To the Beautiful You keeps bringing on the awesome!

[dangermousie]

If someone told me a couple of weeks ago that I'd be in love with a kdrama adaptation of Hana Kimi, starring pretty much idols, I would have thought they were deluded.



Yet, here we are. This is a little, teenybopper, fluffy darling of a drama (with amazing camerawork - they are really using production values way above the type of drama this is) that has somehow stolen my heart.

It doesn't hurt that ep 4 opens on probably my favorite arc from the manga, the one where Sano saves Mizuki from the wannabe rapist.
























































































Love that Jae Hee tries to fight the creep, love that Tae Joon rescues her and she has to sort of pull him off the rapist, love that he smiles at her and says 'sorry I am late,' love that he is hugging her so tightly she complains she can't breathe (and he freaks out her ribs are hurt, LOL), love how he tells her to get on when it turns out she can't walk, and the way he grabs her fallen bracelet (that she bought for him, awww).

If I ever am a teen girl crossdressing in a boys' school, can I have Tae Joon as my roommate?

Also, I love darling dim Jae Hee who, even after all of this, doesn't even think that Tae Joon might have figured out she is a girl - straight boys are totally like that with each other.

I am in looooove!

Comments

[inge-mares.livejournal.com]

This less zanier adaptation works for me. LHW's fantasies are squee inducing. "which daddy gave birth to me?"....I died

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOL, I nearly choked at that one!

[nvr2muchcoffee.livejournal.com]

Loved this episode because of all the interaction between Tae Joon and Jae Hee. However, I'm a bit confused.

SPOILERS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN EP 4!!

All those moments in ep 4 where TJ seems to be looking out for JH...from protecting her from being splashed to noticing the creep's behavior around her to saving her, etc....it gives off the definite vibe that he knows she's a girl. But then near the end of the ep, he overhears her talking to her brother and it's made to seem if that's when he finds out. So I'm wondering if they simply re-arranged the order of a few scenes (in post-production) and the brother scene was originally supposed to be first, with the others following. Of maybe he did figure it out earlier, and the brother scene was just confirmation (but if that's so, it sure wasn't clear to me). I even wondered if he was treating her like a younger brother, not knowing her gender, during those scenes. I really don't know, but in my opinion the first option is the most likely. It's just too obvious that Tae Joon is looking out for her like he would a girl.

Maybe someone else can shed some light on this for me?

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I can't believe he didn't know she was a girl before that - this is not te way a straight guy interacts with another guy. I guess we'll find out.

[usisblog.livejournal.com]

He surely knows it. She is calling her brother Oppa and he isn't astonished by this fact. I think he found out in EP1.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Great point!

[(Anonymous)]

He's already found out prior to overhearing Jae Hee and her Oppa arguing. The next scene when he is talking to his dog he admits to him he already knows.

[usisblog.livejournal.com]

We all fall for the Sano-Type, ne? But I adore this version the most. As much I love the TW version, the Korean is better. I like that it is darker, more serious.

Both of them have indeed chemistry and the script is giving them the chance to show it. I'm stuffed with these do-not-touch-hugging scences where the actors has to be stiff even when they are comfortable with each other.
I really liked at this scene that JH is not easily the damsel in distress and it shows their improved relationship. They aren't in love yet but care deeply for each other.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yes, I liked that she fought back - she is naive but not weak.

I like that this is a bit more serious - it feels more real that way. And true chemistry really is lovely.

I am more and more in love each week.

[(Anonymous)]

I love the rescuing scene too, only because Tae Joon is so awesome in it.

However, Jae Hee is known for running really fast, so how in the world did the rapist guy catch her so easily? That is the only thing I do not buy. I know they want a damsel in distress, but this is making Jae Hee totally useless in my eyes.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Maybe the rapist was the future world champion of track and field?

Kidding. I mean, kdramaanga hybrids previously gave us a heroine with dreams of swimming at the Olympics who had to be rescued from two feet of water by a guy who had water phobia.

[estel-913.livejournal.com]

BUT! Jan-di had a leg cramp, so it totally made sense!!!!!!!11!!!!! /sarcasm

Yeah, leg cramps aren't fun, but any experienced swimmer (and probably most ordinary people) would have strong enough arms to at least get themselves over to the side and hang on, thereby effectively avoiding drowning even whilst experiencing a leg cramp. But then we wouldn't see tortured!angsty!Jun-pyo confront his phobia and decide Jan-di was more important, even though they were in an "off" part of their on-again-off-again relationship, thereby making fangirly hearts thump wildly at Jun-pyo's manliness and tortured angstiness.

Despite how it might sound, I adored BBF. It was actually my first kdrama, and I watched all 25 episodes in less than two days. I thought it was the most amazing thing that had ever graced the planet. What can I say? I was young and impressionable.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

BOfvwas a train wreck and nothing like the manga but it was also ridiculously entertaining and addictive. I own a box set and am not ashamed ;)

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

She had an injury that still hasnt fully healed (later they say her injury reopened from her putting strain on her foot), she is on an unfamiliar uneven terrain (as opposed to a racing track) and she was also completely terrified and likely also disoriented. while its not impossible she could have gotten away even under those circumstances it is unlikely. and there are women who would just freeze up completely under this situation and they are no more or less "useless" than a woman who tries to run and fails to escape or a woman who fights back and DOES escape. I really hope you dont think women who cant fight off or outrun their rapists (athletes or not) are "useless" or deserving of what happens to them. like come on now. have you ever been in that situation? how can you judge how someone reacts to it?

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

YEEEES. the whole scene was gorgeous and I was like screaming at the screen because it was so intense! and so romantic ;_; Which is what I was missing in the jdrama! that sense of conflict and of you know DRAMA and then the romance! the romance was totally put on the backburner in order to focus on the secondary characters shenanigans but not so here! I am enjoying this SO MUCH its like cotton candy at the fair or black forest cake, its just sweet and soft and kind of bad for you but SOOO GOOOD. Mizuki was never the brightest of bulbs bless her so it makes sense she wouldnt catch on the at this point very obvious fact that Tae Joon knows she's a chick. and if he doesnt he sure is taking that skinship between brothers concept to a whole new level lol. I need to see the rest of the drama now, but I really loved that Tae Joon didnt like yell at her for being reckless or smth. I dunno alot of drama heroes do this, they yell at the heroine for getting into trouble and yes obv its cause they were so worried but I'm like at that point its not ABOUT you man. So him just being all sweet and comforting was nice. ;_; (and now on to watch the rest of the ep! come to me Julien Kang my darling athletic hapa oppa! lol)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Yay! Somebody else who likes Julien Kang!

Yes, he was just so warm and comforting, which is what one needs to be after someone has been through something traumatic - they don't need more yelling and stress.

Seriously, Tae Joon is more handsy with his supposedly guy roommate than if he was the protagonist of a yaoi manga :)

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

I love Julien Kang omg! He's really funny and also really tall and knows martial arts *__* Its a shame he doesnt appear in dramas more but I guess since he's so very not korean looking lol, i guess that limits the roles he can do.

XDDD. Tae Joon just believes in showing that brotherly love ok? lol (the irony here is, Minho is actually pretty touchy feely with his male friends. there's even a running joke in fandom about his love of the hyungs. XD)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

But does he piggyback his hyungs shortly after drunkenly kissing them? ;)

JK could totally play some American dude who loses the girl to the chaebol hero. I mean, for my hormones' sake.

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

I can only hope so *__* (or maybe they piggy back him huhuhuhuu 8D)


omg yes. pls. altho too bad he gets rejected in the end ): (its ok Julien you can always date MEEEE 8Dv)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

He could hook up with whichever girl played Christine in kdrama take on Playful Kiss?

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

wah what a great episode. oh my god eun gyul's daydream fantasy about him marrying jae hee and then adopting a kid, and her five o clock shadow OH MY GOD i was crying from laughter. But it was so cute! Thats a totally acceptable way to live Eun Gyul. altho poor guy couldnt handle it when the kid asked him who gave birth to him XDDD. He's almost too bad he's not really gay, it would have been nice to see him embrace his inner gayness and go skipping into the sunset hand in hand with some hot guy lol. speaking of gayness. what are they trying to do with Umeda? first he's starting at some hot chic guy in the first ep. then he wants Ha Na's autograph. then he ignores the sexy teacher. now he's really intrigued by jae hee's brother because of his fashion, all of which could be interpreted a number of ways but I interpret it as GAAAAY. lol. but who knows maybe because i just want his sexuality to stay intact since aside from that he's really been a perfect Umeda so far.
also I like how since they had Julien on they just had to have him speak as much english as possible even when it was completely unnecessary for him to do so lol. speaking of julien he looked mighty fine in this whole episode. yum *__*

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Isn't Umeda gay in the manga? So I hope they keep it in the kdrama.

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

yeah he is! but everyone thought they'd make him straight like the jdrama did. but i keep holding out the hope that they dont so I am like super reading into everything he does now XD thats what I was saying in my comment but I think i didnt come off clearly enough.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Well, thus one was eyeing Bae Yong Joon pics so...

[sisterjune.livejournal.com]

LOL bae yong joon. he's got the same test in men as an ahjumma XD I love it.

[boycottbananas.livejournal.com]

This has always been one of my favorite arcs in the manga, too, so I ended up watching this scene like, three times omg. I loved how it worked out in the Taiwanese drama but I thoroughly enjoyed it here, too. Hated that the Japanese drama didn't have it, but I hated the Japanese drama in general, anyway!

Also, a little OT, but I'm still holding out hope that they will have Gilbert. And I want him to be played by Pierre Deporte. Yes.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

To me, this version even better than the twdrama. In general, this is shaping to be my favorite adaptation out of the four.