Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (2007)

I don't usually watch Japanese dramas, but somehow I was convinced to watch this one.

I think that the casting was PERFECT! Though sometimes I don't know if the acting should be that bizarre or is just exaggerated for some of the characters, everything just seemed to fit together. Nakatsu was adorable and he was portrayed very successfully, as he could be funny most of the time but when he's serious or feeling down, you can really feel it and it makes me just want to cry with him :(
The acting of Ashiya was okay, it wasn't bad, but if I were in that drama I would totally know that 'he' is a girl. Shun Oguri as Sano I think fit perfectly but he could have showed more emotion at times. And I noticed that he's so skinny, probably too skinny to look like a pro high jumper.
None of the characters/actors felt awkward or out of place which I find rare and this drama has impressed me with that

I haven't read the manga, but people said that the taiwanese version followed it more accurately. Whether this one followed it or not, it was great and it had a good balance of funny and romance. While some parts of the storyline are so random(like random dorm competitions) I think that that's probably what it's supposed to be and that's what sets the mood of the drama, light-hearted, warm, and funny. It never failed to make me laugh during funny parts and I was never bored.

there should have been more intimate scenes >.<

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Wow. What a fantastic drama. I usually don't find myself going crazy over school-based dramas, but this is definitely an exception.

So far I've only seen this version and the Taiwanese version, and I have to say that this version is definitely the superior one.

The story itself isn't all that original. In fact, it's something that has been done many times over. However, that doesn't really spoil anything. The main charms of this drama are the characters. Whether it's the main characters, supporting characters, or even the guest characters, I found myself caring about every single one of them. In comparison to the Taiwanese version, they focused a LOT more on the supporting characters and yet never seemed like they neglected the leads and the story was very cohesive and together the entire time. They did very well with balancing the subplots with the main plot. I also loved how Hibari, the closest the show had for an "antagonist", was not a traditional villain. Excellent job to the writers for leaving out that stereotype.

The casting was simply outstanding. I honestly have no complaints. While Oguri Shun and Horikita Maki certainly did justice to their characters, out of the main 3 Ikuta Toma was definitely the stand-out. While in the Taiwanese version Nakatsu/Xiu Yi was a goofball and had very little "meat" to her character, the Nakatsu of this version made you laugh and cry, embrace him and strangle him. I felt his pain and wanted so badly for him to find happiness, even if it wasn't with Mizuki. His performance was simply amazing. I also have to give shout-outs to Iwasa Mayuko and Kyo Nobuo. They were both highly entertaining as Hibari and Himejima, a true joy to watch. This goes for practically the entire rest of the cast as well.

One of the things I think J-Dramas as the best at is fitting the music into the show. Not only the theme songs were excellent, but also the insert songs. The songs painted the mood of every scene so perfectly. I wasted no time with getting my hands on the OST.

Overall, the drama was fantastic and the only reason it didn't get a 10 was due to a slight lack of originality plot-wise as well as one thing I haven't mentioned: the chemistry between the two main characters. It was there, but not as strong as I hoped. That is probably the only thing the Taiwanese version did better.

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Story: I thought the story was really funny. In real life I would consider Ashiya a crazy fan stalking her idol and wonder why Izumi would like that. But this isn’t real life and that’s what makes it funny. The drama is meant to be crazy and funny, not realistic. I really enjoyed watching the fights that Ashiya and Sano would get into, as well as the drama that went on in the school: the dorms fighting, teachers accusing students of cheating, competitions. You’re never bored with this drama. You’re always going to wonder what the hell will go on in the next episode? What other oddities will be displayed? What else can go wrong?

Music: I liked that the music was instrumental. It added a very upbeat feeling to the scenes.

Cast/Acting: I started watching this show because of Oguri Shun, my favorite Japanese Actor. I had seen him in Crows Zero, a bad ass fighting movie, as well as Hana Yori Dango, where he didn’t get the girl, and was extremely curious as to how he would do as the main love interest in a very funny romantic comedy. He didn’t disappoint.

Neither did Horikita Maki. She did just as good here as she did in her other dramas (Innocent Love, Atashinchi no Danshi). The best, in my opinion, was Ikuta Toma who played Nakatsu. He really fit the role of his character and honestly, he is the most funny out of everyone.

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This what got me into J-dramas. This show right here. This what introduced me to so many actors & actresses. Like Oguri Shun,Horikita Maki, Ikuta Toma, Yamamoto Yusuke, Mizushima Hiro, Iwasa Mayuko & probably more actors.

Story: 10/10 because what can I say? This is my first j-drama after all. My first gender bender story-I think so. The plot was well-written in my personal opinion.

Acting: 10/10 because it was very comedic & I thought they got into their roles well. I've read the manga, & I like this version very much so. I couldn't choose between Sano & Nakatsu to be with Mizuki.

Music: 7/10 some of the BGMs are memorable to be like "be silent", and some were catchy theme songs, but not as memorable.

Rewatch value: 10/10 this was an amazing story. I would rewatch this drama over & over when I have time. I've watched this 3-4 times already.

If you like gender-bender stories, frienship, romantic-comedies, or plain old comedy, then you'll like this drama for sure.

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I just finished watching To The Beautiful You, the Korean adaptation, and it was interesting to see the differences between the two. I personally enjoyed this one more.

The story isn't original, but the way it's executed is what hooks you. This drama is definitely more of a comedy than anything else, and I was grinning throughout most of it. They focused even less of the sports than in TTBY, but the dorm competitions were absolutely entertaining and I was glad to see them prevalent.

The romance was cute, though I hoped the side romance with Nakatsu would have been more prominent than it was. There was less head banging and "oh my god Jae Hee" than in TTBY, however.

The actors I enjoyed watching, and all of the relationships seemed very real and believable. I definitely was crying at the end. A lot.

Personally, I liked this Mizuki much more than TTBY's Mizuki--Goo Jae Hee--perhaps because she seemed more convincing as a boy. Nakatsu's Korean counterpart, Cha Eun Gyeol, seemed more involved than Nakatsu.

All of the characters were great nevertheless. Kind of disappointed that Gilbert wasn't involved though.

This one had a faster pace though, probably because the episodes are shorter, and there are only twelve. It did pretty well with keeping consistent though.

The music I liked--especially the opening. Wasn't a big factor though.

I would definitely rewatch it, probably because of how lighthearted it is. It's more comedic than TTBY, which definitely would make it more fun to rewatch.

I loved it, honestly. Both versions I've seen were great, but this one wins, perhaps because of the humor. Definitely would say this is a must watch.

Now off to the Taiwanese version, and the remake. ;)

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This is a drama that I finished some time back. It's definitely not one of my favorites, but it has good entertainment value. I thought the plot was not that strong to begin with but the execution of the show overall was pretty good.

It has mostly light moments and some of them really make you laugh. While I am not happy with the romance in this, it still gives some very unforgettable scenes between Nakatsu and Ashiya. While gender bender scenario was funny here too, in spite of that almost all the characters fell flat. Sano had no character development at all except for one point which was that he started doing what he used to before. Other than getting inspired and jumping, he really provided with no entertainment at all. I wasn't that big a fan of Ashiya, but her strong determination wins her points. My favorite character was of course- Nakatsu. He is colorful, loving and funny at the same time. He is probably going to remain one of my favorites from jdramas forever. Almost all memorable scenes I recall from this show have Nakatsu in them. His unconditional love for Ashiya till the end really moved me because it was so sweet. He was always there for her no matter what.

However, if you would want to watch this show- only watch it for the comedy. The romance was disappointing. Maybe if I had liked Sano I would have loved his relationship with Ashiya too but as I said- I like Nakatsu all the way. And I don't know what to rate the soundtrack because I cannot recall any tunes from the show.

Anyway, the rewatch value is still intact because of my favorite Nakatsu and Ashiya moments.

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This was an amazing drama and the special was not in the least bit disappointing. I first got to watch this in Japanese class, and the whole class was hooked from the first episode. The story has a lot going on, so you don't really get a chance to become bored with it. This series has such a strange sense of humor that I've not seen anywhere else before. Maybe it's just the perfect timing, but there were numerous points where I had to catch my breath out of laughter before continuing to watch. The acting was great. Yeah, there were some cheezy moments which were really overacted, but it made the characters more profound and realistic somehow. You can't help but like each and every character because they each have their own little quirks. The music was enjoyable, but not something you'll remember for years. It's definitely something you can watch again. Overall, a good series and an enjoyable time!

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