The fashion media is often portrayed cattily in films and dramas. I’m just relieved I don’t work in that part of the industry, although newsrooms are also called snakepits by many because of all the betrayals and backstabbing that take place all for the sake of a story, a byline or an exclusive. The news people just don’t do it the fashionable way, you know, with stilettos, the latest ‘it’ bag and haute couture. Maybe news people are more about content than form. *Dodges the heels and lipstick thrown my way*

Anyway, that’s what FIRST CLASS is about and oh boy, do the heels not only go clack-clack-clack against the pavement, but  perfectly trimmed eyebrows shoot up and catty lines fire from everywhere. I’m amused.

This marks “betsuni” girl Sawajiri Erika’s comeback to TV drama land after her marriage (now over) and controversies she’s been through since she shot to stardom in 1 LITRE OF TEARS. And here, she plays the underdog which is even more amusing. But she does it convincingly and besides, she has already apologized for her previous bad girl behavior.

First Class is the name of the fashion magazine where Erika’s character Chinami goes to work as an intern. She’s surrounded by women who have issues (okay, is there a single woman who doesn’t?): the editor-in-chief called the “queen” (she’s no Miranda though) who’s married to a younger guy, the deputy EIC who is a “smug married” as Bridget Jones’ singleton would refer to, an elite rich girl who got in due to her connections of course, and a contract editor who is at the bottom of the rung. There’s also the cool male stylist who looks at all the not-necessarily-PMS-induced mood swings around him with detached amusement, the lady photographer who is cool but has a dark side and her assistant played by KAT-TUN’s Nakamaru. There are also two rival models, one of whom is played by Nozomi Sasaki, one of the many exes of Arashi’s the Great Ninomiya.

Chinami is the only character who is “pure” and thus, is naive, but we all know how these dramas go. She will soon be eaten by the system and become an even bigger bitch than the bitches before her. There are only two types of characters here: bitchy by nature or bitchy to survive it might make those with weaker hearts dreaming of a career in fashion reporting pale under their BB creams.

But it’s a fun watch and can teach us a thing or two about the work place, be it the snakepit or the lion’s den or the editorial floor.

“Only those that help themselves, survive.

Only those that win have the right to obtain their dream.

The only one on your side is you.”

– Osawa Rumi, First Class editor-in-chief

One more drama to add to my list of spring dramas to keep on watching.

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