Macy
~meteor dreamland~
First, I'm going to preface this by saying: Only Hana Yori Dango fans will like this. Seriously. If you've never seen read the manga or seen any of the others versions, you'll probably hate this movie. Like many manga adaptations, the film is chiefly fan service. It was the first live-action version and I'm sure the draw was: Want to see adorable idol Yuki Uchida as Tsukushi? or hunky newcomer Naohito Fujiki as Rui? (though his hair makes him look too similar to Uchida...) So, please avoid this, if you unfamiliar with the story.
Now on to the story! The movie covers the first seven volumes (Fun fact: only nine volumes of the series had been released at the time). Unfortunately, this also means it covers some of least favorite parts of the manga, the Shizuka Arc and Rui Tries to Steal Domyoji's Girl Arc. I can forgive it though since they only had so much material to work with. My biggest complaint about the story is the rearranging of events (maybe only manga fans will notice), it makes some things not make any sense. And Tsukasa nearly assaults Tsukushi and it's all hunky dory, let's go to the beach time now?! (Atleast in the manga she is noticeably scared to be alone with Tsukasa for some time) That part really should have been left out, instead of Tsukushi and Tsukasa's first 'date'.
I'm not going to comment much on the acting. They were all newcomers at the time with many making their film debut in it. Honestly, the over-the-top acting kind of suits the manga vibes. On another note, the actors playing Akira and Sojiro aren't given hardly any lines! So sad. If you're interested check out the late Koichi Hashizume in Picnic (1996), he really shows off his acting chops in it. And did anyone else notice Shizuka's accent?
Lastly, my personal feelings on this movie. I waited a long time to watch it. It wasn't available online for years. Now it's conveniently located on YouTube. Since then, I've seen it atleast three or four times. I just never get tired of the wacky story and acting or the soundtrack, "Baby's Growing Up," or laughing at Tsukasa's missing shirt. Not the best version of Hana Yori Dango by far, but still entertaining. I recommend to veteran fans of the manga or the other adaptations.
Now on to the story! The movie covers the first seven volumes (Fun fact: only nine volumes of the series had been released at the time). Unfortunately, this also means it covers some of least favorite parts of the manga, the Shizuka Arc and Rui Tries to Steal Domyoji's Girl Arc. I can forgive it though since they only had so much material to work with. My biggest complaint about the story is the rearranging of events (maybe only manga fans will notice), it makes some things not make any sense. And Tsukasa nearly assaults Tsukushi and it's all hunky dory, let's go to the beach time now?! (Atleast in the manga she is noticeably scared to be alone with Tsukasa for some time) That part really should have been left out, instead of Tsukushi and Tsukasa's first 'date'.
I'm not going to comment much on the acting. They were all newcomers at the time with many making their film debut in it. Honestly, the over-the-top acting kind of suits the manga vibes. On another note, the actors playing Akira and Sojiro aren't given hardly any lines! So sad. If you're interested check out the late Koichi Hashizume in Picnic (1996), he really shows off his acting chops in it. And did anyone else notice Shizuka's accent?
Lastly, my personal feelings on this movie. I waited a long time to watch it. It wasn't available online for years. Now it's conveniently located on YouTube. Since then, I've seen it atleast three or four times. I just never get tired of the wacky story and acting or the soundtrack, "Baby's Growing Up," or laughing at Tsukasa's missing shirt. Not the best version of Hana Yori Dango by far, but still entertaining. I recommend to veteran fans of the manga or the other adaptations.
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