Cast list for heroine-in-drag rom-com To the Beautiful You
by javabeans
Sulli, Min-ho
Get ready for lots of casting news, starting off with the Hana Kimi remake, To the Beautiful You, the awkwardly titled gender-bending rom-com coming soon to SBS later this summer. Casting of the lead roles has been set for a while now, but the show has just unleashed a slew of news about supporting actors, so we may as well get evvvverybody’s roles out in the open in one monster post. Ready? Diving in…
The show is set in a high school for athletes, with specific attention in track and field (a couple characters are runners and high jumpers), making it sort of like a Fame For Sports Stars. Or Dream High, Literally. The drama stars a number of idols like Sulli of f(x) and Min-ho of SHINee, though I’ll be watching mostly for Lee Hyun-woo (Equator Man), who’s transitioning nicely out of child roles into… well, if not quite adult roles, then at least older and almost-adult. He’s like the next Yoo Seung-ho in terms of packing lots of talent into his tender years, although technically he’s a few months older than Yoo (though Yoo edges him out for leading roles and industry experience).
The story kicks off when leading man(-boy) Min-ho, a “genius high jumper” — pfffft, is there even such a thing? Okay, I suppose you could call it a prodigy, but again, pfffft — suffers an injury and falls into a mental slump. Sulli’s the girl who cross-dresses her way into the school to help him make his comeback, which naturally leads to Shenanigans. Hijinks are a given. Maybe even Tomfoolery. The heroine uses the name Jae-hee (which can swing both ways but tends to be more of a boy’s name), and both Min-ho and Lee Hyun-woo start to fall for her despite initially believing her to be a boy. She’s the Beautiful Ultimate Prince Scandal Man, basically.
Lee Hyun-woo, Kim Ji-won
Also among the previously cast stars is Kim Ji-won of High Kick 3, who plays star gymnast Sol Han-na. She’s going against her wiser-than-her-years High Kick character by playing a bright and cheery character with a careless streak — although she turns into a “docile lady” in front of Tae-joon (Min-ho). Born to a wealthy family and raised with everything she could ever want, she lives only for Tae-joon, but that remains firmly in one-sided-crush-land.
Now for the newest additions, starting off with Kang Kyung-joon (pictured below). He may be the most obscure of the bunch, but he’s the one who gets my attention since he’s become one of those actors on my Where are they now? list. It’s been a while since he’s been in the public eye; he got on my radar in 2005’s campus sitcom Nonstop 5, where he had a cute loveline with Jo Jung-rin. (His acting was rough, but he was very likable.) Then he went to army and seemingly disappeared for years. See, that must be every budding actor’s great fear about army duty — losing momentum when you’re trying to gain purchase and dropping off the face of the showbiz planet. (Kang has done a few things here and there, but not much: He had a bit in History of the Salaryman earlier this year and a cable drama, The Great Catsby, among others. )
Kang Kyung-joon, Lee Young-eun
Kang will play athletic coach Byun Kwang-min, who’s not so brainy (“simple and uneducated”) but rates strong on the brawny meter. He’s a former high jumper and he’s known for being tough on his students, making him an antagonistic presence to the kids. But he turns into a softy whenever he’s around love interest and fellow language teacher Lee Young-eun (Marriage Plot). Which makes me think of the sidekicks in Big — or, you know, any of the High Kicks, which may be more apropos given this writer’s resumé.
I can already see how the setup works cutely, but I can’t be the only one who’s seen enough male gym teachers with demure lady language teachers, can I? Is there something intrinsically feminine about teaching language? It makes me want to see the direct opposite, which makes me appreciate Flower Boy Ramyun Shop’s Eun-bi even more, now that I think about it.
Ki Tae-young, Kwanghee
Ki Tae-young, aka Mr. Eugene, is another addition to the adult crew as the “mysterious doctor” who works the infirmary. He’s the first one who finds out that Jae-hee (Sulli) is a girl, which I guess means he earned that medical degree. He doesn’t out her immediately, however, and is described as a character who adds dramatic tension to the story (well, aside from the fact that every character should add dramatic tension, really.). I presume that means we/she will be nervous as to when, or if, he’ll spill the beans. Instead, Doc keeps his mouth shut and ends up becoming a supportive guardian angel figure for both Jae-hee and Tae-joon, popping up whenever they run into trouble.
Then there’s Kwanghee, another idol (of Ze:A), whose specialty is jumping hurdles. Literally, I mean, on the track, not that he enjoys overcoming adversity — although hey, who’s to say he doesn’t? Frankly I thought Kwanghee was cringe-inducingly bad in Vampire Idol, and there he was playing an idol, but it seems he’s pretty firmly in background character territory here so I’ll try not to think about that too much. Plus, he’s described as a guy who’s constantly being annoying, so… maybe that’ll work with the role. His character’s got a warm heart, supposedly, but he’ll be one of our heroine’s main antagonists, picking on her and causing trouble.
Last but not least, adding interest are the rumors that this may be a comeback project for Go So-young, aka Mrs. Jang Dong-gun and Nineties It Girl, who hasn’t been in a TV project in five years, during which time she got married and gave birth to a son. Hers is the only casting that’s still unconfirmed, but if she signs on to the project she’ll be acting as chair of the school board.
Go So-young
The drama has a built-in following on multiple fronts, given the fanbase of the original Japanese series, as well as that for each individual idol. Granted, by now we know that idol starpower isn’t enough to make a show a success, but when we’re talking about a youth romance based on a manga, it’s pretty much primed for idol participation.
To be honest, I admit I’m a little fatigued of the cross-dressing heroine device — okay, a lot fatigued. It’s a trope as old as time and I’m not against it in principle (on the contrary, I tend to love these plots); it’s just that it sure has gotten a workout in recent years. To the Beautiful You will have its work cut out for it in satisfying fans of the genre while accomplishing something fresh to set it apart from all the others. Especially since so many of its K-drama predecessors have done such a great job with the conceit: Coffee Prince, You’re Beautiful, Sungkyunkwan Scandal… If you do nothing new and remain complacent, you end up with a mess like K-Pop Ultimate Survival, which was mostly fluffy cuteness without direction.
The producers make sense for this project, but also make me wary: I have some faith in the writer after penning Nonstop 5 and all the High Kick series, but PD Jeon Ki-sang, who butchered Boys Before Flowers? You almost want to ask, “Who saw Boys Before Flowers and thought, ‘Hey yeah, let’s give him another drama? Another high-profile adaptation with idol stars and a youth target market, to boot?'” And then I remember the insane numbers of Boys and have to sigh at the marvels of failing upward.
To the Beautiful You will air on Wednesdays and Thursdays on SBS beginning in August.
RELATED POSTS
Tags: Go So-young, Kang Kyung-joon, Ki Tae-young, Kim Ji-won, Lee Hyun-woo (2), Lee Young-eun, Nonstop 5, Sulli, To the Beautiful You
![[Drama Chat] The mysteriously disappearing desire to watch](https://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/didiva_5-scaled.jpg)
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51 Noelle
July 9, 2012 at 10:22 AM
Eh, not excited about this. Nothing can top Toma Ikuta as Nakatsu. Busted many a gut watching him.
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52 Llamaesque
July 9, 2012 at 10:24 AM
"She’s the Beautiful Ultimate Prince Scandal Man, basically"
Well, when you put it that way....sign me up!
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53 Shinda-chan
July 9, 2012 at 10:42 AM
It could be because Minho is making me think about SHINee members, but... since I'm JUST AS TIRED of these girl-crossdressing-as-guy dramas, can we please have a GUY-CROSSDRESSING-AS-GIRL type of drama, starring someone like Taemin? Or at least starring a guy who can pass as a girl? Please? I am just SO CURIOUS to see how it would turn out!!! Plus, it would be a new twist to our "trope as old as time"! ^O^
I need something new, dramaland. Please?
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aoiaheen
July 9, 2012 at 10:45 AM
I would so love to watch that drama. It would be so hilarious!
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DS
July 11, 2012 at 5:07 PM
lol guy crossdressing and totally wooping it ~ i already got a few candidates for a drama like dat XDDD infinite's sungjong, nu'est's ren and shinee's taemin hahahaha
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54 Laya
July 9, 2012 at 10:43 AM
I lol'ed at the title. "To the Beautiful You" immediately made me think of "You're Beautiful."
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55 Abbie
July 9, 2012 at 10:49 AM
I'm leery of watching this drama for a couple of reasons. I have not read Hana Kimi, nor do I plan to, but I get the major idea: girl cross dresses at a school, and several boys fall for her thinking she's a dude. Nothing wrong with that, but the cross-dressing thing is a bit overdone for me. Also, I like Min-ho and Sulli, but I've never seen them act, so I don't know what to think about them being cast. I think it's funny since their from the same management company. But, I probably will only watch this if it's recapped. If it isn't, I won't.
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canxi
July 10, 2012 at 6:26 PM
It's not as bad as it sounds. Only two boys actually like her. The main lead learns of her gender early on and the second lead has to deal with the emotional turmoil of thinking he's gay (which he does hilariously...and then--if the drama does it right--quite seriously). The rest of the dudes are there for shenanigans and there should be one who hates her/him. Lol.
The manga actually never made a big point of the cross-dressing, it was a plot point but not the main focus of the story, though it does cause more and more trouble. It's more like Coffee Prince and less like You're Beautiful. The girl is literally that way for months before anyone seriously catches on.
Are there really that many gender-bending korean dramas out there that people have gotten tired of them? lol, I only know these two.
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56 Lahlita
July 9, 2012 at 10:50 AM
Hey y'all! Just popping in to add nothing to the conversation.
I gotta say, I think that Choi Min-ho is totally cute. I've always loved his surprisingly deeep voice, his glorious height and his hilariously tiny head. Hah! Seriously, it's itty bitty teeny. He's a cutie (although both his haircut and hair color in the photo above are stupid ... black-haired Min-ho forever!). I watched him in Pianist and didn't hate it. I don't actually know if he acted well. I just thought he was cute. Is all I'm sayin'. That's something.
As for Sulli, she is very beautiful. Duh. I don't know anything else about her.
I also don't know anything about this drama/manga/anime/any of the adaptations. Never read it, never seen it. So once again, I will put the onus on Javabeans and Girlfriday to watch the first two episodes and tell me if I should bother.
And finally, I know that Korea doesn't think of spoilers the same way Americans do, but those character summaries crack me up. The "mysterious" doctor. So Mysterious ... ooh. I wonder what on earth his story line is? OH, WELL, LET US TELL YOU! He is someone who discovers that Sulli's character is actually a girl, and the dramatic tension will be supplied by him knowing and her being worried that he's going to reveal her secret -- but now we know that he doesn't reveal it (spoiler!) and actually becomes a kind, guardian-angel figure in her life (spoiler!) popping up all over the damned place whenever she's in trouble (spoiler!). Uh, that was a shitload of plot to just give away, so ... thanks for dissipating the dramatic tension before we even get started? Heh, oh, Korea, how I've missed you.
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anotheraddict
July 9, 2012 at 11:19 AM
oh, Korea, how I’ve missed you
Oh, Lahlita, how we've missed you and your snarky humor. Hope all is well in your neck of the woods.
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57 Kitchel17
July 9, 2012 at 10:51 AM
I've watched the original japanese drama and I already know this version is not going to live up to it. I saw the korean make of boys over flowers and I hated it, so im not even going to touch this one sorry...
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58 Stia
July 9, 2012 at 11:00 AM
"She’s the Beautiful Ultimate Prince Scandal Man"
I get some of these but not all of them
She's the=?
Beautiful= You're beautiful
Ultimate= Ultimate K-Pop Audition/Survival
Prince= Coffee Prince
Scandal= Sungkyunkwan Scandal
Man=?
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la dee dah
July 9, 2012 at 11:54 AM
"She's the Man" - American cross-dressing boarding school movie starring Amanda Bynes.
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59 luraaa
July 9, 2012 at 11:39 AM
Just... no. Despite the cross-dressing and unbelievable plot lines, I have a soft spot for the Hana Kimi 2007 version and manga. It's my second favourite dorama next to Hana Yori Dango.
Maybe I'm just biased because I've never seen these actors in any drama, but that was the case for me too when I watched the 2007 version. I only knew Oguri Shun from Hana Dan and I had no idea who the rest of the actors were (except for Toma who was a guest in Hana Dan season 2). I fell in love with show after. The actors in show weren't idols, but after Hana Kimi they became more famous.
Even though some would say that I should give show a second chance and watch the first episode, I'm not gonna do it. I don't think I can. I tried watching the first episodes of the 2010 and Taiwanese version but I couldn't even watch the first five minutes.
I think Go So-young would fit the role of the principal, because she looks like the principal in the 2007 version, and she has that motherly vibe.
Oh well. Goodluck to the cast and production team then. They're treading on a difficult road.
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60 hottestjen
July 9, 2012 at 12:37 PM
not excited for this remake....i really dislike knowing that sulli is the main lead bc i honestly think other people would play this role way better like amber? or any other "actress"...so i'm only looking forward to "Lee Hyun-woo, Kim Ji-won" because they both are daebak!
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61 Rovi
July 9, 2012 at 12:45 PM
Oh thank God JB aposted this, I was seriously starting to bug GF & JB for this...
OK, so for my two-cents...
Casting had been months now, TBH. Sulli, Minho, even the rumor that L is in it...
Of course, I saw the topic is about, no surprise, sports, like those failures "Dream" & "Heading to the Ground"...like yeah, and I was thinking they were gonna make it like soccer since it's both Minho and Daddy Choi Yoon-gyeom's forte...but anyways, points for keeping Sano's original sport...
Not much news on Lee Hyun-woo since I didn't even track "Equator Man"...and yeah, points for JB for Minho as "man(-boy)", I can already visualize it as:
"Dream Team the Drama Version: Let the Hyung-Whoring Get Real As If The Fancams and -photos DIDN'T EXIST"
Well, genius high-jumper, since he's an "Ace", alright? Well, I guess Sulli should be given an instruction to be put make-up and told that "Ashiya Mizuki's a girl trying to look like a boy but fails miserably and Sano catches on to her the first thing. Maybe the gay Doc, too, if we have him anyways." Oh, and Jae-hee as her alias works, too, IMO...
...also, will she be running for real? Since Mizuki's a runner first and foremost???
Weeee~, L isn't Nakatsu Shuichi, then; I hope Lee Hyun-woo's exceeds Ikuta Toma's wacky portrayal of him, and if Donghae didn't have to do such Raccoon-man and also didn't go all Bu Poshang (Bu Pa-sang) in "Skip Beat", I'd love to have either him or Eunhyuk as Nakatsu. XD
But to be honest, Minho should've been Nakatsu, since the orig.char. entered Osaka Gakuen with a soccer scholarship, and us K-Pop fans know how soccer, Minho, and Daddy Choi are inextricably linked with destiny...
"Beautiful Ultimate Prince Scandal Man". PFTTT~!!!!
Not too much comments on the staff, since I didn't even knew they existed either in the manga or drama, but wow, comeback for "Mr. Eugene" as the GAY DOCTOR~!!! XD
PLEASE PLAY THE GAY DOCTOR, I'M SURE EUGENE WOULDN'T TAKE OFFENSE...
(since in the manga the Doctor did kiss Ashiya Mizuki's older bro out of annoying the latter, though...)
Oh, oh, will we see the dog (Yujiro, who originally is close only with Sano and with girls)??? Pretty please???
and maybe Song Joong-ki with it LOLszOh, so Hwang Kwanghee's Kagurazaka, then??? Also, please exceed my liking of Yu Shirota...if not for the fact that he hated Siwan before, I wouldn't even take notice...
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OK, so, frankly, I'm in two mind if I should follow this, given the fact that I was such a fan of the 2007 Japanese version (fun to watch) and the Taiwanese version (full of laughs)...and also the fact that my hard drive's free space is running out too on all the dramas and music shows I've been downloading...
And since SM is the one in charge, and everyone knows that SM's artists, you know, reading from some comments, tend to suck in acting and all...
With the exception of Choi Siwon, since he's my # 1 bias since "Hyangdanjeon"...and also Kim Heechul, who's celebrating his birthday but with the bad news of closing his Twitter account...and maybe SuJu without Kibum, sorry...
So yeah, 2 minds, and SM being such an asshole sometimes especially the president *anti-SooMan*...
And yeah, so...
-will the other 2 Dorms (1st: Karate/Taekwondo, 3rd: Drama) be there?
-will Minami Nanba (the resident 2nd Dorm playboy), Kayashima (who can see ghosts), duo Noe and Sekime (latter the one wearing glasses), and Nakao (in (one-sided) love with Minami) be there?
-will St. Blossom be there? Please not SNSD...
-will the photogrpaher and journalist be there? I loved them in the 2007 Japanese version, so funny~!!!
-will Shin (Izumi's younger bro) be there?
-will Julia be there? Please let it be Amber (like everyone's praying for, LOL)
-will Mizuki's older bro be there, and gets kissed by Mr. Eugene? PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE~?!!!
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So yeah anyone can see I'm such an annoying bitch, but hey, gotta get my fan's worth of satisfaction...XD
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Mel
July 9, 2012 at 3:32 PM
Thanks for the flashback... You know your SM facts.... And your J-Hana Kimi... That was my first Jdorama and second was Hana Yori Dango because of Toma... being in it!! Yup Oguri was in both the introvert.. I look forward to Minho and Sulli as they will be backed by some good actors... I too am an ELF like you... Hoped this had been made when Siwon was younger... (am a Siwon fan since Hyang Dan thru the fault of JB's awesome recap from 2007!!!! Another start of Kaddiction)
Thanks for taking a look back at the J version that I too enjoyed.. Lots of girly giggles from watching that version, how brutally funny that watching it was quite thrilling as to when the "cat would be let out of the bag" since slowly the girl/guy was discovered by different characters who not only had Doc-Ki Tae Young (i love him--will he really be playing gay doc?) as her guardian angel... I look forward to this... And by the looks of the reactions debates rebuts it may end up a hit becuz
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Mel
July 9, 2012 at 3:37 PM
of the idols... Just look at the KHJ version Playful Kiss.. (Yeah the power of using a smart phone... my reply got cut up and there's no mo edit button on this blog site sooo this ended up getting cut up). Fighting K version, we may end up liking it!!
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Rovi
July 12, 2012 at 11:39 PM
Thanks, and hello to ELF's round the world~! XD
But of course, avid K-Pop fans should know their biases' history and whatnot, right?
J-Hana Kimi was my most favorite, but I cant deny T-Hana Kimi tickled my fancy too...just that I didn't watch the extra episode of J-Hana Kimi and the 2011 remake...
Yes yes yes, Ikuta Toma will always and forever be my fave Nakatsu ever. Jiro Wang, well, I dunno. And yes, Shun oguri was my most fave Hanazawa Rui too~!! and Shinichi~!!! and it was in Hana Kimi that I discovered he had pectus excavatum...
About Siwon...he'll be great as Minami Nanba~!! teehee~!!! Siwon too is my first bias~!
I heard that cute rumour from ELF friends that Heechul would be Mizuki and he'd be cross-dressing his way to an all-girl's school...
Actually I'm not too expectant of MinLi anyways, so yeah. Actually, the manga didn't even show Mizuki as "trying to act boyish", she doesn't even look like a boy to begin with...and fails miserably to keep the act up, so that Sano and eventually the others kept up.
And yes, Mr. Eugene will be the doctors, and many many fans of both manga and live-action will give him cookie and brownie points if he played the "gay doctor"~.
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bebu
July 10, 2012 at 5:22 AM
No wonder you don't want SNSD to act in this drama. You're an ELF. Don't worry I don't think SNSD will appear in this drama because they're too busy.
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Rovi
July 12, 2012 at 11:43 PM
No, I'm not anti-SONE, sorry if I looked like one. (I do wonder what's with the tension between SONE's & ELF's anyways)
Just that, it would be weird if they pepper SNSD in here...since, yeah...
...but the fact that Snoop Dogg dissed them as having "legs but no biscuits" ires me to no end.
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Ace
July 10, 2012 at 5:50 AM
I'm a SuJu fan but I wanted SNSD's Sunny to act in this drama. I wanted her to be the lead in fact. But anyway, at least the lead's not Yoona which was the rumor a year ago. *shrugs*
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Rovi
July 12, 2012 at 11:47 PM
'Smatter of fact, why not? Sunny's one of my faves too, her voice and "shouting" skills poke funnily, she should be the character of Minami Nanba's aunt and the gay doc's sister (the gay doc is Nanba's uncle too in the orig.)
...or she could be Julia instead of Amber having in it~!
Oh, Yoona's conisdered? No offense (Yoona's my next bias after Yuri), but, well, I'm not too taken with Yoona's acting and all...and also, Yoona will fail tremenduously as Mizuki IMO...
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maldita
July 10, 2012 at 5:54 AM
Only Minho, Sulli, and Kwanghee are the idols. Everyone else are legit actors. They cast EXO as the random classmates though.
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Rovi
July 12, 2012 at 11:50 PM
Even EXO(-K)'s roped in here? WTF is Soo-man even doing~?!!!
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Rovi
July 14, 2012 at 12:27 AM
So for the EXO "classmates" (which I'm sure will be distributed to Dorms 1 to 3), they
Soo-manKai, Chanyeol, D.O.nut, Sehun, Kris, Lu Han and Lay.Okay, so combo of K and M, whoopee.
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62 Mymymai
July 9, 2012 at 12:49 PM
PD Jeon Ki-Sang?! You were the butcher that bludgeoned my love of Hana Yori Dango! I cursed the day you were chosen to helm Boys Over Flowers!
I could not force myself to watch after 5 episodes of Flowers and just skipped to the final episode, which was just as bad, if not worse, than the first episode. I think I threw up a bit while watching the cheesy scenes, horrible music, and nonsensical plot.
Is this the final death of all popular Shoujo mangas? Be insanely popular in the manga world, enjoy jodrama adaptation, bad Taiwan remake, and finally butchered in a Korean remake. How many casualties have there been?
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63 acejihyo
July 9, 2012 at 12:59 PM
sigh, i guess i should stop holding out for an actually good adaptation of the manga vers.
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64 Phil
July 9, 2012 at 1:06 PM
Given that Jeon Ki-sang also directed My Girl and Delightful Girl Choon-hyang, am I the only one who thinks Boys Before Flowers might've been a bad fluke in his career? Besides, the shoddy writing was primarily responsible for turning Boys Before Flowers into a disaster, not the directing.
The rest of the crew seems to have successfully solid dramas under their belt:
Producer: Kim Hoon (White Tower, Love Story in Harvard)
Scriptwriter: Lee Young-cheol (all three High Kick series, Nonstop 5)
Composer: Park Geun-cheol (Goong, Lovers in Paris, City Hunter)
Art Director: Noh Sang-soon (You're Beautiful, My Girlfriend is Goo Miho, Shining Inheritance)
Aside from Lee Young-cheol, I'm really excited for Park Geun-cheol to put together a marvelous soundtrack.
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65 skinnymocha
July 9, 2012 at 1:38 PM
Japanese: Okay, but I only watch it for Ikuta Toma
Taiwanese: Hated
Korean: We'll see
The main problem I have with this is the source material itself (i.e. the manga), which I never really enjoyed and always wondered why it created such a stir. Same case with Hana Yori Dango.
As for Minho as Sano... that is going to be a slippery slope since Sano himself isn't exactly the most endearing type either. If you're going to have a dull character, at least cast a GOOD actor who can flesh that role out a bit, as opposed to a bad/mediocre actor who will only serve to emphasize its drabness. Oh well, all the best to Minho and the rest of the cast.
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66 ~Feather~
July 9, 2012 at 1:40 PM
I was wondering when I would hear about this on dramabeans. :)
I will watch this just so I can compare with the other remakes. I'm happy that an actual actor got the role of Nakatsu, I loved him in the original. I never saw the Taiwanese version; everyone here seems to have mixed feelings with some saying it was good while others say it was horrible. I've never seen a Taiwanese drama so I don't think I would notice if they were delivering their lines terribly. I will watch and see if I want to recap it if it gives some of the same feelings as the first jdorama. What I mean by that is by showing the different friendships of all the boys and giving a fun atmosphere with lots of laughs, but since this a kdrama, I think it will veer more towards romance than the friendships. I'll give it a chance (at least for the first few episodes). I'm also wondering if they'll keep the homosexual plotline where the doctor is gay and Nakatsu thinks he is gay. That was really heartwarming and hilarious.
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67 Vera
July 9, 2012 at 1:45 PM
I'm iffy about Minho. And here I thought I was the only one with such thoughts. I hope he performs well because I believe this drama will be on "looking forward to" list. I wish Sung Joon was the lead, that man is too beautiful. Is this the remake of Hana Kimi?
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68 jyyjc
July 9, 2012 at 2:11 PM
I'll be checking this out for Lee hyun woo and kim jiwon.
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69 kirara
July 9, 2012 at 2:42 PM
AHAHAH.. Ki Tae Young as the Medical Teacher Nakatsu.. Wait.. I thought they are going to make him more feminine like?? Guess that must be out of the picture in this korean version of the remake done so many times (2 times in Japan and once in Taiwan)..
and I will need a big reason to watch this because I dont like any of the idol stars as the cast (not a Shinee, F(x) or Z:ea fan) and I liked both the 1st Japanese version and Taiwanese version.. However I am interested in all of the actors and actresses who play the teachers because I'm not too familiar with them and based on this post, it sounds like many of the older actors/actresses have much better experience in acting.
Either way.. Guess I would like to see what happens how the tides turn in this version! :)
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kirara
July 9, 2012 at 3:45 PM
SORRY! I have my characters wrong.. not nakatsu... its Umeda.. Everyone kill me.. its been too long since I watched and read the story!! :(
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canxi
July 10, 2012 at 6:42 PM
Umeda isn't very feminine. He's just really beautiful. I don't know where that "kind guardian angel" thing comes from, however, as he was anything but. He just had nothing to gain from outing her, as I remember. He's snarky and bad tempered which is why I like him. I think Ki Tae Young could be good at it. :)
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Rovi
July 13, 2012 at 12:00 AM
Yeah...and yeah, he's really "a snarky guardian angel"
And from what I remember of Umeda Hokuto, besides the fact that he was gay, kissed Mizuki's older bro just for the fun of it, and is related to Minami Nanba, he smokes too, and he has a boyfriend/lover/whatever???, forgot who he was, but the manga he was in was also done by Hisaya Nakajo...
...and I hope he "kicks everyone in the end and call them stupid". XD
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70 pigtookie
July 9, 2012 at 3:03 PM
I'll be watching for Lee Hyun Woo and Kim Ji Won, though Sulli is a wild card - she doesn't seem bad, but it's been a while since her last project and she's the center of the show.
I'd like for them to offer the meatier roles to promising rookie actors instead, but for this type of drama, idols should qualify, since they've probably had training for variety skills to add to the comedy factor, as long as they've also had considerable training or talent for acting. Unfortunately many of them have been lackluster, but that does not mean I should be prejudiced for the next idol.
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pigtookie
July 9, 2012 at 3:26 PM
It's not wise to do a remake of this drama, when the manga and previous dramas have left such a memorable impression on many viewers - this is like BOF round 2, so I hope they're ready for all the comparisons.
But since it's been decided...
The story and relationships are heartwarming, and sounds like a sweet summer drama. It's not very deep (for me) though, so my best hopes is that it will be zany and wonderful, like You're Beautiful in Dream High. My expectations are it will be some of that... but it sounds like it could be a hot mess, what with the crazy setups and much of the plot is not to be taken seriously in the first place. Honestly I'm not expecting much from Minho and Sulli (not an opinion on her ability, but many decent korean actresses have done injustice on this type of cute, blundering sort-of-feisty character). Lee Hyun Woo is the one who has more work cut out for him in terms of an interesting character - I loved him when I watched Equator Man, I'm looking forward to what he'll bring.
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71 songjoongkilove
July 9, 2012 at 3:10 PM
anyone know what the deal is with INFINITE L? i thought he was casted alongside Kwanghee.
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72 crazykel
July 9, 2012 at 3:19 PM
Okay. So I'm going to be really picky here. I am a HUGE Hana Kimi fan. I was a fan of the manga first before I watched any of the dramas.
I am excited for this version, because, in my opinion, it completes the set. However, if Umeda-sensei isn't gay, I might be a little on edge--"mysterious doctor" doesn't cut it for me; that's probably because he's one of my favorite characters. They also should handle Nakatsu well, because he's such a beloved character that bad handling of this part could ruin the whole series.
I don't know any of the idols in this, so perhaps that will either be to my advantage or disadvantage depending on performance. Overall, I'm looking forward to see if To the Beautiful You can keep up the steam of the HK franchise.
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73 Daniella
July 9, 2012 at 4:06 PM
Lol, when I saw Kang Kyung Joon, I thought big and I was like...What the heck?!!
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74 harukogirl
July 9, 2012 at 4:16 PM
Wait - Ki Tae-young is the gay doctor????? Pffft. Ok, I'm watching it just for that :D
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75 red
July 9, 2012 at 5:14 PM
Hana Kimi was my first Jdrama...actually my first asian drama, so I have a big soft spot for it. Both Minho and Sulli are my favourites from each of their respective idol bands, though not a particularly crazy kpop fan girl, so I have no problem with the casting.
Lee Hyun Woo blew me away in equator man, so I'm excited to see him in this. Personally I'm glad they cast him in nakatsu's role because there's more acting involved in that role. And really if he can bring it he could run away with the show. Ikuta Toma completely outshined Oguri Shun's Sano and it made him a star.
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76 red
July 9, 2012 at 5:18 PM
omg tell me they are going to have a character like Nanba...hes so important!!! and the rest of the dorm 2 gang, the bromance made the show!!!
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77 anicheung
July 9, 2012 at 5:25 PM
I don't know much about the cast aside from Lee Hyun Woo (he's the kid from God of Study, right?). But Hana Kimi has forever been one of my favorite shoujo manga and the description of the characters is a little disconcerting to me. It already sounds like a lot of plot might end up getting some changes. I haven't seen any of the Hana Yori Dango adaptations, so the Korean one being "butchered" is just something that I've read about over and over, so THAT makes me a little worried as well.
I'm still going to watch this one, but it's got quite the comparison field. The Japanese version didn't quite follow the manga plot-wise, but was so crack-tabulously funny that I fell for it. The Taiwanese version was the opposite of that, following the plot as closely as it could manage, but wasn't at all that humorous; thought it was charming for all its worth. And I've been wondering about a Korean remake for a while now... so now we get to see how well it stands.
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crazykel
July 10, 2012 at 6:30 AM
I agree with you completely. Reading the descriptions left me a little as you say "disconcerted". We really, except for a few characters, aren't given a clue as to who everybody is in the terms of manga-verse.
I for one am wondering who will play Kayashima, Oscar, Nanba, Nakao and Tennouji as much as I am worried about Umeda-sensei. All of those characters are important to the characterization of this series.
Hana Kimi j-drama was my first drama, so I'll protect it with all my heart.
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anicheung
July 12, 2012 at 5:32 PM
There are a lot of "extra" characters thrown in that makes me think that this K-drama version might be trying to mimic the J-dorama version a little and then adding its own standard K-drama touch.
For instance, I also do not recall ever being introduced to an actual, physical principal in the manga. And the character of Sol Han-na doesn't really exist in manga-verse either. But the J-dorama version had a female principle, included Hibari (the scary, crazy Sano fangirl whom I adored) who is probably the Sol Han-na equivalent, and even turned Hara Akiha into a woman. But it WORKED for the J-dorama, so I fell in love with it!
And then being that Osaka Gakuen was an all-boys boarding school, the female language teacher is also a K-drama extra. Really, the manga focused more on the boys and students than it did on any adults at all (which is typical shoujo genre story telling anyway).
I was trying to pin-point each of the K-drama characters with their manga counter parts too, like the shoujo manga-snob that I am. lol So I, agree with you, I'm also wondering who the supporting cast will be, because what I really LOVED about Hana Kimi was the interaction between all the boys of the school.
I especially wonder who will be Kayashima because in the manga, he's Nakatsu's best friend after Mizuki and Sano. He ended up being one of my favorite characters, but neither of the two adaptations I've seen (2007 J-dorama or 2006 Taiwanese drama) have captured his character properly. They just blow him off as the creepy kid who sees ghosts.
Anyway, rant done...
End note: What I loved about the J-dorama version the most was Ikuta Toma, but that's a whole different story altogether. :P
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78 ajj
July 9, 2012 at 5:39 PM
Oh noes..Ki Tae Young's character is supposed to be gay..he should be gay that's pretty essential. They're going to change everything with this version.
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79 JuDa
July 9, 2012 at 6:24 PM
this another drama make me sick...
what the hell Lee Hyun Woo is the 2nd lead here..
truthfully said.,the only news attract me for this drama only LHW name and PD Jun Ki Sang...others was a joke..LHW should be the male lead here.,Not only he have more experience than Minho.,But he's the 2nd most talented young antor behind Yeo Jin Goo..He skillful acting was great..bright future..What? Minho male lead..oh no...this drama is not my list!!
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80 jyin
July 9, 2012 at 7:12 PM
why i did not see Infinite's L name in that casts list???
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81 Ai
July 9, 2012 at 7:53 PM
So Hana Kimi basically. Already shaking my head, they are going to fuck this up so bad like BOF :/
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82 'dalia
July 9, 2012 at 8:31 PM
i am so sick of cross dressing dramas. i don't know if i can watch this. Sulli is so pretty will she be able to pull off looking like a boy to fool others?
also i hate to say it but i can't stand Minho. i wish they had someone else playing the lead...
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83 kyary
July 9, 2012 at 8:51 PM
Ugh this is gonna be so different from the original. And I think they're taking out the homosexual elements. Because...y'know...S. Korea ain't that open about these kind of things. Although I still really hope that they don't because it's a very important part of the show.
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84 Roxy
July 9, 2012 at 9:51 PM
Well aside from Minho getting the main role instead of Lee Hyun Woo(SMH right there), if they wanted to cast someone from f(x) wouldn't Amber be the better choice?
Also... I could sorta understand Lee Hyun Woo playing the role of Nakatsu (even if a little disappointed). I think the role of Nakatsu requires more acting than Sano.
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85 QT
July 9, 2012 at 11:19 PM
a bit bummed that Lee Hyun Woo is not the lead but it seems that the story is a bit different than the Japanese but I seriously hope they will not ruin it since it was my fav. J-drama >___<
Kwanghee is Sano's enemy?wtf can he act xD & I wonder if they will make the doctor gay in the K-version as well cause that'll be hillarious
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86 anigeek89
July 10, 2012 at 12:52 AM
Big fan of the Hana kimi series but the cast list isn't inspiring any thrills from me. I'll wait for the preview.
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87 Chintu
July 10, 2012 at 12:55 AM
I've seen some cuts of Sulli in this movie 'Punch Lady', where she plays this angsty, bold character with short hair, kinda like a boy-cut and she was actually pretty good i think, if not perfect... so she has potential... i tried to use that as reference to picture her as the boyish lead, but somehow now it's no longer helpful, cuz now she has filled out, has curves, her face has graduated from child-like cute and pretty to prettier and grown-up-starting-to-be-beautiful... so dunno how the boys in the school will buy her as a guy...
o well, suspension of disbelief...
& i think minho and hyunwoo suit their respective characters if only because, Minho exudes a kind of inherent coldness, which will suit the Sano character (as of what i saw from oguri shun's interpretation), while hyunwoo has so much warmth and sunshine which will make him rock the nakatsu charac and make him beloved to all, eventhough that's technically the 2nd lead... infact i pity minho for being saddled with the Sano role, cuz if an actor of Shun's calibre came across slightly wooden in certain scenes and was outshined by that nakatsu actor, then minho has greater chances of being totally creamed by hyunwoo's portrayal... and we know from track record what happens when inexperienced, idol actors are given the taciturn, proud, genius guy roles (kim hyung joon in BBF & Playful kiss, Yonghwa in YAB & Heartstrings). But Minho gives off, I don't know, some kinda actor vibes??? Hopefully, he doesn't disappoint...
I really love Kim Jiwon and would love it if her character doesn't fall into caricature-crazy-fangirl-from-manga trope... something offbeat would suit her so well...
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Chintu
July 10, 2012 at 1:29 AM
http://www.allkpop.com/2011/09/netizens-uncover-past-clip-of-fxs-sulli-chewing-on-a-shot-glass
Sulli's cuts from Punch Lady...
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88 eternalfive
July 10, 2012 at 1:08 AM
"She’s the Beautiful Ultimate Prince Scandal Man, basically. " - haha XD
Reaaally not looking forward to Min-ho being the lead though. =\
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89 autumnscribbles
July 10, 2012 at 1:17 AM
I am strangely excited about this, mainly looking forward to all the eye candies, especially Lee Hyun-woo. Kim Ji-won is a plus.
Ambivalent about the main leads. Sano is a character I find hard to like in both the manga and the jdorama (the 1st one), Min-ho will have to do something different (kind of like how Nakamura Aoi did) with this character for me to like him, and I am not really confident that he will pull it off.
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90 fodfran
July 10, 2012 at 2:53 AM
I feel like everyone should be a little more openminded about this drama. Wait until the first episode before tearing the lead actors to pieces. Minho showed significant improvement from his role in "Pianist" to "Salamander Guru" and those who blame the actors for the failing of the latter have obviously not seen any of it. I'm pretty sure we can blame the poor writers for that one. Sulli also has plenty of acting experience and could do well.
Anyway, my question to dramabeans is, do you intend to recap this drama or not?
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91 909
July 10, 2012 at 3:08 AM
Don't know if anyone else knows this but pictures of the behind-the-scenes have already leaked!
The other classmates will be played by a few members of SM's EXO M&K. Given the inexperience most of the main actors already have (expect of course Hyun Woo), makes me a lil hesitant to see a rookie group (with no acting experience) join in. Although I am becoming a fan of EXO, and will probably enjoy seeing Kai's face on screen (kekeke) let's just cross our fingers and hope for the best~
p.s But I'm expecting to cringe more with Minho's acting than all the rest. That boy reeeally needs lessons in acting~
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92 Ayumi
July 10, 2012 at 3:21 AM
Haha...
I think the reason why they used Minho is because he has some acting experience in sitcoms and he's also athletic. Sulli on the other hand is actually very experienced in acting since she was a child star before she became an idol.
I was honestly looking for L haha but since Hyun Woo is here then YAY.
I've read from somewhere that EXO is doing a cameo haha that's already enough to make me happy. I am incredibly excited for this but I won't put my hopes up because I loved the jdrama one all too greatly. (Mostly because of Ikuta Toma. T_T The guy is still gorgeous).
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93 May
July 10, 2012 at 4:28 AM
Wait where's infinites L? I was looking forward to this for L! And lee hyun woo <3 he should be the main, not Minho and Sulli...they should put real actors in this instead of idols...
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94 The Real CZ
July 10, 2012 at 5:40 AM
This will be the funniest drama of the year, but for the wrong reasons.
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xnopex
July 10, 2012 at 10:00 AM
lol. i feel the same way.
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maldita
July 10, 2012 at 11:57 PM
Really? I thought Dr. Jin is. LOL. We'll see. :)
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95 graygirl
July 10, 2012 at 6:02 AM
Ki tae young!!!!!
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96 tigerl21
July 10, 2012 at 9:43 AM
This will be quite a stretch for a K-Drama. I'm seriously wondering how they are going to handle the practical onslaught of homosexuality... The doctor is gay, and very obvious about it, and the friend questioning his sexual orientation, and admits his love while the main character is still parading around as a boy, another student is in love with one of his seniors.... Like I said, it is a pretty big jump for K-Dramas.
Looking at the cast list, I'm a little nervous. I really like the 2007 Japanese version (couldn't handle the 2011 one) and the Taiwanese versions were pretty solid and fun. I have a feeling it will be difficult to watch this without comparing it to the other two.
I'll just set myself for dissapointment. Maybe I will be pleasantly surprised- or it could turn out to be another "Playful Kiss."
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97 down4u
July 10, 2012 at 9:51 AM
Gosh so much dislike for Minho here, my opinion would be very unpopular here. But I will be giving Minho and Sulli a chance. I have seen Minho in the "Pianist" and "Salamander Guru" and it wasn't all the bad in either mini-drama/drama. Either way I'm all geared up for this "Hana Kimi" re-make because I'm curious on how they are going to do it up. (btw....I loved BOF -seeing as it was my 2nd k-drama ever not having watched the original in Japan OR Taiwanese at that time- )
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98 xnopex
July 10, 2012 at 9:59 AM
i usually dislike korean remakes of japanese dramas (welp, opened the floodgates here) because i honestly think the longer format leaves the door open for so much trite makjang bs.
hopefully with the ample amount of source material (2 japanese versions, a taiwanese version, and the manga),SM will be able to do this adaptation some justice. however i have a feeling since it's SM's money and reputation on the line, i'm going to see the same bs that i've gotten used to in korean dramas:
episode 1-4: cute interactions between the cast (best part of the drama!)
episode 5-8: guy (nakatsu or sano) realizes they love the bear. both confirm their feelings for one another
episode 9-10: some huge stupid revelation that screws everything up even more.
episode 11-13: dramatic hardship hits the bear (either she's fighting with a fox, the male lead puts her through some emo garbage, family problems, or most likely in this version, the threat of her brother coming to take her back to america)
episode 14-15: male lead goes through noble idiot syndrome and delays our happy ending for a bit
episode 16: omg finally we're here and we're done. cue the cute again.
i'm not even filling in the holes if they get an extension (which is most likely)
don't get me wrong, i'm ok with this formula. if i wasn't, i wouldn't watch korean dramas or japanese dramas. but when you've seen the original shorter format, more light-hearted format, it feels like SUCH A TREK getting to the end (operation proposal and hana yori dango felt like this).
i really appreciate the "shorter", 45 min, light-hearted TVN dramas like queen inhyun's man, flower boy ramyun shop, 12 men in a year, i need romance, etc because while they employ that tired formula, the journey doesn't seem so arduous and boring because the writers (most of the time) are able to keep it interesting for 16 episodes.
i'll watch this but a friend of mine and i have a bet that the formula i listed above is going to be followed to the letter.
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99 emmayu
July 10, 2012 at 11:22 AM
I'm sorry but those who think amber would be better as the leading role is, I'm going to buntly say it, stupid-cause you people are only thinking about looks, which amber doesn't look the part either-so double stupidity.
I'm going to be open-minded about this drama but I'm very iffy about minho, who does the same eye glare when he's acting.
sulli, on the other hand, I'm very hopeful cause I really think she can deliver her part. She was a very good child actress. I've seen bts of 'punch lady' and she's so bubbly but when they start shooting, BAM sulli gets into character. With her short hair and her youthful face she can look like an extremely pretty little boy.
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Jackie
July 10, 2012 at 12:23 PM
lol I laugh my ass off when people say Amber should have been give the part. (No. Just no.)
I'm super excited for Sulli. She's technically a wild-card at the moment because she was a great child actress, but hasn't acted in a while. But I have a lot of hope for her, so fingers crossed.
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100 Stephanie
July 10, 2012 at 11:29 AM
couldn't agree with you more. I'd say that kdramas are better than taiwan dramas but I dare say that Boys over flowers was popularised by tw drama. Admittedly, the japanese version was better... but still, the tw version had insanely high ratings and like every chinese ever knows the show. That's like 1/4 of the world. BUT the korean PD just had to prettify it and nullify it's good underbelly.
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