background music is upbeat, featuring an eclectic mix of tracks ranging from Japanese to English, and even German numbers.
As mentioned earlier, Ichica’s blooming romance with Maki Ryogo is very predictable and kind of boring, even though the chemistry between the characters is sweet. And even though Miyase Ryubi has his charms as Ryogo, he feels miscast in the part, and a lot of other younger characters in the show might’ve pulled off his rebellious character better. For instance, Toyoda Yudai who plays Ryogo’s handsome, playful best-friend Miyama Asuka, or Mizusawa Rintaro who portrays the introverted Kanda Atsushi, a member of the student council with an unhealthy crush on Ichica.
The last few episodes of ‘Chastity High’ aren’t as gripping as the first half of the show, but the series is driven by a talented ensemble cast. Although a lot of the characters would’ve benefited from more screen time, and maybe each young couple could’ve used an entire chapter to themselves, instead of brief glimpses into their romantic lives. I would’ve liked to see more of Kanemitsu Honoka’s Nonami Koharu, a wealthy student who serves as a trigger for Ichica’s ‘Love Keeper’ scheme at school. Nonami is a practical, sweet, rich girl, who knows when and how to get out of sticky situations, and is entertainingly portrayed by the actor. It took me a few seconds to recognize Honda Kyoya (saw him last in Jack o’ Frost), who looked refreshingly youthful as Ichinose Ruka, a closeted student who is outed due to the no-dating rule, but embraces his sexuality openly and questions the school’s double-standards over the way his case is dealt with.
The climactic episodes center around Ichica and other students challenging the draconian ‘no dating’ rule, with a “school versus students” face-off over the issue. This could’ve been a lot more charged and exciting than the tepid showdown we are served, so the ending feels underwhelming. Regardless, a clever little twist at the end promises that Ichica’s battles are far from over. If you’re looking for a high-school drama with multiple leads and enjoy the “rich person falls for poor person” trope, this makes for an entertaining watch.
Rating: 6 on 10. Watch ‘Chastity High’ on Netflix.
Also Read: Nobody Wants This Review – The RomCom We Need (Short Audio Version below)