As this drama is an adaptation of a Japanese manga, please, don't be angry with me, because my review is going to contain comparisons, but I promise, only between this version and the manga, I won't be dragging in the other versions (the first paragraph was the introduction ^^)
Th story: Of course I did not expect the Korean producers/director to take and copy out the manga, which is most of the time good point of Korean drama makers, BUT, let me just point out how much this drama suffered from the unnecessary improvisations of the screen writer/whoever. As the manga is a school life/sports there were a lot of points that the Korean version could use in the sense of the characters, events, even little moments. For example taking out/ignoring the character of Kayashima(the ghost seeing guy), only because the guy (Infinite's L) couldn't play the specific role was just NOT RIGHT! The character added a lot to the manga and would be a very good addition to the drama. I would also appreciate more interaction between the dorms, they lost so much fun~!
Other points that I would like to point out lie in the existing characters. It can only be my impression, but the Korean version just made everybody so average and ordinary, while in the manga they are awesome to extreme points! Nakatsu's love for Mizuki - too extreme and so cute! Nakao's love toward Nanba senpai - so extreme and so childishly cute, Nanba senpai - being the hot player, Kayashima - seing the ghosts and auras... and many other points. It feels like by trying to make the characters more down-to-earth, the crew forgot that they were going to shoot a youth oriented drama - the crazier the better~ so the story suffered from it... BUT, the crew remembered to turn to the manga at some moments, which had me caching my breath, there lines right out of the manga, and SUCH lines~ bellissimo~
Cast/Acting: I should honestly say that after this drama I am a VERY BIG FAN of Choi MinHo~ he played the most real Sano ever created out of the manga! His anger toward JaeHee at first, then his melting heart, his caring, his jealousy, his friendship, his love, even when he freaked out because of a cat... everything was perfect~!
Sulli did great too, she deserves a lot of compliments! I loved her JaeHee, though sometimes a little slow and dense, she was cute, brave and played her role just fine~
Lee Hyun-Woo - not the Nakatsu I would imagine, but his EunGyul was very much fun to watch too, I enjoyed his caring for JaeHee and his undying friendship, I just couldn't bear his puppy eyes when he was sad! Don't be sad EunGyula~
The music is very-very good! Though I am not a big fan of SM music (except for SHINee's some songs), hese OSTs are fantastic~! I especially enjoy Taeyon's Closer and J-Min's Stand Up~
Next time somebody decides to remake HanaKimi, PLEASE, include the ball scene~, onegai~
Overall, I enjoyed this drama a lot, it's funny, it's very cute, it's romantic. I will be missing this fun of Wed/Thu-s...
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I watched all versions of Hana Kimi, thus I wanted to discover the Korean incarnation.
2) Storyline/Plot:
*I already knew the general story which means that I didn’t try to discover it (predictable). I will basically compare storylines and plot changes.
Positive Points:
*Unlike other versions, this one focused on the romantic side; there were too many fluffy moments that would make the drama more enjoyable. Moreover, this Korean adaptation gave the romantic elements its right to be intensively present.
*This version had the best visual cinematography; yes I had to admit that since other versions didn’t focus on this aspect. I am glad that this one took it into consideration and actually pulled it off in a good way.
Negative Points:
*The huge negative point that I found in this version was the absence of friendship and relationships inside dorms, it was the main element in other versions that’s why I felt betrayal when I didn’t find it here. Yes, the version should stand out but cutting such an important element made the drama lose its taste.
*Another important negative point: The lack of humor; It was an important element too, maybe it wasn’t present in all other versions but here, it felt absent or maybe “left behind”. That was annoying; the lack of funny scenes was simply bothersome because it created many boring moments.
*I hated the fact that script writers wanted to cover up for everything by showing the cute romance the whole time, it felt like cheating the audience and creating fan-service scenes by using Choi Min Ho’s body and Lee Hyun Woo’s face.
*Dragging: The drama fell into dragging especially near the end; that wasn’t nice to watch.
Story: 4/10.
2) Acting/Cast:
*This drama’s cast is mostly singers so you can’t expect to have strong acted scenes plus the storyline didn’t allow actors to show their skills since it focused on the cute side. However, that doesn’t deny that Choi Min Ho, Sully and Lee Hyun Woo did a respectable job in this.
*As for characters, Tae Joon’s Sano was a decent portrayal out of all versions I’ve seen. Goo Jae Hee was average: no love, no hate.
Eun Gyeol character was the worst Nakatsu portrayal mostly because it lacked humor and took the triangle side way too seriously, yes, there were some cute imagination moments but they didn’t last for long. That being said, I have to refer that Hyun Woo was the best actor in this drama, it wasn’t his fault that the storyline made his character more serious than it’s supposed to be.
*Side characters were uninteresting most of the time which was the storyline’s fault for cutting and changing many important characters.
*Appreciated character: Min Hyun Jae because he had a different character from what I remember plus his presence was always good to watch.
*Relationships:
--->Romance: On terms of chemistry, I can’t say that it was the greatest ever but there were many cute and fluffy moments all over the place.
--->Friendship: None! I haven’t felt any friendship between characters except some moments with Eun Gyeol and his roommate. Other than that, it was annoyingly absent.
--->The triangle: It was taken way too seriously than other versions so it felt bothersome to watch.
Cast: 6/10.
Acting: 7/10.
4) The ending:
Finally! I kept waiting for the drama to end ever since the 10th episode. It was a normal ending, no special feelings.
The ending: 6/10.
5) My impression (How did it affect me):
*I was really excited at the beginning but after three or four episodes, I just lost interest somehow.
*This was a disappointing remake for me, I expected a lot from the K-version but I end up watching something pretty and shallow.
*Is this drama memorable: No, I can’t possibly remember this drama because it dragged a lot which made it pretty boring but I may remember the vivid colors and the cuteness overload.
My impression: 3/10.
6) Overall:
*If you’re looking for a cute school drama then you may like this.
*If you watched other Hana Kimi versions and want to see more romance then you would like this.
*If you want something pretty to look at then watch this.
*To the Beautiful You was a cute drama that dragged a lot and delivered nothing when it comes to friendship and school relationships. As a remake it was a disappointment.
Overall: 5/10.
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Story is okay, it's not original of course, since it's just a remake, but I did like how the story progressed. The pacing was just right, not too fast nor too slow. I loved the side stories better though than the main plot itself.
The cast was lovely, but the lead couple's acting was so-so. I'm a Shawol, but I kinda find Minho's acting annoying at times. Sulli was bearable for me though. This is the first time I got more interested with the supporting characters rather than the lead couple. The supporting characters had more substance in them. I'd especially like to commend Lee Hyun Woo. That kid really really really really really knows how to act. It was him who carried the entire show, in my opinion. He knows how to be cute when he needs to be cute, and knows how to be sad when needed. He can portray well whatever he needs to portray, and I was really awed by his great talent at such a young age as that. Honestly, I don't think I'd manage to finish this drama if not for Hyun Woo's adorableness.
The music was great. Well it's really no surprise since the production company's SM entertainment and it'd be really disappointing if the music turned out to be bad.
Overall, the drama's only visually attractive, but not so substantial, so if you're looking for something pretty to look at then you could try this one out.
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I haven't read the manga, but i love both versions of the japanese drama. It's honestly one of my all-time favorite and i found the korean version completely off.
The characters seemed like the dull version of the original, while the story felt rather stretched. The atmosphere was totally different, after a few episodes it felt like an independent drama and not even a good one.
And even if i tried not to compare, i could only save Lee Hyun Woo's acting and the hilarity of the show (again, not as dominant as in the original version).
In the end - taken alone - TTBY ranks lower than all other dramas of this genre i've watched.
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For a reincarnation of Hana-Kimi I have to admit I was worried about pacing. The manga was too long winded for me and I actually never bothered reading the final two or three volumes because I knew how it would end and I found the whole thing tiring. Ironically when I started To the Beautiful You I didn't even realize that it was Hana-Kimi. Which is a good thing because at 16 episodes it is the longest version of the tale yet! Immediately I was drawn into the story and by the time I realized what I was watching, I didn't care. Nope, I was having fun. And in the end the pacing worked out perfectly. Giving every storyline it's time to develop and not turning valuable viewing time into an endless repeat.
To the Beautiful You is for the most part a feel good rom-com. It's not deep. Again, for the most part. This is easy viewing that simply makes you smile. Mission accomplished! That said the writers truly delivered on Cha Eun Gyeol. The instant I met him, it was love! As the story progressed and he becomes conflicted over his love for Goo Jae Hee, my heart went crazy. And maybe melted in a few poignant moments. Actor Lee Hyun Woo was amazing, and made me a loyal fan. Especially the moment when he decides love concurs all, even the boundaries on what society–and himself–might still find as a forbidden love. These are the kind of romances I live for.
Viewers will either love this or dislike. If you can separate this as a new take on a "classic", you'll do fine. If not, you know you'll be angry because this is not faithful. There's plenty of fan service moments for Shinee fans as Choi Min Ho really separates himself as good eye candy away from the band. If nothing else watch this show for the most epic paint ball fight! Assassin Choi Min Ho anyone? The show is plenty of laughs and I'll probably be visiting it just for good times, and when I need to reexperience the epicness of Goo Jae Hee. (Goo Jae Hee, the other reason this show needs to be watched. Let's be honest.)
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Honestly, I think that I'm just too old for this drama. I haven't read the manga nor seen any of the other versions of this drama. So, this review is based only on watching this drama. The only dramas that I have really enjoyed that include a girl dressing as a boy are Coffee Prince and Sungkyunkwan Scandal. It really isn't a genre that I enjoy. Take all of this in to consideration while reading this review, because if you enjoy those things, then you would probably like this drama more than me.The story isn't original and actually I found a lot of it frustrating. Should Jae Hee leave, will she leave, will some one make her leave. Blah Blah Blah Even the end just drove me insane. We aren't suppose to post spoilers so I will just say that there were many other solutions for the ending. It is all just so convoluted that I didn't enjoy it. Some of Jae Hee's reasoning to me is very selfish and I don't get it. I just wanted it to be over. On another note there are some really sweet and funny scenes through out that I'm sure all the rom/com lovers will enjoy.
On to the acting which I thought was really good. Sulli did a fair job playing Goo Jae Hee, but I wouldn't for a minute have believed she was a guy. I like Shinee, but I wasn't sure how I would feel about Minho's acting. He did really well playing Kang Tae Joon, he has great facial expressions and made his character sincere. I adored Lee Hyun Woo as a child actor and he was great playing the teen in Equator Man. It is good to know that he won't lose any of his acting ability as he grows older as proven by how well he played Cha Eun Gyeol. Actually, I thought that he made the drama worth watching. I hope these actors continue and I see them in a drama that I can actually enjoy in the future. I really enjoyed the side characters also especially Kim Woo Bin, Julien and Lee Ah Hyun.
The music was pretty good especially Taemin's song.
I won't rewatch it. I barely made it through the first time.
I guess I would recommend this to younger people or people that like young rom/com dramas or people that enjoy girls dressing as boys. Overall I didn't think it was a waste of my time, but I didn't really enjoy it.
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I did watch Hana Kimi, and I think that was better (although I am a die hard Kdrama fan)
I think like someone mentioned earlier, this caters to the teenage audience and I agree, probably they will give it a 9 or 10 because of the cute actors and sweet romance.
For me it was a filler for my more serious dramas like Gaksital and Rebirth, cause they tend to get heavy at times and you need a breather and relaxer in between.
The acting was so so and the best character and actor was Lee Hyun Woo, he is really an up and coming actor, Ive seen him in other dramas and hes great and improving. Im sorry to say I was not impressed with Minho, his character was so so and so was his acting. The female lead was relatively better but still nothing to write back home about.
The best thing was the music which was quite good.
Finally I have to say, it wasnt addicting that you must see what happens next nor were the characters so endearing that you want to see what happens to them, nor was there any excitment or thrill, (as this is a sports related drama) but still I watched this forgettable drama for what it was.
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This review may contain spoilers
I wasn't a huge fan of Hana Kimi but I had high expectations of the Korean version but sadly I am left disappointed. At least in Hana Kimi the girl had a feasible reason for wanting to come to the school (she felt responsible for causing Oguri Shun to get injured) so she comes to his school in Japan to help him get back into athletics. This part of the story was omitted from the Korean version, so there was no real reason for Jae Hee to come to Korea other than she had a schoolgirl crush on Tae Joon, this was a totally lame and flawed concept. If that was the case most school girls would track down their idols & stalk them merrily to their hearts content. We all have people we admire or look up to but we don’t think the logical step is to insinuate ourselves into their lives by any method possible.
The bulk of the drama had no real story, nothing really happened. Also there wasn't much chemistry between the main leads, it all seemed forced and awkward, such a shame when there was so much potential.
I disliked the last episode I found Jae Hee's actions lacking in common sense, even for a Kdrama heroine, I don't want to say why in case of spoilers. Why do the writer's make the heroines vapid and selfish?
Also despite the huge deception there appear to be no repercussions...ridiculous. But this is Kdramas after all....anything goes :D
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I think they picked a really great cast. Eun Gyeol and his imagination did not disappoint me XD Min Ho and Sulli were really cute together. Sunbae and Hanna were great additions. But the best part was the OST! Jessica, Onew, Krystal, KRY, Taeyeon...AAAA! It's so good! TTBY is my favorite OST this year (right next to Love Rain).
THE BAD
They didn't use the dorm leaders properly. I missed Oscar's character so much (I had this inward fantasy that they'd name his Korean version Oska. That would've been epic XD).
THE WEIRD
I found the lead couple really cute but still, I didn't really feel their kisses. They were too...awkward? I don't know. It was cute but no butterflies for me. Weird. haha.
OVERALL
I have watched the Japanese version and the comparisons are pointless. No one can surpass Toma as Nakatsu no matter how many versions you make. But the Korean version is still still good. It's colorful and trendy and a great one-time watch at least. And the OST! Onew
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Now, on to the details! First, I must admit I enjoy my "candy" dramas almost as much as my deeper ones so it was no surprise that I liked this one. The premise is good but an often used one, though I still don't see why they think just because a girl gets a hair cut and wears boy clothes, she's a boy. The flow of the drama works from episode to episode, and really not many are what I would consider slow. There are a couple that could have had more umph to them, but overall you didn't suffer any major stops and starts to the main plot or much in the way of confusion. The ending, not bad but definitely not my favorite. They tried to tie all the loose ends together way too quickly and not give you enough time to enjoy the last episode. It felt very rushed and amateurish.
As a quick side note, for those that love flower boy dramas, there is a fair share for you here! And for those Lee Hun Woo fans, LOVE love love his character, hair, everything. He does a great job here :)
There is a rewatch value as it's a typical feel good drama (though I'd rather watch Lee Min Ho or Lee Seung Gi, LOL)and does make you smile and laugh.
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The story was very well developed and finny! I likes that is wasnt the abnoxiousness that was in Hana Kimi (I not saying that version wasn't flipping awesome)! The romace was perfect the kisses were all at the right moments!!! (SPAZZ)and the characters were fun to watch! (P.S. This version has the best EYE CANDY imo)!!! You get to learn more about Tae Joon's childhood. The addition of the obsessive childhood friend added a little more anger to the watcher (AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH)!
Acting was great although there were some moments where it was just straight up awkward, but based on the activeness of the cast they did an amazing job. Facial expressions made me die sometimes! (lol) But the acting even if not perfect never got in the way of watching the drama.
The music was to die for... My favorite OST of any drama I have watched! The ending song, Stand Up, was flipping awesome! From EXO-K to F(X) to Maroon 5! It was perfect!
Overall the Korean version of Hana Kimi is a must watch mixing all other versions including the manga into 16 hot episodes! I BELIEVE ALL THOSE DRAMA-ADDICTS OUT THERE who wanted to see the romance between Sano and Mizuki should get their butts on VIKI and shut the world out!
~PEACE
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I have seen the Japanese version of Hana Kimi and I had thought that was silly, yet entertaining. But compared to that version, this one loses so badly! Pardon me for making the comparisons but I can't help myself. If I had probably not known the story originally I would have dropped it way sooner. I tried and gave a chance for the characters to grow on me but they instead faded pretty easily upto the point where I was annoyed- especially with Jae Hee. I admit I liked Kang Tae Joon much more than Sano in the original version. He probably changed better than every one else and in spite of being 'cold' came off as nice and sweet. The character I was looking forward to most was that of Eun Gyeol because he was playing the role of Naktsu from the original story. First of all, his hairstyle was hideous. It made him hard to stand. Once I got over it, he seemed to lack depth and instead bored me terribly. Jae Hee is also disappointing.
Now I think the cast wasn't that great and neither was their performance. They all could have improved but fell short due to poor writing. There isn't much emotion visible on any of the three main leads. I probably enjoyed Kim Ji Won's acting most. She's the one who made me laugh. She's really cute!
While the main Hana Kimi manga itself had a ridiculous plot, the entertaining aspect of it had been its colourful characters and the hilarious situations that take place. Here, the plot drags on for way too long. Eun Gyeol not finding out the truth till the second last episode was a big turn off. While I generally enjoy watching a character struggle with their sexuality, here it got tiresome to watch. While the basic plot remains the same I thought in this version the characters lost their essence. What's worse was that the writer didn't try to make them special in any other way. He just left them bland. The best good thing about this drama was its good cinematography and a decent soundtrack. Other than that, it falls flat.
I can never imagine myself wanting to watch it again because the first time was so difficult to get through in the first place. I suggest only fans of the main leads watch the drama. For others- it's upto them.
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