The series of Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers from 4 different countries.
Well the order how I watched it was really different and I guess you can say it's really weird. First it was the Japanese version that my friend had on DVD, it was interesting and at that time I didn't know there was other versions from different countries. Then I heard about Korean version's boy's over flower was a must watch. and I watched it online and I thought it was based on modern wealth and the comparison between the rich and the poor is exaggerated by a lot.Now, after that, the hot boys got me interested and so I did research on the Japanese and Korean version and I realized there was a Taiwanese version way before the production of the Japanese one. So I started watching it, the quality of the episodes was kind of laid back and the style are very different compared to the modern version of the drama.However, the plot of the series is really well thought out.Lastly, the Mainland China version has changed it's name from F4 to H4 and the character's names are different as well. And obviously, the plot was somewhat similar,the events are different, but it's all adapted from the Japanese Graphic Novel Hana Yori Dango.
Now lets go in order of production and introduce the casts:
Meteor Garden Season 1 & 2
Title: 流星花園 (流星花园) / Liu Hsing Hua Yuan (Liu Xing Hua Yuan)
English title: Meteor Garden
Broadcast network: CTS
Season 1
Episodes: 20
Broadcast period: 2001-Apr-21
Air time: Thursday 9:00pm
Opening theme song: Qing Fei De Yi (情非得已) by Harlem Yu
Ending theme song: Ni Yao De Ai (你要的愛) by Penny Tai (戴佩妮)
Casts:
Barbie Hsu as Shan Cai
Jerry Yan as Dao Ming Si
Vic Zhou as Hua Ze Lei
Ken Zhu as Xi Men
Van Ness Wu as Mei Zuo
Extended Cast
Rainie Yang as Xiao You
Winnie Chien as Teng Tang Jing
Edward Ou as Qing He
Ann Yeh as Li Zhen
Belinda Cheng as Bai He
Wang Yue as Shan Cai's Mother
Dong Zhi Cheng as Shan Cai's Father
Zhen Xiu Zhen as Dao Ming Feng
Mary Hsu as Dao Ming Zhuang
Lan Cheng Long as Yamen
Zhang Ruo Zhen as Qian Hui
Christine Ke as Xiao Zi
Liu Er Jin (劉爾金) as Dao Ming family's butler
Wallace Chung as Ah Sung
Angie Tang as Governess
Li Jie Sheng (李傑聖) as Xiao You's boyfriend
Bu Xue Liang as college professor (cameo)
Beatrice Hsu as Ah Xun (cameo)
Xiu Qin (秀琴) as herself (cameo)
Jin Wen (僅雯) as limousine driver (cameo)
Harlem Yu (ep30, cameo)
Kelly Pai
Synopsis:
Shan Cai, whose parents are far from wealthy, attends Ying De University, the private school established exclusively for rich students. Besides being looked down by rich classmates, she has angered the leader of F4, Dao Ming Si. F4 comprises of Dao Ming Si, Hua Ze Lei, Xi Men, and Mei Zuo, who are the heirs to the four richest families. Their families are the founder of the school and nobody dares to cross them. Shan Cai isn't afraid to stand up to DMS, an act that nobody has done before, and sparks Dao Ming Si's interest in her. However, his constant torture of her has made her miserable while she falls in love with the gentle Hua Ze Lei, who comes to her rescue. Can Dao Ming Si win her love despite his cold and cruel exterior? What happens when his mother decides to use every trick there is to keep them apart? Can they adjust to each other's differences due to their vastly incompatible social status
Season 2
Episodes: 31
Broadcast period: 2002-Nov-11
Theme song: Jue Bu Neng Shi Qu Ni (絕不能失去你) Can't Lose You by F4
Ending song: Yan Huo De Ji Jie (煙火的季節) The Season of Fireworks by F4
Casts:
Barbie Hsu as Shan Cai
Jerry Yan as Dao Ming Si
Vic Zhou as Hua Ze Lei
Ken Zhu as Shi Men
Van Ness Wu as Mei Zuo
Michelle Saram as Ye Sha
Winnie Chien as Teng Tang Jing
Mary Hsu as Dao Ming Zhuang
Edward Ou as Qing He
Megan Lai as Mimi
Wu Pei Ci (吳佩慈) as Xiao Qiao
Extended Cast
Bu Xue Liang as college professor
Chen Jian Zhou as Da Xin
Liu Geng Hong as A De
Li Kang Yi as A Mei
Peng Qia Qia (澎恰恰) as Principal
Xu Xiao Shun (許效舜) as Sha Ge
Jiao Jiao(焦姣) as Puo Puo
Kenneth Tsang as Gong Gong
Tony Fish(余炳賢) as A Lun
Gail Lin (林嘉莉) as Yi Lin
Zhang Guo Zhu as Xi Men's father
Guo Shi Lun as Mei Zuo's father
Wang Yue as Shan Cai's Mother
Dong Zhi Cheng as Shan Cai's Father
Liu Er Jin (劉爾金) as Dao Ming family's butler
Peng Wei Hua (彭偉華) as Dao Ming Feng's assistant
Angie Tang as Governess
Li Jie Sheng (李傑聖) as Zhong Zhe
Zhen Xiu Zhen as Dao Ming Feng
Ai Wei as Dao Ming Cheng
Figaro Ceng
Kingone Wang as Mr. Gao's assistant
Synopsis:
F4 graduates from Ying De Xue Yuan. Dao Ming Si invites Shan Cai to go on F4's graduation trip with them to Spain, which is actually F4's way of letting Shan Cai and Dao Ming Si spend some time alone. Dao Ming Si and Shan Cai becomes inseparable during the trip. Just before Shan Cai and Si leave for Spain, Hua Ze Lei gave Ah Si an envelope with a "smart advice" in it. When Ah Si opens the envelope, he finds that the advice from Hua Ze Lei was to ask Shan Cai to marry him in an old church with a legend. Dao Ming Si buys a "Meteor Ring" which Shan Cai had her eyes on, and prepares to propose to her in a church that had special meanings of "love".
However, on the way to the church, Dao Ming Si gets into a car accident which had causes him to lose his memory. He met Ye Sha at that time, who helps him and looks after him. The sudden disappearance of Ah Si causes Shan Cai to worry, so she asks Jing to help her. The other three members of F4 also came to Spain immediately after they hear the news.
What follows is a story full of ups and downs as Shan Cai tries to find Dao Ming Si and help him regain his memory.
In this continued story of Meteor Garden, the love story of Xi Men and Mei Zuo are shown. The reason why Xi Men is such a playboy is revealed, as well as Mei Zuo's own love story since he was in elementary school.
Hana Yori Dango Season 1 & 2
Season 1
Title: 花より男子
Title (romaji): Hana Yori Dango
Also known as: Boys Before Flowers / Boys Over Flowers
Format: Renzoku, across two seasons
Genre: Romance
Broadcast network: TBS
Air time: Friday 22:00
Episodes: 9
Viewership rating: 19.6 (Kanto)
Broadcast period: 2005-Oct-21 to 2005-Dec-16
Theme song: WISH by Arashi
Insert song: Planetarium by Otsuka Ai
Casts：
Inoue Mao as Makino Tsukushi
Matsumoto Jun as Domyoji Tsukasa
Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui
Matsuda Shota as Nishikado Sojiro
Abe Tsuyoshi as Mimasaka Akira
Sato Megumi as Sanjo Sakurako
Nishihara Aki as Matsuoka Yuki
Seto Saki as Asai Yuriko
Fukada Aki as Ayuhara Erika
Matsuoka Emiko as Yamano Minako
David Ito as Nishida
Sada Mayumi as Todo Shizuka
Kato Takako as Sengoku Sachiyo
Tomiura Satoshi as Makino Susumu (brother of Tsukushi)
Kobayashi Susumu as Makino Haruo (father of Tsukushi)
Ishino Mako as Makino Chieko (mother of Tsukushi)
Matsushima Nanako as Domyoji Tsubaki (sister of Tsukasa)
Kaga Mariko as Domyoji Kaede (mother of Tsukasa)
Guests
Ito Kazue as Yamanaka Minako
Nakayama Masei as Terada Junji (Class 2C)
Ikeda Kaori as Morioka Mizuki
Kaku Tomohiro as Sawatari Shingo (ep1)
Sano Kazuma as Kimoto Takayuki (ep1)
Hasegawa Tomoharu (ep1)
Igarashi Shunji (ep1)
Handa Kento as Ryuji (ep4-5)
Gashuin Tatsuya (ep4-5)
Takuma Takayuki (ep4-9)
Oshinari Shugo as Nakatsuka (ep6-7)
Mitsuya Yoko as Nakatsuka's other girl (ep6-7)
Sakai Ayana as Kurimaki Ayano (ep8-9)
Hankai Kazuaki as TOJ's emcee (ep8-9)
Shibuya Momoko as a TOJ participant (ep8-9)
Suzuki Sotaro (ep9)
Synopsis:
Makino Tsukushi is the only poor student at Eitoku Gakuen, the school of the ridiculously rich and privileged that is ruled by Flower 4 or F4, a group of four boys who come from extremely powerful families: Domyoji Tsukasa, the leader and heir of the Domyoji World Finance Group; Hanazawa Rui, the introverted son of a large company; Nishikado Sojiro, a player who is the heir of a tea ceremony school; and Mimasaka Akira, a madam killer with ties to the underground. If a student gets on the F4's bad side, he/she gets a red notice and is bullied and driven out of school.
Makino hopes to pass her days quietly-- without drawing any attention to herself-- but one day, she stands up to Domyoji in defense of her friend. The next day, Makino gets the dreaded red notice. Even though she is harassed, Makino decides to keep going to school because she is a "tough weed". She declares war right back on the F4. Her resolve gets the attention of her crush Hanazawa Rui and oddly enough, rouses romantic feelings in her worst enemy, Domyoji Tsukasa.
The series is based on the Japanese shoujo manga "Hana Yori Dango" (Boys Before Flowers) by Kamio Yoko.
Season 2
Episodes: 11
Viewership rating: 21.7 (Kanto)
Broadcast period: 2007-Jan-05 to 2007-Mar-16
Theme song: Love So Sweet by Arashi
Insert song: Flavor of Life by Utada Hikaru
Casts:
Inoue Mao as Makino Tsukushi
Matsumoto Jun as Domyoji Tsukasa
Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui
Matsuda Shota as Nishikado Sojiro
Abe Tsuyoshi as Mimasaka Akira
Nishihara Aki as Matsuoka Yuuki
Kato Natsuki as Okawahara Shigeru
Seto Saki as Asai Yuriko
Fukada Aki as Ayuhara Erika
Matsuoka Emiko as Yamano Minako
Sato Megumi as Sanjou Sakurako
Sada Mayumi as Toudou Shizuka
David Ito as Nishida
Kato Takako as Sengoku Sachiyo
Tomiura Satoshi as Makino Susumu (brother of Tsukushi)
Kobayashi Susumu as Makino Haruo (father of Tsukushi)
Ishino Mako as Makino Chieko (mother of Tsukushi)
Matsushima Nanako as Domyoji Tsubaki (sister of Tsukasa)
Kaga Mariko as Domyoji Kaede (mother of Tsukasa)
Sato Yuuichi
Guests
Ikuta Toma as Oribe Junpei (ep1)
Yanagisawa Takahiko as Junpei's older brother (ep1)
Nakae Daiki as Oribe Shingo (ep1)
Kaku Tomohiro as Sawatari Shingo, the bully student (ep1)
Fujisaki Yurie as Maeda Miki (ep1)
Hagiwara Kazuki (ep1)
Oomasa Aya as student of class 3-C
Saito Michi as student of class 3-C
Tsurumi Shingo as Uchida Ken (Domyoji Group employee, ep1-10)
Suigetsu Mai (水月舞) as Uchida Ken's wife (ep1-6)
Hashida Honoka (橋田歩果) as Uchida Ken's child (ep1-6)
Miyazaki Midori (宮崎翠) as Uchida Ken's child (ep1-6)
Asaoka Satoshi (朝岡聡) (ep1,2)
Nishimura Tomomi as Akira's mother (ep3)
Kitayama Imari (北山伊万里) as Akira's sister (ep3)
Kitayama Himawari (北山向日葵) as Akira's sister (ep3)
Kanjiya Shihori as Hinata Sara (ep3-7)
Sasaki Katsuhiko (佐々木勝彦) as Shigeru's father (ep3,8)
Mitani Yumi (三谷侑未) as Shigeru's mother (ep3,8)
Misuzawa Nako as Miyuki (ep5)
Sasaki Sumie as Tama (ep6,9)
Asanuma Shinpei (浅沼晋平) as the principal of Hidenori Gakuen (ep6)
Yatsu Isao (ep6)
Yasuda Yoko (安田洋子) (ep6)
Saito Yukino (斉藤幸乃) as a friend of F4 (ep6)
Morita Konomi (森田このみ) as a friend of F4 (ep6,7)
Tanaka Kei as Hinata Sara's fiance (ep7)
Yakura Akira (矢倉亮) as the husband of Tama (ep8)
Tanaka Natsuko (田中夏子) as young Tama (ep8)
Okayama Hajime as Yuuki's father (ep9)
Hiki Rie as Yuuki's mother (ep9)
Yamamoto Kei (ep10)
Toda Erika as Nakashima Umi (ep10,11)
Higashino Kouji as a member of the rescue team (ep11)
Komoriya Toru (小森谷徹) as the reporter (ep11)
Matsumoto Tamaki
Synopsis:
This second season of Hana Yori Dango picks up right after Domyoji leaves for New York. After confessing to Domyoji, Makino has not spoken to him for a year. Rui and the other members of F4 try and help Makino meet Domyoji again by going to New York for the christmas holidays. Though F4 and Makino meet Domyoji again, he has become a completely different person, and so they leave for Japan.
Some time later, Domyoji's mother annouces that they will be returning to Japan. There, they hold a giant super-rich and classy birthday party for Domyoji and announce something very important. Domyoji, like in the first season, is engaged to a rich girl and heir, Shigeru. The only difference is that they are to be wed soon. What will Makino do?
On the side, Rui begins to fall in love with Makino... will this become a love... square?
Boys Over Flowers
Title: 꽃보다 남자 / Kkotboda Namja
Also known as: Boys Before Flowers / Boys Over Flowers
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 25
Broadcast network: KBS2
Broadcast period: 2009-Jan-05 to 2009-Mar-31
Air time: Monday & Tuesday 21:55
Casts:
Main Cast
Koo Hye Sun as Geum Jan Di
F4:
Lee Min Ho as Goo Joon Pyo
Kang Han Byul as young Joon Pyo
Kim Hyun Joong as Yoon Ji Hoo
Nam Da Reum as young Ji Hoo
Kim Bum as So Yi Jung
Kim Joon as Song Woo Bin
Kim So Eun as Chu Ga Eul (Jan Di's best friend)
Extended Cast
Kim Hyun Joo as Goo Joon Hee (Joon Pyo's elder sister)
Lee Hye Young as Kang Hee Soo (Joon Pyo's mother)
Ahn Suk Hwan as Geum Il Bong (Jan Di's father)
Im Ye Jin as Na Gong Joo (Jan Di's mother)
Park Ji Bin as Geum Kang San (Jan Di's younger brother)
Han Chae Young as Min Seo Hyun (F4's best friend/Ji Hoo's ex girl friend)
Lee Min Jung as Ha Jae Kyung (JK Group's CEO's daughter and Jun Pyo's fiancee)
Lee Jung Gil as Yoon Seok Young (Ji Hoo's grandfather)
Jung Ho Bin as Jung Sang Rok (Kang Hee Soo's Chief Secretary)
Lee Si Young as Oh Min Ji
Gook Ji Yun as Choi Jin Hee / Ginger
Jang Ja Yun as Park Sun Ja / Sunny
Min Young Won as Lee Mi Sook / Miranda
Kim Ki Bang as Bom Chun Sik (Jan Di and Ga Eul's boss)
Song Suk Ho as Butler Lee
Kim Young Ok as Head Maid
Im Ju Hwan as So Yi Hyun (Yi Jung's older brother)
Park Soo Jin as Cha Eun Jae (Yi Jung's first love)
Kim Jong Jin as So Hyun Sub (Yi Jung's father)
Kim Min Ji as Jang Yoo Mi
Jung Ui Chul as Lee Min Ha / Min Jae Ha (fashion model)
Cameo Appearances
Kim Hyung Joon as himself (cameo, ep4)
Kim Kyu Jong as himself (cameo, ep4)
Heo Young Saeng as himself (cameo, ep4)
Lee Hae Woo as Host Q (the guy who drugged Jan Di's drink, ep4)
Lee Jung Joon as Gong Soo Pyo (Ga Eul's boyfriend, ep9-10)
Heo Kyung Hwan as cell phone event MC (ep10)
Lee Jung Sung as radiologist (cameo, ep13)
Hai Ming as Ming (Ji Hoo's friend, ep14-15)
Lee Suk Goo (이석구) as (Shinhwa's high school principal)
Jo Soo Bin as announcer
Jang Se Hyun as tied-up student (cameo)
Synopsis:
Geum Jan Di is an ordinary girl whose family owns a dry cleaning store.
While delivering dry cleaning to a student at the prestigious Shin Hwa High School, she saves his life by stopping his attempt at jumping off the roof and is given a full swimming scholarship.
She attends Shin Hwa High and soon is terrorised by the leader of F4 (the four richest and most popular boys at the school) Gu Jun Pyo.
Although Jun Pyo persists on bullying her, he begins to find himself attracted to Jan Di. However, Jan Di has a crush on Yoon Ji Hoo, Jun Pyo's best friend.
When she realises that Ji Hoo is merely a close friend and that she really loves Jun Pyo the couple are thrown into a dilemma as Jun Pyo's mother sets out to break them up and find a more suitable match for her son.
Let's Go Watch The Meteor Shower Season 1 & 2
Title: 流星雨 / Liu Xing Yu
English title: Meteor Shower
Genre: Romance, comedy, inspirational
Broadcast network: Hunan TV
Theme songs: See Liu Xing Yu OST
Season 1:
Title: 一起来看流星雨 / Yi Qi Lai Kan Liu Xing Yu
English title: Let's Go Watch the Meteor Shower
Episodes: 36
Broadcast period: 2009-Aug-08 to 2009-Aug-29
Air time: 22:00 - 24:00
Casts:
Zheng Shuang as Chu Yu Xun
Zhang Han as Murong Yun Hai
Yu Hao Ming as Duanmu Lei
Wei Chen as Ye Shuo
Zhu Zi Xiao as Shangguan Rui Qian
The Murong Family
Wang Jian Xin as Murong Zhong Shi
Li Ying as Shen Han Feng
Xiao Han (肖涵) as Murong Yun Duo
Students
Ren Si Lu (任斯璐) as Xu Li Li
Lu Hu (陆虎) as Guo Rong Rong
Yin Ye Zi as Zhao Mei Ran
Chu Yi Nan (楚轶男) as Jin Na Na
Others
Peng Yang (彭杨) as Yu Xin
Chen Yi Na as Xiao Yu
Xu Yang (徐洋) as Yu Xun's mother
Li Dong Lin (李东霖) as Cai Xue Chun
Jerry Huang as Ye Mian
Zong Feng Yan as Lin Xiao Li
Ma Jian Qin as Vincy
Li Shi Peng (李世鹏) as Jie Jia Long
Cai Jun Tao (蔡俊涛) as An Yuan
Synopsis:
Chu Yu Xun is a hardworking, smart high school girl. Her biggest dream is to enter the prestigious Alistun University. With help from her uncle, she finally gets accepted. Murong Yun Hai, Duanmu Lei, Shangguan Rui Qian, and Ye Shuo are the four richest students of Alistun. With their gorgeous looks, they are the idols of all the girls there. However, they are unsatisfied with the lives that their parents forced upon them. In order to get the principle to expel them from Alistun, they perform a series of pranks. While fighting for the justice of the victims of the pranks, Yu Xun becomes the target of the four guys. Through fighting and arguing, they begin to admire each other and eventually become friends. At the same time, the four guys grow into loving, responsible young men. Through the multiple struggles and hardships, Yu Xun, Yun Hai, Duanmu, Ye Shuo, and Shuangguan mature. They learn to control their own lives, choose their own futures, and strive for their own dreams.
Season 2:
Title: 一起又看流星雨 / Yi Qi You Kan Liu Xing Yu
Also known as: Let's Watch The Meteor Shower Together Again
Episodes: 36
Broadcast period: 2010-Aug-09 start
Air time: 22:00 - 24:00
Casts:
Zheng Shuang as Chu Yu Xun
Zhang Han as Murong Yun Hai
Yu Hao Ming as Duanmu Lei
Wei Chen as Ye Shuo
Zhu Zi Xiao as Shangguan Rui Qian
Tan Li Na as Jiang Yuan
The Murong Family
Wang Jian Xin as Murong Zhong Shi
Xiao Han (肖涵) as Murong Yun Duo
Others
Peng Yang (彭杨) as Yu Xin
Chen Yi Na as Xiao Yu
Li Dong Lin (李东霖) as Cai Xue Chun
Li Shi Peng (李世鹏) as Jie Jia Long
Cai Jun Tao (蔡俊涛) as An Yuan
From all this long talk, America has finished the production of the American style Hana Yori Dango... They call it Boys before Friends. I got so bored after the first few episodes... I don't think it can be compared to the Asia versions. Just my own opinion.
What do you think is the best Hana Yori show/ drama?
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