How I learned to stop worrying and love To the Beautiful You ep 2

[dangermousie]

I swear, it doesn't happen on purpose, but I keep being in situations where the only drama to watch is To the Beautiful You - this time, it's because I ran out of all the other dramas I was watching (I am all caught up on Gaksital, Arang, Faith, Answer 1997 and neither Five Fingers nor May Queen are subbed yet) and I was kinda sleepy and in the mood for something non-taxing.

Surprisingly, now that my expectations have been adjusted (I know what this is and what this isn't) and I have somehow processed all the innate insanity of the premise, I am kinda enjoying this, especially with liberal fast-forwarding. I know! This isn't winning any acting or writing awards, but the young cast is cute and sometimes you just want something mindlessly fluffy. On scale of youth dramas, this is far far behind genuinely good stuff like Shut Up, Answer Me 1997, What's Up, about on par with Dream High, and (thankfully) a lot better than the appalling Dream High 2. I'd compare it with Playful Kiss, but honestly, that drama didn't even register with me, so I cannot comment.

I am also amused how the makers managed to kdramafy the original Hana Kimi, which was already full of manga cliches. Between those, we have pretty much manga/drama cliche Holy Grail.

Cross dressing and sexual confusion? Check! (I am amused that in this version Sano STILL has no idea Mizuki is a girl).




Angsty, preferably funeral scene in the rain and dysfunctional families? Check!




Hero's love interest reminds him of his Mom? Check!




Bogus drama medicine (drinking a drop of alcohol turns someone into a kissing monster? I am sure doctors everywhere are agog at that medical diagnosis) and ridiculously stiff, dead-fish kissing? Check! (Poor Mizuki - if this is how Sano is with his inhibitions removed by alcohol, I shudder to think what kind of cold fish he is in his normal state. Better buy a vibrator, girl!)




Basically, this is dumber than a box of rocks, but I am enjoying it and will probably keep up with it!

Comments

[spunspider.livejournal.com]

(Poor Mizuki - if this is how Sano is with his inhibitions removed by alcohol, I shudder to think what kind of cold fish he is in his normal state. Better buy a vibrator, girl!)

omg the way i loled. oguri shun was the same; wu chun was such a sweetheart, i much prefer taiwan's interpretation.

jesus sulli is pretty.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Wu Chun was such a sweetheart and closest to the manga Sano. But then kdramas can never resist having a cold bitch for a hero :)

[(Anonymous)]

I think Wu Chun and Oguri Shun didn't do enough for the character or maybe because Sano had always been that stiff. All these actors made Sano look like a walking zombie. Hahaha... I still like Nakatsu better because of his hilarious antics. For Hana Kimi, I'm always able to enjoy it as long as I turn of my brain. It's a brainless fun, just like most romantic comedy mangas, you don't have to put logic into it.

However, I still prefer the Japanese version > Taiwanese version. So far, I think the korean version have the best looking Sano (he definitely looks athletic, Wu Chun have too much muscle and Oguri Shun definitely don't look athletic). For the main girl, I think Korean & Japanese version are even, they look like flower boys (I just can't stand Ella). LHW is adorable and so is Jiro Wang and the Japanese actor playing Nakatsu. Nakatsu is easily the most fun character to watch in Hana Kimi.

Acting wise, I think 3 versions are even because there's some good and bad ones. I still think that 3 versions of Sano is so stiff like a woodblock. Sulli and Horikita Maki are cute and adorable but Maki is more expressive, Ella just overreacts. The 3 actors who played Nakatsu are pretty good.

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

Do u mean Wu Chun had too much muscle for a high jumper? I mean high jumpers tend to be lean but they arent always as lean as Minho is, many other high jumpers are a bit heavier looking (as in more muscle) but yeah if u didnt mean that...what athlete doesnt have alot of muscle? XD I mean Minho is pretty muscular himself he's just on the thinner side so it doesnt show very much until he takes of his clothes hehehee. I tell u what this drama better have him naked and angsting in the showering while water pours all over his toned body or I will be very put out. lol

[elanatothemax.livejournal.com]

I LOL'd at that too. Sooo funny.

I have next to no interest in this drama, but I'm looking forward to reading your reactions, dangermousie. Because they are hilarious.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

:p

Thank you :)

[scanky-chops.livejournal.com]

How many episodes of Rich Man Poor Woman are you up to? There are six out and they've all been subbed so if you need something else to watch...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

First 4. I kinda got sidetracked - one ep a week is measly :(

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

Poor Mizuki - if this is how Sano is with his inhibitions removed by alcohol, I shudder to think what kind of cold fish he is in his normal state. Better buy a vibrator, girl!)

HAHAHA. Oh man my friends were laughing and taking pot shots at Minho over that one too "look he has no idea what he's doing". and then we all agreed that if it was a hyung minho was kissing it would be way more R rated 8D. but in all seriousness, I think the unfortunate thing about these types of dramas is they pretty much force the actors to be as sexless with each other as possible. -_- The kissing monster thing was also from the manga, but at least then they had Sano kiss a few boys before he got to Mizuki XD and I love the kdrama cliches that they have now inserted into Hana Kimi because it wouldnt be a proper kdrama adaptation without them lol.
Also while this is far from being master piece theater I kind of bristle at it being compared to Playful Kiss. Its not that playful kiss was a much worse drama (but I found it boring and uninspired writing wise) but that the way the heroine and hero interacted with each other was IMO terrible. Its true that Sano is dismissive of Mizuki but IMO he pushes her away because he pushes everyone away at this point. and thus his treatment of her is neither related to her gender or her intelligence. whereas PK's hero was just an arrogant jerk who looked down on everyone but esp the "dumb" heroine and all the girls who crushed on him. even after they got together the PK Hero was condescending to the heroine. After Sano finds out Mizuki is a girl in the manga, he is alot less brusque with her (but ofc doesnt treat her THAT different since he has to pretend he doesnt know she's a girl). and ofc in process of falling for her becomes more open and warm in general. (and eventually is inspired to jump again) IDK what this drama's sano will do when he finds out but I think it will be similar enough. and in the manga and I think here it will be the same, Sano grows to admire Mizuki's tenacity of spirit and general optimism and drive. in this drama we see Mizuki winning the marathon even tho she's smaller than everyone, lacking water, has a hurt leg...etc. and Sano/Tae Joon is clearly impressed by it but ofc pretends not to be -_-. So yeah I think its a different dynamic. plus this drama IMO has better writers. lol.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I didn't compare it to PK, mainly because so little of PK registered (how does KHJ get acting gigs?). I happen to like ISWAK, the Taiwanese version, though - I fully acknowledge your points about it, but I like a lot of things in safe confines of fiction that I wouldn't in RL.

To get back to TTBY - that kissing was probably the worst kissing I've seen in a kdrama since Rain and SHK in Full House (though both of them shown they can kiss on-screen in other dramas). I mean - wtf. I loled.

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

KHJ gets acting gigs the same way Minho gets them. WIth his beautiful face and idol connections lol. I never saw the TW version so I have nothing to say on that account.

XDD. No doubt it was BAD but I've seen so many dead fish kisses in dramas over the years, like any time Yamapi had to kiss a girl in his dramas it was awkward as fuck, I really cant pick one that is esp awful. They all blend together in a great teeming mass of terrible lol. I almost cant decide if a dead fish kiss is worse or better than none at all....

[eraeos.livejournal.com]

(how does KHJ get acting gigs?)
Bae Yong-joon, the founder and CEO of KeyEast Entertainment with which KHJ has a contract. (As for Minho, I would attribute it to the sheer power and money of SM Entertainment, who basically funded their own drama.)

[eraeos.livejournal.com]

Angsty, preferably funeral scene in the rain and dysfunctional families? Check!
Don't forget to add 'winning the gold medal (possibly) on the day his mother died'! ;P

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOLOL I didn't even think about it, that is amazing :)