#meteor garden

[jadeinretrogrde]

starting F4 Thailand when you've already watched Boys Over Flowers, Meteor Garden and Hana Yori Dango

[romchat]

after your passionate defense of it on reddit i want to know to your rankings of all the versions of Meteor Garden and why you feel so strongly about it

LOL yes I have strong opinions about this topic. The IP holds a very special place in my heart because the 2001 Taiwanese version is the first non-American show I ever watched! (Even though my parents are immigrants, we rarely watched telenovelas or Spanish language programming at home.) It's also the show that indirectly got me into fandom because one of the first fanfics I ever read borrowed the show's plot. Shout out to ff.net's rinoaJ.

Even though I don't actually love the story itself, I've made it my life's mission to watch and compare every version* because we all have to have a fandom quirk. Here's my personal ranking of everything that has been released:

Hana Yori Dango (Japan): Best chemistry between the leads and the FL’s character writing and Inoue Mao's performance is my favorite version because she's strong but not overly abrasive, and endearing but not overly cutesy. Also: fantastic pacing, great soundtrack, and overall the best cast in terms of acting (although you do have to get used to the zany style). Aesthetically, not the best, however, and the drama feels VERY outdated in terms of the more let's say "problematic" tropes.

F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers (Thailand): Best thing about this version is how they updated the storyline and characters to be less "problematic". Fewer triggering scenes and the ML actually demonstrates healthy growth. I also enjoyed the acting as it's the most natural of all the versions and the cast feel like real teens on screen with Vachirawit Chivaaree playing the ML being particularly good. The cinematography has some lovely touches, and the show gets my pick as the best portrayal of the F4's friendship--they actually seem like friends who like each other!

Meteor Garden (Taiwan): RIP Barbie Hsu. I'm probably over-inflating because of nostalgia BUT it's the original idol drama--you have to give it props. It's the soapiest but there's something about the rawness of early Taiwanese idol dramas that hits on an emotional level. It's also the only version that ever managed to get a few tears out of me (every time the ML sobbed "Shancai, Shancai" 😭 ). Finally, early 2000s Vic Zhou brooding--need I say more?

Meteor Garden (China): This is the only version that I felt captured the richness of F4's lifestyle (sets, clothes, etc.). But hands down the most frustrating characterization of the FL. The character was bizarrely passive and boring.

Boys Over Flowers (S. Korea): I could NOT STAND this version when it first came out even as it exploded on the internet and created absolute Kdrama mania in the late 2000s. The only good thing about it is it gave Lee Min-ho his big break. Overall stiffest acting, especially from the totally miscast FL actress. Draggy as well and could have been cut down several episodes. Iconic soundtrack, however--"Almost Paradise" the ear worm that never dies.

*This list excludes the Japanese movie from 1995 and the indie/student American miniseries posted on YouTube in the early 2010s but the less said about the latter the better lol

[aintgonnatellyouwhy]

Wang Hedi (王鶴棣)

[httpdramas]

Meteor Garden (2018)

[dorkyteenagedirtbag-ks]

Synopsis: Meizuo isn't ready to tell other about his love life.

*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:

“Meizuo, aren’t you tired?” I asked, my eyes brimming with tears.

“Tired of what…?” His voice was shaking, and that only made it harder for me to hold mine back.

“Tired of hiding yourself. Tired of hiding me. Tired of hiding us.” I took his hands in mine. They were warm - a huge contrast to how cold the atmosphere felt right now.

“I get it. You’ve got high expectations from your family, and you can’t tarnish the F4 reputation. But is this really how you want to live for the rest of your life?” I squeezed his hands gently.

“It’s not like that-”

Before he could say anything else, I cut him off, my voice weary. “If it’s not like that, then what are you afraid of? I get it, coming out is always scary. But you know what? You should be more scared of hiding yourself your whole life and waking up one day, realizing it was all built on a lie. You can’t keep this up forever.”

“You don’t understand. Everything is so codified in my world. I can’t just come out and expect everyone to be okay with it.”

I let out a bitter chuckle. “You know, being homophobic isn’t just for the rich, and being gay isn’t just for the poor. Some people didn’t accept me when I came out, and so what? It’s not like they can change anything about who I am. You always have good excuses. And if you’re not tired, I am.” I looked him straight in the eyes.

“I’m tired of going to your house as your ‘best friend,’ even though best friends don’t kiss. I’m tired of people seeing us as brothers, because brothers don’t sleep together. And I’m tired of lying to my parents when I know they would love you even more if I told them you’re my boyfriend.”

I tilted my head slightly.

“I’m just tired of lying every single day to everyone, all because you’re scared of something that might not even happen.” My tears began sliding down my cheeks, and through my blurring vision, I could see his own starting to fall.

“If you’re so tired, why are you still with me?” he asked softly.

“Because I love you. Because my brain doesn’t seem to understand how bad you are for my heart. Because the thought of you dealing with all this alone is unbearable. So please,” I whispered, “stop hiding behind that ridiculous straight façade. It doesn’t suit you at all.”

He pulled me into a hug, his body warm against mine. I felt his tears soak into my coat, his shoulders trembling in my arms.

“I’ll try,” he murmured, “but you have to promise me you’ll stay by my side the whole way.”

“I will.”

- 𝐊𝐒

I've seen no ff abt F4 like wth pls ? Also being able to make anyone I want gay makes me really happy.

[chungmuros]

BARBIE HSU and JERRY YAN as Dong Shancai and Daoming Si

METEOR GARDEN II 流星花園 II (2002)

[thehanadanproject]

HELLO FRIENDS!!!!

this blog is @poetry-protest-pornography and @hotasfahrenheit's newest agenda idea - the hanadan project, in which we watch every version of Hana Yori Dango ever made, together.

mia is a huge Hana Yori Dango fan and has been for 20+ years, since discovering the manga while she was at university, then quickly discovering the anime, and then once the jdrama version was released, devouring that. the jdrama is her most favourite drama of all time, in fact, and she's watched it probably at least 50 times over the years. no joke. she's shared it with friends, she's watched it repeatedly, it's become a background/comfort show.

what she hasn't done is watched it with rachael, and she also hasn't watched or at least finished any of the other drama versions of it.

SO HERE WE GO! we're gonna watch it all, together. and post about it.

our watchlist, in no particular order:

-the Hana Yori Dango anime (1996-1997) -the original Hana Yori Dango live action movie (1995) -Meteor Garden (Taiwanese version, 2001) -Hana Yori Dango jdrama (the best version, Maria swears, 2005) -Boys Over Flowers (Korean version, 2009) -Meteor Garden (Chinese version, 2018) -F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers (Thai version, 2021)

we are not sticking to a set schedule and we're not crazy enough to only watch one episode a week, but we're aiming for weekly posts about whatever we've been watching. reviews, reactions, who knows what, but we'll be posting!

follow along with us on this ridiculous ride!

or don't, we're not your moms~

[tokyicons]