Majo no jouken

Matsushima Nanako (GTO, Yamato Nadeshiko, Hyaku-nen no monogatari) and teen heartthrob Takizawa Hideaki (Strawberry on the Shortcake, Antique) bring to life a love story between a high school teacher and one of her students.

Hirose Michi (Matsushima) is the daughter of an influential educator, and uses that influence to attain the position of a high school teacher despite her age and inexperience. Kurosawa Hikaru (Takizawa) is the son of Kyoko (played by Kuroki Hitomi), a very wealthy hospital director. Hikaru finds his life is already planned out by his controlling mother, who has placed the burden of running the hospital squarely upon his shoulders. Rather than accepting that burden, Hikaru rebels in his own way, causing trouble from high school to high school, until he ends up transferring into Hirose-sensei's class. His past and demeanor cause Hirose to become interested in him, until that interest turns from professional to personal.

While Matsushima seems to find herself in either teaching or flight attendant roles, this particular role is an amazing departure from the role of Fuyutsuki-sensei in Great Teacher Onizuka. Her range as an accomplished actor is established with Majo no Joken, and is carried on later in Yamato Nadeshiko. Fans of drama series will find her to be atop their list of actors to watch out for, along with Tokiwa Takako and Matsu Tatako. This series hits the basic concepts of Japanese society and the strict upbringing within it to light, while also showing the nature and consequences of non-conformity in that society. Majo no Joken was the number two drama in its season, and rightly so.