A fan of the webtoon, not a fan of this adaptation

My review headline is a disclaimer on my perspective.

I am a fan of the source webtoon and thoroughly enjoyed reading it. So, in finding out they were creating a drama adaptation, I was both excited and terrified. I have watched many adaptations to know source content will change. Some creators make really good adaptations and others make really bad ones. This drama, in my opinion, falls into the bad side of that spectrum. It upsets me.

The things that I loved about the webtoon was changed (for the worse) or completely omitted and replaced by typical, tired and annoying kdrama tropes. The source material, while having some cliches, was nowhere near as unbearable as this drama adaptation. I can't understand why they did this. The creators of this drama had perfectly good source material to use which was more original in its story devices. The only reasoning that I could imagine was that they were purposely trying to see how many cliches they could throw into one drama, like a game.

Although part of me still really wants to, I couldn't give this 1 star just because of my original love of the webtoon. But this was not an enjoyable adaptation for me. I will not be watching this again. If you want a good story, skip the drama and read the webtoon.

Leia Mais

Read the manga. Skip the drama.

I watched this right after I finished the manga. I absolutely enjoyed the manga . It was a familiar but different story and set of characters. And this drama adaptation started off well enough. But after episode 3-4, it started to go downhill.

They added storylines or modified storylines that was not accurate, even in the spirit of the manga. Some sideline characters were given more meat in the drama for the new storyline that make no sense. The additions/changes did not make for a better story. I think they changed some fundamental stories and fundamental characters and their development… for the worse!

I can’t understand why.. except that they wanted to mimic the original Hana Yori Dango. Hana Nochi Hare, is a different story, not an continuation of Hanadan.

The changes were so bad and frustrating, I couldn’t even get myself to finish the drama, and I only had one episode left.

I’m so upset. I need to erase the drama from my memories. I might reread the manga just so I can end this experience on a high note.

Leia Mais

If you are someone who read the title, has seen the promotional images and decided not to watch it because it you think its a Korean Fifty Shades interpretation, you are very wrong. Give this a watch. It is soo much better.

Funny, sweet and even a little cute - it is a very good movie. I'm also very impressed by the two main characters. I'm typically weary of kpop idols in dramas, and this one made me extra nervous as it had two of them in the main roles. But they are very good. I'm a fan of Seo Hyun musically, but I've never watched her in anything. I was so happily surprised.

This movie was very endearing with a good message at its heart. I'm such a sucker for a good romantic comedy and this satisfied. Highly recommended.

Leia Mais

This was recommended by a friend.

It was a pretty fun watch. It remained relatively light throughout and our female lead was quite likable. Her constant optimism is unrealistic at times, but I could not dislike her.

This drama is did not turn out to be what I thought it was going to be. Characters and relationships were very different from what I was anticipating. Sometimes that was a good thing; other times that was not. And let's be real - the plot became very convoluted towards the end. In the last 5 episodes or so, I was constantly asking "why".

I didn't expect much from this, so I can't say I was disappointed. But, I don't think I'll be re-watching anytime soon.

Leia Mais

I finished watching this earlier in the week so I could focus on my next drama. It was okay.

The drama was so enjoyable in the beginning. The story was strong, the characters understandable and some relatable. The character relationships were everything and things weren’t too unrealistic or cringey.

Suddenly, almost out of nowhere, episode 13, 14 and 15, things just started happening for no logical reason. Conflicts seemed to come out of nowhere to create problems for some relationships. For other relationships, their issues were resolved equally as fast and seemingly out of nowhere. It just… things just started to lose sense and logic.

The ending, was a typical happy ending, but felt unsatisfying because of all the nonsense that happened in the immediate episodes before it.

Overall, I guess I would say I enjoyed the drama. I feel like I was cheated genuine excitement and joy over the ending because of how thing went in the last few episodes. I would probably still recommend this, but with a warning attached.

Leia Mais

What I always love about mangas adapted into Japanese Dramas is that they know how to work with the source material to make it suitable for a drama. In the dramas I’ve watched, they’ve rarely done it badly. This adaptation is an example of a good one.

The manga is a lengthier one, and dramas cannot possibly cover everything. But I feel they’ve taken the important story arcs and the essential spirit of the manga story and made the a really good version of it. The characters are lovable, and the progression of the story is set at a pretty good pace.

Watching drama adaptations of mangas I enjoy is always scary, but I’m glad I gave this a shot. It was really cute and sweet and a good watch.

Leia Mais

Another HanaDan adaptation.

Overall, this adaptation was really good. In a lot of ways and in a lot of story arcs, it stayed true to the source material. The characters, for the most part, were true to character. I was truly impressed by how well done it was.

The beginning and middle of this drama was strong and good and addictive. There were some story arcs that I felt were a complete waste of screen time (some of which is original to the drama; I will never understand why it was added), but mostly it was all entertaining.

I will say, the ending, definitely was not as strong as this drama's beginning. Watching some of the last few episodes left me scratching my head and asking "why".

The biggest gripe I have with this drama is the use of songs. More specifically during emotional points in an episode. Music should be a nice accent piece to an emotional moment. Yet in this drama, sometimes, the music was too much. I get there's a lot of emotion happening at this one time, but the music actually doesn't add anything to it. If anything, sometimes the music choices made me laugh, which ruined the moment.

I sound negative about this drama, but I truly enjoyed it. It is one of my top Hana Yori Dango manga adaptations for sure. Plus, who hasn't fallen in love with Dylan Wang because of this?

Leia Mais

I gave up on this drama. I managed to get up to episode 11, and I just can’t get past that point.

It was an adaptation of a manhwa that iIenjoyed reading.. and that was basically the only reason I was making myself watch the episodes. It started off well enough, but the changed plot from the manhwa I foubd to be uninterestinf, the pace slow-moving and the characters unlikable. The cinematics are gorgeous. Too bad there wasn't anything else I could like about it.

There were other things I want to watch and it couldn't hold my interest enough to finish it.

Leia Mais

I've had a night to think about this drama since finishing it. I'm still, at a loss of words on how I really feel about it.

The drama, as a whole was good. While some of the acting could be over the top and stiff sometimes, everyone was generally good. The plot moved quickly in the beginning so I was sucked in immediately. I felt like a woman possessed, consuming episode after episode. The story progressed well, the plots and characters enticing and the romance gave me butterflies. For the first time, in a long time, I was so excited to watch a show.

And then my feelings changed. I think it happened around episode 10 or 11. I just felt... tired. I think it had something to do with the characters and their developments. They did not develop in the way I had hoped - which both pleased me because it made things more interesting, but also, kind of pissed me off.

When I had finally reached the end, I felt like I was irritated with every single character. A lot of the issues I was having with each character was a reflection, I think, of my own personal morals and beliefs. I could not relate to any of them anymore, nor could I understand (or want to understand) their motives. You know, when you have a friend, who has these quirks that, in the beginning you were just able to except, but then as you mature and change, that person does not and you start losing patience with them? That's how I felt at the end. It was an unexpected feeling. I don't think I've ever had that kind of a reaction to a drama before.

I really enjoyed this drama and I would probably re-watch it down the road. But for now, I need a break from these "friends".

Leia Mais