ザラ Notes: 花より男子 Hana Yori Dango

15 March 2008

花より男子 Hana Yori Dango

Title: 花より男子 Hana Yori Dango
English Title:

Boys Over Flowers
Boys Before Flowers

Country: Japan
Language: Japanese
Year: 2005
Episode: 09
Cast:

井上真央 Inoue Mao
松本潤 Matsumoto Jun
小栗旬 Oguri Shun
松田翔太 Matsuda Shōta
阿部力 Abe Tsuyoshi
松嶋菜々子 Matsushima Nanako
佐田真由美 Sada Mayumi
西原亜希 Nishihara Aki
佐藤めぐみ Satō Megumi
小林すすむ Kobayashi Susumu
石野真子 Ishino Mako
加賀まりこ Kaga Mariko
冨浦智嗣 Tomiura Satoshi
瀬戸早妃 Seto Saki
深田あき Fukada Aki
松岡恵望子 Matsuoka Emiko
デビット伊東 David Ito
加藤貴子 Kato Takako

SYNOPSIS

嵐 Arashi - Wish

Makino Tsukushi, an ordinary girl from a middle class family, goes to Eitoku High School, Japan's premier elite school attended by the children from the richest and most powerful families. Her family is proud that she's studying in one of the best schools in Japan and hopes that she will marry a rich guy.

Tsukushi, on the other hand, would rather study somewhere else. Eitoku is ruled with the iron fists of the four young heirs of Japan's richest and most powerful families: the leader Dōmyōji Tsukasa, the quiet Hanazawa Rui, the rebel Nishikado Sōjirō, and the quintessential lady's man Mimasaka Akira. Collectively known as the F4, these four guys can do whatever they want whenever they want and terrible misfortune awaits anyone who is unfortunate enough to attract their ire.

Although she resents the injustice happening all around her, Makino tries to keep a low profile because she doesn't want any trouble. But when her newfound friend Sanjō Sakurako unwittingly grates on Tsukasa's nerves, she stands up for her friend. The next day, she receives the dreaded red notice, a note that alerts everyone in school that she's the next target to be bullied.

Although everyone harasses her and bullies her, Tsukushi stands her ground and keeps going to school. Her strong will and great determination to bear with whatever comes her way impresses the F4, particularly Tsukasa who starts seeing her in a different light.

REVIEW

大塚愛 Otsuka Ai - プラネタリウム Puranetariumu (Planetarium)

Hana Yori Dango is the very first Japanese drama I've watched and I've enjoyed it so much that I am now fully immersed in the wonderful world of Japanese dramas.

Hana Yori Dango is based on a manga of the same name. I initially did not want to watch this drama because I have watched Meteor Garden, a Taiwanese drama based on the same manga. Although Meteor Garden was entertaining, it was not particularly great or anything.

But Hana Yori Dango is something special. The story line was adapted perfectly; major points in the manga are also in the drama but the flow of the story from one point to the other was seamless.

The drama also has a great cast; each and everyone managed to make their characters quite easy to relate to. Matsumoto Jun and Inoue Mao, the two actors playing the main characters are perfectly cast; they portrayed their characters exceptionally well and they have good chemistry together.

The drama has amazing cinematography, great direction, perfect lighting, elegant sets and gorgeous locations. Everything was so beautifully and ingeniously shot that sometimes you don't know where to look. This is touted as one of the most expensive Japanese dramas ever filmed and that huge budget was definitely put into good use.