Controversy hound the new drama “Chugaku Seinikki (Junior High School Diary)” starring Arimura Kasumi. Even prior to broadcast, its theme of forbidden love story between a female teacher and a junior high school student is met with criticisms such as “this feels bad” and “creepy”. Arimura plays the teacher while 19 year old rookie actor Okada Kenshi plays her student. However, since he is tall and grown up in appearance, he does not look like a junior high school student. It is said that the role was given to the 19 year old actor because production cannot really appoint a junior high school student.

The drama premiered last October 9 with 6.0%, a disastrous rating. The previous drama in the TBS Tuesday timeslot, Ayase Haruka’s “Gibo to Musume” premiered with 11.5%, with a final episode of 19.2% and average rating of 14.2%. The  sensational theme may have caused viewers to leave. In social media, feedback is also negative, “Junior High School Diary is creepy. I only watched 20 minutes and stopped.”; “It can be accepted that at a young age the child is unstable, but he looks like a stalker.” ;”Creepy. Is it okay for TV dramas to allow this setting? “; “It is impossible to make this a pure love. I feel sick.”

Arimura’s asadora drama “HIYOKKO” is popular and gained an average rating of 20.4%. However, her primetime starring dramas have been lackluster. She’s hounded as a “low rating” actress for a while because of her low rated dramas such as the getsu9 drama with Kora Kengo (9.7%) and Eien no Bokura Sea Side Blue (8.0%). She recovered with the asadora drama but her current work might brand her negatively again.

Can the drama recover for the next episodes?

via gunosy, biglobe,