Japan’s Sassy Girl
The U.S. is already planning to remake the hit 2001 Jeon Ji Hyun-Cha Tae Hyun movie My Sassy Girl, but so are the Japanese. And they’ve selected their lead, 27-year-old Tanaka Rena (not to be confused with young pop star and Morning Musume member Tanaka Reina).
The Japanese version will take the form of a drama series, however, rather than a film, so you’ll have many more opportunites to see the “sassy girl” get drunk, make a raucus commotion, throw up in public places, and disrupt the lead male’s life in whatever other ways she can.
Cast in the Cha Tae Hyun role is 33-year-old actor and member of pop group SMAP Kusanagi Tsuyoshi (Kusanagi said in an interview with Sakei Sports, “I’ve met Cha Tae Hyun before… Filming this won’t merely fun and laughs, but will also touch hearts”).
Differing from the original movie, the leads are now a university instructor in marine biology and an aspiring novelist, and the series will air next April on the Japanese channel TBS.
(I know, it probably seems sexist or something that the guy’s pic is so much smaller, but that’s just because I had a hard time finding any decent-looking ones. Honest!)
Via Newsen, Sports Seoul
SONG OF THE DAY
Swinging Popsicle - “ブラインドタッチ” (Blind Touch). Swinging Popsicle is a Japanese band that’s mildly popular in Korea (among Korean indie-music fans, that is). [ zShare download ]
Tags: j-doramas
There’s also going to be an American remake…
But it’s just not gonna be the same in my eyes.
Jeon Ji Hyun and Cha Tae Hyun are classic. =]
I agree with Jane. Did you see how The Lake House, and Shall We Dance transferred to American film? You lose soo much in the translation. Shall We Dance became a film you watched for Richard Gere and Susan Surandon (?) and Jennifer Lopez, the movie stars, and not about the subtle nuance of the characters. The taboo-ness of being a working man going to dance lessons with a strange woman. This is lost on North American culture. It’s admirable that Hollywood sees the commerical and wide appeal of these Asian films, but it’s not admirable the way they (clumsily) adapt them.
The SMAP guy is a Johnny Ent’s guy, so they are pretty stingy about official photos online or even publicity photos online.
Sounds like they are changing alot. Ah well, I’ll still watch it.
omg an american version?
weird..
it will never capture the same flavor of the korean original
i am curious how it will do
btw i do not think the japanese actor is very good looking, lol
sry just had to say
I’m glad to see they turn it into a Japanese drama. Maybe just because I’m a fan of Jdrama much longer than kdrama. Glad to see Tsuyoshi be in another drama! Thanks for breaking the news. Love your blog.
I don’t mind people doing remakes…
I just feel disappointed when the remakes turn out to be flops.
=/
Best of luck for these guys to remake such a classic movie, lol.
I think I have more faith in the Japanese to not screw it up like the Americans probably will because Japan and Korea are more culturally alike than America and Korea.
i can’t wait for the American version of this movie. But i know that the Japanese will pull it off… I wonder what will be up this time… for Americans that is. Because when i watched the Lake House I thought that it was better than the Korean version which was kind of slow… but let just wait and see.
Remakes galore!
ooh, i’m actually looking forward to the jdorama version. and i’m with everyone else, extremely weary of the american remake. however, the american version of jenny & juno looks quite promising, at least to me. i dig ellen page and michael cera so i’m looking forward to it. XP
Theres gonna be an American version? Hmm.. i wonder how that movie is gonna turn out like? I’m looking forward to the Japanese version! Jeon Ji Hyun and Chae Taehyun are super awesome though i’m hoping the other versions are the same!
originals are always the best, but I am going to be positive and try them out.
Oh yeah, did you notice that most(all for me) shows/films Cha Tae Hyun has perfect chemistry with the lead female?
Konichiwa!
American remaking of Korean ‘Sassy Girl’? Ehm…..Interesting! I was thinking of a Bridget Jones here. Hahaha…….as for the Japanese male lead in this re-make, what the heck of a choice! There is literally a pool to choose from!
Bye!
I’m actually looking forward to the japanese remake not the american,
Tsuyoshi is a very talented actor so it’s nice to see him in something new.
American remakes usually turn out to be horrible, they are also remaking one of my favorite japanese movies Ima, ai ni yukimasu that I’m so not looking forward too.
yes, that was sexist…. honest!
I knew about the j-drama version, but I didn’t know Tsyuyoshi is going to be in it.. that just made the drama a lot more interesting..
about the Ima, ai ni yukimasu movie, one of my most favorite and beloved movies, even if I pray a million times for a no american remake, it looks like work is already underway…. it’s just so wrong to make another version of an already beautifully made film..
Instead of remakes, America, take a chance. Invest in Asian movies and give them more exposure. Then, we’ll all learn something new about the art of movie making as well as each other’s cultures.
That lead lady pic you showed seemed familiar. She looks like the girl in glass shoes ayt? one who played SJS sister? or that girl who played opposite lee wan … (omg! what’s the title of that series?) .. Well I’ll wait for it… since i really enjoyed the movie… can’t say much about the chunyang (?) though… i never got to watch the series as a whole… I like jdoramas like Nodame Cantabile … Gosh they (the lead actors) were hilarious … I read on the manga after i watched the live action series and for me the manga fared less (not that its no good…but i just like the live action better)
Why can’t the U.S come up with their own stuff? They’re always remaking some movie. I guess they’re all out of ideas or something. So lame.
ha ha ha ha… for me i take it as a positive note that they do that… why? well that means asians are doing good…. ayt?!