Ikimen paradise in Hanazakari no Kimitachi e

Title: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (English title: For you in Full Blossom)

This is my treat to everyone!!! If you like guys with Japanese face, you will love this dorama. Ikimen ga ippai!!(I am not sure if this is the right way of saying but I would like to say that there are lots of cool guys).

Lately I feel like to change the lyric IKenai TAIYO to Ikemennnn DA YO…but that’s just when my imagination is running wild.

Wow, that’s all I can say after watching this dorama. I never thought it would be that good after having a bad experience with Taiwanese version of Hanakimi. This dorama is really an enjoyment, especially while watching the solidarity among Osaka Gakuen students. Horita Maki plays well as Mizuki, Ooguri Shun as Izumi Sano is still very cool as well as Hanazawa Rui…and not forgetting to mention NAKATSU (Ikuta Toma-who played as Junpei-kun in Hana Yori Dango 2). I really love Nakatsu Shuichi role in the series. When I was watching the Taiwanese one, Jiro (Taiwanese version of Nakatsu) was also one of the reasons I could stay watching the drama until the end. Therefore I am still not sure if I like Nakatsu because of the original storyline or it is because Ikuta Toma who plays the role. Anyway, this drama is good both in casting and in building the story.

However there are some not-good rumors about the dorama, which some of them I cannot say I do not agree with. The main plot is actually about Mizuki’s journey as undercover girl in boy’s school supporting her crush, Sano in order to get him back in high-jump track. But as the story is developing, the center of the story starts shifting from Mizuki, Sano, and Nakatsu to Osaka gakuen students and their high school life at the dorm. Yet I have never skipped any scenes of the series just like what I have done before with the Taiwanese drama.

Another rumor is about Nakatsu’s supporting role that has become more appealing than Sano himself as the male leading role. It is not because Ooguri Shun does not play well. In fact, I think he has been challenged to play a difficult role as a smart, athletic, cool and cold Sano who seems anti-social and prefer being left alone and doesn’t care to be hated. Yet at the same time everyone especially girls keep believing that he is actually a good guy and keep adoring him as the most attractive and talented guy in Osaka Gakuen. Then because of Mizuki’s empathy and patience in supporting Sano, later in the story, he starts changing to be more gentle and showing more emotions.

In contrast, Toma’s role as Nakatsu Shuichi is very cheerful, over-confident and at the same time like having attention (especially) from Mizuki. He frequently appears to be someone who is full of imaginations and trying to convince himself that he is not like what he is thinking. On the other hand, he is very kind-hearted and a real friend & guardian for Mizuki. I would say that Nakatsu is actually the hero character in Hanakimi. Only here, the hero takes a part as supporting role.

Hana-Orange Range

If you love J-movie called Ima Ai ni Yukimasu (English title: Be With You), you should know this song. For me it’s one of my must listen songs. Moreover after I watched the video clip, I can’t help to play this song over and over again.

A Japanese band from Okinawa, Orange Range who sings the song is quite a special band compared to other. I do really like band groups where the members play their own music instrument such as L’arc~en~ciel. Maybe that’s one of the reasons I start liking Orange Range but still this band has something different to offer. The vocal voices maybe not as special as Hyde but they can make it work to create a good music performance. When listening to HANA (花) personally I thought their music style was romantic pop-rock, a combi between full band and a bit of orchestra touch and it is confirmed when I watch the video clip. Just because the lyric sounds very romantic. I don’t understand Japanese fully but before I looked into the translation I could already start humming

“hanabi rano ooo…mmm…yume mitai ni kimi ni deaetta kiseki….nannana aishiatte kenka shite…

which I understand as “the time when I met you is like a miracle, something…something to love each other, when we were fighting…” (honto ni gomen nasai! I really have to learn more Japanese).

Anyway later on I realized that this was also the band who sang Asterisk, one of Opening song in anime series BLEACH that honestly I disliked it and tend to skip it when I was still watching the series. But it was long long time ago before Ima Ai ni Yukimasu was even produced :p

I suddenly get an inspiration to write this post after listening to IKENAI TAIYO song played at hanakimi’s opening. It obviously has more rock style than romantic pop-rock that I like from Orange Range but having listened to it many times, I can’t deny that I like the song, it is a good song.

However here is HANA lyric and the English translation that I cite from someone’s website (because I’m incapable of translating song (~o~)

HANA

Hanabira no youni chiriyuku naka de
Yume mitai ni kimi ni deaeta KISEKI
Aishiatte KENKA shita
Ironna kabe futari de norikoete
Umare kawatte mo anata no soba de hana ni narou

Itsumade mo aru no darou ka ORE no maue ni aru taiyou wa
Itsumade mo mamori kireru darou ka naki warai okoru kimi no hyoujou wo
Izure subete nakunaru no naraba futari no deai ni motto kansha shiyou
Ano hi ano toki ano basho no KISEKI wa
Mata atarashii kiseki wo umu darou

Aisuru koto de tsuyoku naru koto shinjiru koto de norikireru koto
Kimi ga nokoshita MONO wa ima mo mune ni hora kagayaki ushinawazu ni
Shiawase ni omou meguri aeta koto ORE no egao torimodoseta koto
“Arigatou” afureru kimochi idaki susumu michinori

*Hanabira no youni chiriyuku naka de
Yume mitai ni kimi ni deaeta KISEKI
Aishiatte KENKA shite
Ironna kabe futari de norikoete
Umare kawatte mo anata ni aitai

**Hanabira no youni chitte yuku koto
Kono sekai de subete uke irete yukou
Kimi ga boku ni nokoshita MONO
“Ima” to iu genjitsu no takaramono
Dakara boku wa seiippai ikite hana ni narou

Hana wa nande kareru no darou
Tori wa nande toberu no darou
Kaze wa nande fuku no darou
Tsuki wa nande akariterasu no

Naze BOKU wa KOKO ni iru n darou
Naze KIMI wa KOKO ni iru n darou
Naze KIMI deaeta n darou
KIMI ni deaeta koto sore wa unmei

Ame agari niji kakari ao arashi ni umareshi hikari
Koko ni yuruginai taisetsuna mono
Kidzuite’ru “aisuru” to iu koto
Mada arukeru darou? mieteru n da mou
“Omoi” toki wo koe toowa ni hibike
Kimi no yorokobi kimi no itami kimi no subete yo
Saa saki hokore motto motto motto

ENGLISH TRANSLATION

FLOWER

Like a flower petal withering away
The encounter with you was like a dream
Being in love, getting into fights
We conquered over many walls together
Even after I’m reborn, I shall be a flower Close to you

Will this sun be above us forever?
Will I be able to protect you forever?
Your expressions of you cry laugh and anger
If everything is going to fade one day
We should appreciate eachother more
That time, that place, when that miracle occured
It will bring about another miracle

Becoming stronger by loving one
Overcoming things by believing in one
The things you left are still in my heart
See, without ever losing its shine
I feel blessed For meeting you
For bringing back my smile
I continue to walk holding close to this emotion of “Thank you”

*Like a flower petal withering away
The encounter with you was like a dream
Being in love, getting into fights
We conquered over many walls together
Even if I’m reborn, I want to meet you again

**Like a flower petal withering away
Let us accept everything in this world
The things you left me
The treasure of reality I call “Now”
That’s why I shall live to my fullest and become a flower

Why do flowers wilt
Why do birds fly
Why does the wind blow
Why does the moon shine above

Why am I here
Why are you here
Why did I meet you
Meeting you, that was destiny

After the rain A rainbow casts A light shalt be born upon a storn
There’s an unyielding important thing here
I’ve realized what it means “to love”
You can still walk can’t you? You can see it already
“Emotions” will cross time And shall ring into eternity
Your happiness Your pain Your everything
Now, Bloom with pride More, more, and more….