Tyler's Blog Death of Destiny

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e

So, somebody finally introduced me to a J-Drama (Japanese drama)... ...and I unfortunately got hooked... *cough*thanksmeghan*cough*

Anyhow, this J-Drama is called Hanazakari no Kimitachi e, or more commonly known as Hana Kimi. The drama is a romantic comedy based on the manga by Nakajo Hisaya. Ashiya Mizuki, the protagonist, got surrounded by gangsters one day, yet she escapes unharmed thanks to the help of Izumi Sano, a top high school high-jumper who happened to be passing by. Unfortunately, Sano got injured when trying to escape the gangsters, and stopped jumping as a result. Mizuki, convinced that it's her fault that he stopped high-jumping, decides to move from California to Japan where she attends Sano's school (Osaka High) in order to try to get him to high-jump again. However, Osaka High is an all-male school, with enrolment limited to good-looking males. Thus, Mizuki cuts her hair and disguises herself as a boy as she tries to accomplish her goal.

Obviously, the plot unwinds to reveal way more than simply Mizuki trying to get Sano to high-jump again. I was also surprised to find a lot of the other messages tucked away in the plot, many of which I wouldn't have expected to be in the drama. There is a lot of bonding between the students, and every episode had a subplot while continuing the major one (as per usual). And apologies, but there will be several spoilers below (though nothing really unexpected from a romantic comedy), so if you want to watch Hana Kimi, you might want to skip to the last paragraph.

However, the real plot of the drama comes from a love triangle between Mizuki, Sano, and their classmate Shuichi Nakatsu. Mizuki obviously falls for Sano eventually (or at least, she realizes that she has), although that part comes expectedly. The unexpected part comes when Nakatsu slowly starts falling for Mizuki, and thinking that Mizuki is a guy, Nakatsu begins to think that he's gay. But, as goes that unspoken word of storytelling, Mizuki ends up with Sano (after Sano and Nakatsu find out he's actually a she). Now, unfortunately, Nakatsu is my favourite character, so I do have something to bitch about.

Mizuki is the one centered in the photo, Sano is the serious-looking one on her left, and Nakatsu is the cheery one on her right

I think that is the biggest flaw of Hana Kimi: it follows the whole you have one true love voodoo. If Sano and Mizuki were a good pair, that might be a different story. But Nakatsu's character was simply too flawless for Mizuki to have chosen Sano. Mizuki's character in terms of outgoingness versus seriousness seems to be better fitted for Nakatsu. Nakatsu gives way better advice than Sano (did he even advise Mizuki at all throughout the series?). In terms of job security, a soccer pro (Nakatsu was apparently national level), in my opinion, would be more secure than a professional high-jumper. Nakatsu fell for Mizuki before he even knew she was a girl (and was still determined that he loved her then) whereas Sano didn't feel anything for Mizuki until way after he found out she was a girl. The list goes on. Seriously girl, you made the wrong choice. ARG. (ya, totally got depressed over that yesterday, even though I knew it was coming...)

Anyhow, overall, I really liked Hanazakari no Kimitachi e. The plot was bizarre, but very enjoyable. Again, the characters were what gave life to the drama (or maybe I just get too obsessed with characters?). Personally, I don't think it was flawless *cough* but I do think it was pretty damn good.

I recommend this 12 episode series to any fans of Hana Kimi, J Dramas, romantic comedies, or dramas in general. Oh, and as recommended by a friend who was screaming at the TV when we watched the first three episodes at Meghan's house two weeks ago, you'll probably like this series if you like hot guys. :P