Hana Yori Dango: Who Did It Better?

It's been over a year since a drama addict introduced dramaqueen4life to the enchanting world of dramas and since then she's been completely hooked. A day doesn't go by where she doesn't watch an episode. It's like daily medicine that she just can't live without...

Meteor Garden (Taiwan)

 
When this first aired in 2001, it became a phenomenon. The drama world was hooked to their telly watching Shan Cai (Barbie Hsu) being courted around by 4 rich and awesome guys. Shan Cai was good though sometimes irritating as she never admitted her true feelings that much(or as enough as I would have liked :D).

Dao Ming Si (Jerry Yan) will forever stay in many peoples' hearts as the type of man who was ready to fight with anybody and anywhere for his girl. What stood out in this drama was the attention to details (E.G how Dao Ming Si actually looked the part of being a violent bully and all.)
It focused more on each character's feelings. Shan Cai was not exaggerated and Vic Zhou's portrayal of Rui was among the best in all the versions. What caused this to stay in people's hearts is probably the amount of hardships the lead couple has to go through in order to have that "happily ever after" ending. 

Though when one watches it now, the costumes, phones, and the fashion seem really outdated (and are lol), this drama still manages to capture the part of our heart that yearns for someone like Dao Ming Si (or any of the other F4). Even though this versions' cast lacks the handsomeness of the Korean version, it still has its own charms and strong points. 

Boys Over Flowers (Korea)

 
This is the drama that started my addiction and obsession to Asian Drama. As a result, this will always remain close to my heart. At first, the pretty cast was just eye candy, but before I knew it, I was in love with the F4. Goo Jun Pyo will forever put so many other guys to shame, with his larger than life gestures and the way he confesses his love.
Lee Min Ho did such a great job making Goo Jun Pyo compelling and relatable. It also seems that being a new actor worked in his favor as well as his awkwardness made him even more adorable.
The subplots of Yi Jung and Ga Eul were also incredibly sweet and in some cases even more interesting than the main couples.
One thing I did not like about this version was that the main couple was lacking chemistry sometimes (or at least that's what I felt.) Koo Hye Soon as Jan Di was sometimes irritating to watch and was far too exaggerated for my taste.
I do have to admit it has got one of the best-looking casts in dramaland. Such pretty boys definitely made girls drool over them making it all the more popular. It also has drama and lots of it at that

Apart from Gu Jun Pyo and few other positive points, the drama is not that great. It has its moments which made me love it, but at the same time sometimes I was about to fall asleep. I'd say this adaptation was mediocre.

Hana Yari Dango (Japan)

 
I simply loved this show. After watching the Taiwanese and Korean version, I knew I had to watch this one.This remains the closest to the manga that I so dearly loved. Matsumoto Jun as Domyouji was very convincing. He was also adorable when he messed up the proverbs and sayings. But my only issue with him is superficial - I wish he was taller like the Domyouji's from the Korean/Taiwanese. The cast here is not as pretty as the Korean version, but they make up for it with their incredible acting and wonderful chemistry. I loved it so much that after two seasons and a movie that tied everything together so wonderfully, that I wanted more! Inoue Mao also made this version my favorite because she was the most beautiful main female lead in all the versions, as well as the fact that she holds her own against the F4 when she had to. Compared to the female leads from the other versions, she was more forthcoming with her feelings which were something the other two severely lacked.

Out of all the versions, my all around favorite was Hana Yori Dango, the Japanese version. It was well thought out with sharp directing and a plot that has you on the edge of your seat for the entire two seasons and a movie. Granted, each episode was only 45 minutes as opposed to the ~ 65 minutes for the Korean and Taiwanese versions, so that may be why. It also had one of the most adorable and even strongest female leads in Makino. 

The Taiwanese version came in second for me because it was emotional and also had great chemistry. The romance parts were incredible and the kisses were also heart melting.
Third comes in the Korean version because although it had the most handsome (hottest!) guys, the female character just bothered me a lot. The bromance between the F4 in this version was also great, though.

At the end of it, it doesn't matter who did it better. All that matters is that every version left its own imprint on the viewers' heart. Every version had some good points and some not so good ones, but all three managed to capture my HEART and left ME Wanting more of this Cinderella story.

So which one was your favorite? If another country could make an adaptation of the Hana Yori Dango manga, which country would you want that one to be?