Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Hana Yori Dango Vs. Boys Before Flowers Pt. 1

agaagagagagaaaahh!!! SO today (Aug 12), I've successfully finished Japanese drama, Hana Yori Dango (HYD), and also Korean drama, Boys Before Flowers (BBF) last week! Yayyyy! I've decided to make a post comparing all the little things that are different within the two shows just because I felt like everyone was siding with HYD... heh heh heh...... :S
And uhh, Meteor Garden isnt in this cuzzz I havent watched it, anddd apparently its not loyal to the original manga, soo yah. Okay here we go!.... BIG ASE SPOILER(S) ALERT!!!

CAST!!!

Geum Jan Di (Goo Hye Sun)/Makino Tsukushi (Onoue Mao)
jandi-makino-averagelook
Okay, in these two pictures (their average-girl look) I think Onoue (Makino) looks alot prettier. The haircut they gave Hye-sun (Jan Di) totally makes her look BLEH which I think adds to BBF's awesomeness! :D Because isn't the main character supposed to be like ugly not pretty? Soo yah! Don't be hatin haters [of Jan Di]
jandi-makino-goodlook
jandi-makino-greatlook
Ahhaaha, now that I show you these, you're probably thinking Woah, Goo Hye-Sun (Jan Di) is really pretty! and so is Onoue (Makino)! YAH THAT'S WHAT I THOUGHT! So for all you peeps who think "the girl who plays Jan Di" is ugly, think again. Anyway, I just wanted to prove my point that both ladies are awesome, and suited for their roles. Well actually, I think Onoue is without question an extremely excellent Makino. She looks the part, she acts the part, she's got that chemistry with the people she should have chemistry with, and she's certainly loveable!
Geum Jan Di is more tomboy-ish than Makino, in my opinion, just because of the way she acts and also her voice. I think Jan Di is more hard working, so that's probably why she's my IDOL. Makino is more like an actual ordinary girl (and her laugh is so cute!), so I dunno, take your pick. I like Jan Di more just cause I think she's more inspiring and her character's unique. Also, Makino does this hopping up & down, raise the sleeves and punch move; whereareas, Jan Di does a kick-ase spin kick when beating up Jun Pyo or anyone else--all the more reason to love Jan Di :D!!!! The only thing that bothers me a little bit (this kills me to say, because I love Jan Di!) but I didn't exactly feel a strong connection between her and Jun Pyo. AND I KNOW IT'S NOT JUST ME (LIE! I don't know that). When I think about it, I can't find a reason why... it's just not there... sadly. I really don't think it's Jun Pyo's fault, he was brilliant, but maybe it was because I actually wanted her to be with Ji Hoo so much that it killed Jan Di & Jun Pyo's bond together.


Domyoji Tsukasa (Matsumoto Jun)/Gu Jun Pyo (Lee Min Ho)domyoji/gujunpyo
Okay, so I'll just come out with it, I started watching BBF because of Lee Min Ho (I watched BBF before HYD) so yea, ofcourse, you're gonna know who I like better :)

I first heard of Lee Min Ho by accidentally clicking on the wrong video when I was going to listen to 2NE1's mini album. The video I clicked on was a commercial for Cass Beer 2X ft. Jessica Gomes. I looked him up, and saw that he was part of a show called Boys Before Flowers which was a Korean Version of Hana Yori Dango, which at the time my sister kept recommending me to watch (HYD, that is). I decided to first watch BBF first (I personally believe I was right to do so) and uhh yea, I fell in love with it! :)
Anyway, I think Matsumoto Jun as Domyoji is more mean-faced, a little bit more aggressive, violent, hilarious when giddy, and a very fast runner, haha (if you have or are planning to watch HYD, when I say he runs fast, I'm talking about the Ken chase scene). There's not much to criticise, he's pretty much perfect for the role, except for the really good looks, which Matsumoto's sort of aight.
Lee Min Ho (Gu Jun Pyo) is very good looking (!!!), less aggressive, and more well-built (that don't make sense...) soo he looks stronger and more intimidating. I like how he doesn't have to beat people up for you to know that he's angry, you just know!... maybe it's his eyes? His clenched fists? ... not really sure. He may not be as goofy as Domyouji over Makino, but he sure is brainless about stuff like Jan Di liking him. I like him for this role better than Matsumoto cuzzzzz.... he looks better?? andd idk, he got me into these two shows sooo yah.
matsumoto/leeminho


Hanazawa Rui (Oguri Shun)/Yoon Ji Hoo (Kim Hyun Joong)
rui-jihoo-regshow
Okay so, now down to a very critical character, Hanazawa Rui (Oguri Shun) a.k.a. Yoon Ji Hoo (Kim Hyun Joong).
Huh, I dont really know how to word this... I guess you could say that this is one of the characters that I have been looking forward to comparing. Why? Well just cuz idk, some people say that that they like Oguri better, and others say they like Hyun Joong better (I'm one of them).
rui-jihoo-promo
Hanazawa Rui is more of the cool but quiet guy, who's sort of a reserved playboy(he makes out with two random girls, soo yea.. I would call him a playaaa!) type guy; while Ji Hoo is an actual quiet guy who-is just as cool-but not that I know I'm cool but I dont show off about it cause I'm supposed to be nice too thing that Hanazawa Rui has goin on. You still following me? But anyway, they're basically the same, except....
In the looks department, Ji Hoo is so much cuter in my opinion, just cause his smile (:D) warms my heart to death, and I dunno, I guess I like his character more since he's shyer than Rui. But for those girls who don't like the really sheepish type dude, I'm sure you probably like Rui better, yea??
oguri-hyunjoong-photoshoot
And I know if you've watched till ep 14 of BBF, and seen HYD first, you're all TEAM RUI, but please give him a chance, he gets better I swear!!!!!!!!! I'm telling you girls, if you don't love Ji Hoo by the end of the season, I'm gonna come to your house and kill you becasue OBVIOUSLY there's something seriously wrong with your brain.
In reality, it's all HYD's writers' faults for making Rui suckkkkk. He's too cool! Rui should be more sad and lonely, am I right? REDO PLEASE!
oguri-hyunjoong-normal
One more thing: Kim Hyun Joong (Ji Hoo) also looks better in reality, and is very talented. He plays bass, guitar, violin (or so I've seen?), and the piano (i think??). He is also the leader of a successful Korean boy band SS501, can dance, sing and act. How much more perfect can it get??

Well anyway, I guess both guys are pretty awesome! Points for both shows! :)


Nishikado Sojiro (Matsuda Shota)/So Yi Jeong (Kim Bum)
Nishikado Sojiro-So Yi Jeong
Another great casting job for BBF! Between the two guys, I most definetely like Kim Bum better, because he looks sooo good! :) Plus, I think Kim Bum is a better actor since he seems smoother with the ladies. My first thoughts on seeing Sojiro was No, no, no. What's with the walrus bangs?!
But after watching. Matsuda Shota is pretty good, I won't take anything away from him; the only thing is that I don't see him as a player as much as Yi Jeong. I mean really... A playboy who practices TEA CEREMONY? WTF?!? Makes no sense to meee. Okay, so maybe it's not really HYD's fault for making him a seducer in the the whole tea thing, since they were just following the manga, so I won't use that as an excuse for liking Yi Jeong better. I will however, use the fact that Sojiro didn't get much camera time with the ladies he was with, as an excuse, because that totally didn't help portray his womanizer character.
Yi Jeong did get the camera time he needed for that, so yay BBF! I liked how the BBF writers gave Yi Jeong more of a story. With the father also being a ladies man, and Yi Jeong's mom dying (I actually didn't understand that part, the story they gave him was kind of sloppy, really) and making him fall in love with Jan Di's bff, Ga Eul (this was very very good on BBF's part, cause they made such a great couple); it definitely helped BBF become more entertaining.
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Mimasaka Akira (Abe Tsuyoshi)/Song Woo Bin (Kim Joon)
mimasaka-woobin-promo
Akira is this couger player guy who likes older women and Woo Bin is uhh.... well... uhmmm.... the only F4 guy who considers himself to be embarrassing (WTF, mann?). The only real similarity between the two is that they're in the mafia because of their fathers!
I'm gonna start with Woo Bin first, kay? kay. When I started watching BBF, my first thoughts about Woo Bin were that he was just there to fill in the space of the 4th member of the F4. But then he said this wonderful sentence: WOO! Yo yo yo, wass-up man? -And instantly turned into a vital BBF character who was almost as important as the rest of the F4. And you know
abe-kimjoon-reg
what that means, right? 5/5 casting for BBF! Helllllll yea! PERFECT SCORE!!!! YAYA!! And even though, he didn't have as much attenion on him on the show, and was only given a small I embarrass you guys! (you guys meaing F4) plot, which was totally random, the F4 would not be the amazing BBF F4 we all have come to love. Plus, he and his band, T-Max sing the opening theme song, Paradise, which is effing addicting and perfect and all you can ask for.
Akira is boring, and I hate his hair. Sorry HYD. Other than the part where you see him break up with a woman who wants to marry him after he graduates, and how he charms the weird dango shop owner (where Makino, and Yuki work) the writers could have killed him off, and I wouldn't give a sh*t. Just being honest.

"Paradise" by T-Max