Hana Kimi was my first J-drama and I can honestly say I couldn't pick a better one for an introduction to the world of dramas. STORY 7/10 This show is a crazy comedy with occassional serious moments. It has a romantic subplot (several of them actually) but in my opinion, the romance isn't particularly well-explored/well-developed here. Which is not a necessarily a bad thing, since it's a show about friendship among schoolboys, just be warned that if you expect a typical rom-com, you should probably look elsewhere. I could go on and on about superlatives here, but I feel I should at least briefly address some of the problematic aspects of the show. There is an ever-present homophobia, despite the fact that the show has (at least) 2 canonically gay characters. On the one hand, there is Nakao with his crush on Nanba-senpai, which is more-or-less ignored by the other boys. On the other hand, there are scenes (like the one in the Special) where the boys are openly disgusted with the idea of two of them being in romantic/sexual relationship (one of the boys even says that he would lose all respect for Sano and Ashiya if they were in a homosexual relationship). This goes hand-in-hand with bi-erasure - nobody ever in this show acknowledges the fact that it's possible to like more than one gender. If someone shows affection for a person of the same gender, he is immediately labeled as 'homo'. Not cool. Sexual harassment is another issue. Nakao constantly harasses and stalks Nanba. Doctor Umeda, otherwise sympathetic character, often sexually harasses people he meets. And he himself is constantly harassed by his 'nemesis', photographer Akiha. It is even suggested that she forced herself on him (in other words, raped him) the only night they spent together. And all of this is played off as a joke. Ugh. ACTING/CAST 10/10 The cast is outstanding and hilarious, especially Ikuta Toma as Nakatsu who practically steals the show for himself. His inner monologues are legendary and they make Hana Kimi a true gem among dramas. MUSIC 10/10 I admit that the Hana Kimi soundtrack is probably one of my favorite J-drama soundtracks. Maybe its melodies are not as 'powerful' - as HYD main theme for instance - but the whole OST has such a happy, energetic feel that it never fails to cheer me up (and it's a great background music for cleaning up). The opening and ending songs are both great and the music in general is definitely one of the strongest points of the show. REWATCH VALUE 9/10 The rewatch value is really high for this one thanks to the fast pacing, unforgettable moments and the hilarity in general. OVERALL 9/10 WHAT KIND OF FEELS THIS SHOW GAVE ME Hana Kimi never fails to make me laugh. It's hilarious, happy and optimistic and one of the top comedy J-dramas out there. I only wish the ending was more satisfactory in the terms of romance, but I guess it could be a lot worse too.