Lawlz fandom rant~?
note: Offline life has been relatively busy, so I apologize for not really commenting on anything - I've been reading and checking up on you guys though! I just suck :)
So I watched Hana Kimi 2011... thinking that there was absolutely no way it could live up to Hana Kimi 2007... and got my ass handed to me. Watching 2011 was like getting slapped in the face by the palm of some kind of epiphany-on-how-much-hanakimi-2007-sucked god.
First I saw Hana Kimi 2007, then Hua Yang Shao Nian Shao Nu which I'm not even going to cover because apparently it was so awful I forced myself to forget all of it, and now 2011. So I'm going to break it down completely, brutally, and entirely honestly.
Hana Kimi 2007 now seems like it was a gag version of the series. Now, I'm not saying it didn't have it's gems (*cough*Ikuta Toma*cough*) but it had a shit ton of plot holes and "serious" situations that seemed to stem from absolutely nowhere. Like in the SP, Mizuki would rather drown than let them find out she's a girl? Really? Option A: get out of the water and have them potentially find out. Option B: Drown, die, and then they find for sure out anyway. I realize that I hated this Mizuki for both her expressionless actress Horikita Maki (who is far too aware of "looking pretty" and less aware of "emotion") and for the writing in developing her character. I wasn't a big fan of Oguri Shun's acting either - I realize I watched it more for the silliness and for Ikuta Toma, Mizushima Hiro, and Kimura Ryo's acting more than anything. I wanted to stab Mizuki and Sano. I actually wasn't even a fan of Yamamoto Yusuke's Kayashima because they never gave him the opportunity to develop - the only moment he really had was when Nakatsu's grandmother's spirit found her way to him and Kayashima was concerned for Nakatsu.
Now somehow even after all that, I was skeptical of 2011. Mostly because it came so soon after 2007. But I guess they realized what I did too - that 2007 was a sack of fresh cow manure. While the cast may not necessarily be as "pretty" as the old cast, they certainly fit into the roles of students much, much better. They look and act younger... you know, like high school students? The actor who portrays Nakao Senri (who is amazing and adorable and perfect for the role despite Kimura Ryo's tear-jerking performance in 2007) is actually sixteen. You know, the age he should be xD I think that Miura Shohei (as Nakatsu Shuichi) and Kiriyama Renn (as Nanba Minami) are perfect for their given roles - because now whenever I imagine Nakatsu or Nanba, Shohei and Toma and Hiro and Renn are interchangeable - they all played their roles amazingly.
And one great big shiny diamond is Yanagishita Tomo. I feel it necessary to point out that Yamamoto Yusuke, formerly Kayashima Taiki, is hands down my absolute favorite Japanese actor - and Tomo completely blew his Kayashima out of my mind. Whenever I think Kayashima, I think of Tomo playing him. Kayashima was supposed to have been teased and possibly bullied... I honestly can't see anyone fucking with Yamayu's Kayashima. But Tomo pulled off that mysterious, aloof, and somewhat meek air without overdoing it and making him look like a giant, creepy pussy. I feel like Yamayu didn't even try any sort of air at all other than being ridiculous, which was again due in part to the poor writing. And the writers actually gave him a chance to develop and shine as a character in the somewhat Kayashima-centric episode four, which is ALL I WANTED THIS WHOLE TIME GAIZ SRSLY WRITING TEAM JEEZUS.
Story-wise, this drama has a lot more going for it. And explanations for things that happen what the fack! It is in no way perfect, but I am finding it greatly enjoyable in that it has both it's fun moments and it's serious moments. The subject of Umeda's homosexuality isn't vague at all and they picked the perfect actor despite his horrendous hair to be nonchalant, snarky, and sex-driven. I am willing to overlook bad hair for good acting (which is actually not the case for this version's Sekime - bad hair, bad acting to be honest, but maybe we'll see more of him later and I can revise this opinion).
And this Sano. I... can't stand him. I'm sorry. In fact, I've disliked all of the Sanos'. This one looks like he's well out of his college years and has facial expressions similar to that of a plank of wood (except for his horrified face and creepy smiles that are supposed to be "warm"). This Mizuki is better than Horikita Maki, though that honestly can't account for much. This one at least is not concerned with looking overly "pretty" though she is still very obviously a girl, particularly in her voice. At least try to talk lower? Even the sixteen year old who clearly has yet to hit puberty has a deeper voice than her :/ However, her acting isn't total shit so I guess she has that going for her. I'm actually concerned for her during the surprisingly present almost-rape scene, so I guess she has a bit of me liking her. If she gets as whiny as Maki though, she's out.
So this drama has it's good and bad sides, like every drama does. Fortunately for me, the good currently outweighs the bad enough for me to check dramacrazy.net's updates three times a day. Which means I'm anticipating subs. Which means I love it. Which means I totally applied for the fanlisting x.x
One question remains: Production team, why didn't you just do a good job in the first place?
Probable answer: MONEY.
On another Hana Kimi 2011 note, Shohei and Tomo are totally giving me that "vibe." You know, of the slash variety. And they make me want to write shitty fanfiction. Which I'm probably going to try to do after this horrendously long bitch-fandom-rant finally comes to an end. They do it on purpose you know. To catch bitches like me and make me watch something I would otherwise not xD I'm essentially watching this for the side characters anyway, and the writers know it. THEY KNOW.
So I watched Hana Kimi 2011... thinking that there was absolutely no way it could live up to Hana Kimi 2007... and got my ass handed to me. Watching 2011 was like getting slapped in the face by the palm of some kind of epiphany-on-how-much-hanakimi-2007-sucked god.
First I saw Hana Kimi 2007, then Hua Yang Shao Nian Shao Nu which I'm not even going to cover because apparently it was so awful I forced myself to forget all of it, and now 2011. So I'm going to break it down completely, brutally, and entirely honestly.
Hana Kimi 2007 now seems like it was a gag version of the series. Now, I'm not saying it didn't have it's gems (*cough*Ikuta Toma*cough*) but it had a shit ton of plot holes and "serious" situations that seemed to stem from absolutely nowhere. Like in the SP, Mizuki would rather drown than let them find out she's a girl? Really? Option A: get out of the water and have them potentially find out. Option B: Drown, die, and then they find for sure out anyway. I realize that I hated this Mizuki for both her expressionless actress Horikita Maki (who is far too aware of "looking pretty" and less aware of "emotion") and for the writing in developing her character. I wasn't a big fan of Oguri Shun's acting either - I realize I watched it more for the silliness and for Ikuta Toma, Mizushima Hiro, and Kimura Ryo's acting more than anything. I wanted to stab Mizuki and Sano. I actually wasn't even a fan of Yamamoto Yusuke's Kayashima because they never gave him the opportunity to develop - the only moment he really had was when Nakatsu's grandmother's spirit found her way to him and Kayashima was concerned for Nakatsu.
Now somehow even after all that, I was skeptical of 2011. Mostly because it came so soon after 2007. But I guess they realized what I did too - that 2007 was a sack of fresh cow manure. While the cast may not necessarily be as "pretty" as the old cast, they certainly fit into the roles of students much, much better. They look and act younger... you know, like high school students? The actor who portrays Nakao Senri (who is amazing and adorable and perfect for the role despite Kimura Ryo's tear-jerking performance in 2007) is actually sixteen. You know, the age he should be xD I think that Miura Shohei (as Nakatsu Shuichi) and Kiriyama Renn (as Nanba Minami) are perfect for their given roles - because now whenever I imagine Nakatsu or Nanba, Shohei and Toma and Hiro and Renn are interchangeable - they all played their roles amazingly.
And one great big shiny diamond is Yanagishita Tomo. I feel it necessary to point out that Yamamoto Yusuke, formerly Kayashima Taiki, is hands down my absolute favorite Japanese actor - and Tomo completely blew his Kayashima out of my mind. Whenever I think Kayashima, I think of Tomo playing him. Kayashima was supposed to have been teased and possibly bullied... I honestly can't see anyone fucking with Yamayu's Kayashima. But Tomo pulled off that mysterious, aloof, and somewhat meek air without overdoing it and making him look like a giant, creepy pussy. I feel like Yamayu didn't even try any sort of air at all other than being ridiculous, which was again due in part to the poor writing. And the writers actually gave him a chance to develop and shine as a character in the somewhat Kayashima-centric episode four, which is ALL I WANTED THIS WHOLE TIME GAIZ SRSLY WRITING TEAM JEEZUS.
Story-wise, this drama has a lot more going for it. And explanations for things that happen what the fack! It is in no way perfect, but I am finding it greatly enjoyable in that it has both it's fun moments and it's serious moments. The subject of Umeda's homosexuality isn't vague at all and they picked the perfect actor despite his horrendous hair to be nonchalant, snarky, and sex-driven. I am willing to overlook bad hair for good acting (which is actually not the case for this version's Sekime - bad hair, bad acting to be honest, but maybe we'll see more of him later and I can revise this opinion).
And this Sano. I... can't stand him. I'm sorry. In fact, I've disliked all of the Sanos'. This one looks like he's well out of his college years and has facial expressions similar to that of a plank of wood (except for his horrified face and creepy smiles that are supposed to be "warm"). This Mizuki is better than Horikita Maki, though that honestly can't account for much. This one at least is not concerned with looking overly "pretty" though she is still very obviously a girl, particularly in her voice. At least try to talk lower? Even the sixteen year old who clearly has yet to hit puberty has a deeper voice than her :/ However, her acting isn't total shit so I guess she has that going for her. I'm actually concerned for her during the surprisingly present almost-rape scene, so I guess she has a bit of me liking her. If she gets as whiny as Maki though, she's out.
So this drama has it's good and bad sides, like every drama does. Fortunately for me, the good currently outweighs the bad enough for me to check dramacrazy.net's updates three times a day. Which means I'm anticipating subs. Which means I love it. Which means I totally applied for the fanlisting x.x
One question remains: Production team, why didn't you just do a good job in the first place?
Probable answer: MONEY.
On another Hana Kimi 2011 note, Shohei and Tomo are totally giving me that "vibe." You know, of the slash variety. And they make me want to write shitty fanfiction. Which I'm probably going to try to do after this horrendously long bitch-fandom-rant finally comes to an end. They do it on purpose you know. To catch bitches like me and make me watch something I would otherwise not xD I'm essentially watching this for the side characters anyway, and the writers know it. THEY KNOW.