Mei-chan's butler makes your girlish fantasies come true...
After watching a lot of serious and realistic Fashion 70s as well as angsty and thrillery Black and White, I decided it was enough of seriousness and realism and I wanted something silly-sticky-sweet.
Enter Mei-chan No Shitsuji. Any drama with the title "Mei-chan's Butler" cannot possibly be serious, realistic, or anything but giddy fluff, thought I. Was I right? Is it delicious crack or a hard-hitting expose of the mistreatment of the servant class?
I was not wrong in my choice!
Any drama which has animated rose borders:
Cutesy graphics:
And sheep counters:
Cannot be anything but glorious glorious crack!
Meet Mei-chan:
Mei grew up in a normal family:
But after her parents died in a car crash, it turned out she is a granddaughter of a really rich man who wants her to attend St Lucia Academy:
St Lucia is for really rich girls and has a rather peculiar rule. Each girl must have her own butler. Somebody has been reading too many fetish magazines, apparently.
But never fear! Mei-chan has a butler too - Rihito is the best butler ever.
He is the one who came to find Mei-chan after her parents' death. Not being insane she told him to get lost.
But after her house blew up around her ears due to rivals to the fortune, she was persuaded to reconsider. Yes. Explosions.
So now Mei-chan is at a rizty school run by rich bitches:
Each of whom has a fetishistic butler:
There is bullying:
What's a little threat of setting on fire between friends?
There is an albino butler:
Who is also apparently a physician. This drama is big on realism.
There are bizarre tests:
And even more bizarre rules:
Including the authors' attempt to provide a shred of respectability blanket over the fetishistic set-up:
Pull the other one, it's got bells on.
Seriously. So doing it.
Though I ship bitchy girl and her grey-dressed butler, myself.
Did I mention the albino butler?
Or the eccentric students?
And the tragic family legacy of hideous hair?
There is weird tech:
There are suits:
Creepy greenhouses:
And generally things that only a Japanese manga can come up with:
Because it bears repeating. Albino. Butler.
Mei-chan is pretty out of place.
She has sensible short hair:
Dislikes helicopters as the main means of transport:
Sits any which way:
Does not want to get massaged:
Does not care what her butler wears:
Refuses to give up her glasses:
Can't do math:
And sucks at playing the violin:
But something tells me Rihito likes her anyway:
Yes, Rihito.
He can protect Mei from bullying by his supernatural arrow-catching skills:
He has beautiful manners:
Dresses well:
Is thrifty:
Comforts her when she is down:
Is dedicated to caring for her:
And he is utterly utterly devoted to her in a way that definitely proves this is some rather lonely woman's fantasy and not anything resembling real life.
Show me someone his age who says that with a straight face and I will show you someone who is actually possessed by aliens from Planet Zorg.
This sums them and their relationship up perfectly: she is a fun relaxed oddball and he is proper and totally yearning. Mmmm.
Did I mention that there are cage-matches in evening wear? Indeed.
A girl could get used to this.
If it wasn't for the crazy homicidal head bitch, that is.
The entire point of this ridiculous, entertaining drama is summed up by this:
Ahhhh, Japan.
I stayed up till 3 am watching this.