the end of it all

Not quite, actually. Japan may have ended it, but in the future, there might be more adaptations coming from different parts of Asia. That's where its popular, after all.

As I mentioned before, out of all the three versions released, I adore the Japanese version the most. It was the second version that I saw, and at first, I was a bit hesitant to see it since it wasn't popular in our country back then. And besides, we just went through the Meteor Garden craze, where everything was fresh and the F4 were all good-looking, and now the Japanese F4, meh, not so much. But curisity won me over, and so I was sucked into a whole new world of these rich men. Men, who, in my opinion, are much stronger and powerful than the Taiwanese F4. That's how amazing their acting is. You see that everyone is so engrossed into their own character, that you can't help but think that they were made to play the role. (if you read the manga hundred times, you'll know what I mean.)

So anyway, like I said, I don't really tell stories, but surprisingly, this post is about the last installment of the Japanese version, Hana Yori Dango. And I suppose I'll just talk about it for a few minutes(with no spoilers).

For starters: Season 1 was released in 2005 with 9 episodes, and it was all about an introduction to the world of F4 and how Makino Tsukushi and Domyouji Tsukasa fell in love. It wasn't love at first sight, mind you. She hated him at first, because he is the leader of the infamous F4, who ruled the school while their families, ruled the business world. In short, they rule Japan. And they do businesses around the world too, so they really are well-known. Also, she fell in love with Hanazawa Rui first, one of the F4. So there were a lot of obstacles that they encountered before they got together. Season 2 was shown in 2007, and a year has passed for our characters. Madam Kaede, Domyouji's mother, who is against the relationship, devised a plan and provided her son a fiancee from a rich businessman. After all, she's just concerned about her company and her son, seeing that he will be the heir someday. But again, true love prevails, so the couple still ends up together in the end.

The series has ended, finally. But wait. Come 2008 it was announced that a movie will shown that summer. Our favorite group is alive once again.And really, for a fan, this is one of the best things that ever happened to their lives.

 Mimasaka Akira (Abe Tsuyoshi), Domyouji Tsukasa (Matsumoto Jun), Makino Tsukushi (Inoue Mao), Hanazawa Rui (Oguri Shun), and Nishikado Sojirou (Matsuda Shota)

Set four years after the last season, and with Makino's graduation coming up, the engagement of Makino and Domyouji is made public. Blessings from both families have been given, with much love from them, I might add, but unfortunately, a family heirloom has been stolen and they have to retrieve it before the wedding. And so from Japan, they traveled (and gambled) to Las Vegas, did some bidding in Hong Kong, had a vacation in a tropical island, and then back to the motherland. It was a nice trip, actually, and I liked how their love for each other was renewed once again, and confirming to themselves that they really are destined to be together, despite their opposing values in life.

Did I like the movie? Hmm. I did, but it had some wtf moments, which I find completely unreasonable. I must say though, that the 2 seasons are better than this. But then I thought, despite those moments, it just proves that this movie is still based on a manga. I mean, after all, everything started with Kamio Yoko's work. The overdramatic scenes and sometimes exaggerated and dumbfounded moments were made because this is an adaptation of the manga. Some say that this had a very few F4 moments, and had a lot of the couple. True, it did have only a few. And I kinda missed that too because in both seasons, the four's friendship was really tight, and their camaraderie is also a factor on why this became so popular. So whenever they're together in the film, I felt the sense of familiarity and comfort between them once again, which I think would never be gone. There is chemistry everywhere between them, and that's what makes this such a lovely show to watch. And of course, Domyouji and Makino's love has outdone it again, surpassing time and distance. Who would've thought that these manga characters would be loved so much by fans across the world.

 a lovely shot of the two

And it's just sad that this is really it, the end of this wonderful adaptation that has given us happiness, tears, frustrations, and above all, fangirling. Thank God for downloads and DVD copies.