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dramasoliloquy) wrote2011-07-19 09:35 pm
dramasoliloquy) wrote2011-07-19 09:35 pm
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Watching Now: Ikemen Desu Ne - Japan's You're Beautiful
Ikemen Desu Ne is You're Beautiful condensed, plus a pinch of slurpy cliche-ridden subplot.
(Jang Geun Suk as Hwang Tae Kyung in YAB, and Tamamori Yuta as Katsuragi Ren in IDN)
Ikemen Desu Ne (IDN), Japan's remake of You're Beautiful (YAB), had a two hour long debut recently that condensed YAB's first two episodes.
You're Beautiful is one of my favorite dramas, so of course I had to tune in to watch Ikemen Desu Ne. For those who don't know, the plot basically is about a girl who was raised in a convent filling in for her twin brother as he recovers from surgery. She pretends to be him and becomes a member of A.N.Jell, a very popular boy band composed of three members, Tae Kyung, Kang Shin Woo and Jeremy (in order of importance).
(Park Shin Hye as Go Mi Nam/Nyu in YAB, Takimoto Miori as Mio/Miko in IDN)
The acting's okay. I find the Japanese actors aren't as handsome as the Korean ones, but I won't blame them for that. I actually like IDN's cast, they act as well as YAB's (since they both have newbie actors), although Jang Geun Suk is >>>> Tamamori Yuta. More charismatic, more vital, just more. We'll see how Yuta does in the more dramatic moments to come. As for the girls, Takimoto Miori makes a more convincing boy, simply because she doesn't have Park Shin Hye's very feminine features.
Ikemen Desu Ne is the down to earth version of You're Beautiful. The music is more somber and serious and the drama does away with the little quirky details the Hong sisters so dearly love. For example, the scene in YAB when Go Mi Nam is about to throw up, and Tae Kyung hands her a cup, then a plastic bottle, and finally takes a plant out it's container and offers her the container. In Ikemen Desu Ne, it's gone along with other scenes like Go Mi Nam's trip to the airport to catch the plane and you know the cute naked babies with the fluffy clouds scene? Adios!
So what did they put in its place? Some scenes of Go Mi Nam and her twin brother as children together. There's also an unnecessary and idiotic subplot of A.N.Jell wanting to have a charity concert, but the director of the orphanage (I guess?), doesn't want them to get involved with the children as he thinks they're just using them to look good. (He's right of course.) But anyway, Mio goes everyday to prove him wrong, and what's this? Surprise, surprise! He allows them to have their concert after all. I'm guessing the orphanage will show up again near the drama's end.
(Kiss with a side of throw up)
You know, one thing I love, love, LOVE about the Hong Sisters is how they can take cliches and rework them into something fresh. The accidental kiss is full of throw up, want to get your couple in bed together? Have her taser herself. I mean, they're wicked at that stuff.
With the whole orphanage thing, it's so corny. It's like IDN is taking most of the big plot points of YAB, yet leaving out the very details that made YAB special, and substituting it with some substandard lame material.
I am pleased that the drama is trying to show some connection between the siblings. I felt the Hong sisters really dropped the ball there in not making the siblings contact each other somehow.
(Jang Geun Suk as Hwang Tae Kyung in YAB, and Tamamori Yuta as Katsuragi Ren in IDN)
Ikemen Desu Ne (IDN), Japan's remake of You're Beautiful (YAB), had a two hour long debut recently that condensed YAB's first two episodes.
You're Beautiful is one of my favorite dramas, so of course I had to tune in to watch Ikemen Desu Ne. For those who don't know, the plot basically is about a girl who was raised in a convent filling in for her twin brother as he recovers from surgery. She pretends to be him and becomes a member of A.N.Jell, a very popular boy band composed of three members, Tae Kyung, Kang Shin Woo and Jeremy (in order of importance).
(Park Shin Hye as Go Mi Nam/Nyu in YAB, Takimoto Miori as Mio/Miko in IDN)
The acting's okay. I find the Japanese actors aren't as handsome as the Korean ones, but I won't blame them for that. I actually like IDN's cast, they act as well as YAB's (since they both have newbie actors), although Jang Geun Suk is >>>> Tamamori Yuta. More charismatic, more vital, just more. We'll see how Yuta does in the more dramatic moments to come. As for the girls, Takimoto Miori makes a more convincing boy, simply because she doesn't have Park Shin Hye's very feminine features.
(Aloof Tae Kyung, kind Shin Woo and fun Jeremy in YAB and Ren, Shu and Yuki in IDN)
Ikemen Desu Ne is the down to earth version of You're Beautiful. The music is more somber and serious and the drama does away with the little quirky details the Hong sisters so dearly love. For example, the scene in YAB when Go Mi Nam is about to throw up, and Tae Kyung hands her a cup, then a plastic bottle, and finally takes a plant out it's container and offers her the container. In Ikemen Desu Ne, it's gone along with other scenes like Go Mi Nam's trip to the airport to catch the plane and you know the cute naked babies with the fluffy clouds scene? Adios!
So what did they put in its place? Some scenes of Go Mi Nam and her twin brother as children together. There's also an unnecessary and idiotic subplot of A.N.Jell wanting to have a charity concert, but the director of the orphanage (I guess?), doesn't want them to get involved with the children as he thinks they're just using them to look good. (He's right of course.) But anyway, Mio goes everyday to prove him wrong, and what's this? Surprise, surprise! He allows them to have their concert after all. I'm guessing the orphanage will show up again near the drama's end.
(Kiss with a side of throw up)
With the whole orphanage thing, it's so corny. It's like IDN is taking most of the big plot points of YAB, yet leaving out the very details that made YAB special, and substituting it with some substandard lame material.
I am pleased that the drama is trying to show some connection between the siblings. I felt the Hong sisters really dropped the ball there in not making the siblings contact each other somehow.