ya im first well i hope that all this time they have is put into good use n hope they can fill in those big (sets) of shoes

as long as the drama's good, i wouldn't mind waiting :)

Don't shoot me, but I didn't much lke the original (Taiwanese) or the Japanese version.

Wouldn't it be beter to come up with a new show based on another manga rather than make another version of this one?

@TC-The reason they're doing it is because HYD is very popular everywhere in Asia, first through the Taiwanese version (which I unfortunately dislike) and then the Japanese version (reaching great popularity in Japan, stateside, and elsewhere). The way they're thinking is that it HAS to be a hit, and fans are going to flock to it (they might pull it apart into a million pieces afterwards, but they have a strong fanbase from the beginning). And you know, curiosity on adaptations and comparisons are always a strong motivator to watch a show... Basically, there's going to be a big chance this will be a hit (unless the show absolutely stinks, but.. *shrugs*), and more viewership means more money. I agree that they should move on to new materials, and I love HYD so much I really hope they don't make a mess out of it or I will flame them, but I'm excited all the same to see how they adapt the characters... So I will DEFINITELY be watching this show (Exact proof as to why they're adapting it).

This also means that it won't be canceled. News like this sort of makes me cringe, because it sounds, like you've said, they've got rocky roads ahead, but this drama is so publicized I don't they'd be able to cancel the drama.

Has anyone heard about casting? *prays for good acting on par with J-drama*

@Miki Thanks loads for the explanation.. and for confirming that the Japanese version is superior to the original. I haven't had a chance to watch it, though. Next time I'm at a video shop I'll look for a copy.

Well, good luck to the people behind the Korean remake.

@TC, the manga is the original (and there was the anime too), so I don't think people would call Meteor Garden (Taiwanese version) the original Hanadan. FWIW. I agree the Jpn version is better than MG though.

@jinah How right you are! MG's not the original. *hits own head*

Am more determined now to watch the Japanese version... Actually I saw a short portion on TV once, but that was it.

i've watched part of the taiwanese one (MG) and i still have not forced myself to finish it - i think a lot of people like it because it was the launch pad of taiwanese idol dramas. however i ADORE the japanese version - granted they had a HUGE budget to work with, versus MG's tiny little one.

i am curious about the korean version though - who they'll cast is integral, of course. but i'm also really curious as to how they're going to alter it so that while the basic storyline is still the same, there is something new and fresh to add to the mix.

I would wait two years if I had to for this drama! I am sooooo excited, Hanadan has the perfect storyline for a Kdrama!

Sadly I'm undecided which I liked more, Taiwanese or Japanese version. They both had their good and bad points.

Meteor Garden followed the anime format more than HYD Japanese version, which I liked, but unfortunately a lot of the show came off rather annoying, and don't get me started on MG II.

I found I liked the acting better in HYD - Japan, despite that they got the order of a lot of the scenes wrong, and the second season they got a bit half-assed on it (re-creating the elevator scene for the blizzard scene instead of just doing the damn blizzard scene properly, which would have been WAY better) and that unbelievable entourage for Domyouji in that one scene in the second season, while funny, was just wrong. **shivers remembering the lameness**

I was looking forward to the Korean version because, well, Korean dramas tend to be a helluva lot better in my opinion.

Oh and on a side note to Dramabeans:

Have you heard of/seen the Philippines version of My Lovely Sam-Soon and the Japanese version of The Devil? Just wondering your opinion on those so-called remakes.

"For instance, traditional dramas are run on super-tight schedules, and often toward the end they’re racing the clock to get their material completed before airtime."

Yeah, dramas that skip live-shoot usually see a big, big increase in production quality. We'll see more locations, more use of establishing shots, and above all, more concise editing and less "stare into space" acting. The acting and writing ought to be better too, but that's not always the case.

The delay would be better timing, because the Hana Yori Dango film is still running in the Japan, and I think they've just finished the promotion of the movie in South Korea (as well as hitting Hong Kong and Taiwan.) The Flower Four concept is pretty well known all over Asia. For example, I think either Suju or Big Bang did a parody of the Taiwanese F4 some years back.

Meteor Garden hasn't aged all that well -- and I personally know guys who HATE the show because it's all their girlfriends watched -- but the show is important in effectively launching the manga-based idol drama in Taiwan. It was the first Taiwanese trendy of its kind to sport plus expensive production values, specifically feature tall male idols (a requirement for the MG F4 was that you had to be 6 foot), etc.

The Japanese HanaDan idol drama almost happened by accident. There was another show slotted for the winter 2005 season (same season that ran Nobuta wo Produce and 1 Litre of Tears), but that production fell through. As a result, the live adaptation of Hana Yori Dango was announced relatively late, and it only ran 9 episodes or so. It was at the time the most expensive per episode show ever in J-drama. The debut ratings for the show actually surprised TBS, because they had not hyped up the show (i.e. the variety show circuit) at the level of their other headlining shows. But, what really distinguished the success of HanaDan Season 1 wasn't the actual ratings, but the absolutely crazy response it drew on the Internet. There were so many hits onto the HanaDan site that it effectively shut it down, and the flood of net fan response was like nothing TBS had seen before. Effectively, HanaDan was sort of the Japanese version of the mania drama.

The Internet thing is worth noting, because the plot of the 2nd season of HanaDan was essentially shaped by "what do you want to see?" poll did on the home site. So stuff that didn't make the first season -- the Saturn necklace, the amnesia plot, the Junpei redux -- were essentially voted in by Japanese netizens.

Well that explains why it was so jumbled.

I suspected the drama to be pushed backed when I wasn't hearing much news on it. Well I am glad that they will be taking their time (it seems) to make this drama. I am hoping they find the right actors for the roles.

I totally hated Meteor Garden. I swore I wouldn't watch anything that long ever again. The J version was awesome. Best ever. As for the K version I hope they do the right thing by casting talent not mr. It.

I've seen the trailer for the "Hana Yori Dango finale" and from what I can see, it is wise to pull the korean version to next year. Otherwise, even though there's a chance that the korean version will surpass the Japanese version, lots of fans like the Japanese netizens, will naturally compare both versions. And frankly, it's best for the mania to slow down a bit.
You don't want any heated irrational comparisons that might hurt how the viewers watch such this high rated drama.

@belleza-people seriously voted in that horrible amnesia plot?

Having just finished watching Fated to Love You were the episode count was upped mid season I'm glad they are finishing the drama before airing it. It's how tv companies do it over here anyway. I think the delay could be a good thing.

"@belleza-people seriously voted in that horrible amnesia plot? "

YUP. Basically, before the Season 2 ran, there was a list posted on the HanaDan site about all the storylines that were going to go into season 2, including the godawful amnesia plot. So by process of elimination, everybody pretty much figured that the series would end with the amnesia plot. That created a lot of buzz about whether HanaDan Season 2 would just end with a cliffhanger.

They actually executed it nicely. What in the manga (and Meteor Garden 2) seemed like endless torture, turned into an inspired fusion of the amnesia plot and the cabin plot. They got all the laughs you needed; they featured Toda Erika; and it sets up the cabin storyline with a lot more emotional resonance than the cabin storyline was in the original manga. Or put another way, Season 2 kinda botched the famous Rain scene (though that in turn gave the 2-hour first episode the emotional punch it otherwise didn't have), but they made it up by improving the Cabin scene.

I know a lot of people don't like Season 2, and the storyline meandered a lot, but I've always felt it was written more for hardcore HanaDan manga fans than J-drama or even Arashi fans. If you already knew the different storylines, then watching how they changed it helped explore different facets of the D&M relationship. . Also, I liked how they worked in the Yuki/Sojiro storyline, though Sojiro's first love was kinda miscast IMO .

Oh no, I was really looking forward to this. I have a soft corner for Meteor Garden (I liked the guys) , Hana Yori Dango ( I liked the ladies this time) but I was telling my friends the Korean version was going to be the best because let's face it...No one can do drama like the Koreans....

Agrees with Sonam. That's why I can wait.

My perspective is a bit more strange. I adore shojo manga However, strange as this sound, I did not read HYD before I watched the Jdrama. Before then, I had never even gone to Jdramas. That is probably why I loved HYD so much. My short attention span meant 9 eps and 11 (Along the lines of that) eps of the 2nd season was perfect for me. I did not mind MatsuJun's thinness or Rui's apparent talkativeness, or the fact that he had dyed hair or was uber-trender. From my perspective, everything was unexpected, fastpaced, and cohesive. And anything that was weird... I'm a shojo fan. I'm used to it (sort of how a trendy drama fan gets used to the "coincidences") Maybe they were so tight in HYD1 that HYD2 was so meandering. Belleza is correct on all comments on it.

Afterwards, I read the manga (which was good, but not polished like the drama). I saw the anime. Then I tried on Meteor Garden (which I did not know until I did research!), but lost it when the thing I loved most about HYD (the characters) failed utterly. They recreated more of the manga and had a more authentic feel, but still looked like idols playing around, and the drama suffered from the problems of the manga because they followed it so closely.

But, you see... this all proved that the characters are what REALLY rocked (even more so then the plot), and that the Jdrama just rocked because it had awesome adaptation, actors, and editing (also that the Jdrama spawned the whole craze for me and is totally worth it, so all that is hesitating... join me in my love!) Hopefully, the news that the Kdrama is cautious (YAY!) is good news. More time to get it right. If they do all that the Jdrama did but spin it into more of a Korean trendy drama, they will please but still be unique. (Honestly, HYD the Jdrama is very Japanese, and so unique) I am merely worried about the characters getting adapted like they should. The j-actors were genius about it, but the 4 love square characters really are the life of the story.

i heard Yoon Eun Hye was going to be the main lead actress.
is this true?
There are too many rumors about YEH's upcoming dramas, i dont know what to believe.
Media said she would be in Full House 2 and also for HYD Korean version.
Now theres news she is going to collaborate with the guy from Goong.

Who would be you dream cast?
For me, Main female - Yoon Eun Hye
F4 - Gong Yoo, Hyun Bin, Jo In Sung, Song Seung Hun!

I love Yoon Eun Hye but I say no! for main female lead. why? because like Javabeans we need a new fresh face not someone well known. And although I love those actors : Gong Yoo, Hyun Bin, Jo In Sung, Song Seung Hun; they're a bit too old to play F4

Maybe the postpone-ment means that they're still saving up money to top the JDorama in sets and costumes. (HAHAHAHA) Besides casting, they have a lot of work and money cut out for them. They need to completely get the glamorized feel for this drama, which I think needs a large budget.

On the other hand, if you choose to look at this optimistically, you can find reassurance in knowing that they’re taking their time trying to get everything right —

I have to agree with this one as I am reminded of Goong in which the episodes were pushed from 20 to 24 due to popular rating. Those episodes from half of 18 to 22 is really dreadful. So I'm hoping HYD drama will be released after they have done the production.

i love HYD (japanesse version) a lot! i can't wait for another korean version for my fav drama like HYD.