Tag: boys over flowers

BOYS OVER FLOWERS (CRAZE)

Here’s the catch.

I just recently finished watching Meteor Garden 2018 on Netflix with 49 episodes & I happened to check/google all the related shows similar to the same (which I always do in every series/movies/etc. I’ve seen) & found out that aside from the Original Taiwan version which I have also seen a few years back, there are also Korean and Japan version!

What is even more exciting is that they have the Korean version on NETFLIX too. And yes, since I’m not over the craze yet, I wanted to know and compare all the versions and write my self-review as usual, so I watched it too and completed in a little more than a week!😂

Not much different from all the versions where the story is based aside from the few little changes they  made to blend with the Country, situation, latest craze, culture, and traditions I assume, plus the change of sequences where some happened first on the Taiwan/Chinese version and happened later on the Korean version and vice versas.–> but all in all, it will come to the same happy ending with the Main characters of both versions Dao Ming Si & Dong Shancai and Gu-Jun-Pyo & Geum-Jan-Di ending up together.

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So, what I like in here? Of course, I will not mention that again, I developed a huge crush on Lee Min Ho (Gu-Jun-Pyo) because who else will not? –> and my husband Rj kept teasing me about this fine-young-man just like what he did when we were watching MG2018- Dylan Wang 🙂

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 Anyways, I super like his face especially when he smiles, super giggles!

I liked the fast-paced story. This has only 25 episodes which is shorter from the 49 episodes of Meteor Garden 2018 that some may actually bore the viewers (but not me) because of the sub-plot & additional story to spice up the series.

It’s more realistic and convincing, I think the Meteor Garden 2018 focused more on Cinderella-type Love story, Rom-com type while the Korean version tackles a little bit more of the usual daily living of an ordinary person, not only romance.

Geum-Jan-Di carries the character of an average person, not so beautiful, not so smart, not so gorgeous bod as what they want to establish in the series which made the Love story even more realistic.

In this version, Yoon Ji-hoo (Kim Hyun Joong) has a more significant role in Geum Jan-di’s life than the other versions, more strongly depicted as a romantic companion.

And yeah, it is more likable that they decided to get married after College Graduation (4 years later) rather than to marry immediately without completing their Education.

What I didn’t like? Well, I guess the lack of emotions from the characters to express their sentiments and emotions for all the problems they had to face in their relationship.

This is what I liked about in Meteor Garden 2018 anyways, both Dao Ming Si and Dong Shan Cai had given their best share and extreme efforts in proving how much they loved each other they are willing to defy all odds.

I wanted Geum Jan Di to express her inner feelings and hurt with a lot of emotions during the time Gu Jun Pyo was overseas trying to ignore her but failed to do so.

I also want to see Gu Jun Pyo fights for his love, but then, there’s a lack of emotions in here. That’s what I expect for someone who turned from a selfish bully rich kid to someone who got madly in love with a commoner despite his mom’s strong disapproval but he wasn’t able to articulate this.

Not to mention I’m longing to see the episode in Taiwan and Chinese versions where Dao Ming Si refused to eat for days in return to retaliate to his over domineering mom when she restricted him for going out of the house and later Dong-Shan-Cai went over to see him and how they talked outside his bedroom door with so much love and compassion that Shan Cai stood for days outside their home, days and night, rain and shine to support Dao Ming Si.

But then I love the way he said…“I’m in love with a girl. The first time since I was born and the last until I die.” Yay!

My thoughts about it? I liked them both with different feelings. I like the super cute yet childish ways that will give you romantic excitement to the bones on the Chinese version and I equally like the much more mature characters and outlook in life on the Korean Version.

All in, I love them both. Can’t wait to watch the Japanese version…soon!

Till next time!

Reposted from my Tumblr account- 2018

Hana Yori Dango

 

Oh well, I’m still not over the craze yet, *Giggles* Here I am, just completed the Season 1 & 2 of Hana Yori Dango with 20 episodes in less than a week, yaey! (This is the Japanese version of Meteor Garden & Boys Over Flowers). If I’m not mistaken, this is the TV adoptation of the versions where it was based, originally from the Japanese Shojo Manga written by Yoko Kamio.

The fact that I’m now very much familiar with the plot even with my mind shut as I’ve seen all the 4 versions of this story. This is also the second version I  completely watched with my husband RJ since he skipped the Korean version all because he didn’t like the way it was expressed. But for me, I loved them all with all of my heart, lol.

To refresh with, This is the story of MAKINO TSUKUSHI, a tough, hard-working, below class student of a prestigious school, Eitoku and how she immersed her life with the School legendary bullies which consist of four sons of the wealthiest and most powerful family, the F4 (FLOWER 4) when she got the red notice from them (anyone who gets this card will be the subject of bullying from the entire school at all cost until the target decides to quits or expelled).

Despite embarrassment and harassment, Makino refuses to quit, and her retaliation and declaration of war against them caught  DOMYOUJI TSUKASA’S (the leader of  F4) attention and made him fall in love with her. 

All the versions have the same plot but all shown in different flow/different impression to spice it up. But still, the story revolves around the love and courtship of the Main Characters,  Domyouji Tsukasa and Makino Tsukushi. How they faced various challenges and obstacles including their social status and social differences not to mention Tsukasa’s mother’s extreme disagreement with her.

I mostly liked Makino’s character in here. Not that loud, not that messy, not that clumsy. She has this tough character as a seaweed at the same time with a very sweet, innocent and refreshing personality. She is dainty and feminine here which is similar to Chinese Dong-Shancai ’s character rather than that of Geum Jan Di’s gracelessness, loudness, and clumsiness.

Tsukasa’s character is a bit different here as well. He is more funny, witty and comic that is different from all the versions and of course, not to mention (once again) that he is cute as ever. I literally liked all the series Lead Characters, tbh, (From Dao Ming Si of Taiwan & Chinese version to Gu Jun Pyo of Korean version and now Domyouji Tsukasa of Japanese version). -> exactly the same order how I’ve seen them. He is a bully and childish at the same time in a comical way, that is very original of him, like how he would always speak erroneous Nihonggo and how he would shudder with excitement like a kid just by talking about Makino on his friends.

Hanazawa Rui also shows obvious admiration for Tsukushi he becomes slightly perpetrator to the Main Character’s Love story but eventually gives in to Tsukasa on the latter part of the series.

Nishikado Sojiro & Mimasaka Akira were also cute in a different way. 

Moreover, I liked the part where Tsukasa develops an amnesia when he gets into an accident and Makino’s series of funny attempts in order to help him regain back his memory. After Tsukasa saved Makino from freezing to death in the blizzard, he develops a fever inside the log cabin, and while Makino is taking care of him, some flashbacks from the past made him remember Makino that is similar to the circumstance happened on their first date in Season 1, then finally remember the  “first girl he has ever fallen in love with.”

I also like the Soundtrack of both Season 1 & 2 especially the Opening Theme of Season 1 titled Wish & Love so sweet in Season 2 (Sang by ARASHI where Jun Matsumoto is a member.)

To be continued as I’m still going to watch the HANA YORI DANGO FINAL (film)

Reposted from my Tumblr account- 2018.

Hana Yori Dango Final

Here’s what happened here. Been trying for days to find a fast streaming site for this movie but to no avail. I even got irritated with my husband accusing him of over-using the internet we weren’t even able to watch the movie for a few minutes straight, haha. But that’s not the problem actually, the site is slow for wifi connection because when I tried to open the site in my office, to my surprise it played clear and straight without any interruption. The problem: I couldn’t watch continuously during work (well, of course!) so I happened to watch parts by parts whenever I’m free but without the husband, lol.

While watching the film, I noticed that some parts of the movie were shown on the Meteor Garden 2018 (Chinese version) like when Domyouji and Makino passed out inside the plane (from the spiked champagne the flight attendant served them) and woke up on the deserted Survival Island, but all with a different plot and twist.

To begin with, The film revolves around Domyouji and Makino’s engagement. At their parent’s formal meeting to discuss the wedding,  Domyouji’s mother presented Makino a Tiara (The smile of Venus) as a gift which symbolizes an endless love for the owner and her partner.

While inside the hotel, Domyouji and Makino are about to kiss when suddenly an unidentified stranger breaks the glass window, enters the room and stole the Tiara. Domyouji runs after the thief all throughout the hotel but the thief manages to escape. Much more to their surprise when they went back inside the hotel room, they find the glass window already fixed and that no one in the hotel seems to notice as if nothing happened earlier despite all the chaos and commotion they made while running after the stranger.

This is where the story begins. To find the Tiara. They travelled overseas to Las Vegas, and then to Hongkong just to get back the Tiara at all cost and later found themselves on a deserted Island, stayed there for more than a month without anything but to rely on their ability and skills to live and survive testing their patience if they would give up on each other which they all passed eventually that made them even stronger (though Makino’s starting to doubt him at the beginning) until the helicopter arrives to pick them up.

It is later revealed that this whole thing is just a plot by their family and everyone is involved in the scheme (this explains why the remaining F3 seems to have not been worrying too much) to ensure that they would be happy for the rest of their married life.

Then they got married in one of the best and memorable wedding ever attended by everyone. Then the movie jumps forward to a year later, they are back on the same uninhabited island and while writing the word “Love” on the beach, talking about their dreams, Makino pointed her hand to her stomach (a baby on the way) and says that it has come true. Overjoyed, Domyouji puts his ear to Makino’s stomach and carries Makino.

End of story.

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My thoughts about it? I liked the simple plot of the movie.  This is all about Domyouji and Makino without any other added subplot/irrelevant twists and turns or dramas in between.

Fast-phased with no dull moment. The almost 2 hr movie seems like just a thirty-minute series.

Domyouji, of course, is still cute as always on his bad-boy effect image. His loud voice, occasional grumpiness, and funny antics made this film more interesting.

Makino is on her usual innocence and funny personality.

Hanazawa Rui is exceptionally handsome in this movie, btw. His looks definitely mature a lot in here, and the same goes for the two other F4 members, Nishikado Shoujiro & Mimasaka Akira.

Overall, I love the movie!

PS. I also watch the very first Hana Yori Dango Film 1995 (that’s how I’m crazy about it right now, haha!) It isn’t as great as the succeeding versions, not even close, but what do you expect from the movie done in 1995 btw?