Chastity High – Episode 2 “Rabbit Hunting” Recap & Review

“Rabbit Hunting”

Episode 2 of Chastity High starts with Ichica’s mother – Chihiro trying to get a second job at a bar to be able to pay the loan off. Meanwhile, Ichica saves up enough money to pay her fees for the term to ease off her mother’s burden. She tries to reason with Chihiro, asking her to prioritise her health. Ichica lies to her by saying that Chihiro need not worry about her fees because she has gotten a scholarship.

Chihiro praises Ichica for this and we see Ichica trying her best to save more and more money every day. She rides the bike to school instead of taking the train while the rich kids have their drivers drop them off at school. Meanwhile, the teachers tell Ikujima that the male and female students had started bonding and it would be difficult to monitor their interactions outside the school premises.

In class, the students gossip about Sawa’s reaction towards Yuma at the party. Yuzuki starts avoiding Sawa and we see a flashback from the night before. Yuzuki asks Sawa to apologise to Yuma. She also states that she does not have any sexual or romantic feelings towards her which breaks Sawa’s heart.

Meanwhile, Haruto finally comes to his senses and pushes Ayami away. He states that Ayami caught him off guard by lying to him about her age on the dating app where they met. He breaks off their three-month-long relationship. Present day, Ayami watches from afar as the other students talk to Haruto. Ichiko talks to the teachers and asks if she could get a scholarship but they refuse.

Outside, Ema tells Ichico that she is going to break up with her boyfriend as well. Koharu talks to Ryougo about their kiss and the two conclude that they are not the best match for each other.

Ryougo is shocked to learn that Ichico is not rich like the rest of the kids in school. At school, Ichico tries to look for a way to support her mother financially without getting a part-time job as that was also against the school’s policy. She contemplates getting a secret adult broadcasting job.

Later that day, Ryougo apologises to Ichico and offers to pay more money. Ichico refuses to take pity money from him and leaves. Meanwhile, Ema tells Ichico that she broke up with her boyfriend and the two bond over home-cooked ramen. Ema tells Ichico that she will soon move abroad just like her mother. At his house, Atsushi’s mother brings up Ichico which makes things awkward at the dinner table.

Mr Maki and Haruto scold Ryougo for hosting a party without their consent. Haruto drops a glass that his mother ends up picking to punish Ryougo. In private, Ryougo tells Mrs Maki that he does not want to go abroad to study because she would be left alone. Mrs Maki asks him to prioritise his future instead. Meanwhile, Sawa browses through photos of her and Yachiko instead of studying for the mid-semester exam.

The following morning, Sawa tries to cheat on the test and is caught by Ichico. After the exam, Ichico tries to talk to Sawa but the latter reacts rashly and storms out of the class. At the same time, Asuka flirts with the school counsellor – Yuki. He claims to be attracted to older women. Yuki tries to draw the line between them and asks Asuka to use the student-teacher messaging app – School Post to talk to her.

He starts booking more counselling sessions to meet her. Yuki keeps deleting the requests as they show up. However, the portal shows a new photo of Ema with her boyfriend outside a motel. Yuki takes the photo to the principal who starts questioning Ema about her meeting. Ema confesses that she only met her ex to end their relationship due to the new rules of the school.

However, Ikushima asks if Ema had physical relations with her boyfriend at the motel. Ema states that her ex wanted to have sex one last time before their breakup. This does not sit well with Ikushima and she suspends Ema from the school despite her requests. Sawa feels guilty when she sees that the photo she had shared on the portal has led to Ema’s future being ruined while Ichico breaks down.

She tries to plead with Ikushima but the principal refuses to give in. She claims that the students of the school need to learn to refrain from giving in to their desires. Ryuogo notices Ichico’s state and tries to cheer her up. Ichico shares how Ema’s dreams of bringing her family back to wealth and studying abroad had been shattered.

After school that day, Ichico meets Ema and tries to console her. Ema keeps her head high and the two friends hug and sob. As the days go by, Yuki tells Ikushima that many students are tracking their classmates outside the school premises. Ikushima sees this as an opportunity and asks Yuki to get the members of the student council to start patrolling outside motels.

She states that this will ensure that none of the students are engaging in romance outside the school premises. Yuki tries to oppose but Ikushima is adamant. The student council members start a rabbit-hunting spree. On the other hand, Haruto and Ayami keep their taboo relationship going on in the upstairs library. He also continues to date the student counsellor – Yuki who is a good fit in their family as per his father’s standards.

That night, Ryougo goes home and finds Mr Maki throwing a fit and abusing Mrs Maki. He tells Ryougo that he should stay in Japan instead of going to the USA. The father-son duo argue and Ryougo gets upset. Meanwhile, Ichico is stuck patrolling outside motels with Sawa when Ryougo calls her the school’s watchdog. She tries to contact Ema but does not get through to her.

The loan sharks hound Ichico and her mother. Ichico goes to meet Ema at her house but sees that she has moved. She finds the dream board Ema had made. Ichico tells herself that she will be taking on Ema’s dream and will strive to graduate from Asuran Academy. The episode ends with Ichico anonymously blackmailing the couples and extorting money from them.

The Episode Review

The way this show is progressing makes me realise that Japanese dramas are comparatively less popular because of the expectations mismatch. From the way this show was marketed online, months before its release, viewers expected it to be an exciting thriller but this show looks like a fluffy high school romance instead.

Knowing that this show is loosely inspired by a real-life case makes me hopeful for this one to turn more interesting as the episodes progress. Now that Ichico’s only friend, Ema, is suspended, she has no friends in school.

One can expect her to befriend Ryougo but seeing how Atsushi seems to have an obsession with her, it is possible that this show could turn into a thriller in the episodes to come. It will be interesting to see what leads to Ichico getting into a legal battle with the school itself.