Meh. Bad picture. They all look very funny. xDD

Gomen for the late post. My stinkin’ post….got deleted. ._. The whole draft. Because it was saved on my cellphone, because I was typing it when I was bored in the car. Then I noticed my brother looking over my shoulder, and when I was trying to clean out my old drafts, I accidentally deleted the wrong draft. TT^TT Plus, school and RL kind of interfered. Not that it’s necessary to talk about but I have this reading assignment I’m being lazy on because the book isn’t my type of book, and…yeah.

Anyways….Hana Kimi!! Omg, I absolulely LOVE this series. I’ve loved it before, and now I watched the Taiwanese version only to have my love for it revive!~ I think it was pretty obvious for anyone who was following my twitter account. So yes, I guess whenever I get some more Hana Kimi my love for the series revives. And yet, I haven’t even read the manga yet. O.O Part 2 of the Hana Kimi obsession, since I actually made a post for the Japanese version in my early blogging days.

I had decided to watch Hana Kimi the Taiwanese version, mainly because I wanted to learn more Chinese. I like learning through watching with subtitles, and I can always ask my mom if it’s correct. So I’m kind of learning at the same time? But it was enjoyable. More than enjoyable, I absolutely loved it, as I’ve already mentioned. It’s just one of those stories that no matter how many times it has been adapted, it just makes you love it even more. And both the Taiwanese and Japanese versions are just fun. They’re funny, light-hearted, cute, romantic, and that doesn’t change in either one. They also just make me happy just watching it, and super excited for the next episode. I feel like I can relax when I watch it and not have to worry about other issues I have. It’s probably why I love it so much. Now the Taiwanese version is a more faithful adaptation. I really can’t decide which one I love more though. The Japanese version is more for the comedy, while the Taiwanese version is more for the romance. <3

So I guess I could start off with…what the Taiwanese version did right. Or my opinion of right and what I loved in detail. Well, most of it will be covered in the characters section, but in the Taiwanese version, it’s just faithfully adapted. That’s a good start. xD Also, the Taiwanese adaptation seriously made me a happy shipper, making me giggle madly and giddy like when I’m reading mangas that are in my hand (the actual books). And that’s pretty rare for me to do with…anything that I’m watching/reading online. The next thing I loved is their cast. Every single actor/actress delivered their performance well and fit each personality. There was a small flaw I noticed, but that’ll be talked about later. The thing that I like is, Ella was a great Mizuki character. She is a tomboy in real life, so she can pass for looking like a guy. In fact, when I first saw the Taiwanese version, I didn’t want to watch it because she looked too much like a guy. Later I realized though, that’s what’s so great about it. Wu Chun has also done a great job for a non-native. He just gives that cool vibe that Sano gives without looking like a jerk, and he makes the character much more likeable than the Japanese version. I wasn’t a fan of the Japanese version’s Sano, and so when I watched the Taiwanese version, I was in for a surprise. He did a good enough performance that I was actually rooting for Sano, unlike the Japanese version. Not to mention that Jiro Wang is also a great Nakatsu, but I can’t really say more than, “He fit the personality.” So I’ll just leave it as that. And two more shallow things…I don’t know if I should mention this, but it’s my own blog, so okay. I realize their shallow reasons, more like joking reasons. 1.) The Taiwanese cast looks better in my opinion, and they don’t talk about looks as often. 2.) They shave their armpits. xDDD I warned you!!

Now just because it was awesome didn’t mean there weren’t flaws. I was enjoying it too much to notice too many flaws. Only three jumped out at me really. The first main flaw I noticed was that, even though it was a great cast, some of the acting or probably just script, was quite corny. I really don’t know if it was the actor’s fault or the script’s, but some scenes were really corny. For example, episode three when he tells her something like, Show ▼

. Sometimes the show can be to the point where it’s just…like a typical drama, which I’m not too fond of. But those are just when it’s at it’s low points. Also, the sometimes the costume. I don’t know why, but it was mainly a complaint aimed at the cafe, where she was dressed as a girl. I was just O.O because her cosume was just, not good enough for her. TT^TT Another thing is a spoiler, so…spoiler tag! Show ▼

Music

I have to say that the music is very fitting. The thing I love is that almost every main cast member is a singer. So most of the time you get to hear at least one song from them. There were a few Fahrenheit songs in there, and S.H.E. sang the theme song, and TANK sings the ending. The songs are catchy and mainly fit the mood it was creating. The theme song is terribly catchy that it gets stuck in your head to the point of annoyance. xD But the drama in general has gotten me into these singers and groups, and so I have become fans of them. So now I’m listening to tons of Fahrenheit, S.H.E., Dansong Tang, A. Chord (R. Chord…I will never know), etc. So all in all, the music was good. Maybe becauset the drama was filled with singers?

Characters

Left to right: Xiu Yi, Quan, Yang Yang (up on the top), Rui Xi (below Yang Yang), Da Shu (on top w/ Yang Yang), Ri Hui (purple), Yu Shen (bottom)

Ahh! My favorite part to talk about. Characters are always my favorite part. They’re what makes the whole thing intersting after all. ;] The thing I love about Hana Kimi though, is that they make you love all of the characters in the end. :D

Lu Rui Xi/Mizuki Ashiya: Ah, what a lovable heroine. Lots of credit goes to her actress, Ella from S.H.E. She’s just such a funny, yet stupid character that I like her. Ella does a great job at facial expressions, and they’re one of her main weapons of humor. She mumbles to herself a lot though, and is really careless with letting her identity be revealed to many people. She’s also really funny when she’s scared or freaked out…hitting people. I think one of the funniest moments for me was when she was acting violent…the keyboard/discovery/photographer scene. Pretty much, she’s banging his head against a keyboard uncontrollably. Like the Japanese counterpart, she is just a likeable heroine. ^^ Oh….and her English is great as well!

Comparison: Hmm…that’s a toughie. Ella just barely beats Maki Horikita for Mizuki. It’s a really tough call though, since they’re both great actresses.

Zuo Yi Quan/Sano Izumi: I love the Taiwanese counterpart so much more! I don’t know. It just seems like there’s such a great different and character development for him in the Taiwanese version, since he becomes so much more happier than in the beginning. One funny thing is that when I looked back at my old post, I realized I said that, “He’s too old to play Sano.” Mainly, Shun Oguri looked it. Wu Chun, actually looks like the age of his character (not just because it’s at a college in the Taiwanese version) but just because he looks younger. Yet, he’s older than Shun Oguri, and is turning 30 this year. I’m still going…O.O Anyways, back on topic. I’m drifting off topic. This counterpart just seems more…caring and more likable. Like I’ve mentioned before, I actually rooted for him in this drama. He is also more funny and fun in the Taiwanese version. But in both, he’s an awesome drunkie! :D I love watching him be so nervous in some scenes though…it makes me giggle like the shipper I am. ;]

Comparison: Definitely Wu Chun. He beats Shun Oguri…hands down for me. He just gives a better Sano! :D

Jin Xiu Yi/Nakatsu Shuichi: What can I say? Nakatsu is Nakatsu no matter where you put him. And he is one of the funniest characters in both. He is so lovable in both. He’s just awesome in both. I think the foundation created for his character makes him able to be delivered hilariously by both actors. Jiro Wang has his own style of Nakatsu, and it’s a great version as well. His way of fretting over the homosexual incident makes me feel so bad for him, and the worst part is that he Show ▼

. But I like how it’s delivered in both. It’s much funnier in the Taiwanese, and is more serious in a good way in teh Japanese. Nonetheless, he is a funny, great character in both. I’m glad that in the end of the Taiwanese version, he Show ▼

He lights up the show and makes it light-hearted. It’s hilarious that in the Taiwanese version, his appetite is hilariously, outrageously big and it is emphasized on much more. All in all, as awesome as ever in the Taiwanese version!

Comparison: Another close one. Both deliver their own unique and great Nakatsu. I’ll have to say that I prefer Toma Ikuta slightly more because I find that there were many more funny scenes that he makes in the Japanese version compared to the Taiwanese. But both are stil great. ^^

—

Now the side character thoughts:

Liang Si Nan/Minami Nanba: The dorm leader for dorm 2. I have to say, when he was first introduced, I was creeped out by him. The rumor about him seemed like they emphasized his playboy ways too much, so that it was over the top. But later, as time passed, I didn’t think he was that bad. He played as a superficial character well, haha. He seems a lot different from his Japanese counterpart however. The only similarity is that there is a girl that they liked in the passed, and that’s what made them a playboy. Their personalities seem totally different though. I like both though. It’s pretty interesting how conceited he can be, but he’s still likable. I ended up liking him in the end. He was also a great tool for some shipping. xDD

Comparison: Hiro Mizushima probably plays a better Minami character. I think the reason is because in the Japanese version, he seems a lot closer to the group and connects to them as family. He seems more caring towards the dorm as well.

Da Shu/Taiki Kayashima: The spirit person! He’s such an awesome side character! He’s just so funny and fun to watch. I really love the actor’s (A. Chord) performance for him. He just plays him in such a funny yet adorable way. He just seems so innocent!~ >.< I just feel sorry for him because everyone always wants him to shut up. But he is really adorable waving at air. x)

Comparison: A. Chord, it’s just so fun watching him, even though he has a smaller role if I remember correctly.

Mei Tian/Hokuto Umeda: I can honestly say, I was definitely creeped out when I first saw him in the Taiwanese version. I guess they really wanted to emphasize that he was gay by adding long hair? I’m pretty sure he’s wearing extensions, since it looks like it. He has a much creepier and more reluctant vibe in the Taiwanese drama, but he is still a fun character. I lawl’ed seeing him giving those massages, especially since Rui Xi walks in on them and misinterprets it as “something else”. It’s also funny how whenever he helps, she gives a “Gays rule!” thing or something. He does turn out to be less creepy by the end, and is a funny consultant. xD

Comparison: Tie. Just…tie. Gah. Tie!! How many more times will I write that?

—

Other character thoughts include…Yay for more Julia appearances in the Taiwanese version. She is actually really awesome. And I love their choice for her actress, since she really does speak English fluently. I’m glad it got done right, since I can take it much more seriously than when they have accents. She kind of reminds me of my friend’s cousin…haha. Also, both Sekime and Noe. O.o I didn’t think it was them in the beginning. They’re so different than their Japanese counterpart. xDD Noe’s character has the craziest hair, and Sekime’s actor looks old. O.o

Overall

A great beginning for my interest in Taiwanese dramas. It’s definitely a drama I’d recommend. It has the light parts, the heavy parts, but all the great parts. It’s romantic, and funny. I’m able to giggle and kya like a happy shipper watching it. Little things made me happy. It’s a cute, aww-ing show as well. I just love that there is some good chemistry between the characters as well. I guess it helps that they know each other in real life as well? Since Ella’s sister’s boyfriend is apparently Wu Chun’s agent (or something of that sort). The chemistry is well shown when they act at least. xDD Not sure about RL though… Just the show makes me happy. :3 So it’s pretty obvious….that I loved it?

Only picture I could find with all of them. T^T

Ah, I had planned on making a post on Hana Kimi, but I never got to it. This week has been hectic, I’m so happy it’s over. So back onto topic…As you can tell, I’m about to go to instant fangirl mode for Hana Kimi because, I love the show. I’m not really updated on the newest dramas as much as anime, but I like them just as much (or possibly more, like this drama). My friend introduced me to this drama, and I really can say that it is a fun, loving, entertaining drama that makes you just relax and enjoy after you watch. If you’re new to dramas, I strongly suggest this drama.

So I guess this is sort of a review post?? I’ll format it under a review type of format, but be sure to know that there are spoilers and this should be read after you finish watching if you don’t like it getting spoiled (but I talk about it like you haven’t watched it). And please note, it is not formal, and there are some pretty dumb points, rambling, and bad reviewing (because it’s barely reviewing, just showing my love in a review format) to go along with it.

Plot:

The drama is based on the popular manga of the same name by Nakajo Hisaya. Horikita plays the protagonist Ashiya Mizuki, a Japanese girl in the U.S. who one day sees the young athlete Sano Izumi compete in high jumping on television. She begins to idolize him. Sano gets injured one day in America while trying to help Mizuki escape from some gangsters. He stops high jumping ever since. Mizuki blames herself for the incident and decides to go to Japan and help Sano find his love for high jumping. However, Izumi goes to an all-boys school, so Mizuki disguises herself as a boy in order to meet with him again. (Source: Wikipedia)

I remember hearing about this story before, but I never really picked it up because I thought it was one of those kind of cheesy, sort of romance stories (stupid me). But thanks to my friend (who will be mentioned a lot in my post today), I decided to give it a shot because of her obssessive ramblings on how great it was. I’ve only had the chance to watch the Japanese drama, which doesn’t follow the manga as much (just found a drama summary), but the story is still there, and great. It was well told, and even though things were changed, everything flowed well. And, there were so many funny situations to make it even better! (“Ore wa homo janai!”)

Ah, but the story is familiar, and it’s similar to quite a few others. I loved the situations they were put in though, and the comedy (which in my opinion had 90% from one character) was priceless, if that’s the right word to use. I also liked how the story and entertainment stayed constant throughout the whole drama, unlike others that fall apart at the end (so then when it’s over you’re happy it’s done).

Music:

The music was mediocre, there wasn’t anything outstanding, but everything fit the story. The opening and ending weren’t that bad either. They didn’t kill the drama, but I had that ol’ habit of skipping the OP and ED.

Wow, that was long. (hopefully you can see the sarcasm)

Characters: (Pictures from CR and Photobucket, and yes, they’re pretty bad)

Finally!! I’m here! The characters were the strength of this drama, where everything lied. The comedy, enjoyment, everything. I loved how each character was unique in their own way, although there was an unusual amount of gay people. O.o I came to love each character (except the Dorm 3 head, he’s creepy, and also Hibari…). So here’s my thoughts on some.

Ashiya Mizuki: Ah, the great heroine. I came to really like her character. She was able to have fun, and even though she was nosy, she was able to get through to Sano. I’m glad that the actress that played her (I think she was Maki Horikita) actually didn’t look manly, because I was trying to watch the Taiwanese version, and I figured out that it was better she looked like a girl. But she also looked like a pretty good guy as well, and I did find her easy to like. She was pretty funny at how oblivious she was to some things, and how she was scared at the doctor. Her love of hamburgers are funny too. And I need to give Maki some credit as well, she did a great job as Mizuki! ^^

Sano Izumi: No offense intended, especially to Shun Oguri fans, but erm…Sano/Shun looks old. =_= His face looks kinda…not his age, like he’s too old to play Sano. But despite that, I could definitely see from the start what would happen at the ending, Mizuki with Sano. Anyways, onto him and his actor. I thought that Sano was pretty cool, but he seemed a little…too calm throughout the whole story. When he is drunk, it’s funny, and during the special, he was…kinda funny/scary. Ah, but he was cool throughout the whole thing, and yay for him for high jumping! :D

Nakatsu Shuichi: Kya! Okay, yes, Nakatsu is my favorite character. So this will be VERY biased. Toma Ikuta was an actor I never really knew about, until Hana Kimi, and I absolutely loved him by the end of the drama. In the beginning, he was ok, but  then when Nakatsu starts thinking he’s a homo, it gets funny. And I mentioned before that to me, one character held 90% of the comedy, and to me, that’s Nakatsu. It’s just so funny when he’s trying to figure out if he’s a homo or not, the lie detector, the panties theif, all of it was so funny to me. Also, I replayed the spitting scene over and over again.

So now I’ll probably be leading off-topic, but here goes a little story. It was a couple days ago, and right now Hana Kimi, even though it’s been out for over a year, Hana Kimi has been the topic we’ve been talking about. (Yes, it’s the otaku-ish group) So my friends were arguing about who was better, and one friend made a good point. Toma Ikuta is real. Ikuto…is not. But I call it a tie. Actually, I think Ikuto wins. >.>

Now that I like Nakatsu so much, I’m trying to find some other good roles Toma Ikuta does, so I might check out Box…Also, I have no idea he was a singer, he’s good. Now I’m an  inner-obsessive-fangirl. (Listening to a Toma song…>_<) Oh and here are some videos just to show how funny he is…to me at least:

[Video 1|Video 2| Video 3| Video 4]

EDIT: This person says the things I exactly thought of Nakatsu. I agree with what this person says on Nakatsu, so to clarify, check this out. (But opinions differ on everything else)

Romance

Ah the romance. There was this small love triangle of Mizuki, Sano, and Nakatsu. I myself was satisfied with either pairing, honestly. I knew it was going to be Mizuki and Sano, but watching Nakatsu still made this interesting (refer to my love of Nakatsu section ^^^). I kya-ed at even the little things, and it was just so enjoyable! But I felt so bad for Nakatsu who got rejected…But I was happy to watch Sano and Mizuki’s interatction too. Gah, I hate that I can’t say much about this. It was also fun to watch the other romance going around, such as Tennouji and his girl, poor Komari, Hibari’s annoying “air dates”, and the Dorm 2 Leader. Ah…fun.

Animation

lolwut? Animation? Yeah…I guess you can call it those special effects and graphics. O_o They’re weird, sadly, to enjoy this show, you’ll have to put up with them. Sorry. The flower borders, the colored cheeks, stars…yeah. Sorry.

Overall

So all in all, to wrap things up, I am obviously in love with this series, and enjoy it for all of its light-heartedness and comedy. I love that this show was just…so fun. The romance was great too, and I was satisfied with the ending. I hope you all enjoy it as much as I do, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it too! :D