Hey, everyone

I haven't read Hana Yori Dango yet since I'm interested in watching one of the adaptations first. And yes, I know I should have that order reversed. Even so, there are several to choose from based on what I've read online and each one has its own flaws in relation to the portrayal of the manga. So I'm wondering if the people who have read the entire manga as well as watched all of the dramas would be able to answer the following questions:

Which one best represents the spirit or essence of the manga? Is there a particular adaptation that really manages to portray what the mangaka wanted when she was writing the series?

I know there won't be one that portrays everything perfectly, but I believe that there must be at least one that captures the spirit of the manga better than any of the other adaptations. Any help would be majorly appreciated

Thanks!

LittleOddity

________________
My Personal Favorites: Skip Beat, Tokyo Crazy Paradise, Ashita No Ousama, Gokusen, Until Death Do Us Part, Perfect Girl Evolution, Ouran Highschool Host Club, Kisu yori mo Hayaku.

*falls back with nosebleed, killed by the sexy*

I've read the complete manga but haven't seen all the drama versions -- but if you're choosing between the Japanese drama & the Korean drama, I MUCH prefer the Japanese drama.

The Japanese drama stayed much truer to the events of the manga - though sometimes rearranged into a different order - and the characters are a lot more like the manga characters. The Korean version changed Domyouji and Tsukushi more than I like, and TOTALLY changed the Hanazawa Rui character, so much that I really disliked it.

I may be a bit biased as Hana Yori Dango was one of the first Japanese dramas I watched and I'd seen a lot more dramas (Japanese, Korean, & others) before I saw the Korean Boys Over Flowers...but I still really prefer the Japanese version.

________________
"[English] not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary."
-James Nicoll, can.general, March 21, 1992

I know this might be a stupid question, but I'll ask anyways since I want to know and I really am just an air-headed romantic... In your opinion, does the main girl end up with the right guy?


Also, what is the name of the Japanese version? I've read there's also one called Meteor Garden or something...? I honestly haven't read or researched anything, so I'm completely clueless. I really appreciate the help ^^


P.S. I love your signature. I actually snorted when I read it.

________________
My Personal Favorites: Skip Beat, Tokyo Crazy Paradise, Ashita No Ousama, Gokusen, Until Death Do Us Part, Perfect Girl Evolution, Ouran Highschool Host Club, Kisu yori mo Hayaku.

*falls back with nosebleed, killed by the sexy*

I love the manga and have seen the Taiwanese (Meteor Garden), Japanese (Hana Yori Dango), and Korean (Boys over Flowers) versions. I have not seen the mainland China version, but I might later.

Meteor Garden - I believe it did the best job in following the manga more than any of the other versions. It was well done, especially since this was made when the manga was still ongoing. Please remember that this is an early 2000s drama, so of course the fashion and quality will not be up to par as the other versions.

Hana Yori Dango - I really enjoyed this version, but there were some minor changes that annoyed me a lot. The apple argument thing Domyouji and Rui was pretty stupid imo... I loved the Soujirou.Yuki stroyline in the manga, so I hated what they did to Yuki's character in the drama. Aside from all that, the overall series (and music) was great. Matsujun and Inoue Mao were great. Mao is my favorite Tsukushi actress.

Boys Over Flowers - If it weren't for the Soujirou and Yuki pairing, I would have dropped this series after the first couple of episodes. I didn't care much for the Domyouji/Tsukushi/Rui love triangle in this adaptation, which is a bad thing because that is an essential part of this series.

I really think that Hana Yori Dango is enjoyed more if you liked the manga. A lot of people who liked BOF didn't read the manga, so they enjoyed the crazy drama more than I did (or so I believe).

Edit: To answer your question about ending with the right guy. It depends on the reader/viewer's perspective. In this series, it questioned do you go with your soulmate (someone who understands you completely) or someone you feel intense passionate love for despite having complications on the way?

Most people feel she chose the right guy and some prefer the other, it's really your choice. I do think she and Domyouji work out, but I wouldn't have mind if she chose Rui since I love their relationship.

Last edited by Suzumi at 11:52 pm, Mar 24 2012

IMO...yes, the girl ends up with the right guy...I guess a lot of people thought she should end up with someone different, especially in the beginning.

I will warn you that Domyouji never really stops being a jerk to a certain degree, though I thought the Japanese drama did a better job than the manga (!) of showing that he really did love Tsukushi, just was very clumsy with it due to how he grew up. (I read the scanlations of later volumes, though, & the translations were a bit iffy as I recall. Maybe if I read the "official" version or if I could read the original Japanese I'd feel differently.)

In the order they were made:
Meteor Garden = Taiwanese
Hana Yori Dango = Japanese
Boys Before Flowers/Boys Over Flowers = Korean
Meteor Shower/Let's Go Watch the Meteor Shower = Chinese

Meteor Garden has, I think, a second season & a spin-off series about some of the side characters (not sure on that, though).

Hana Yori Dango has a second season & a movie.

Boys Before Flowers is just a single season & I'm not sure about Meteor Shower.

Ah~ Now I really want to watch Hana Yori Dango again!

________________
"[English] not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary."
-James Nicoll, can.general, March 21, 1992

like you i havent read the manga, cause i thought that the ary was a bit.. yeah.. one of my friends tried to watch the anime version of Hana Yori but said that it was more boring than expected.. so i didnt venture into that one.. but i have watched all the dramas!~! i cant chose one because they were all amazing!~!

Meteor Garden- it was the first foreign drama that i have ever religously followed. it was heart stopping and Domyouji i thinnk in this version is the most wild. the kissing scenes are also hotter xD the mother is also the most brutal i think..
Season 2: Broken Vow (i think)- i have stopped watching this.. i thought that it was dragged on for too long and it kind of got a little annoying for a 11 year old to watch - bear with.
Meteor Rain- this was really cute because Akira was played by Vaness and i think that he was really hot and he had an affair with this girl training to be a talent going to Japan.. and also the Soujiro and Yuki arc was further told

Boys Over Flowers- it was obvious that it was hugh budget. everything was so beautiful and they went to various places and it was so grand but it did stray from the actual storyline.. it was obvious.. multiple side characters were added and some other stories emerged so it was a story of its own.

Hana Yori Dango (S1 & S2)- it was alright.. but still good, i didnt watched it as religiously as i did with Meteor Garden or maybe i was just too busy but i recently watched it last decmeber and i thought for some reason that the japanese cast was extra cute or something, i dont know why xD and if i remember correctly this one had the most goosebump inducing moments, maybe because of the soundtrack, BOF also had an amazing soundtrack btw.
Hana Yori Dango Movie- this one was cute too

i dont have the slightest clue about the chinese version.. i guess i was a bit prejudiced because i wasnt turned on by the cast.. whatever. my advice for you my friend is just to watch them all!

________________
oh please do click this!
The sweeter the apple, the higher the branch. The quieter the fart, the nastier the smell.
GUESS WHO??

Wow! Okay, after reading everyone's comments, I think I'm going to watch Meteor Garden first and then possibly Hana Yori Dango. Although I have another question now for anyone who is up for answering it. Is the movie a stand-alone type or is it built into the series?

@Suzumi: Thanks for clearing that up for me. So I take it that she chooses the one she's most passionate about? And is it one of those things where the other guy in the triangle ends up alone because he just can't find another girl like the one he lost? Also, what manga/anime is your picture from? I love the colors.

@TofuQueen: Thanks! And you should totally watch it over again. It might even be better the second time around! ;D

@otakuness: Yeah, I tried the anime and just had to stop... It didn't interest me and the art was a quick turn off, for me at least. Is the first season from Meteor Garden able to stand alone? I'm not interested in the second season if the first one can stand on its own. I don't like to entertain the same story for too long. Wow, that makes me sound bad

________________
My Personal Favorites: Skip Beat, Tokyo Crazy Paradise, Ashita No Ousama, Gokusen, Until Death Do Us Part, Perfect Girl Evolution, Ouran Highschool Host Club, Kisu yori mo Hayaku.

*falls back with nosebleed, killed by the sexy*

Well, let's see...the Hana Yori Dango movie doesn't follow the manga AT ALL and it definitely comes after the two seasons of drama. I guess you could watch it alone, but without the whole back story, I don't know how enjoyable it would be. You could definitely watch the first season of the Hana Yori Dango drama and then stop there, but (as I recall - it's been a while) the second season picks up more events from the manga & isn't draggy - the manga has 36 volumes, so there's plenty of material!

I'm going to give my opinion on the love triangle, even though you didn't ask me. I'm fine with the way the guy-not-chosen ends up, I think it's kind of left open whether he finds another girl or not, and the strong friendship between the four guys is still very much there. My feeling is that him being alone is at least as much because he's very passive & introverted as anything else; he'll always have a special relationship with Tsukushi but it *always* felt more like comfortable friendship to me than anything else.

I probably will re-watch Hana Yori Dango soon, but right now I have too many other dramas on my hard drive - need to watch & delete before I run out of space!

________________
"[English] not only borrows words from other languages; it has on occasion chased other languages down dark alley-ways, clubbed them unconscious and rifled their pockets for new vocabulary."
-James Nicoll, can.general, March 21, 1992

Ah, okay. I was curious to know how they fit the movie into the series. And I just worry about the dramas dragging on just for the sake of continuing what should have been laid down, you know? But if there's as much material in it as you say and it's worthwhile, I'll definitely continue on with the second season. I really do love a good story

That's awesome! I'm glad to hear your opinion on things! I'm actually glad to read that... I want there to be passion in the relationship and not that brotherly-type-of-love feeling. That's usually the reason I always root for the rough-around-the-edges guy when I'm watching or reading something Also, I want the guys' friendships to remain intact.



hehe. Yeah, I understand. I have so many different things that I want to watch and read right now that I don't have the time to go back in order watch something over again. And I'm so new to everything and clueless that I'm finding so many things that are interesting to me... plotlines, stories, authors, dramas, etc. There's always something around the corner

________________
My Personal Favorites: Skip Beat, Tokyo Crazy Paradise, Ashita No Ousama, Gokusen, Until Death Do Us Part, Perfect Girl Evolution, Ouran Highschool Host Club, Kisu yori mo Hayaku.

*falls back with nosebleed, killed by the sexy*

Yup~ She chose the guy she was most passionate for. And yes, he does end up alone because he can't find another like her. She is his second love and she helped him progress a lot in his life, which is why he's so attached to her. Aside from his F4 friends, no one else understood/cared for him the way she did. Even in the oneshot that features him, he makes an attempt to move on, but fate (if you'd like to think fate is real) draws him back to her. <3

My icon is from Tactics. The guy on it is my favorite character. He cracks me up with his weirdness. lol

If you ever do get to watching any of the adaptations, I hope you enjoy them~