The above graph are stats for my Hana Kimi entry – the Taiwanese version. Crazy eh? When in fact, people are probably googling for the Japanese Hana Kimi. Oh well, I guess my entry has become the official bashing page for Ella’s annoying expressions and Taiwan’s low class idol-driven tv series. I am not complaining. Tsk Tsk
It was a crazy summer indeed, thanks to the Ikemen class of Osaka Gakuen. I really thought that this drama will pull down my love for Hotaru no Hikari. I stand with my First Impressions rankings with Hana Kimi still in the second spot. In Hana Kimi, there are a few scenes, one irritating habit and a whole episode that I want to throw out. But there is are also some particular scenes that I can play over and over again until I am late for my morning class. Hmnn…these scenes though didn’t have any doki-doki effect on me. They are memorable because they make me ROFL (the kind of laugh where I get a “WFT Jay, you sound like a man” comment from my brother, who fortunately isn’t home, so I can do that laugh whenever I need to).
Without further adieu, let’s get down to business. Please don’t hot link! If you want them, re upload the pics to your own server. Pictures are taken from SARS hardsubbed version.
Why I love Hana Kimi scenes
Happy V
Afterwards, we see a very Unhappy Nanba. This is my favorite kiss in the drama. Yep, even more so than the drunken kiss between Nakatsu and Sano/ Mizuki and Sano. The Nanba – Nakao forbidden pair get the most giggles from me. If you’re still wondering where you’ve seen Nakao (Kimura Ryo), he was the same guy who’s got the hots for Chiaki-sempai in Nodame.
Best Couple
I saw a similar screenshot in advance when I was searching for spoilers, and I laughed so hard seeing that expression on Oscar (Kyo Nobuo) . He and Tennouji(Ishigaki Yuma) give me a hell of a good time. Don’t even let me start on Tennouji’s habit of squeezing his chest. Hibari (Iwasa Mayuko) also has my deepest respect after watching how she handled the passport incident. Hibari Four! Oh yeah! lol
“Anatawa doshte Romeo nano?”
I have some qualms about Maki, but in this scene…wahhh, I get kawaii-ed down and over. This is the one that almost made me late for class.
Homo Janai!
I know the majority will agree with me when I say that Ikuta Toma has stolen the show from Oguri Shun and sometimes from even Horikita Maki. I anticipate for his one-man-conversation on every episode. The Homo Janai scene is one of the most unforgettable moments and line in the whole drama.
The Sakura Committee – In uniforms
I wanted to capture Nanba (Mizushima Hiro) best expression so I had to leave out the other two dorm leaders. This is authentic bishounen stuff on screen, yo. I can’t stop giggling especially in episode 12 when the Sakura Com. had a confrontation with Maki. SO corny and SO anime-ish, but goshdarnit, I luvvv it.
Nakama ~ Baby!
Not everyone is ikemen as the drama claims. But Paradise, it is. Lie detectors, 90 stage showdown, treasure hunting, dance competition, crossdressing, delayed star festival, cheerleading…what the frack! LOL. I could watch one more season just to see what kind of crazy game idea they come up with.
I want more of these!
Sano x Mizuki
Episode 8 has my favorite Sano x Mizuki moments. But in terms of chemistry, that is a no-hope-deal. They just don’t click period. I get more goosebumps when watching Shun with Mao in Hana Yori Dango.
Can’t they just leave this out?
Wasted Goro
I can’t remember far back, but Episode 9 is the least episode I like. Having a SMAP member as a guest, I was so excited…but bleh…they wasted his appearance for such a weak role. The only highlight of episode 9 is the Ikenai Tayou performance from Mizuki’s class! Kakkoi yo!
Horikita Maki’s annoying habit
Maki’s most annoying habit is very apparent during her heated conversation with Goro in episode 9. It also appears whenever she encourages Sano. I am very grateful to have Maki erase the horrible memories I had with Ella. Who doesn’t like a pretty face? Surely, I do. But this habit of her – she has the tendency to flick her upper body – gets irritating after a while. I haven’t seen her do it in Nobuta or Kurosagi. Maybe it’s her effort to act like a boy. Maybe it’s just me. Oh well.
The Neverending Goodbyes
When I saw Sekime(Okada Masaki), I teared up a bit. But after the 163217846328776423th student saying farewell, I wondered if this is ever gonna end. It’s also hard to watch Maki squeeze her eyes for nonexistent tears. Toma is better with the crying scene. But overall, it is a great ending. I had a big suspicion that they are going to do the school festival: maid parlor for the finale. Have you seen the Taiwanese Hana Kimi maid parlor? Groans…that was a nightmare! This one is the real thing! Hana Kimi banzai!!!!
Related Post: Taiwanese Hana Kimi
Links
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Torrents: SARS (hardsubbed) | RAW| Subtitles
I didn’t know Hotaru no Hikari was that good till u mention it your blog. I guess the hype on Hana Kimi and Yamada Taro Monogatari overshadowed it. Thanks to you, I’ll start downloading the drama now.
Do agree with you. The Taiwanese version is badly done especially Ella’s acting. If not for Wu Chun, wouldn’t even bother to watch. I personally think they should stop adapting Japanese Manga into drama.
Ohhh, I do hope you like it…coz my sis and I are enjoying it very much. Tell me how you think of it when you finish an episode or so. ^_^
I agree we needed so much more Sano x Mizuki moments to make their romance work. The one you mentioned and the one where she smacks down the hammer into his hand are the only good bits I felt (the rest of the “romancy” scenes I was left feeling bad for Nakatsu rather than any tension between the other two. It also made ep 11 where at the end they are talking/flirting together at the end, it seemed like they are suddenly like this out of no where? Or maybe it was just me.
Episode 9 was boring! However, the last couple of minutes with the performance, Sano saying “Mizuki” and Nakatsu finding out she is a she were good… shame we had to sit through the rest of the boring thing.
Anyway, I ramble too much!
I get more goosebumps when watching Shun with Mao in Hana Yori Dango.
aww. me too!
i don’t know if you agree but i like the Yamapi-Maki pairing rather than Shun-Maki. dunno why XD
hoho~ i LOVE shun and everything, but Toma > Shun here in terms of acting. haha~ i’m not yet done watching this but i heard the ending’s really fun ^_^v
and btw, i was surprised by your stats for the Hana Kimi TW. hehe.
Mayumi:
I never really thought about it. But looking back from Nobuta and Kurosagi days, I think I did get something more from Yamaki than from…ogmaki–uuh, that sounds wrong…oh, I got it…Maguri.
**I am amazed how they(fangirls) come up with these names. Hak hak hak
Yeah, I was way more interested in Toma x Maki, It was just far more interesting, and I mean come on, He was willing to accept homosexuality for her!
Plus he was howls during the one man conversations, The acting was perfectly intune with the words and facial expressions, classic.
I agree to every single one of the “Why I love Hana Kimi Scenes” and the “Can’t they just leave this out?”
I would’ve preferred Mizuki choose Nakatsu instead. damn! Then again maybe it’s because I am in love with Nakatsu. He’s just soo good looking and funny! I can never get over his one-man conversations.
and oh yeah, Mizushima Hiro looks hot in his Sakura Committee outfit! *drool*
Just stumbled on this site and I totally agree with everything written here. Toma’s Nakatsu is the most adorable character in the show, and I felt he had more chemistry with Maki than OguShun. I love Shun like anything, but his Sano and Maki’s Mizuki were not a convincing or believable couple. Plus Mizuki’s “concern” for Sano became annoying after several episodes.
Ella’s crappy, over reacting peach-soda scene, and that expression when she saw Sano for the first time … ehmahgawd, I had bad dreams for a while.
i agree, i love ikuta toma as nakatsu! he’s just so funny and adorable, i was always waiting for his monologues. i also agree that ikuta toma owns oguri shun in hana kimi, don’t get me wrong i totally adore oguri shun epecially in hana yori dango.yay!but nakatsu is just perfect i want him for myself!and yeah oguri shun and horikita maki as a couple is not so good. yamapi and maki!!yay!
it’s true, the “chemistry” between sano and ashiya was nonexistent.. virtually negative onscreen… i thought ashiya and nakatsu might get together in this version more than the other way… but anyways…
i remember the “anatawa doshite romeo nano?” part… i watched it several times just cuz it was really cute… but other than that…
neither drama versions did the manga justice, but i think the japanese version strayed too far from it, while the taiwanese version tried to get too close to it.
i still think the taiwanese version did better justice in character development and such; there was more focus on relationships between people (even if dashu turned out to be more freaky than in the manga); for example, most of the characters followed the streamline… and although the “stream of consciousness” and talking out loud really annoyed me in some points, i thought it was kinda funny… plus quan and rui xi really hung out together, got to know each other, and you could see that they were starting to act pretty close by the end unlike the japanese version where it was still rather painful to watch the whole time… it was like watching manga on tv; we all know it’s nonsense anyways, right? and i didn’t mind that rui xi looked like a boy; heck, in the manga, no one ever suspected ashiya to be a chick either.
the japanese version was entertaining because it was so off the chart, but i felt i didn’t get to know the people well enough, well, except for nakatsu and kagayashima, it was like watching hana kimi with the case of ADD.. maybe i’m the only one feeling this way, but that’s what i got out of it… plus sano and ashiya never had those “close then awkward” moments, and i felt that well, never in a million years (even with the haircut) could horikita maki pass for a guy (well, pre-plastic surgery pictures maybe, but post-plastic pictures, definitely not).
Rui xi blended in with the rest of the crowd (like ashiya did in the manga), but mizuki (horikita) stuck out… like a chick trying real hard to fit in among the boys, OR being an insanely annoying fangirl in menwear… ^^;;; (like those moments where she worries about sano and all that…); i thought rui xi actually didn’t do too bad on that not because she overreacted or whatnot, but because it was downplayed for the most part.
i think nakatsu in both of the drama did really well; they really acted like the manga, and even made you like them… and as for the other characters, seriously, yang yang definitely beat over that other dude who plays nakao; yang yang is CLEARLY GAY from the beginning, and more feminine than rui xi; nakao likes nanba apparently, but unlike in the manga, he doesn’t have that “feminine” touch.
after reading the whole manga and watching both of the dramas, i have to say that i prefer the taiwanese version, although if we mixed the two together, with like 60% taiwanese and 40% japanese parts, then we’d actually have a pretty decent thing to watch… but that’s just my idea.
yes, i totally agree about nakastu stealing the show. i’ve heard that shun is actually a very talented actor, but he’s just flat in this show. toma, on the other hand, is just the right “overacting” you expect from a show based on crack!manga (in a good way, of course).
i haven’t finished the taiwanese version, but so far, my judgment on which is better is this: if we base it on who got the storyline more accurate, well, even with only the few episodes i’ve seen from the taiwanese version, i’d say the j-drama missed it’s mark. but if we base it on the entertainment factor, j-drama hit it spot on. but that’s just me. i guess i just enjoyed too much the randomicity of the japanese version. you can’t help but rewind and laugh again and again over some scenes. they’re just crack! (i mean, who didn’t watch the ‘homo janai’ scene at least twice and laughed as hard as the first time they saw it? lol)
another thing i like about the j-drama is the neverending appearance of extras. it’s the first show i’ve seen in my entire life wherein the extras actually seem like major characters. it’s just too funny for words!
but the taiwanese version is not without its good points. i actually prefer the acting of the taiwanese counterpart over the japanese sano (not too mention that he’s cuter, too). although you’ve said in your other review about ella’s dismal acting, i actually think she’s good. she makes the viewers laugh, and her expressions are so cartoonish that you just know the show is a manga adaptation.
like J said above, the J-hana kimi strayed too far and the t-hana kimi tried to enact almost everything from the manga, and, for me, both work, it’s just that the fun factor depends on the mood of the viewer. (at least for me.)
maybe if they take nakatsu and quan and put them into another remake of hana kimi, then it’d be perfect. i kid.
Haha, the neverending goodbye is yah soo weird! My Dad was telling me to turn the tv off because we were late for mass and I kept saying “but it’s the last scene! the scene’s about to end, see, they’re saying goodbye!” but the scene just wouldn’t end!
personally I think the japanese version was better. Although the ending with sanox mizuki was disappointment, I found the series thoroughly entertainting. one thing I wish I could change is that mizuki be with nakatsu, but then that would ruin the whole storyline.
omg i’m really loving your blog!! anyway, i started watching hanakimi japan for oguri shun, but ended up loving toma and hiro instead!! and all of the other ikemen!!
nakatsu is the best, i had wished that mizuki would end up with him. but that’s not how things are… just to promote, hiro has a new drama (with mocomichi) coming out this april, Zettai Kareshi!! loved the manga, and so excited for the drama!
You pointed it out !
There is one thing I really really really hate in J-dramas is the never -ending-good-bye scene. I notice that.
It usually starts like this. There are about 30 – 40 people line up on one side and start giving their speech even though their characters don’t really have anything to do with the main.
Yes! Hana Kimi Japan really is better than the Taiwan version. And I totally agree with you when it comes to Ella’s stupid gestures and expressions when thinking.. It’s soo annoying, and yes, I also noticed how Maki does that thing with her upper body.. I love the ending scene.. even though it was a bit long.. Toma rocks!!!
Jaycee, have you heard (or rather, read) the latest news? HanaKimi SP will be airing in Japan Fuji TV on 12 Oct!!! Yataaa!!! I’ve checked-out the SP preview on You Tube, and I’m so excited to see my favorite Nakatsu in action again!!
Of course. It’s hard not to hear (or rather, read) about a drama powered by fangirls… My RSS feed is hammered with the news..
I’m also looking forward to the Korean HYD. *excited*
Yup, read about the Korean HYD. U’ve seen the casts? I dare not say anything -ve just yet (since I’m rather biased, being a proJDorama. Wari). I’ll hold my tongue for the time being and I hope its gonna be as good as the Jdorama.