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Hana Yori Dango

HDY title

I happened to start watching Hana Yori Dango recently, and totally got hooked. I’m not an avid watcher of j-doramas, though I’ve seen a few in the past, but I watched all of the first season at once (I kind of like how j-doramas are short and sweet at around 10 episodes, although I do like the k-drama standard of 16-20 episodes — but only if the series is good!). Then, happy to hear a second season was in the middle of its run, I tuned into that as well.

 
(Theme) SONG(s) OF THE DAY

Arashi – “Wish,” Season 1 theme song [ zShare download ]

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Arashi – “Love So Sweet,” Season 2 theme song [ zShare download ]

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main title

 

For Season 2, I had to get used to the pace of one episode per week, and the wait for fansubs too, which was new for me. I’m used to watching k-dramas as they air in Korea, but I don’t need subs for those, so I’d forgotten what it feels like to be dependent upon the goodwill of others. Let me tell you, it reminded me of my immense appreciation for fansubbers. You’d think that as a fansubber myself, I’d be the last one to forget that, but no, being a leecher brought me new insights.

Thankfully (and quite remarkably), the subbers are lightning-fast for HYD2. I’ve been watching the later episodes raw, actually surprised that I can understand most of the story, and I’ve gone back to my old drama-watching routine of standing by with a pad of paper and a dictionary. But the subs are still quite crucial for getting the full enjoyment.

(That’s why it pisses me off to no end when I go to sites and see some leechers complaining about the speed — or lag — of fansub releases. What’s up with that, huh? Complaining how the wait is killllling them, how they’re dyyyyying to watch the next episode, when’s the sub coming out already?? I’d like to see them complaining after they’ve spent hours downloading, an hour watching the show, five to ten hours translating, getting back perhaps one thank-you for every hundred or thousand people who take it, and THEN reading a bunch of ungrateful people complaining how it wasn’t done faster. Most fans are great, but those few bad ones really sour the experience. To them, I say: Hmph.)

 

main-title3.jpg

 

Anyway, back to Hana Yori Dango.

When I was watching Season 1, I thoroughly enjoyed it but felt it was a little over-the-top and melodramatic, mixing light and dark elements to create a strange overall tone. But then I read up on it and realized it was based on a (shoujo) manga, and the artistic choices of the dorama suddenly made so much sense. It made it so much better.

Hana Yori Dango, as a dorama in and of itself, is really well-done. It’s charming, funny, gorgeous to look at, well-written, well-paced. But Hana Yori Dango, as a dorama adaptation of a manga, is amazing. Fantastic. Superlative.

It also explains a few things I found perplexing, like Matsumoto Jun’s funky curly hairstyle. (I’d thought: “This guy’s a major pop idol in Japan, and this is the best style they could give him??”) Made a lot more sense to know the original manga character is known, and mocked, for his peculiar hairstyle.

hair1hair2

(I think I prefer the Season 1 curls, which looks like a perm, to the big roller curls in Season 2, but either way, I’m surprised at how fast I got used to his funky hair. Haha.)

 
I also rather love the title “Hana Yori Dango,” which is a pun playing on the Japanese adage, “Food more than flowers” or “Food before flowers” (as in, essentials are more important than the aesthetically pleasing but ultimately superficial). The characters for “dango,” which is a type of food, are switched to mean “boys,” suggesting that boys are just as essential as food…

But there’s one more meaning, which is what really won me over:

F4

 
The group led by Doumyouji calls themselves F4, for “Flower Four,” which is kind of girly if you ask me. I know Japanese society places a high premium on artistic beauty, including the art of arranging flowers, but the name isn’t really befitting a powerful group of bullies, is it? But if you bring in the title phrase, it could mean that the F4 members, and the violent and crude Doumyouji in particular, are at the core “boys more than they are Flower 4.” It hints that we’ll see these guys as singular, real people beyond the acts they play as members of F4. In meeting and falling for Tsukushi, Doumyouji will transform from the dictatorial leader of F4 to just a guy, who wants affection and respect and doesn’t care to hide behind the safety of his family’s zaibatsu (corporation) name.

(And then, of course, Tsukushi also works in a dango shop!)

 

CASTING and CHARACTER

First off, really great acting by the two leads. Inoue Mao as Makino Tsukushi is cute without being annoying, which is often not the case, and Matsumoto Jun does a really amazing job; he really sells Doumyouji as both a horribly mean and vicious person who is still relatable and sympathetic. And he inhabits the role so completely, he seems like he IS his character.

cute tsukushi

 
On top of that, they really got the flavor of Hanazawa Rui across with casting Oguri Shun, who looks and acts the part perfectly. I love that he actually looks like the manga character, which is sometimes really hard to pull off. Oguri Shun acts with that mannered politeness and quietness that totally characterizes shoujo heroes (he actually reminds me quite a lot of Matsuura Yuu in Marmalade Boy, although Yuu is much more outgoing than Rui).

 

rui and shizuka
(Perfect anime hero hair!)

 
I’m also much more accepting about character flaws when I realize it’s a manga adaptation. For instance, Doumyouji’s horridly callous mother, Kaede, is rather too villainous to be real for a normal dorama. But in a manga? Totally acceptable. Same goes for Tsukushi’s well-meaning but, face it, rather ineffectual parents. Honestly, they’re lovable but kinda incompetent. I’ve noticed it’s a trait of shoujo manga and anime to have silly parents acting even more childish than their teenaged children.

 

ADAPTATION

I have to give them kudos for knowing what to adapt and what not to. It adapts the best elements of the manga, but doesn’t get too bogged down in adapting it literally, frame by frame or plot by plot. (My argument for why the Harry Potter books have produced mediocre adaptations — such a strong desire to preserve the source material inevitably hampers the adaptation.)

Some well-executed parallels:

“F4”


 

Red flag

 

Fighting Doumyouji


 

Dango shop


 

Doumyouji asking out Tsukushi


 

Doumyouji out in the cold:

 

Rui kiss:


 

ARTISTIC EXECUTION

And last but not least, the series is just gorgeous. The shots, the locations, the sets, the lighting, everything. Even the simplest shots are exceuted elegantly.

 

rooftopbridge

blue cafeteria
violin
tearoomelevator
fall treesjiro?(tm)s bike

sunlight

 
Credits to hanayoridango.org for manga scanlations.

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I would like to know too the name of this piece.

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Hana Yori Dango is the first japanese drama i've seen. And though admittedly I was really crazy with taiwanese F4 back then...it was a phenomenon here in the philippines that I don't know whether to laugh really hard or just smile...imagine the whole top ten list of popular songs are from the taiwanese F4 and the thing is very few as in it's not even common for Filipinos to speak more so to understand chinese language. It was really weird I could even see myself singing chinese songs w/c i don't have a clue about...well so much for that. So I do understand when some filipinos didn't really came to appreciate HYD...it's hard to replace one's first love hehe.

Anyway, Hana Yori Dango is done really great that just on episode 1 all my doubts disappeared, I know MatsuJun looked gay and all at first but by the time he acts you'll start liking his character. I know some who can't watch the series anymore since accdg to them japanese Domyoji is ugly, I really can't blame them since Jerry Yan and the other taiwanese F4 are handsome in their own right and still for me they are the best looking F4. And I always say this whenever HYD is being talked about and I'm going to say it again...I absolutely commend MatsuJun for a very good performance as the evil Domyoji (all of the school cafeteria scene are a must watch!)...if it weren't for his convincing acting, I wouldn't have pushed through with the series anymore even if Rui is there (main guy does play a big part) and even if Makino is my heroine. From watching Hanadan it made Meteor Garden's F4 look like middle class infront of Domyoji-sama and the other japanese F4. But then more than the fashion, cars that made the series more exciting I'm satisifed with the way the jap actors portrayed themselves as F4...that even if they're not striking good looking at first, their presence and their attitude would tell you who they are exactly. So there up until now HanaDan is still the best version even if the korean one is already airing. ;-)

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love your reviews! :D

btw, i'm looking for places to download the subbed version of HYD season 1, 2 and the movie.. well practically everything.. any idea where i can get them?

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@ Kurisaturu. You told everything
Before I was all about look. I didn't want to watch HYD japan because of that (epecially Jun Physical appearance and I have never found Oguri shun handsome). Now I am happy I have overcome that and I watched this drama. Jun maybe short and thin but through his portraying he intimidated me (I still enjoy the moment makino punched him because he had so much powerness in Eitoku ! plus the actors nailed it!).
Look at season 2 episode 1, Domyoji PUNCHED soujiro, Soujiro APOLOGISE.... and when he said to soujiro "seems since I have been in NY your mouth has become a whole more larger..." the way he told that you feel he is a leader and Soujiro comes after him.
Plus this version had everything...

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this version was awsome, the best for me anyway. short and sweet and absolutely hilarious. loved all the aspects of the characters and storyline, even though it was a little crazy and over the top, makino and domyouji always make it so cute and heartwarming. i never saw meteor garden, but it's waay too long and i don't have the patience. i'm currently watching the korean hyd and i like the cast, most of the time...and the way everything plays out like the japanese version, but not in order and the added events sometimes make no sense at all, and i'm so sick of the characters saying one thing and acting opposite of what they say?? despite this, i'm still hooked (it's kim hyun joong!). wierd thing is, i like ji hoo in the korean hyd more than in the jap hyd (don't get me wrong, oguri shun was spectacular), but maybe it's because i don't find jun pyo as appealing as in the jap. version. he's not as....umm, how do i put it, charming, entertaining, insane? yeah...

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this jdrama makes me cry a lot and makesfeel happy at the sme time....it's just amazing

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HYD its still the best for me..sorry BBF..jun pyo is not so domyoji and jandi is not so makino that's why i feel the two of you weaks and lame too..dunno why..chemistry is already gone..blew by the wind..
sorry to say..

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someone..couldn't agree with you more:D

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The Best adaptation of the HYD manga!!

The TW was plain horrible! It was boring. The KR version was slightly better but they made a BIG mistake casting the Korean version of Makino (she was just annoying most of the time and nothing else ) and the korean version of Rui totaly sucks (that actor isnt worth a ...)

the JP version of HYD is the best.

It has great cast; location shots, comedy , drama and so more .

The JP version captured the mangas soul.

A must watch!!

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Wow!!!
I liked this!!!
I mean...
Because of this article I appreciated HYD more....
I really love this drama....
I totally agree with what was written here...
The manga already had 3 versions as of the moment but for me the japanese version is the best...
Well...
What can we expect, the story was based on a manga created by a Japanese..
But really, this drama is so awesome.
I've watched it 2 times yet I couldn't stop myself from watching it all over again!!!!

By the way, thanks javabeans for this article... I loved it!!!

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hi...
wonderful story!!!

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Hana Yori Dango: ahaha, nostalgic much? This show def. brings back memories. I'm smiling as I write this... ^_^

This dorama def. has it all. I'm not saying that it's the perfect dorama (there's no such thing) but I loved the way they did things in this. Yes, Domyouji's fur coat was ... really weird and Utada Hikaru's "Flavour of Life" was ... slightly overused, but I loved it nonetheless and yes, I did scream and shout at the TV when Umi tried to take it all away in the last two episodes...^^

Thank you hanadan for sharing this journey with us...

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now that the Korean Version is done, I think I can honestly say that the Japanese version is a lot better, even better than Taiwanese version. Dont get me wrong I love 3 versions, but to me Japanese version is more executed right. hmm...makes me wanna bust out HanaDan and do marathon tonight..

The movie was okay too, erhm, i give 7 out of 10.

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Dramabeans- I watched HYD back to back in a weekend and I LOVED IT. I thought Domyouji was ugly too until I saw the whole thing and MatsumotoJun is HOTNESS personified, guys, check him out. Anyways first thing done was to come here and check out what you thought of it and Im glad you liked it too.l do like K version but its not fair to compare- they are two totally different dramas....but I love this Makino and Domyouji - while in Boys Before Flowers I was rooting for Gaeul and Yijeung and the main couple didnt really catch my interest in Hanayoridango its ALL about Mah-kee-no (dont you love Hanazawa Rui) and Domyouji ...

I thought the plot made more sense than the Kdrama! I loved:

1. The intensely strong bond between the boys were shown. The relationship between them was typically (what I think is typical) of boys- argue, fight, punch, best friends.

2. the love between Tsubaki and Tsukasa! I mean in BOF they dont seem this close!

3. Inoue Mao. and Matsumoto Jun- sadly I have become a Matsujun-inoue mao fan..

Anyway thanks for your reviews of this~!

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i realy realy like B.O.F. i love it

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i LooooooovvvvvvvvvvvEEEEEEEEE HYD..
HYD is the bezT than the other versi0n ( korean nd taiwan versi0n)...

suukkkiii dh ma HYD..
ALL in HYD 're perfect..
i Likke makino tsukusi & doumyouji tsukasa nd the other F4..

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I LOVE this series! : )

I finished watching Hana Yori Dango, first season, in one day. Sleeping late watching it and waking up the next morning to resume watching it.

I love how Makino was portrayed by Inoue Mao. In Hana Yori, Makino was not characterized as a bumbling, awkward commoner. The series showed that Makino was perfectly aware of the silliness around her, and of how she seemed to be the only normal student in Eitoku Gakkuen.

And yes, the series was really well-thought of - music, shots, editing, execution. It was obvious throughout the series.

Sigh. Don't you just love the last scene of first season- when Domyouji gave Makino a kiss in the sunset?

Still waiting for my player to recognize the "Hana Yori Dango Returns" dvd (work, dvd player, please.) ~

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for me hana yori dango is the best version among the others but then again they are all different in a way but the same plot and characters. with hana yori dango i really could feel the chemistry between makino and domyoji. i finished watching seasons 1 and 2 and also the movie and i wish their story never ends cuz its soooo effin GOOD!!! i wish they make a sequel movie!!!!! love it! i think the story is very creative and brilliant regadless which version it is!!

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love it

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i personally believe that hana yori dango is the best version, then boys over flowers, and then, the taiwanese version, i havn't seen it yet......i wish they would make another hana yori dango that shows their married life and when she has the baby....my friends watched it too and luved it!!!!!! kyaaaaaaaaaa! O 3 O
i'm kinda bored rite now so....

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i have to say that this is probably hands down one of my favorite dramas. i agree with everything you said, the series was perfect. :)

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wow!!! it's good to know everyone appreciated HYD...
i really love this series sooo much since Matsumoto jun is in it...
it was televised in our country that's why it was easy for me to know the story without subs because it was dubbed...

It's just kind of disappointing how BOF turned out to be really boring...
(no offense to fans) but the korean version isn't really great...

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,glad to see somebody agree with me(way too overused?)...
.....I watched HYD before BBF....when I came to know that there is a Korean adaptation of HYD, I was very excited and surfed for the cast...my first reaction was only KJH was good looking and favorited him..hehe....
....but when I saw the drama, I am 100% in agreement that Oguri Shun had portrayed Rui Hanazawa the best....
....of the Taiwanese version, I liked Lei the best (yeah, I have the "rooting for the other guy" syndrome...
....Oguri Shun's portrayal of Rui Hanazawa was very convincing...8s very easy to pity him for being the other guy not being paid attention upon by the lead girl....8 also makes you root for him to at least have a happy ending or have him for yourself......:)
..there were times though that made me feel irritated at him for being so gentlemanly........I believe I even shouted at my TV once, "Man, stop acting like a good person and fight for her!".....
....plus he really wears the brooding and silent type guy....
.......as for KJH, i still like him, especially after watching him on WE Got Married.....
...:)..i just noticed that all I talked about was Rui Hanazawa's character.....
....for MatsuJun, he really had me convinced just as well...I hated hi8m, I was so irritated with him, I feel for him, I rooted for him..he made me go through a lot of emotions as I was watching the drama......loved him!....go Arashi!.....:)
...as for Inoue Mao, loved her portrayal also..she wasn't portrayed as a weakling but a girl with a spine!......
...didn't pay much attention to the other two guys though...;)
...

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I've just known your blog after watching You"re beautiful, and I love your reviews and comments so much that I'm reading even old posts.

YAB and HYD are my best dramas all time. I can watch them over and over, turn on their OSTs every morning before going out. I love them soooooo much.

In fact I'm a foreigner student living in Japan and I knew about Matsu Jun and HYD long ago but didn't care much. I didn't like gay-looking guys. One day my sister who is living in another country told me that she really liked HYD and I tried the first ep. I totally hooked in it, and started looking forward for season 2 would be aired on TV.

I loved Oguri Shun, his voice is soo sexy, I love Mao and Jun so much that I hope they will really date. Now Oguri Shun is more and more famous in Japan with some movies and dramas. He and MJ also costared in this year drama, Smile.

I never get over the first ep of Taiwan version and it's too long to me, but in fact if Japanese version were longer, I'm happy watching it. And the Korean version made me ... sigh. I stop watching it about ep 14. I'm tired of Jandi and Jihoo and GunPyo. I didn't like Jandi at all, she knew about the love Jihoo devoted for her, and she continued hurting him, and innocently leaned on him while she was in love with other guy. I hate girls that use men. I think it selfish and I stop watching because I couldn't stand anymore with that type of girl.

BOF fans, don't hate me. I love K-drama a lot but not BOF.

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WOW!
I officially adore you!
You just captured everything I love and more about a show I revere in one blog!
Thank you for your amazing insight! ;D

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THIS WAS THE BEST DRAMA I HAVE EVER SEEN!!
MatsuJun was soooooo in love with her! it was soooo believable!!!

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The Japanese HYD remains the best live-drama adaptation of the manga, in my opinion. The Taiwanese version dragged out for far too long and the acting was...interesting, to say the least. There Korean version also dragged on, I think, and the production itself was so rushed that they lost track of what made HYD such a wonderful story. I could never sympathize with Jan Di, sadly.

Everything you've written in this post reminds me of how much I love the Japanese version. Every actor was perfect for their part, especially MatsuJun and Inoue Mao. They simply WERE Domyouji and Tsukushi. I laughed with them, cried with them, and rooted for them every step of the way. To me, they are the quintessential drama couple.

Now I have to go back and watch it again! =D

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I only have one thing to say.
On that first manga pic the dude on the right TOTALLY LOOKS LIKE SPENCER REID FROM CRIMINAL MINDS! XD

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probably my favorite drama! all because its EXTREMELY well scripted and fast paced.....one thing i cant stand about the other country adaptations is because they are sooooo draggy and long and just not well acted! yes, i DEFINITELY think inoue mao can act, and I really loved the two main characters more than ever...in most dramas, my favorte characters are side characters (yeah..usually they like the make the main characters a little too annoying or dumb etc etc)....yes, I think its one of the first times where the main characters are my fav. the girl is strong but not overly violent (like portrayed in the korean version..sorry) and the guy is funny but still gentle (also,...the korean version made the guy way too....??like idk...i just found Gu Jun Pyo really really annoying..)
the thing is, this drama is really quick and sweet..theres a lot of drama but since the pacing is very quick the drama is very up and down (rollercoaster!!) and it doesnt leave you a feeling of dread but instead - angst and anticipation. There are a lot of happy moments in between which encourage you to keep watchiing and I love the closure on the entire series (wedding!!! hello - it doesnt get much better than that.)
so yes...mainly because the main leads are likeable, the story is addicting, and best of all..it DIDNT DRAG!!!

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No version could ever surpass the execution of the manga like hyd can! this is the best version among the three. both of the leads were so perfect for their roles. the series was hilarious, fast-paced, and had seamless transition. there is just something about this drama. maybe the charm? the chemistry? or the acting? even the expensive clothes, extravagant props and hotness of the male lead of the korean version did not remove hyd from my heart. and thanx to hyd, i started to appreciate how nice asian shows are :) and btw, i hope mao and jun get together in real life. random but yeah until now...2 yrs later, im still hoping ;p

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I actually watched the Korean Hana Yori Dango first without reading the manga or watching any other versions and even though I enjoyed it (somewhat) the only thing that /really/ kept me going was the Yi Jung/Ga Eul pairing. :P So then I watched the Japanese version out of boredom and a little curiosity and LOVED it! Domyouji/Makino was so much more appealing to me than Jun Pyo/Jan Di - I guess there wasn't much chemistry between the two in the Korean version for me. And Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui was fantastic - I loved Rui in this version and genuinely felt for him, unlike KHJ in BBF. I'm a great fan of Oguri Shun because of his acting in here. :D

Gosh I found this post late. :P

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I really wish Makino ended up with Hanazawa Rui he was so manly and made me feel warm. Doumyouji just made me frustrated because ha was so childish with hi temper. I liked all three parts but Hanazawa Rui how I would like to keep you.

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Omg I totally agree with you Berenice and I feel your pain. I haven't seen the J-drama yet because I've been skeptical on watching it. I saw the Korean and Taiwanese version, but I haven't read the manga yet either. I think I'm going to have to go on a fest of Hana Yori Dongo between reading and watching the J-Drama. I just feel like the stuff that happens between them is so repetitive! Mom doesn't like them together, this other person doesn't want them together, a million love triangles (more like octagons lol), and their arguments! But their love is so SWEET that I just have to watch it lol.

I feel your pain about your friends and family thinking your weird. My family and friends are always like "Are you watching a tv show...with subtitles? In Chinese/Japanese/Korean?" hahaha. I'm always like...yepp! They can't understand that when you watch enough of them you can start just automatically putting the words written into what they're saying.

Thanks so much for this site by the way Javabeans! I always come on here when I can't find a specific episode of something and read your recaps. I bow down to your excellence hahahahaha. I can't imagine trying to sub all that stuff!

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I have to thank You javabeans for this introduction of Hana Yori Dango world. After this I watched it and love it. I first watched korean version because I'm relatively new addict and basicly I watched everything that was new in last year and in top 25,on various sites. Later I discovered that numbers and stars doesn't represent true values of drama. After hearing your and girlfriday podcasts I finally realised what was so irritating in some dramas that I couldn't figure it out, but freak me out, like soulmate thing and playboy thing and music thing (in Boys over Flowers). I love in Hana Yori Dango how Yuki and that (real) playboy never end up together, is so cute. Music is apsolute great, and I'm person who can almost refuse drama,like Coffee House, because of irritating music. And necklace have real basis in Hana Yori Dango because they are soulmate from Saturn. What was funny in Hana Yori Dango is that Doumyouji reminds me of Austin Power when he smiles :)

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Do you have the written preview of hana yori dango season 1, season 2??

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Thanks for having such good points. The heart knows well.

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Mao Inoue was AMAZING as Makino and really captured her character greatly. Loved her. She was never "annoying".

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