Hana ni Keda Mono (2017)

Like many other j-dramas, Hana ni Keda Mono is a live adaptation of a manga. I have not read the manga, so I will base my review on what was presented in the drama itself.

The plot starts out with a female student, Kumakura Kumi, who transfers schools and ends up falling in love with the most popular guy in school. Kakizono Hyo is known to be a playboy and he also steals her first kiss upon their first encounter. The story is very cliche; we've all heard of these plot lines before, but even so, I was curious to see if this could be a unique take on an overused plot. Unfortunately though, everything in this drama continued on the cliche path to the point where you can easily predict what will happen next, especially if you are an avid drama viewer. While trying to adapt to the new school, Kumi becomes friends with an outcast named Ogami Kanna, who is surrounded by many bad rumors due to her past that she has kept hidden. Eventually Kanna and other students Kumi becomes friends with become entangled in the complicated/romantic relationship that ensues between her and Hyo.

I can handle cheesy lines or scenes in some dramas, even if I'm not fond of them, but there were so many cringe-worthy scenes in this one that I ended up skipping through some. There are several scenes where it looks like the actors are going to kiss the camera or are talking straight into the camera as if the viewer is the main lead and it was just way too cringey for me. Filming aside, there was not much history or development given for any of the characters in this, so it was hard to connect with them unless one actually read the manga. I also lost interest in the relationship between the main leads and wished there had been more scenes to show the development between the side characters (Ogami Kanna & Hiyoshi Tatsuki) instead. The endless drama that kept happening between all the main characters could've easily been solved with proper communication, so it was frustrating to watch up to the very end.

ACTING/CAST: On a positive note, I did not expect oscar-worthy acting from anyone, especially for a high school drama. If I had to put it bluntly though, the acting was below average.

[Sugino Yosuke]: I initially started this drama because I was interested in Sugino Yosuke's works after seeing him in the second season of Good Morning Call, but out of the two dramas, this was hands down his weaker performance. I felt his acting was a bit too stiff and even some of his facial expressions were unconvincing (he was still superior to Nakamura Yurika), but overall a weak performance from him. I didn't feel any chemistry between him and the main lead like when he was in Good Morning Call. Even his recent cameo in Kakugo wa Iika Soko no Joshi was better than his acting in this drama. I hope he gets a better project in the future, so I can pretend this one never happened lol

[Nakamura Yurika]: Honestly, Yurika was the weakest link out of the cast lineup. She is very pretty, but her acting was stiff and her facial expressions didn't match what was going on in the story. She seemed very expressionless the whole time and I think that's partially why I didn't get invested into Kumi and Hyo's relationship. I didn't see or feel there way any chemistry, especially with how much they supposedly loved each other. There were also awkward hug scenes and exaggeration in other parts of Yurika's acting, such as one occasion where Kumi falls. She literally rolled several times on the ground lol Hopefully she can improve her acting over time.

[Matsuo Takashi]: Here's my guy! There wasn't much to Takashi's character because Izumi Chihaya is supposed to have a very quiet, calm demeanor and he also wasn't around some of the time. So with that in mind, he did play the quiet character well lol But the second lead syndrome was real for me. On one hand, I wanted Chihaya to get what he wanted and on the other, I think he deserved someone way better. This is my first time seeing Takashi in anything and I think he did ok, nothing above average. I might have to watch something else he's been in to get a better idea on his acting.

MUSIC: I was pleasantly surprised to see that Da- iCE sang the ost for this drama because I'm a fan of their music. They used their song "Waruguchi" as the main theme while various instrumentals were used for other scenes. If you haven't checked out anything from Da-iCE, I recommend doing so!

REWATCH VALUE: I would not watch this drama again, but I do think someone could watch it to pass the time. It's not a breakthrough drama, but it is still a high school romance and those who like that genre might enjoy it. I personally found it a bit too frustrating for my taste, but fans of the cast members might find it entertaining.

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