Yankee-kun to Megane-chan

This drama is a high-school drama. It has all the usual characteristics of dramas that are about teenagers. You have some fighting, studying and the troubles of growing up and figuring out your own path in life. Watching this drama you will probably not come across anything that is new on this subject, since it has been done many times before. However, this story is still worth watching just for the fun of it. It doesn't want to take itself seriously. The way the story is told makes you seriously consider that it's more like a parody of the genre, rather than an actual take on it.

It doesn't lack a story and likeable characters. The main protagonist is a boy names Daichi, who is the son of a doctor who has a small general clinic. He is played by the very cute Narimiya Hiroki, who has a memorable smile. He is the "Yankee". In Japan a "Yankee" is a sort of a juvenile delinquent. He skips school a lot, gets into fights and is generally bad news. As can be predicted, he will not stay the same till the end of the drama, though he will not completely change either.

The main female character is Adachi Hana, who is the "good girl" in the school. We can see Naka Riisa in this role who pulls it off very well. Striving to be the perfect normal high school student, it becomes obvious she is trying a bit too hard. It's not an easy role for Naka Riisa as such a character can easily become too much for the audience, but she remains loveable through the whole story. I also have to note that as I've seen her in several dramas, she is an excellent actress, and always plays her characters in a believable fashion.

The story is the usual "good girl reforms bad boy", but with a twist. Both of them are changed by the experiences they have and grow up a lot, not just the bad boy. They are two extremes that try to define themselves based on the labels they adapted, but humans can't be defined by labels. As they get to know each other better, they both have to come to realise that they are both just humans.

I do recommend watching the drama, but it may not be suitable for people who are well beyond their own high-school drama.

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I watched the first episode not expecting to like it but I did, it kind of reminds me of Gokusen.

Narimiya Hiroki may be too old to play a high-schooler, but somehow he still fits quite nicely in the role. Naka Riisa tends to overact in a rather irritating sort of manner; Hongo Kanata just can't act. The storyline is quite formulaic - problem, Shinagawa and Adachi try to solve it, problem solved, everyone is happy - but I like the ending which leaves Adachi's reply to Shinagawa's confession open. This drama's nice for light viewing; expect nothing too brilliant.