Acting/Cast: I started this score off as a ten, and then docked two points for the leads. When I started watching the show, I was already expecting it to be pretty bad (because Korea's past adaptations so far have been horrible), so I didn't let that cloud my judgement when it came to their acting. As the show went on though, I actually found myself skipping over almost all parts that had Sulli and/or Minho in them because it was starting to feel like watching them was a chore instead of feeling like I was enjoying myself.
Minho seemed to have three emotions at his disposal at all times: happiness, sadness, and anger. I understand that the original character is like that, but the actor, in my opinion, should at least be able to display something else if it's needed. And he just really fell short.
Sulli was pretty much the same way when it came to her acting. In most of her scenes, she just stood there. Just stood, while everybody else acted. It was incredibly boring to watch.
The rest of the cast is literally the only reason I made it through to the end of this drama.
Music: This OST was just a total killjoy for me. It seemed like every second of this show was nothing but an SM concert. I'm a big fan of SM and their music, but even I was on the verge of watching the show on mute just to avoid listening to all of it.
Rewatch Value: Every now and then I'll find a drama I would want to rewatch. This was definitely not one of them.
Overall: Overall, the only reason this drama scored higher than a 5 from me was because of the rest of the cast. It felt like the whole drama was nothing but SM everywhere: The leads were SM artists; the OST was only SM artists; even the school was named Genie (a name all of us know from those horrid ads on SM music videos). If they had focused more on finding actual actors to lead the show, and less on promoting SM (I realize I bring that up a lot, but seriously, it was just everywhere), I feel like it really would've helped this drama.
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To The Beautiful You was one of the first dramas I ever watched so I have good opinion. It was really nice how I said before.
Also I apologize for my English, I don't have a good knowledge in that.
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This review may contain spoilers
*Might contain spoilers*I want to be honest cause I really enjoyed this drama just as I enjoyed the japanese version and the manga. You will probably enjoy it even if you know the japanese version or the manga but I think you'll enjoy it more if ye didn't know. Like some other reviewers will say a lot of important things are left out that makes Hana Kimi so much fun. On the other hand I understand why the korean version wanted to make things a little different.
But because of that only the relationship between Kang Tae, Goo Jae and Cha Eun filled the entire series which I thought was just not as exciting as it could have been. Because now they are the only main subject in the story leaving no other relationship to sidetrack you in a different story development (the story with his dad felt very weak to me). And I really really missed the Doctor being extravagant and being bothered by his ex and I also feel they didn't properly portrait Song Jong and they did not even properly wrapped that up at the end of the series. I mean if there's one person that'd be bothered by the whole revelation it has to be him making a scene right?
Anyway a good watch don't be alarmed by my ratings cause it is fun.
And I really like Cha Eun especially when he went to his parents I wish we could see more of his home situation cause his parents reacted funny hehe. Oh Min hyun's character background was also left unexplored pity even his story was not properly wrapped up >_
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What beautiful scenery, great filming and cinematography- what super SUPERB slow motion effects used to show drops of rain and the camera angles- YUMMY.
The beginning of the movie -aside from weird caucasian american girl who lookws like repeat cast actress from all the dramas i'm watching- started off alright (I blanked out the words) and had a bit of a laugh... and then, there were more actors in it, and terrible terrible dialogue.
If this was a silent movie- zero dialogue- with less actors in it, My eyes would totally enjoy this.... and I'd give it a pretty decent score.
But... Yeah. It wasn't. People had to talk, there had to be a story line which was slightly different from all the other Hana Kimi's but a bit more- ahhh, unenergetic??
The only other Hana Kimi I've watched is the Taiwanese version and, I guess, realistically thinking and speaking, NOTHING will ever be as funny as Jiro Wang's acting in there. Because of that, this drama fell flat- the acting felt a bit stiff and not interacting, the humorous parts weren't as humorous, the friends weren't as friendly, or funny... The bullying just ended nowhere...
AND the female character... the gymnast national fairy- I wanted to take one of my heels and just hit her over and over and over!!!
I also think that Jae-Hee's english should have been MUCH better than what she could speak (for a transfer student from the US, who's supposed to be living there since she was 5...)
But, regardless of my complaints (Y'all are probably thinking I'm a bad reviewer haha)I liked:
a. The bit of more romance in this... I want to watch the Japanese version to compare and see... but yeah (although I felt more chemistry between Eun Gyeol and Jae Hee) there was more romance here.
b. There's better show of the sports- High Jump and Soccer (Let's totally ignore how lame the track thing is in this drama)
c. The cinematography
d. Ahhhhh. Oh, the Senior Hang Suen Ri.
e. How Jae-Hee sometimes actually looked like a boy.
Should you watch this again? Only if you're interested in filming and/or photography and wanna see which cameras to use to get certain lighting effects (colours were amazing) and slow motion sequences.
Oh, and, of course, if you want to know about bad dialogue.
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I gave the story a 4 because the premise is completely ridiculous (even for KDrama). The fact that an obsessed fan girl can transfer to a school in a foreign country, and change her gender, without her family being aware, is already hard to believe. What makes it worse is that at no point does she ever look, or act, like a boy. She basically gets a hair cut, and that's it. No one ever seriously questions her, even though at some points it looked like she was wearing lipstick. Then, to top it off, everyone who finds out helps this obsessed stalker, so she doesn't deal with much consequence for any of her actions. The story plays things extremely safe, which ends up being very predictable, and sometimes boring.
I had no problem accepting the girl convincing people she is a guy premise in You're Beautiful, Sungkyunkwan Scandal, or Coffee Prince. I loved all 3. Perhaps Sulli is not a strong enough actress to play a convincing guy, but it's like she didn't even bother to try. I know korean flower boys can appear feminine, but not THAT feminine, Geez!
I thought the overall acting in this was ok, but not great. The characters were cute, but there was no real depth in any of the performances. Sulli & Minho looked cute together as a couple, but didn't necessarily have great chemistry. Lee Hyun-woo was by far my favorite. I cared more about him than the two main leads combined. His smile made up for some of the dull moments.
I can't see myself rewatching this because there weren't any memorable, or stand out moments. As far as romance goes, it was sweet, but a little too juvenile for my taste. The mood of the drama is lighthearted throughout, even during the sadder moments, so I had no real emotional reaction to anything. I was never really excited for the next episode, because I pretty much knew what was going to happen next (even without knowing the Manga/previous versions). The end felt rushed, but it was all so obvious that it almost didn't matter.
This is definitely catered to a young, KPop fangirl audience, and so is the soundtrack. I would also recommend it to any fan of romance who just wants to watch something light, and cute. This show definitely recycles what has worked in other shows, in a way that does work. I was not particularly impressed with To The Beautiful You, but I admit I was still entertained.
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To he honest I thought it was going to be exactly like the Japanese version. But to my opinion this version was way better!!! I laughed more in this one then the other ones. I enjoyed the ending, although I thought they hurried it a little to much, more then the other ones.
Things I thought had better things then the other ones:
* made you laugh more
* OST were every good
* Hotter GUYS!!!
* had a good ending
* Had EXO!!!!! As a guest star and perform Mama!!!
* Re-watch!!!
* and again hotter GUYS!!!
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That being said, I know a lot of people say this pales in comparison to its Japanese forefather. Maybe that's true, but for me that's pretty hard to believe. I had said that You're Beautiful is as close to perfect as Kdramas get, and I think this one falls right in that same category.
Tae Joon and Jae Hee were just adorable characters. I love how Tae Joon starts out as a bit hapless, always falling behind everyone else in doing sweet things for Jae Hee. In that aspect, it was nice to see him grow and start to take control and realize how much Jae Hee meant to him. As for Jae Hee, her character was almost a little too good, always wanting to do what's right for other people to the extent that you just wanted to shake her sometimes!
But for me, the real star of the show was Eun Gyul! He was goofy, ridiculous, and handsome and his smile was addictive. His inner turmoil over liking what he thought was a man was very well done and extremely believable, moreso than I feel K-Pop TUA did with Woo Hyun. I think this show would have failed horribly if it weren't for Eun Gyul, and more specifically Lee Hyun Woo who played him. He is definitely someone I will keep a close eye on from now on :)
To The Beautiful You makes my drama list up to 24 dramas since November 2011 and I am fairly good now at picking out dramas that I personally will adore. That being said, I could not have anticipated how happy this drama would make me feel. Every single episode was just a smile-fest for me, and the characters seriously brightened up the room when they were on my TV. I found myself stopping mid-episode, trying to prolong my enjoyment of the show and I NEVER do that!
All of that being said, I will admit there were faults in the show. The situation with Tae Joon's dad seemed a little forced, and the ending really made me mad. Not because of how it ended, but because it was so rushed! I felt like they could have taken the last 10 minutes and made it in to two more episodes, or one more at the very least.
Long story short, if you are looking for something fun to watch, something that will make you laugh out loud and cringe in embarrassment for the characters at time, definitely watch this! Hilarious, touching, sad, amazing, maddening, romantic, cute. Pick an adjective and chances are it will fit this show :)
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Cast\Acting: 2 of the mains, Sulli and Minho, is not actors, but singers. So the acting was not THAT well.. Even though I LOVE THEM! Ehehe. But yea. The cast was Great! But acting, not. So its a 7.
Music: I realy love the theme songs, J-mins song. Sunny and Lunas song. So beautiful. :) It realy got my attention. So.. 9.
Rewatch Value: I probbaly wont watch it again. The first half was GREAT, but after 10 episodes, I kinda got bored. I even tried to take a break in one week, but it was still boring... I kinda had to force myself to watch this. so.. 5, it is.
Overall: 8. It is. If you dont get bored fast, you should watch this. :)
- Odd
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The acting: Minho and Sulli were... satisfactory, in as much as they weren't as bad as they could have been. Sulli was great in the scenes where she was supposed to be having fun. But if she needed to have some kind of emotion show on her face, that was where she faltered a bit. Sometimes i'd look at her and think "what exactly are you supposed to be emoting right now?" It was the same with Minho. He wasn't bad, but he has this smile that just looks fake. His face kind of looks like a statue, and he's being forced to move his lips. Lee Hyun Woo was definitely the best actor, but then again, he did have the best character (EunGyeol).
Overall, I gave this a 5 rating, because I did watch it until the end, and there were some very cute scenes. Plus, the dorms were amazing, and aesthetically, the drama was beautiful. But i'm fairly sure nothing at all happened in the last half of the series. They just went around in circles. JaeHee just never had a good enough reason for being there, and quite frankly, if any guy is attracted to her crazy stalkerish ways, i'd be a bit concerned for them.
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STORY. I've watched the very first Hana Kimi version which is I think is the Japanese and honestly saying, I didnt like it. From the main leading male to the progress of the love story. Same with the Taiwanese version. The previous 2 versions made it short making us, the watchers, disappointed. But with the Korean version, I wont say it was outstanding but it was at least better than the previous versions. This version has elaborated the story more and it was detailed enough not to make the viewers hanging.
ACTING. 1 word: A-W-K-W-A-R-D! I am a big fan of SHINee but not Minho's although i would spend some time watching or monitoring his activities... and Minho's acting was just plain AWKWARD-- especially the last scene when he was looking for Jae Hee in the camera. He needs more practice and so do Sulli. At first, I thought Kwanghee didnt fit this drama but i admit, he portrayed his role really well. Although the lip balm thingy was so out of place but at least he did well. I have no problems with SeungRi sunbae, Seol Ha Na and Cha Eun Gyeol and Min Hyun Jae, i guess. They've been trained for acting so as i always say... Idols should just sing and dance so actors and actresses could do their jobs.
MUSIC. OHMIGOD! I have nothing to say. It was superb. Although they have limit it to SM artists, i do not care. I'm a big fan of SMTOWN anyway (not the company but the artists). A big fan of SHINee especially and Taemin's. So having Taemin sing a solo for the OST of this drama, i give it a 1000000000!!!!
REWATCH VALUE. It was not as good as any of the dramas I plan to rewatch like Reply 1997 and the like but at least this version would be more worth to rewatch than the previos versions.
OVERALL. So-so.
I guess I wasn't able to "keep it short."
Enjoy the drama! :)
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