花ざかりの君たちへ (For You in Full Bloom)

Image copyright Fuji TV

Title: Hanazakari no Kimitachi e
Genre: School, Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 12
Broadcast network: Fuji TV
Completed Airing?: Yes

If there's one thing to be said about this drama, it's that it's strange in almost every way possible. If you want something serious and heart-wrenching, this is certainly not the drama for you. There are certainly serious moments where the drama goes a little bit overboard, but the main appeal of Hana Kimi is the comedy.

Ashiya Mizuki (played by Horikita Maki) is a Japanese girl growing up in the U.S. who idolizes a Japanese high school athlete named Sano Izumi (Oguri Shun). "Idolizes" might not be the correct word; stalks is probably more like it. So enthralled by the teenaged high jumper is she that Ashiya hops on a plane to Japan, cuts off all her hair, dons a male school uniform, and enrolls in the all-male Ohsaka Gakuen. She winds up in the same class as her idol, only to discover that he doesn't have the greatest personality. Basically, he's quit high jumping and become a ball of emo. Still, she doesn't let this deter her, determined to see him jump once more, even if she has to push him into it. Surprise surprise, the two of them are roommates, giving Ashiya more time to get closer to Sano. But how long can she keep the fact that she's a girl a secret, when she's surrounded by boys?

If you don't let the fact that Horikita Maki looks absolutely nothing like a boy deter you, this drama is one of the most amusing things I've ever seen. The characters overact, which can be annoying, but it's so ludicrous that it's hilarious. I spent a lot of the drama watching all the other, nameless students in the back of the shots making the strangest faces. Then again, the main characters provide plenty enough amusement on their own, especially Nakatsu Shuuichi (Ikuta Toma). Poor little Nakatsu finds the (supposedly) male Ashiya attractive, and he can't for the life of him figure out why. He spends most of the series having a serious mental crisis that includes a number of hilarious mental asides as he thinks things over and gestures to himself.

Of course, this is also a romance drama, though it never gets overly heavy-- could be due to the constant cross-dressing, lie detection machines, and strange school contests. This is one of those dramas that is so far-fetched that it's impossible to even imagine ever being real, and if you even try to take it seriously, you'll just get annoyed by the overacting and so-stupid-it's-funny jokes. Then again, you should know that any drama that begins with the disclaimer, "This drama is fictional, so please excuse us," is going to be silly. It's also not for the homophobic, as boys in dresses and gay jokes abound; two of the regular characters are obviously gay, more are highly suspect, one is worried that he is, and even the straight ones sometimes look better in a dress than I do.

The music for this drama was nothing overly special, and while I am partial to the opening song, the ending song drives me crazy and I can't stand listening to it, though that could just be me. Also, the last episode's ending was longer than the end of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, and that's saying something. It's a given that Ashiya would say her farewells to the main characters, but when she literally says goodbye to every single one, it gets annoying and I stopped caring after about five people. I think it was supposed to be emotional, but for myself and the person watching it with me, it had the opposite effect.

This is also not the first time the drama has been adapted from the manga. In 2006 it was aired in Taiwan and ran for 15 episodes, though I haven't seen that version so I can't vouch for it. But if you're a fan of the series, it might be worth looking into.

Hana Kimi Official Site