We know the story by heart now so I’m not going to waste time summarizing the plot.
What I am going to write about is “How to watch the Korean Hana Yori Dango stress-free” although others will argue that it should be “How to endure the Korean Hana Yori Dango” – I disagree. It’s not so bad. I’ve watched the two episodes and I am satisfied the minute I x-ed out of my mplayer. I giggled and hit my sister with a pillow with all of Jun Pyo x Jan Di scenes. Not bad at all for a romantic comedy, I say. I am going to love this and no inner warfare on preference between the Japanese over Korean is going to ruin it for me. How will it ruin it for me? Well, if Jandi transforms into an annoying Shancai(Meteor Garden) or screwhead Chaegyung (Goong), I will still watch but I’ll bash with no mercy. Second, if it gets draggy, I will still watch but only Jun Pyo’s scenes and fastforward all the others. And finally, if I do end up bashing it, please ignore my posts. I don’t want you to hate it as well. Like I said, I loved the first two episodes but after reading a few comments here and there criticizing the Korean version or saying the Korean is better than the Japanese, my own opinion of the drama gets affected.
Since I’m not one of those hardcore HYD fanatics who analyze the storyline like it’s Shakespeare, I am not going to pick on characterization difference , although I MUST really point out I miss Oguri Shun’s Rui. As for Jun Pyo, what can I say? Like others, I have no complaints. He’s my Favorite Domyoji so far. Especially after watching the Japanese Hana Yori Dango the movie, I welcome Lee Min Ho with wide open arms. If you don’t want Domyoji to get ruined for you, then stay far, far away from the Japanese movie. On the contrary, Jun Pyo kinda erases the farce that is Matsujun in the movie and makes me appreciate the Korean a bit more. Oh man, I am going to get struck my lighting by saying that.
I won’t stop you from making comparisons because it’s hard not to. I myself would do it. But keep in mind that it’s just a story about 4 popular rich kids who call themselves “Flower Four” – hello, Flower Four? who in their right mind in this age of time would call themselves that. But we still fall for it, don’t we? This is the ultimate shoujo manga on which several others have made a template of. I won’t be surpised if that Twilight writer used it for her novel as a reference (I hate Twilight the novel with a passion, by the way).
Yup it’s illogical, it’s silly but we still feed ourselves off from watching our baka Domyoji fall head over heels in love with the commoner Makino. This is the fifth time (including the manga and anime) that the story gets told, but we’re still at the edge of our seats, itching for it. That much tells us how the mindset of girls work eh. So free yourself from all your biases, take a deep breath of fresh air, forget about the Taiwanese and Japanese, and let the Koreans work out their own version of this undying tale of such ostentatious love.
Once again, we enter the world of the F4 and their Tsukushi – or Jandi, I should say.
Hi long time no post!!! Hehehe… well i knew its just a matter of time you get back on track… Anyway I agree with your general sentiments. I really like the Domyouji/Jun pyo character here. Matsumoto Jun’s portryal is IMHO a bland version of what the manga tries to convey originally but the Korean one is unique on its own its refreshing.
Well with biases in place, I never really liked Matsu Jun anyway and uhmmm in my own personal dorama sphere he will forever be the guy in Kimi wa petto. Wahahaha…
How is the HYD movie? haven’t seen it. Care to give me spoilers if you wish? heheeh
I’m watching it and try my best to put aside my comparision HYD. I read dramabeans and yours reviews but one thing that keep annoyed me. Jandi’s overacting acting or I have to say the actress herself. The acting is not belieavble. I preferred Go Ara. My mood keep swinging and I can’t enjoyed wholeheartedly the dramas because of her annoyed gestures and sooooo unbelievable acting in my opinion. Lee Min Ho, make a good F4 leader and I have no problem with that. Still, I miss Domyoji. HYD is still, running wildly in my imagination and it hard to erase it away. But then, we will see.
Thanks for this post.
The other thinggs that keep bothering me too without any biased or anything is the loosen plot.
Well, we know the plot. The silliness of Makino/Sanchai or the annoyed gestures but what make HYD captured you at the first moment is the tight plot and script. I watched HYD without knowing anything and a die hard fans of Meteor Garden previously and hands down, I just can’t get enough of it.
i’m looking forward to lee min ho’s performance here as well. domyouji’s character has always been my favorite although he’s such a jerk but then again, some girls like the bad boys. hope there’s more character development for the akira and shoujiro characters as well. at least those two were not just displays in the japanese ver unlike the taiwanese one.
“Ouch~ouch~ouch~ouch~ouch!” (Almost) everything you said above, hits me right on the spot that left me wince away with embarrassment. Ooh, and it’s all for the good reason. It sent me giggling and laughing at myself for my fangirl bakaness.
Which part am I referring to, you may ask? 1) The part you said about MatsuJun (*sigh* I’m a Doumyoji fan…but a bigger fan of Rui though
), 2) falling for a story of 4 boys that calls themselves “Flower Four” and most of all, 3) the part when you said about how a mindset of a girl works. *giggles*
Hhhmmmm…I’m still contemplating whether I should follow the KDrama version… *sigh*…I’ll give it some more thoughts…
Lee Min Ho does steal the show
I enjoyed every adaptation so far, they all had their strong and weak points. But this is a show I’ll be looking forward to watch every week
Redge: Sorry about matsujun, I liked his Domyouji, but he’s taken it too far with the movie. Gomen ne!!! You should really watch the Kversion so you can take revenge at me. Hehe. If you must know though, I’m still protective with the jversion, so it still hurts when people say the K is better than the J.
Maakusutipen: you’ve been MIA too for a while eh. I hope life is not catching up on you…hehe. About the HYD movie spoiler – Yorokonde!! Haha. As a matter of fact I’ll write you a whole post for it.
jaycee05: no harm done, really.
you made me giggled and laughed for a bit with this post. What’s there to apologise?
A whole post on HYD movie? Yaay!! Don’t you worry, bash as much as you want, I’ll be open-minded about it. Hehe.
One guy reminds me of a young Bae Yoon Joon. And Jun Pyo looks like the guy in ISWAK.
So, it’s not just my sis who thinks that Ji-Hoo looks like Yon sama.
Hi, got your link from google. Yeah, I also watch BOF and read its review from dramabeans. But, I dunno why, I still like MatsuJun as Doumyouji. Awwww. *giggling* maybe because he’s not as good looking as Lee MinHo ( >.< sorry for MatsuJun fans) but then he can make me like (read: loooove) Doumyouji. Emm.. as for Lee Min Ho, it only takes few seconds before I said, Okaaaay JoonPyo, i’ll give you my heart.
Ehehehe.
jaycee05:
I’m following BOF now. Hehe…can’t believe I will be saying this but OMG I’m preferring Jun Pyo to Doumyoji.
I watched just a bit of the Japanese version but I could not stand how ugly all the guys were (especially Doumyoji) I think the Korean version is the best one so far. I watched the Taiwanese version and it can’t compare to the Korean version either.
I love LEE MIN HO and his GREAT PERFORMANCE as GU JUN PYO! He is so charming and sexy.
don’t you find Yun Po looks like Daomingsi of Meteor Garden?
Like all, I’m thoroughly enjoy this version, I like all 3 versions, each displays its own culture, no mistaken there at all. Only thing bothers me that Goo Yun Po here is not as mean or angry as he supposed to be, he sulked a lot, nor naive about women, he projected a playboy image ’cause he flirts & entices opposite sex wayyy too much. Such as the scene at the beach, he took off his shirt…
Some thinks of BOF’s Fans and non fans on this drama :
“I am totally addicted to this bad and excellent drama . But I think the way to watch it without driving one crazy is
1. leave brain at door
2. fill in the blank”
“I mean you can like Jun Pyo actor because of look but face it Jun Pyo has never been Domyoji.
Firstly in the “shoes” scene with Jae Kyung he easily showed the soft side of him.
However he is like that since the first episodes (easygoing, mature, nice ect…). With Jun portraying (or Jerry one) you can see it’s Makino who actually and really changes him. Jun acted the best Domyoji like the character is no matter his physical apearrance. Domyoji is an overracting stupid and unhumain character at first who open his mind and changes thanks to Makino. Makino is his destinated girl (they came from “saturn”). And if you read the manga you can’t disagree with me. That’s why People always tend to like Rui at first (in every version even the manga). However in BOF it was not possible since Jun Pyo had not the important characteristics which could distinguish him of Rui and you couldn’t see why Jan Di hated him (Jun Pyo).
So that leads me here I am not suprised if you see chemistry between JP and JK and a probable JP-JK couple. It’s because at first part of BOF we can’t say Jan Di is the origine of JP changes (remember people. Look at your own reviews. How you trashed GHS Jan di, the way she ill treated Jun Pyo and how you were all about JP because of his look without notice this guy was already too likeable and easygoing and mature). If you remember Jan Di was too arrogant, agressive and an exagerated (apart the bad acting of GHS) and out of character at this time. People trashed her (and keep trashing her) while Jun Pyo was a bit too calm and tolerant (look at the scene with Min Ji at episode 5. After what happened Domyoji wouldn’t enable Sakurako to be in his house). He was able to controll himself even without Jan Di (the shower scene showed me a guy who can call himself in question. But people was all about his look as usual) and I have never feel the lonely vibe in him or someone who can’t get along with people (The rugby scene [playing in a team prove you can get along with other people than F4], straight hair and uniform scene prove you are at the same level of your classmates, the boat scene at episode 3 when he is well surrounded by many people and he is all smily or the way he uses too much his sexuality. He is supposed to be Domyoji not Soujiro and “the time news paper” part at episode 4 shows a character who is not immature like Domyoji supposed to be. So you can’t say what are the Great changes Jan di made on Jun Pyo and you can’t see what Jan Di did better than Jae Kyung in JP life. Remember people complained (not only me) on how they can’t understand the “passion” of Jun Pyo for Jan di and how suddendly Jan di is in love with Jun Pyo after stucking with Ji Hoo all the day (episodes 6-8).
So Before complaining why Jk this…why JK that…think this situation is the consequence of a bad execution (Sorry but LMH portraying is too melodrama, [exageratly] crybay and weak to be Domyoji or GHS can’t simply act the character of makino or has not understood who is Makino [same to LMH]) which begun at episode 1 but people was in denial because “the guys are hot”.
“I am so addicted to it. They are too Hot” (99% Of views on the drama)
I started watching BOF last night and wow, I never thought I’d like it. Jun Pyo~ ♥ But ugh, how I miss MG
and HanaDan too 
I enjoy the first episodes and I’m on episode 4 right now. The only thing I didn’t like about the drama so far is Jandi. I don’t think they picked the perfect actress for the role. Sometimes she’s too corny, not funny at all. Parang tanga lang T_T I dunno, maybe I’m just biased XD
Can’t wait to watch the remaining episodes! Are you done watching the drama?
I get used to JanDi hardly
but anyway Rui’s charisma is less here:(