Boys Before Flowers Returns

Nearly all girls like the fairy tale of Cinderella and her prince. An interesting fact is East Asian girls don't like the prince who is amazingly nice throughout the story. Instead, they want the prince to change for them. They would be really happy if the prince became maturer because of them. If you didn't understand this, the change of Mr Darcy in Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin was a perfect example.

You can find those traits in so many East Asian drama, movies and manga, for example, Princess Hour, Itazura Na Kiss, A Love So Beautiful and etc. Be careful, those princes don't have to be rich to be considered as a prince. A "prince" is just a representation of a guy that made girls feel he is superior in some perspectives to them.

The mange Hana Yori Dango is a perfect example of an East Asian fairy tale. That's why you can so many drama, film versions of this story. In my opinion, this Japanese version is the best of all, after watching other versions. Other versions all had some weakness, either lack of money to show luxury or the screenwriter didn't understand the essence of the manga, so he or she turned the story into a boring love story.

This drama is a perfect example of turning a manga into a drama. I never realized how good this drama was when I watched it more than 40 times in one summer until I read the manga a few weeks before. This drama followed the story of the manga, but the screenwriter slightly changed the timeline. It worked so well in this drama.

The screenwriter of this drama was definitely a genius at crafting the characters, especially in terms of Makino's family. When I was reading the manga, I felt Makino's dad and mom was terrible. But the screenwriter turned them into two cute, lovely parents.

Another character modified so well in this drama was Hanazawa Rui. The screenwriter smartly deleted the basketball race, which really changed the impression of him being a manipulative playboy.

Enough of the "meteoric fever", Hana Yori Dango rocks.

Meteor Garden is overly-rated and too over staged. I personally would say that Hana Yori Dango take a higher notch than it's Taiwanese counterpart.

It seems that Meteor Garden was just a test flight. Yes MG's good, I won't rule out that there are good actors and actresses there (DAO MING FENG perhaps!). But still there's something missing here.

In Hana Yori Dango, however, the actors and actress are efficient, that you could feel their presence.You would learn to hate, adore and love the characters here... That's what adds to the flavor.

I watched HYD's pilot episode and was instantly hooked. Man! the shots are good, the story's good, and their costumes are perfect... What's more to ask.

"Hana Yori Dango" (Boys Over Flowers) is quite intriguing - written and illustrated by Kamio Yoko, it started out as a manga and was made into an anime, and later brought to life as the Taiwanese live-action drama "Meteor Garden". With all its incarnations, surely there must be something about its story that strikes a chord in people's hearts.

And yes, there is. In Fall 2005, Japanese TV network TBS released its own live-action "Hana Yori Dango" series starring Inoue Mao (Kids War 3) as the strong-willed Makino Tsukushi and Matsumoto Jun (of pop group ARASHI) as the hot-tempered Domyouji Tsukasa (here, Matsumoto is a revelation as he renders a heartbreaking Domyouji). Joining the well-appointed cast is Oguri Shun (Gokusen, Great Teacher Onizuka) who takes on the role of the calm and collected Hanazawa Rui.

Makino is a student at Eitoku, an exclusive school for Tokyo's rich kids. She seems to be getting by until she gets involved with the notorious F4 (Flower 4), a group of four of the richest boys on campus, and whose members include the very irritable Domyouji and the soft-spoken Hanazawa. Challenges face Makino as she gets entangled in the world of F4, and subsequently, the affection of Domyouji and Hanazawa who are the best of friends yet are complete opposites of each other.

"Hana Yori Dango" is an excellently produced show with topnotch production design. Viewers will be transported into a world of magnificent imagery - with mansions, flashy cars and the latest fashions that spice up the screen. The characters are adequately developed and the situations that unfold will keep you at the edge of your seat. But what makes this series even more appealing is its unique combination of humor and drama that just never runs out of steam. Packed into nine satisfying episodes, "Hana Yori Dango" will give you the ride of your life. Expect emotions to run high. It will make you laugh and cry. It will make you cheer. It will capture your heart.

Hana Yori Dango, a popular manga series by Kamio Yoko, has seen many incarnations. It was an anime series, a live action movie, and also a Taiwanese soap series. And now finally the Japanese have given us a 9 episode long, live action TV series.

This version.. obviously based off excellent material... wins major points for story of course. With excellent production and casting. Inoue Mao stars as the heroine Makino Tsukushi... Frankly I'm blown away by her performance. She pulls off Makino so very well and has the look down perfect. And opposite her is Matsumoto Jun from the popular band ARASHI, starring as Tsukasa Domyouji.

This series is chalk full of beautiful women, gorgeous guys, and all the drama that makes HYD so beloved. If you are a fan of Hana Yori Dango in any of it's previous forms, you will love this new retelling, a bit of a blend between the manga and the anime, but with real people....

The Korean series from 2009, "Boys Over Flowers," was my first introduction to this story. I loved it so much that I decided to also view the Japanese version that had come out a few years earlier. Now, I'm not sure which version is my favorite. Although the stories are virtually identical, there are enough differences to make this a worthy viewing even if one is already familiar with the basic plot line.

THe Korean version is more glamorous, with beautiful sets, exotic locales, incredible fashion on display, and the actors are more physically beautiful, which enhances their aura as a group of super-cool, privileged young men. But the Japanese version stands out because the heroine and main rival to the primary love interest are much more demonstrative and direct with their feelings. We feel the heartache and confusion all the characters feel as they deal with this love triangle. And, without extended back stories for the supporting characters, there's more time to devote to developing the relationship between the main characters. My advice, see both versions.