Boys Before Flowers vs. HYD
I haven't watched any Korean dramas before, and I've been pretty limited to the Japanese drama/music fandom so far. But some of the blogs/communities I follow post Kdrama/Kpop stuff, and I've been noticing there has been a huge influx of posts related to the Korean version of HYD. It's piqued my interest and despite not having any previous introduction to the world of Korean entertainment, I started watching Boys Before Flowers. And oh man, am I addicted. I LOVE IT. I like how it's the same, but different. I like how some of the situations in the story don't appear in HYD, at those times it feels like I'm watching a different drama because I'm waiting to see what the outcome will be.
Coincidentally, Hana Yori Dango was my first Jdrama, and really, my foothold into Japanese entertainment overall. I've watched many, many Jdramas, but HYD remains my favourite of all time. That's one of the reasons I started watching Boys Before Flowers. I haven't finished the entire series yet, but am more than halfway through. On the whole, it's hard to say which version I like better so far. Though with the K-version, the situations evoke stronger feelings from me, and I feel the angst and the sadness of the characters. Individual characters though, I go back and forth.
Makino Tsukushi/Geum Jan Di: It's not that I don't like Jan Di, but I think Makino comes across as more fierce where as Jan Di comes across as more feisty. But one thing I do like about Jan Di is that I can sense her sadness and it shows in that subtle way. Makino covers her sadness with either anger or brushes it off. I noticed this difference the most in the scene where it's Doumiyoji's/Jun Pyo's birthday and he grabs the wrong girl's arm and storms off. But I think all in all, I lean more towards Makino.
Doumiyoji Tsukasa/Gu Jun Pyo: I can't decide between this one. To me, MatsuJun will forever be Doumiyoji. I was trying to explain this to a friend the other day as well. Jun Pyo seems to embody more of what that character is supposed to be like. He comes off as arrogant, self-centered and proud, but at the same time he can be silly. But when he is affectionate towards Jan Di, you can see the layers of hardness melting away. With Doumiyoji, he too is arrogant and self-centered, but he seems more bratty and stupid. With him, it's harder to see the soft side because there's still that shadow of pride. I'm not saying one is better than the other, it just might be the differences in the storyline itself.
Hanazawa Rui/Yoon Ji Hoo: I surprised myself with this one. My friend brought up a good point. In the K-version, you're almost rooting for Ji Hoo and Jan Di to get together. You can really see how much he cares for her, and how much he would do for her. Like in the scene where they're in Macau and they've both lost their wallets, so he plays the guitar to earn money and buys her shoes with his first earnings. At that time I melted and felt like screaming at her to forget Jun Pyo and tell Ji Hoo she likes him. I can also feel Ji Hoo's silent frustration that Jan Di is thinking only of Jun Pyo. Rui doesn't show that side, at times it's like he's just...there. You know he likes her, but question how much.
Nishikado Soujiro/So Yi Jung: I just like him better. More depth, maybe.
Mimasaka Akira/Song Woo Bin: Doesn't really make a difference, though I can never remember Woo Bin's name.
Yuki/Ga Eul: I like Ga Eul better because she's more of a stronger character than Yuki, she likes Yi Jung but she doesn't chase after him like Yuki does after Soujiro.
Other characters I don't have too much of an opinion on. I like Shigeru more, I can't stand Jan Di's mother, Jun Pyo's mother seems more evil.
My favourite scene in the entire HYD series was when Doumiyoji is waiting for Makino at the Ebisu tower, and the situation that follows. I was REALLY looking forward to it in the Korean version, but after seeing it, I still maintain that the J-version is still in my heart.
It's hard to say if I like one version better than the other. Each has it's own elements that I like over the other. Either way, I love both versions and will definitely watch each of them again and again and again!