Tag: Japan

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.

JAPAN

My Favorite Country, ever! I will be back here and visit more cities and places someday, and definitely, that’s for sure!
I’ve been to several Cities in Japan particularly in Hiroshima where I stayed for months during my two trips in the Country.
Moreover, I’ve visited a few Historical heritages like the Atomic Bomb Dome, the Shukkeien Garden, Hiroshima Castle, and the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Stadium among others (side trips from Hiroshima, like Fukuoka, Miyajima and Iwakuni) but I haven’t had a lot of pictures taken and  I’ve lost some (my mistake) of the few hard copies I’ve kept while the remaining others weren’t scanned yet.
Hiroshima has a bustling downtown area, the main feature of which is Hondori Street. Hondori is a pedestrian arcade that is closed to traffic and lined with shops and restaurants. I remember walking on this busy street, stopping from one store to another, and getting a lot of stuff from the thrift store called “Hyakkin” which means everything they sell there costs 100 yen only. It’s a thrift shop but everything is beautiful and useful and attractive alongside low price, you will definitely want to get more! But that was before, I don’t know if they did upgrade the price at this time. It starts near Peace Park and stretches east about half a kilometer. Running parallel to Hondori is Aioidori (Aioi Street), the main street used by cars and trams. Along Aioi Street stand a few large department stores where more shopping can be found.
I just love everything in here! You will get to taste the best Ramen you’ll ever have. The street foods are equally yummy. I’ve tried few several strange-looking street foods but to my surprise, they really taste good! I love their technology, particularly their vendo machine which is new to my norms, and wonder how they sell almost everything from that machine.
I was also particularly surprised that some restaurants don’t have staff and you order and pay it on a machine and people don’t seem to cheat.
The streets are super clean and you are not allowed to spit or throw your garbage anywhere. Yes, probably, that’s why Japan is very progressive because of these responsible citizens who always follow the law.

 

 

Here are a few of my photos taken in Japan.
The chance to spend my very first White Christmas season in the snow.
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Stadium.

Shukkein Garden

Somewhere in the sea while I’m on a yacht with friends.
Tbh, I’m really glad that I had the chance to visit Japan and up to this date, this is still one of the best Countries I’ve been to. The Country is very clean, very progressive, and high technology, and the people I met are very polite, shy, formal, intelligent, very disciplined in everything, minimalist, and workaholic, you would actually adopt some of their norms while living in the Japanese culture.