The Korean Foundation of International Cultural Exchange is working with the Japan Broadcast Writers Association in a joint “TV drama project,” which was announced at the TV Drama Writers’ Conference of East Asia, held in the city of Sasebo in Nagasaki Prefecture on June 10 and 11.

Plans were announced for a drama series in which eight Japanese drama writers will each be responsible for scriptwriting two hours’ worth of material, to be produced by a Korean production company and air as early as December. Writers include Inoue Yumiko (Pandora, First Kiss) and Oishi Shizuka (Kunitori Monogatari, Komyo ga Tsuji). Casting is unconfirmed, although the names being thrown around for consideration include Lee Byung Heon, while director Yoon Seok-ho of Winter Sonata has given his informal assent.

Given the success of Winter Sonata (and by extension, Yonsama) in Japan, I suppose the director was an obvious choice. There have been other joint-production attempts to capitalize on the Hallyu craze, but they haven’t had the success they were aiming for. There was the 2004 short drama Friends pairing Won Bin with Fukada Kyoko, and, more recently, Tokyo Shower. (I believe 2006’s Japanese drama Rondo with Choi Ji Woo fared better, although it perhaps didn’t live up the hope of becoming a runaway hit.)

Meanwhile, production house Olive Nine is already working on a drama to be filmed in Japan, tentatively titled Lovers in Asuka. The 20-episode series is set in the town of Asuka in Nara Prefecture and will be written by Kang Eun Jung, one of the writers of Lovers in Paris. I suppose they figured they hadn’t milked the “lovers in [insert city]” concept enough yet.

I’m not sure about Asuka, but I’m curious to see how Japanese scriptwriters bring (or don’t bring) a different feel to a kdrama production. (Also, the rotating writers thing worries me — although it’s not an automatic detractor, it’s a risky move.)

Via Hankook Ilbo

SONG OF THE DAY

Lamp – “ムード・ロマンティカ Ｎｏ.２” (Mood Romantica No. 2) [ Download ]

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Tags: drama production, j-doramas, Tokyo Showers, Winter Sonata

Filed under: Drama Casting & News, J-Drama by javabeans - 13 Comments →

I’m a little late to this info, but this news gets me excited. And apprehensive. But excited!

So the Japanese manga Hana Yori Dango has been made into an anime series, a Taiwanese drama (Meteor Garden), and a Japanese dorama. The Japanese versions are already popular in Korea, but now a kdrama adaptation of the drama has been announced, with the tagline that “Third time’s the charm!” But really, when every version has enjoyed immense popularity throughout Asia (and the world), the tagline is a bit misapplied, methinks.

The production team behind the series is none other than Group Eight, who did Fantasy Couple and Goong S, and says they were selected by the copyright holder Kamio Yoko (the original manga writer) and Japanese publishing house Shueisha based on the strength of those prior drama series.

I could go into a whole long post about why I really dug Hana Yori Dango, but OH LOOKY HERE you mean I already did? I just love when I do my own work for myself. (Btw, that link doesn’t have any substantial spoilers, but there are screencaps and I mention, in a vague way, some of the larger plot elements.)

So the immediate question on everyone’s mind becomes the casting, particularly the fearsome foursome “F4″ who rule the school as quasi-celebrities, and the Doumyouji character in particular, its hard-hearted (and -headed) leader. A Group Eight rep explains, “Rather than casting based on popularity alone, we’re going for actors in the Korean F4 who fit the original characters best,” and intends to scour talent from already famous stars to unknowns in search of the most suitable F4 candidates.

I actually think going with unknowns can be a good move, because a super-popular series casting super-popular actors can overshadow what’s already a compelling, time-tested story. (But, might I suggest: Choi Shiwon would make a great Doumyouji, wouldn’t he? He’s got the right mix of popularity and freshness, and if he can manage the character’s mix of brutish assholery and thick-headed charm, he might just be perfect.)

Still, I think the big concern ought to be how to make the Korean version a series in its own, and yet remain true enough to the original story to please its existing (sizable) fan base. Also, how do you top the excellence of the Japanese version, made so recently? The dorama version was superlative in its adaptation, its casting, its music, its lighting, its production. Every aspect of the series was handled with great care, and it was rewarded with large success. Furthermore, the current Wikipedia news (so take with a grain of salt, obvs) indicates the Japanese series is planning to wrap things up with Hana Yori Dango: The Movie, to be released in the summer of 2008. Group Eight is certainly no stranger to expensive, gorgeous-looking sets with Goong S, but they’ve got their work cut out for them.

The series is set for a 24-episode run and, for now, aims for an airdate in the latter half of 2008. Dude. I am so there.

(And now all this Hanadan talk makes me want to rewatch the drama. Weekend marathon!)

Via My Daily

SONG OF THE DAY

Anamu & Maki – “ひとつだけ” (hitotsu dake / only one). Neither the song nor the group have anything to do with Hana Yori Dango; merely an excuse to post a Japanese song. [ zShare download ]

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• Hana Yori Dango

Tags: Boys Before Flowers, Hana Yori Dango, manhwa adaptations, remakes

Filed under: Drama Casting & News, J-Drama by javabeans - 149 Comments →

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, remakes

Filed under: J-Drama by javabeans - 23 Comments →

I happened to start watching Hana Yori Dango recently, and totally got hooked. I’m not an avid watcher of j-doramas, though I’ve seen a few in the past, but I watched all of the first season at once (I kind of like how j-doramas are short and sweet at around 10 episodes, although I do like the k-drama standard of 16-20 episodes — but only if the series is good!). Then, happy to hear a second season was in the middle of its run, I tuned into that as well.

 
(Theme) SONG(s) OF THE DAY

Arashi – “Wish,” Season 1 theme song [ zShare download ]

Arashi – “Love So Sweet,” Season 2 theme song [ zShare download ]

More HANA YORI DANGO >>

Tags: Hana Yori Dango, j-doramas

Filed under: Fansubs, J-Drama by javabeans - 114 Comments →