TheCoffeePrincess

Well, obviously people have different preferences and those who watched this drama are either curious, bored, are fans of the actors, or want to indulge in medical dramas that aren't very serious with the accuracy of the medical aspect but are instead focused more on the romance. The number of views do not necessarily equate to quality you know. People can drop this midway or watch it again.

Yes I had my theories on the reason behind the toning down of those themes in this remake.

You mentioned that Daoming Si being supportive of Sancai is way better. Well, I'd like to inform you that this adorable behavior had been shown in the manga and the Japanese drama. The only difference is, it was illustrated in the Teen of Japan pageant, as opposed to the 2018 remake which changed this arc into a culinary competition (they wanted to emphasize the Chinese culture I suppose). Domyoji always had faith in Makino, even in the other versions. In fact, the ending of the first season of the Japanese version showed that his belief in her was the trigger for Makino to realize what a great guy he was and that she loved him too.

Also...You forget, this was a result AFTER he fell in love with her. I am talking about pre-flying-kick-Makino Domyoji. The cruel Domyoji who saw bullying other students as a form of entertainment.

You think his original character was terrible? It was meant to be that way. Why? In order to emphasize Makino's strength and to make you see the reason why she gained Domyoji's respect (he doesn't respect anyone except his older sister Tsubaki and sometimes the F3) and consequently, his heart.

In this remake, you are never able to appreciate Makino's inner sense of justice and character that much because you never get to understand how much courage it took for her to stand up to him, being a witness to the game of bullying which the F4 inspired the whole student body for YEARS. Being new to the university, Dong Sancai was just, I would say, plucky. She stood up to him because that's what her anger drove her to do. Sure she was given an idea of the "terrible" consequences by the other students. BUT she wasn't deeply aware of the price of standing up for what's right, the hell it would bring her student life. Which is why I felt that the foundation of his feelings for her wasn't very understandable. If you never understood why the harsh bullying was necessary in the story, then you haven't appreciated Boys over Flowers completely *shrug*.

But to each his own. I have my opinion and I'm standing by it.

Yes it was her, the same producer. That's why I assumed it was also Taiwanese LOL.

Only reached about 1/5 of the whole drama but I decided to put it on hold for a long time. While I do love this remake for its cute moments and great character changes (I like smart F4), I stand by my opinion, as a decade-long Hana Yori Dango fan, that it would have been better that they kept the darker themes of bullying and violence in the drama. It was what made the transformation of Domyoji's brash nature quite convincing and the admiration for Makino well-founded. These themes, while disturbing, were what made Makino a genuinely resilient and stubborn Weed (she had suffered for years under the cruel tyranny of the F4 in her school just witnessing the "game" of torture they played up until that time she became the target of the red card herself), and the unexpected falling in love on Domyoji's part endearing because he was honestly frightening and downright nutty (e.g. gets pissed off, beats people up randomly or throws a chair outside a school window). It was also the reason why the manga was so successful in Japan. Yoko Kamio, the mangaka, revealed that a lot of young Japanese girls who read the comic book were able to relate easily to the situation in their own schools and it gave them hope that they could be as strong as Makino in their own lives. While I do see Dylan Wang as adorable and cute, I honestly missed the way Matsujun portrayed him: deeply troubled, an idiot at times, lonely, awkward and frightening when angry, but still had a great capacity to love and commit for life, the way Domyoji ought to have been. Watching this remake reminds me of Devil Beside You, honestly. The lead guy has the looks and bravado down pat XD

The chemistry between the leads wasn't that strong as well, unlike the Matsumoto Jun/Inoue Mao and Jerry Yan/Barbie Hsu pairings which was palpable it's crazy.

Let's not talk about the controlling, manipulative Mama Domyoji because she will always be terrible in whatever version she's in. She is the official relationship butcher after all.

Despite all my rants, I'd still tell first time Asian drama watchers or unfamiliar with Boys Over Flowers to just enjoy this drama. Long-time fans of the original story will probably have conflicting feelings and opinions about this (like me) but for those who prefer very mild HYD or a light(er) romantic drama full of eye candy, then I'd recommend it.

Just started on Mr. Sunshine and it's great to see a few familiar faces from Descendants of the Sun again. Woohoo :) This drama did not disappoint, as was expected from the rapidly improving Kim Eun-sook. I wasn't a fan of her earlier works but I've been loving her more recent dramas.

Oh right, was he comatose in Boys Over Flowers? I can recall that the mother hid him and Jun Pyo got all angry because he was lied to, etc. I'm just not sure what his illness was. I don't remember much because I disliked that version immensely. The only version that was worse than BOF was the American one XD. This Meteor Garden is following the manga as well, so most likely it will include the amnesia part unfortunately. All the other dramas had that (with variations on how Domyoji got into an accident and how he recovered). It's been awhile since I read the manga but I think he got amnesia because he was stabbed, and recovered his memories by being hit by a baseball. Hana Yori Dango had the sweetest recovery scene in my opinion.

I haven't reached that part yet but I think they got a bit inconsistent with the timeframe. Actually this is the very first version that altered the storyline of Daoming Si's dad. He was alive but a total absentee father in the manga, Meteor Garden 2001 and Hana Yori Dango. Never made appearance nor was he even talked about. And I think he got sick in Boys Over Flowers if I remember correctly. That's why the mother had to become this iron woman in order to keep the family and businesses afloat. Sorry I couldn't clarify that :(

I think your explanation for the reason why the writers wrote 2018 Daoming Si the way they did has always been the background of Domyoji's childhood in HYD. It wasn't stated like super upfront in the drama (and even in the manga) but there were subtle hints there. It all boiled down to Domyoji remaining in this state of being an emotional midget due to parental neglect. I guess the other versions needed more analysis for the viewer to come up with the same conclusion that you have though :) Although Makino's indecisiveness is a little frustrating, her concerns are well-founded. I agree that it was portrayed realistically and far more favorably even. I dated a guy somewhat similar to Domyoji's character and boy can it be scary. I hadn't reached that situation wherein the guy got verbally abusive and physical but hearing stories of his mean temper and history of violence had me running for the hills, feelings or no feelings. At least Sancai/Makino gave him a chance in the end! XD In reality, nothing is romantic about dating someone like him. People need to understand that to be able to understand her more. It's about self-preservation, at least to me. Haha. She developed a crush on Rui first because he saved her from the bullies and especially Domyoji himself at the beginning. He made her feel safe. Ohhh no worries. I'm like that with HYD too. I can never stop talking about it because it's the only cliche story I will never tire of watching, especially the Japanese drama's version of it. I loved that show so much. <3

I know! But to be honest? I was rather put off by the lack of danger in Daoming Si in this drama. Maybe this sounds weird or bad, but I feel like this trait was such a big part of his character development. And Sancai is probably the most delicate Makino I've ever encountered in an HYD remake. The 2018 Daoming Si is probably the mildest version among all the Domyoji versions (Matsujun will always be the perfect Tsukasa hands down). LOL. He just seems like a spoiled brat trying hard to be a bad boy here. Original Domyoji was initially intimidating and cruel with SERIOUS anger management issues. This is the reason why his transformation was so compelling for me, as opposed to seeing a mere bratty rich kid falling for the poor girl. Who knew a jerk like him could be so selfless? I'm still trying to decide whether I like this character adjustment. There's also not much bullying (which turned violent in the manga). But I liked that the writers made the F4 incredibly intelligent in this version. It was cool to see Taiwanese Akira having a photographic memory apart from being heir to a mafia boss and going after older women. And I liked how they wrote Sancai too. She was kind and such a great friend. She reminds me a lot of Inoue Mao's Makino: righteous, selfless, kind and resilient. They fleshed out the character enough to make you understand why Domyoji fell so deeply in love with her, which the 2001 Meteor Garden and that terrible Korean Boys Over Flowers failed to do.

Yes the Japanese version will always be the best for me. Although this new version is running a close second. I loved the changes they did to the characters.

I have so much love for this live action trilogy. Like it took my breath away when I first saw the movies.

I love love love DOTS! The series that resurrected my love for Korean drama.

Because I've always loved HYD, I will give this one a try.

After doing a marathon of the trilogy, I regret that I didn't watch the movies sooner! I have to thank my long time friend for recommending this to me and convincing me that it was actually worth watching. Because, man...This remake was mind-blowing and the fighting scenes were just breathtaking (as they should be). I am so glad that the Japanese themselves did this work because it really gave the anime justice. Otherwise, it would have been an utter disaster if Hollywood did it *knocks on wood*. With the exception of Megumi (because I always thought of her as older than the actress who portrayed her), I think everyone in the cast was spot on. Kenshin Himura was just perfect. I disliked Kaoru alot in the anime but she was likeable in this remake. Given I wasn't exactly a fan of the anime before despite having watched it at times (too violent and insane for my taste), it's now one of the movies that I like immensely and would highly recommend! Way better than Marvel and the Star Wars franchise.

BOGUMMY!!!

I just finished watching this today and it's one of the very few movies that really made me bawl. Beautiful portrayal of Deokhye's immensely tragic life. It's easily my second most favorite Korean film after Train to Busan. I could feel her desperate longing to return to South Korea, so much that at one point her schizophrenia manifested itself completely upon denial of her return at the airport, and the devastating reality of her being abandoned and forgotten by that same motherland (how easily people forget!). Hence, I was glad someone managed to share her biography. Like the fictionalized story of the late Russian duchess Anastasia Romanov, I wished her love story with her childhood fiance Jang Han had been true. Her loneliness and isolation in real life crushed my heart. This has got to be my (only) favorite movie of Son Ye Jin. Her performance here was stunning and truly deserving of an acting award. And I loved Park Hae Il's character Jang Han too. Even after all those years, he never gave up on her.

Yeo Jin Goo one of my most favorite young actors...in an adult role <3. So yeah, I'm so gonna watch this.

Oh yeah, Dr.Kang. He's still a diamond in the rough but I think he became one of Master Kim's genuine "disciples" in the end. Never liked him and Dr. Yoon actually. He was arrogant but he learned to be faithful to his principles too, just like Master Kim. Sure. you're welcome.

While Romantic Doctor is not one of my top 10 dramas overall, I really liked it because it dealt with issues involving ethics and morality in the medical field. Moreover, it clearly showed how you can NEVER bring a great man down ;) Sure, the battles were never pretty. They were painful and bloody for the main characters (like in real life, right?). I do understand where you're coming from, feeling frustrated and all. But if you finish the drama, you'll see that Master Kim *did* get the justice he wanted. Well not the kind of punishment we would've wanted but it was implied. It was the starting point of President Do's downfall. The show 's ending went for...like, drawing parallelism between the two doctors' different views in their profession. One who got corrupted by the system because he lost his way and the other who stuck to his principles no matter how much hardship he went through because he wanted to do what was morally right. And their understanding of each other's beliefs and principles. I think the drama's message overall was how you remain steadfast in your values when people around you are hell-bent on making you suffer for doing so. It's like real life, you know? At least that's what I think.

No wonder many people disliked this drama. It lacks punch and the story is weak. I was rooting for it based on the first few episodes. I honestly wanted it to be an underdog-turned-success story. I wanted to witness PSH's character's journey from being a prickly gangster girl to a successful neurosurgeon. Step by step. I wanted to see her study crazy hard in medical school and fight her way through internship and residency. I wanted to see her SUCCEED. Unfortunately the show doesn't and it doesn't leave me convinced at all of her so-called success and it just...glosses over it. Maybe I'll keep watching because I like her character and KRW's a great guy here. That is, until I get bored. So much untapped potential in this drama! Moreover, the doctors here are kinda laughable. Neurosurgery is crazy hard (takes 7 years to finish residency IRL) but they appear so clueless it's embarassing. Didn't buy Lee Sung Kyung as a doctor either (all she ever does is look pretty). Glad she redeemed herself in Weightlifting Fairy. And why are the female neurosurgeons wearing heels? Shouldn't they make it a little more realistic by letting them wear sneakers at least and appear, you know, sweaty and frazzled. Means they are actually doing their job.