Oh my god... Such a dilemma... Trust me,
Hana Yori Dango (Japanese Drama) is my favorite drama ever. However, if this situation lasts, I'll have to use the past tense. Indeed, if
Boys Before Flowers continues to be THAT amazing, I'll have to quit my old loving favorite drama !
First, let me tell you that the Jp cast was nice BUT I've always thought something was missing. And I found it thanks to the K cast. When I first saw
Soujiro,
Mimasaka AND
Doumyouji, I was like : "
What's with the crap?". I'm not kidding, haha. But of course, after I watch the drama I was so happy to have overcome my weird first feelings. But you know, this isn't entirely false. I mean, Soujiro and Mimasaka don't look like seducers. When you see them, you can't tell they are such womanizers. And Doumyouji... My first feelings were really bad, I don't even dare to speak my mind. ("
What's with the little sheep?!" hahaha shame on me). Yet, something was really clear with Hana Yori Dango, and maybe I miss that part of the story in BBF : Doumyouji was wicked, violent and arrogant because of his loneliness, because of his own sufferings. He was such a bastard with the others and when he met Makino he totally changed. That was amazing in HYD, and it will remain the best part of it (including his progression and his childish behavior).
But, I have to say that
Joon Pyo is surprisingly great. First,
Lee Min Ho (the actor) is tall and good-looking. That really helps the way he acts. Joon Pyo is confident, he doesn't seem that silly (at least, not as silly as Doumyouji), he makes some mistakes sometimes, he's a bit stupid when some thoughts come to his mind (like Jan Di loving him) but he is not the Doumyouji we all get to know in the Jdrama. And, above all, he is not as violent as him. Though you can tell Joon Pyo is pissed off without even seeing him kicking someone else's ass. You can tell he's a jerk in the beginning, a great and almighty bastard, sure. You're surprised when you see him being afraid of a little small bee. Really surprised! But he still is Doumyouji. (Seriously, we really recognize the plot, but it's kind of different, and to me, it's different in a good way). Besides, when you see Joon Pyo being so caring and protective with Jan Di (like when he saved her when she saw Ji Hoo and Seo Hyun together) and so understanding too, about Jan Di's feelings for Ji Hoo, you can't say that K version isn't amazing. I think Joon Pyo is like the Doumyouji of season 2. He's mature though he's cute. Like we could expect it from a Korean drama, it isn't too much. Except Jan Di, perhaps. But I'll talk about it later.
Then, something that I think is REALLY important, it's
Ji Hoo (Rui). Let me say that the Rui we all know was transparent for me. He could die somewhere in the background, I wouldn't see him. (haha). I've always found him anything but interesting (I'm not only blaming Oguri Shun for being emotionless, I'm also blaming the script of HYD). I really discovered who Rui was thanks to BBF. Ji Hoo is slightly better. Even though he seems kind of frail, he has a sort of charisma. He makes me want to see him and Jan Di together. (But of course, forget it, I still am a Makino/Doumyouji, JanDi/JoonPyo lover!) Maybe it's Jan Di who makes him interesting, I have no idea. Of course the storyline helps a lot, since he's a bit more featured than in the Jdrama. I don't know but, I think that probably Oguri Shun didn't fit the role. He was too handsome and too tall and strong-like to be a little Rui, a sensitive and depressed Rui. (haha).
Ok now, let's talk about
Jan Di. I don't know what to think about her. Is she a better Makino than Inoue Mao? I really don't know. What I loved in Makino (Jdrama) was her strength and her will. She didn't care about anyone if she could reach her aim. I also loved her determination and her "realization" when she fell for Doumyouji. Overall, Inoue Mao probably was the best Makino ever. But Jan Di has a lot of potential. She is cute but not too much, she's true and she likes what she does. Well, I guess you feel something wrong, right? Yes, I have to say that this comedy thingy is a bit too much. I don't like when she screams like a fool, when she walks like a puppet. But I like her strength when she screams "Do more!". She definitely is made for Joon Pyo. Ok, I resent her hair. What's that? She's not even cute like that. I don't even like how they did her hair, how they curled it for the party. If Joon Pyo hadn't let go off his plate, I wouldn't have think she was cute, haha. I'm just exaggerating, no worries. I think she's a good Makino, I just need to see more of her to decently judge her.
The storyline? I like it. I was afraid I would hate it (because you know, Hana Yori Dango is my favorite drama and I didn't like Meteor Garden at all). I like the fact that she brings him on the hotel's roof to look at the stars (satellites, lol!). I also like Joon Pyo waking up first and covering her to warm her up. I like Joon Pyo's pouts. And I do like all the differences and similarities.
If you didn't want to watch it because you're the deepest fan of Hana Yori Dango and Makino/Doumyouji, please give it a try. You'll be as surprised as
me us, because I'm not alone! Lots of people think the same as me. They're right, haha.
PS: The only thing that sucks? The OST. HYD's was the best ever.
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