Hana Yori Dango (Live Action Series)

 

 

Cast:

Inoue Mao as Makino Tsukushi

Matsumoto Jun as Doumyouji Tsukasa

Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui

Matsuda Shota as Nishikado Soujiroh

Abe Tsuyoshi as Mimasaka Akira

 

Supporting Cast:

Sato Megumi as Sanjou Sakurako

Nishihara Aki as Matsuoka Yuki

Seto Saki as Asai Yuriko

Fukada Aki as Ayuhara Erika

Matsuoka Emiko as Yamano Minako

Sada Mayumi as Toudou Shizuka

Kato Takako as Sengoku Sachiyo

Kobayashi Susumu as Makino Haruo (father of Tsukushi)

Tomiura Satoshi as Makino Susumu (brother of Tsukushi)

Ishino Mako as Makino Chieko (mother of Tsukushi)

Kaga Mariko as Domyoji Kaede (mother of Tsukasa)

Matsushima Nanako as Domyoji Tsubaki (sister of Tsukasa)

David Ito as Nishida

Oshinari Shugo as Nakatsuka

Sakai Ayana as Kurimaki Ayano

Handa Kento

Kaku Tomohiro

Sano Kazuma

Igarashi Shunji (ep1)

Takuma Takayuki (ep4-9)

 

 

Summary:

Makino Tsukushi is the only poor student at Eitoku Gakuen, the school of the ridiculously rich and privileged that is ruled by Flower 4 or F4, a group of four boys who come from extremely powerful families: Domyoji Tsukasa, the leader and heir of the Domyoji World Finance Group; Hanazawa Rui, the introverted son of a large company; Nishikado Sojiro, a player who is the heir of a tea ceremony school; and Mimasaka Akira, a madam killer with ties to the underground. If a student gets on the F4's bad side, he/she gets a red notice and is bullied and driven out of school.

Makino hopes to pass her days quietly-- without drawing any attention to herself-- but one day, she stands up to Domyoji in defense of her friend. The next day, Makino gets the dreaded red notice. Even though she is harassed, Makino decides to keep going to school because she is a "tough weed". She declares war right back on the F4. Her resolve gets the attention of her crush Hanazawa Rui and oddly enough, rouses romantic feelings in her worst enemy, Domyoji Tsukasa.

The series is based on the Japanese shoujo manga "Hana Yori Dango" (Boys Before Flowers) by Kamio Yoko.

 

Credits: wikipedia

 

 

What I Think:

Now where do I start this review, I just love this series so much! The acting, was superb… the acting of the leads T and T, Tsukasa and Tsukushi—Jun Matsumoto as Domyouji Tsukasa was really good. I was not a big Matsu Jun fan before; I cannot believe he was casted as the bullish, hard-headed leader of the F4! Jun looks frail, tall, so reed lean and girly to a fault but man was he awesome as Domyouji, he'd grow on you. He was perfect as the toughie but softie Domyouji-kun. He totally surprised me, caught me off-guard at how such a great actor he is, he was just splendid!

Mao Inoue as Makino Tsukushi was superb! She was hella good! She was only 18 when they did this series but she held her own alongside her all-male F4 cuties! Haha! Mao was gripping, touching, hecka funny, perky and all-around-awesome! She was my run away favorite!

Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui— Do not hate me for this, but people I do not seem to gravitate to Oguri Shun, he does not look good at all. If I was Makino and I would choose between him and Domyouji, haha, I would go for Domyouji in a heartbeat! His acting though was very close to the manga, he was a cool, composed, brooding and silent person. I just hated the fact that he made Makino his rebound girl…aish!

And for Matsuda Shota as Soujiroh and Abe Tsuyoshi as Akira, I like them because for the first time I can decipher who is who, who likes dating older women etc...Because Meizuo and Ximen in Meteor Garden pretty much looks and acts the same to me.

Of the supporting cast, faves were Matsushima Nanako as Domyoji Tsubaki (sister of Tsukasa) because right from the moment she appeared she just stole the show. She was pretty, strong and awesome! No wonder she is a well-loved and famous j-actress! Worth mentioned acting is Makino's mother, she was strong and funny I like her. Sakurako, omg she was scary, I have a friend who cannot seem to finish watching HYD coz she was so afraid of Sakurako! She was lifted from a horror movie.

 

The fashion style, Mao Inoue looks cute in her uniform; she will always be my Teen of Japan winner! She looks so regal and homely in her store kimono uniform, she looks so beautiful wearing her formal dress! Jun Matsumoto… all I can say is he looked pretty much better than Jerry Yan (as Dao Ming Zhi), he flumped in some of his clothes, god he even wore that stupid-looking fur coat to a date! He looks adorkable still, he looks good in the succeeding scenes don't worry. Matsushima Nanako as Domyoji Tsubaki (sister of Tsukasa) looks very sophisticated, she does not look like a married woman at all, and she was fierce, sophisticated, funny and ever so composed! She was in The Ring (Jap Version)! That's why she looks familiar!

 

I just need to write the ending scenes, that scene was promising, awesome!

Domyoji:

I'll come back when I become even more awesome as a man,

Even if you beg me

Or tell me you can't live without me

I think it will make you stronger.

But even now

Even in the future

Or even way in the future

You'll always be the only girl I'll ever approve of

I'm going to be with you Makino.

I know you're happy.

 

Makino: No way

 

Domyoji: You a liar. You are in love with me

 

Makino:

I am in love with you.

You are stupid, selfish and self-center,

I've fallen in love with you.

Tsukushi's gold cell phone (given by Domyoji) has a Star Wars Imperial March ring tone! I was kinda laughing when I heard it, so fitting for Domyouji…come into the darth side...Hehe. And Kento Handa, my masked rider boy…holy crap where the clouds was he in the series?!! Maybe I was just so engrossed with Jun that I did not catch him, my Gokusen boys!!

 

The story stayed close and true to the manga, but cutting a lot of things (what with 9 episodes from the manga's 36 ep), scenes were greatly shot, useless characters being cut, and script was awesomely written. It was fast-paced, gripping, moving, made me laugh, the ending made me cry though, so bitter-sweet.
Awesome soundtrack too, the main theme Wish by Arashi was lively and perky. Ai Otsuka's Planetarium was very Hana Yori Dango-ish and Utada Hikaru's Flavor of Life was marvelous.

And if you'd ask me how this one fair out with Meteor Garden, Hana Yori Dango definitely wins in a heartbeat!

 

Rating: 10 Japanese Tempura out of 10

 

Other Stuff:

LEFT CLICK on the links to download. The first 3 songs are awesome!!

 

Hana Yori Dango OST Opening Theme Arashi -Wish.mp3: http://www.sendspace.com/file/oi7p12

 

Hana Yori Dango OST Ai Otsuka – Planetarium mp3:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/xli1mt

 

Hana Yori Dango Utada Hikaru- Flavor of Life (ballad version) mp3:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/bu2y8o

 

Hana Yori Dango – Ending mp3:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/6477x2

 

Hana Yori Dango -Blue Mind (instrumental) mp3:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/ogi9js

 

Hana Yori Dango - Sad Piano Background music mp3:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/oyax6r

 

Hana Yori Dango Main Theme (that sounds like Harry Potter theme) mp3:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/6u67le

 

The cute asking out scene, so funny!

 

First Kiss...

 

Waiting for his girl in the rain

 

Stuck in the elevator and spending the night together

 

Kissed! so cute Tsukky!

 

Why aren't there other people? I bought the whole cafe so we could talk!

 

It's because I love you.

 

Talking before the TOJ contest

 

Makino breaks down into Domyouji's shoulders

 

Maybe we should just get married!

 

Bittersweet...

 

The saturn necklace Domyouji gave to Tsukushi..

 

 

Credits: wikipedia, Dennis Larsen orange days blog, cinematube