[Discussion] Ryokiteki na Kanojo - My Sassy Girl(April 2008)

Discuss Japanese drama series here.
Post Reply
linhkawaiii
Posts: 7
Joined: Dec 14th, '07, 04:33

[Discussion] Ryokiteki na Kanojo - My Sassy Girl(April 2008)

Post by linhkawaiii » Dec 14th, '07, 04:42

猟奇的な彼女- Ryokiteki na Kanojo - My Sassy Girl
Japanese adaption of Korean movie "My Sassy Girl" starred Cha Tae-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun.
Starts: April 2008

http://www.tokyograph.com/news/id-2246
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Ryokiteki_na_Kanojo

Anyone excited? I can't imagine Tsuyoshi being bullied by Tanaka Lena though LOL

a2a
Posts: 177
Joined: Apr 14th, '07, 18:31
Location: Athens, Greece

Post by a2a » Dec 14th, '07, 10:03

I really don't know how to react to this. I loved the original movie. It had a great plot and really good acting. Then the Americans did an adaption. Now the Japanese...
But since the Japanese are adapting it into a drama that stars Kusanagi I guess I would watch it out of curiosity. Plus I love romantic comedies the most.

linhkawaiii
Posts: 7
Joined: Dec 14th, '07, 04:33

Post by linhkawaiii » Dec 15th, '07, 03:25

i don't know how to react either. but i'm still looking forwards to it, like you said, out of curiosity :)

shannobi
Posts: 124
Joined: Aug 30th, '07, 10:50
Location: MIA

Post by shannobi » Dec 15th, '07, 03:34

There's an American and now a Japanese adaption. Wow, I wonder if they'll eventually have a Taiwanese one. :o

I'll watch it out of curiosity too when it comes out. :D

timmynugget
Posts: 50
Joined: Mar 8th, '06, 01:19

[Discussion] Ryokiteki na Kanojo (aka My Sassy Girl)

Post by timmynugget » Jan 4th, '08, 18:36

TBS has announced a drama adaptation of the hit 2001 Korean movie "My Sassy Girl," which is known as "Ryokiteki na Kanojo" in Japan. The series will star SMAP's Tsuyoshi Kusanagi and actress Lena Tanaka.

The romantic comedy, which originally starred Cha Tae-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun, was highly successful in Korea, and its popularity quickly spread throughout the rest of Asia. Immediately following its release in Japan in 2003, multiple television networks reportedly began fighting over drama adaptation rights. However, it wasn't until Kusanagi was attached to the project that a deal was made this past spring.

The character backgrounds and plot details will be changed for the drama. While the protagonists in the original film were college students, this time the pair will be a marine biology professor (Kusanagi) and an aspiring writer (Tanaka).

Nao Matsushita, Emi Suzuki, Yoshie Ichige, Nahomi Matsushima, Shosuke Tanihara, and Takaya Kamikawa have also been announced as cast members.

Hidenori Iyoda is producing, and Yuji Sakamoto is handling the script. Filming already started earlier this month, with the series scheduled to premiere in April.


On wiki: http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Ryokiteki_na_Kanojo

I'm happy that My Sassy Girl is getting popular already with an American movie on the way and now a drama!

kerobu
Posts: 30
Joined: Aug 5th, '07, 07:45

Post by kerobu » Feb 15th, '08, 04:40

wow... I, too, will be one of those who will watch out of curiosity since it will have a different plot. And I also didn't know that there is an upcoming American adaptation for this movie. Kerobu shock! :blink
It really is getting really popular. I guess it's good that way. After all, it is one of the best romantic movies I've seen.

japysia
Posts: 203
Joined: Feb 19th, '06, 06:47
Been thanked: 1 time

Post by japysia » Mar 26th, '08, 15:41


djkrzy
Posts: 7
Joined: Jan 10th, '08, 21:21

Post by djkrzy » Apr 2nd, '08, 04:42

theres also a american movie version of my sassy girl coming out this year

GoddessCarlie
Posts: 277
Joined: May 3rd, '07, 03:43
Location: Australia
Contact:

Post by GoddessCarlie » Apr 2nd, '08, 10:55

I haven't seen the original, but I have heard lots about it. I will be watching the series and hopefully it'll be good (if different) from the original.

Nomanymore
Posts: 1441
Joined: Jan 11th, '05, 21:04
Contact:

Post by Nomanymore » Apr 2nd, '08, 22:43

Seen the pics on the official site & immo. it looks funny XDDD totally check it when it's out akaka

Megumi@CS
Posts: 41
Joined: Sep 8th, '07, 07:47
Location: USA
Contact:

Post by Megumi@CS » Apr 4th, '08, 15:15

Does anyone know if this is being picked up for subs? :lol I'm looking forward to this show. Tsuyopon gets bullied all the time by SMAP (in a fun way) and his reactions are always priceless and hilarious. I think this will be a good adaption. I like the Korean version too. This is the 1st I've heard about an American version. I hope it's good too.

GoddessCarlie
Posts: 277
Joined: May 3rd, '07, 03:43
Location: Australia
Contact:

Post by GoddessCarlie » Apr 6th, '08, 08:23

Megumi: you can check who's subbing what at the fansub wiki

onidzuka
Posts: 9
Joined: Apr 4th, '08, 01:01

Post by onidzuka » Apr 6th, '08, 09:04

I've committed to translating with the people working on this. I've heard they could use some help on other parts. Message me and I'll send your information to the girl in charge if you want to help.

joykimlee
Posts: 139
Joined: Mar 10th, '07, 21:30
Location: Hong Kong
Contact:

Post by joykimlee » Apr 20th, '08, 19:15

My Sassy Girl was my 1st endeavour into kmovies. Will def watch this jdrama out of curiosity.

Kazuya_
Posts: 141
Joined: Jun 30th, '07, 10:32
Contact:

Post by Kazuya_ » Apr 21st, '08, 03:55

The first episode was definitely different and yet you could see the similarities for those that have seen the movie.

I was unsure how this was going to turn out but I enjoyed the first episode. Lots of comedic moments that were separate from the movie.

I think it's best to try to watch this without preconceived notions going in and not try to compare it to the movie.
Rolly, of all people makes a cameo which had my do a double-take. And the moments with Tanihara Shosuke had my laughing out loud! Especially when he guessed right away that Saburo left his wallet at the love hotel.

lilswtangel
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 1825
Joined: Oct 19th, '04, 02:22
Location: NYC
Contact:

Post by lilswtangel » Apr 21st, '08, 04:11

I'm currently downloading the first episode and expecting to watch it tomorrow afternoon.

I was looking at the drama info over at dramawiki and couldn't help but notice the two guest stars, Lee Wan and Jang Hyuk.

I'm hoping this drama won't disappoint because "My Sassy Girl" the movie was a classic comedy to me. ^^;;

Matthaios
Posts: 21
Joined: Mar 8th, '07, 08:48

Post by Matthaios » Apr 21st, '08, 21:10

Kazuya_ wrote:The first episode was definitely different and yet you could see the similarities for those that have seen the movie.

I was unsure how this was going to turn out but I enjoyed the first episode. Lots of comedic moments that were separate from the movie.

I think it's best to try to watch this without preconceived notions going in and not try to compare it to the movie.
I totally agree. It's hard not to compare them since it's based on the k movie. It has a completely different aspect to it, but has some strong similarities. I guess we will have to wait and see if the overall story is the same.

I thought the parodies they did were pretty funny too. I only caught the Sekai no Chuusin de one though. I'm assuming the others were parodies too, but I don't know what they were from.

Overall I'm looking forward to see th rest...I just hope I can stop trying to compare it to the original. = /

lzydata
Posts: 184
Joined: Jul 29th, '05, 10:36
Location: Singapore
Been thanked: 2 times

Post by lzydata » Apr 22nd, '08, 16:49

Matthaios wrote:Overall I'm looking forward to see th rest...I just hope I can stop trying to compare it to the original. = /
Yeah, I have the same problem, because I loved the original. Actually, the main reason I started this drama was because I wanted to see what they do with it. And having watched ep1, I can see where the Japanese adaptation can be better than the original, where it is merely different, and where it may just be worse.

Better: I wasn't expecting this before, but Kusanagi Tsuyoshi and Tanaka Rena have very good chemistry, better than Cha Tae-Hyun and Jun Ji-Hyun, IMO. There are many times when you can almost believe they're a real couple.

Different: Of course, since this thing is supposed to last 11 episodes, it can't be exactly the same as the movie. For instance, the movie got away with never once naming the girl. Other things too, like how they made the scene in the train less gross. I can live with that.

Worse/Not so good: Remember how in the original they get mixed up in this hostage situation with an army deserter? Or the thing about the tree and the time capsule, and how for a while you couldn't be sure whether we'd jumped to the future, or were still in the present? Or the ending? Personally I liked the fantasy aspects of the original far more than the romance or the sadism. (Even though I would still very much appreciate it if they re-enacted the part where they go clubbing dressed in their old school uniforms. From previews, it appears that there will be the scene where the guy plays the piano for the girl - Pachelbel's Canon in D.)

I know it's only the first episode, but it's already pretty clear that the story overall will be more settled, down-to-earth and realistic, even with the slapstick characters played by Tanihara Shosuke and Kamikawa Takaya. And I understand why, too - it's hard to sustain a great sense of mystery about the girl, what she's about, what she wants etc. over 11 episodes and 3 months, so you got to give her a name, a place to stay, a back story, surely a job etc. I'm hoping they don't make this too conventional, to the point where it's just a run-of-the-mill Japanese drama - retain the better whimsical or plain crazy parts and add new ones!

In that department, the Sekachuu dig was okay, but more sadistic than funny. Matsushita Nao's character is an example of how the story's been tamed down for renzoku drama purposes, but I wonder if they intended anything by naming her Asakura Minami (Touch). Running jokes to come? Anyway, more please.

Actually, the whole marine biology setting and most of the other characters do nothing for me. It may be better to have eccentric characters wander into their lives for an episode or two; if I were the producer I would have fewer supporting characters and expand the ad hoc ones, like the "on one condition..." skits in ep1.

fleng
Posts: 229
Joined: Nov 6th, '07, 14:24
Location: Singapore

Post by fleng » Apr 22nd, '08, 17:18

I have not watched the k drama yet.. gonna look forward to it. Who is doing the subs on this one???

Babyitshind
Posts: 54
Joined: Aug 10th, '07, 03:56
Contact:

Post by Babyitshind » Apr 23rd, '08, 02:25

Eternal Fansubs is subbing this and I am excited to see this!

I hope we can release this fast for you guys!

We'll try our best! <3

ianthe_ona777
Posts: 7
Joined: Apr 22nd, '08, 15:16
Location: Philippines Q.C.
Contact:

Post by ianthe_ona777 » Apr 23rd, '08, 10:35

wow really!! i hope its good! because the korean movie is awesome!^_^

belleza
Posts: 713
Joined: Jan 21st, '07, 07:35

Post by belleza » Apr 24th, '08, 10:31

Better: I wasn't expecting this before, but Kusanagi Tsuyoshi and Tanaka Rena have very good chemistry, better than Cha Tae-Hyun and Jun Ji-Hyun, IMO. There are many times when you can almost believe they're a real couple.
The acting between Kusunagi and Tanaka is indeed very, very good. The most remarkable thing about the first episode are the many scenes of Ryokiteki that are really just long takes of Kusunagi and Tanaka spending time together and talking. That's it. No music, no obvious plot momentum, no fancy camera work, slapstick, or cuts to a different scenes. And often it's just those two in a scene.

There's just something so naked, disarmingly genuine, here in this approach. Sure, there are many set slapstick sequences here, fine and dandy as you'd expect Ryokiteki to play up The Girl's cartoon violence and "oh my god is she crazy?" group pantomine. That is typical of modern J-drama comedies. But My Sassy Girl is a true screwball comedy, and Ryokiteki is a true-as-blue screwball J-drama, a rare try at one.

Both actors have to sink or swim on the quality of their rapport and comic timing, above all connect the emotional dots through interpretation, not microdirection. That too is rare in J-drama. Ryokiteki is marvelously successful here. Kusunagi (who I think is probably the best pure actor in SMAP) is delightfully out of his wits, but he's also engaging, relaxed and richly expressive. He is so game for this part, and it is very, very easy to fall in love with this unassuming, genuinely charming man. Rena is wonderful here. This is not new territory here for her; she has a penchant for playing quirky characters that have too much soul to be caricatures. But you don't get to see this on TV often, and it's beguiling and adventurous. Part of the charm of watching this misfit and this meek man is that we're allowed to enjoy them for prolonged scenes without being held by the hand here by music, visual cues, or slapstick routines. They appeal to us through their acting and the surprising amount of dialogue here. And it works, this mix of broad silliness and subtle humanism.

Also, it looks like the core story veers away from punch drunk love lunancy toward -- I think -- a Some Kind of Wonderful misfit love triangle. I loved the Sekachu parody. It especially works here in a marvelously self-referential way because clearly Kusanagi's character Saburo's feelings over the "other girl" slopt all over junai (i.e. unrequited childhood love) cliches.
Personally I liked the fantasy aspects of the original far more than the romance or the sadism.
For me, My Sassy Girl is "Ima Ai ni Yukimasu" from the point of view of the "Ghost" (or here, the Boy From the Future.)
The brilliant irony of My Sassy Girl is that the great irregularity, the true Other, of this story isn't The Girl, but the "Boy Who Came Back from the Dead." He looked like him, thought like him, liked the same things, and treated her in the same way her ex-did. To her, he is the living Ghost, and their relationship and all the deja vu things they do, from the rose to the high school redux, is her willful dialogue with the past. Not being able to understand the eerie likeness heal from her profound loss, or make sense of her feelings for him, she attacks it, she runs from it, she tries to define it, to project her demons onto him. . His identity in her and the role of his existence and love in her life, change throughout the story.

And her way of teaching him what she shared with him and how she loved him (summed up in the 10 Lessons.) So that when he "returns" to the future, she can accept him as as both his own man and (from her eyes) an angel's gift passed to her from her departed boyfriend.
But I don't think they'll take the same route here. My Sassy Girl benefits from being a film, where as you said, they can mantain the enigmatic presence of The Girl.

The director of My Sassy Girl did a brilliant job creating a "follow me around and around" visual narrative around Jeon Ji Hyung. Instead of, say, a Shunji Iwai treatment where friendships/relationships are depicted with marvelous spatial commentary edited with angular rhythms, the heady rush of youth here is at times shot a little like a student documentary. Sequences made of roving close-ups, lengthy shots taken behind her, her coming into the periphery -- whether it is her talking back to the camera or her playing the piano or the lens running after her in a crowded intersection, she is the subject of the cinematagrophy, and she occasionally dominates the frame of the shots. This is only feasible in a feature film, not a TV production.

Ryokiteki is much more impartial about the camera work, and therefore their relationship is depicted in a more egalitarian way. The relationship itself is the subject, not the girl. And so we already see Riko's feelings and the fissures in her act, relative to Saburo's warm , but uninterested familiarity toward her.

lzydata
Posts: 184
Joined: Jul 29th, '05, 10:36
Location: Singapore
Been thanked: 2 times

Post by lzydata » Apr 25th, '08, 08:00

Wow thanks for the detailed comments belleza. Looks like you're a much bigger fan of My Sassy Girl than I am, or at least I haven't watched it for ages. I suppose I should go watch it again, maybe together with Windstruck.

I'm not so familiar with Tanaka Rena's work, but it's noteworthy that she's mainly a movie actress, and this is the first time she's ever been in a drama for all 11 episodes, playing such a big role. In interviews she talked about the fresh experience of having 11 scripts to work with, and jumping from one episode to another in filming. I suppose there are also some differences in acting technique when you go from the big to the small screen.

Another noteworthy thing is that Ryoukiteki has actually wrapped up filming; they started in Dec and ended in Mar. So to that extent whatever hopes we might have of them changing anything has gone from minuscule to next-to-nothing :( Well, I'll just hope they're sending more good stuff our way.

yanie
Fansubber
Fansubber
Posts: 1463
Joined: Mar 29th, '05, 09:52
Been thanked: 3 times

Post by yanie » Apr 25th, '08, 13:10

I love this adaptation and I've watched the first episode 3 times!^^

But I miss the leading male's narration voiceover. In the movie, we get to know everything he thinks and feels by his narration like, "I want to heal her sorrow...". I wonder how would we get to know Saburo's feelings for the girl, since there's no narration :unsure:

GoddessCarlie
Posts: 277
Joined: May 3rd, '07, 03:43
Location: Australia
Contact:

Post by GoddessCarlie » Apr 25th, '08, 13:41

I am now very much interested in seeing the original, I think i will have to get it! As for the first episode, I'm sure there is much missed because of my limited knowledge of Japanese, but I did enjoy it.

ryoko11
Posts: 429
Joined: Jan 27th, '06, 15:43
Contact:

Post by ryoko11 » Apr 25th, '08, 16:47

GoddessCarlie wrote:I am now very much interested in seeing the original, I think i will have to get it! As for the first episode, I'm sure there is much missed because of my limited knowledge of Japanese, but I did enjoy it.
After enjoying the first episode and reading all the posts in here, I grabbed the movie too. Watched it with my mother last night. It was wonderful! Hilarious and touching enough to make us tear up. I think you'll really like the movie as well.

I was going to post my thoughts on this one after the subs, since the discussion on the episode was so in depth and my Japanese is limited.
But I miss the leading male's narration voiceover. In the movie, we get to know everything he thinks and feels by his narration like, "I want to heal her sorrow...". I wonder how would we get to know Saburo's feelings for the girl, since there's no narration
After finishing the movie, that was one of my thoughts. I really loved his narrations (and his facial expressions)!

XiaoPauli
Fansubber
Fansubber
Posts: 182
Joined: May 27th, '07, 21:21
Location: Texas

Post by XiaoPauli » Apr 26th, '08, 00:11

When I was doing undergrad, some friends and I would watch that movie about once a year. Nowadays, I would be lucky to bump into someone doing undergrad or are in high school who's even heard of the original movie. I'm glad that this show will finally renew interest in the original classic.

I hate how this show just came out during my finals though, haha. Darn you finals...

scaturan
Posts: 110
Joined: Jul 4th, '07, 02:52
Location: San Antonio, TX
Contact:

Post by scaturan » Apr 26th, '08, 03:42

so far, very impressed with the screen play. my 2nd time seeing Tanaka Rena on a drama series. The first time I saw her was in Over Time in 1999. good pairing, also.

Kazuya_
Posts: 141
Joined: Jun 30th, '07, 10:32
Contact:

Post by Kazuya_ » Apr 28th, '08, 20:51

Although I enjoyed episode 2, things did follow a more typical jdrama plotline.
The whole thing with the stalker and having Riko interrupt Sabu and Minami's plans for dinner was typical jdrama fare. The scenes involving the ferris wheel were also typical plot devices. ( Is it me, or do japanese people seem to love to go to the amusement park as a date / first date ? ) As well as losing the whistle and having the Professor getting familiar with Minami.

I think I can guess the whole deal with that plant that was left behind by the previous tenant. Though maybe that's just there to mislead us...

The constant arguing back and forth between Sabu and Riko reminded me of Narita Rikon. I enjoy their banter, though it's nothing terribly original.

Did enjoy the Galileo parody. I laughed out loud as soon as the music began playing!

Was wondering if they were going to do a parody of a Kusanagi drama or perhaps SMAP dramas. Also was wondering when a member of SMAP would make a cameo. We'll see I guess...

Still, can't wait to see the next episode!

belleza
Posts: 713
Joined: Jan 21st, '07, 07:35

Post by belleza » Apr 30th, '08, 11:13

Really, really enjoyed episode 2. The comedy bits are pretty good. Saburo's buddy is irritating as get-out; he feels like he should be in Hana Kimi. But, every one of Riko's crotch kicks are DELIGHTFUL! You go girl!! :D The dig at one particular Fuji show (*cough*) kinda comes out of nowhere. It takes like 2 seconds to pick up which show it is, and then you just start howling!

As Kazuya mentioned, it's starting to go into a more J-drama storyline (though our sassy girl brings up the violence up a few notches to true My Sassy Girl level YAY!!!) I think for me, I just blissfully ignore the story itself and just enjoy watching Tanaka and Kusunagi act off each other. It is delightful, so charming, so beguiling. Mostly I loved how there's many scenes where it's just two people talking without necessary plot points or explicit hand-wringing by the director.

I think if you've already watched the movie, Riko's dialogue in the more plaintive scenes plays a lot differently. I loved how Riko chose her words and how Saburo interprets her situation. But mostly I love how the principals and the support casts form bonds by telling stories. A lot of dating is about telling stories, and in the act of telling so many half-truths, you do end up changing a little, growing a little closer to the person next to you. Riko has lived-in soul, and Saburo seems so innocent expressing his own "never love again" beliefs. If Saburo only knew. :)

TabooxNightmare
Posts: 101
Joined: Aug 9th, '07, 20:46

Post by TabooxNightmare » May 2nd, '08, 16:28

I like how they have little "Korean elements" in ep1 - the game Japan against Korea, teh Korean guest stars... xD

GoddessCarlie
Posts: 277
Joined: May 3rd, '07, 03:43
Location: Australia
Contact:

Post by GoddessCarlie » May 14th, '08, 13:02

This seems to have slipped away into non existence. I know I haven't even watched passed episode two. Anyone else still watching this? Should I push on, does it get better?

marspeach
Posts: 149
Joined: Nov 18th, '07, 03:26

Post by marspeach » May 14th, '08, 13:24

GoddessCarlie wrote:This seems to have slipped away into non existence. I know I haven't even watched passed episode two. Anyone else still watching this? Should I push on, does it get better?
I have not yet seen My Sassy Girl (sitting in my hard drive) but I think this is a really funny and good show. Again, maybe if I'd seen the movie I wouldn't like it? It probably changed a lot. I really enjoyed ep 3 so you should give it a shot at least.

ryoko11
Posts: 429
Joined: Jan 27th, '06, 15:43
Contact:

Post by ryoko11 » May 14th, '08, 14:45

I just watched episode 3 last night with my mother, and we enjoyed it a lot. I think it was an improvement over episode 2, which while funny took away from Riko's character. It is extremely different from the movie, but it got into some emotional ground that felt more like My Sassy Girl than previous episodes did. (Less ball kicking, more bonding and actual sassiness)
And I liked how the high heels swap got incorporated
There's a twist that's very different from the original (though I've been kinda expecting it), but I have to wait for episode 4 to know just how different it's gonna get. That's probably the make or break episode in this.

Ep3 spoiler:
If the ex-boyfriend is keeping his distance and watching because he's going to die and wants to see her be okay first, I can accept that. Could even be interesting to have the "ghost" of her past personified here if it gets handled right. If he's not dying and just turns out to be stalking her for some bizarre plot twist, we could be hitting a wall.
I'd say give episode 3 a shot. I'm still planning to watch the entire season. I'm enjoying this much more than Zettai Kareshi presently. :whistling:

This series is sorta like when I watched HanaKimi... very different but I still enjoy every episode. (Plus the core romance in Ryokiteki na Kanojo is still its center, unlike how underplayed Ashiya and Sano got, and how completely missing the love triangle is in Zettai Kareshi.)

Marspeach:
I'm okay with the series after the movie, but I think for lots of people the changes might be offputting. Turning a 2 hour movie into an 11 hour drama means it has to add a lot onto the original framework, and the mood is different as a result of that and the changes in the type of comedy used. I can still see the emotional core of the story though, so I'm willing to enjoy it for what it is.

ETA: Just finished episode 4, and it was great! Not quite what I was expecting either.
Boyfriend wasn't the stalker afterall! Though he is in the hospital dying apparently and worried about her. Of course they saved that for the evil cliffhanger of the week. Enjoying Minimi's present storyline too.
Definitely will continue to watch this one! Episode 5 looks like it'll be really good.

chokubi
Posts: 315
Joined: Dec 6th, '06, 15:38

Post by chokubi » May 15th, '08, 08:36

Just finished watching ep2:
ROFL at the Galileo parody at 19:49! :lol
I remember another recent drama doing the same, can't recall which though.
Is this even legal or ethically allowed?
I mean the former is a Fuji TV Production and this one's from TBS.
Well, be it mockery or flattery, I have to admit that it's pretty funny.
Anwyays, love this show and the chemistry between our 2 leads.
I guess not seeing any of the Korean originals helps a bit.

ryoko11
Posts: 429
Joined: Jan 27th, '06, 15:43
Contact:

Post by ryoko11 » May 15th, '08, 13:41

chokubi wrote:Just finished watching ep2:
ROFL at the Galileo parody at 19:49! :lol
I remember another recent drama doing the same, can't recall which though.
Is this even legal or ethically allowed?
I mean the former is a Fuji TV Production and this one's from TBS.
Well, be it mockery or flattery, I have to admit that it's pretty funny.
I laughed my butt off a the Galileo parody too. He did it so well! I know Sasaki Fusai did a parody this winter, and that one stared Kusanagi's bandmate Goro, who did a few "Goroleo" parodies on their show SMAPXSMAP. Another of their bandmates, Shingo, did a guest appearance in episode 4 of Galileo. It's fine legally, and SMAP seems to have a very good relationship with the original series to top it off.
Love the chemistry between the two leads! There seems to be a really nice balance between the personal moments that further their connection and the comedy. Every episode has a healthy dose of both, and they seem to flow effortlessly between those scenes--sometimes even furthering the relationship while making us laugh.

And I don't know why, but Tanihara Shosuke's character totally cracks me up. He's such a ridiculous idiot, yet I find him really cute. It's not just that the actor is a total hottie, but the character is so boyish sometimes.
He's like a little kid when he gets mad and runs off screaming. LOL

TabooxNightmare
Posts: 101
Joined: Aug 9th, '07, 20:46

Post by TabooxNightmare » May 18th, '08, 05:08

I really do think this gets better with every episode, and I can't really understand why people wouldn't watch it, especially because I like the chemistry between Rena and Tsuyoshi that's slowly showing.
I think this series is well-balanced.

User avatar
Ar_Yue
Posts: 46
Joined: Nov 15th, '05, 19:36
Location: England

Post by Ar_Yue » May 20th, '08, 20:09

I actually like this Jdorama but it would be nice to see the original version as well.

marspeach
Posts: 149
Joined: Nov 18th, '07, 03:26

Post by marspeach » May 20th, '08, 20:44

I finally watched the movie and thought it was pretty good, but not as great as I thought it would be. The drama is very different so far but I really appreciate the elements they've kept and how they've changed it to make a (IMO) good drama. I think because of everything great I've heard about the movie, it made my expectations too high.

ryoko11
Posts: 429
Joined: Jan 27th, '06, 15:43
Contact:

Post by ryoko11 » May 20th, '08, 23:37

marspeach wrote:I finally watched the movie and thought it was pretty good, but not as great as I thought it would be. The drama is very different so far but I really appreciate the elements they've kept and how they've changed it to make a (IMO) good drama. I think because of everything great I've heard about the movie, it made my expectations too high.
I can understand that. I think I had some benefit by not having read so many reactions to the movie, so I was expecting it to be good but not really any expectation beyond that. (And I was kinda dreading the more graphic bit on the train :crazy: ... so it exceeded my expectations.) I think for me the difference is mainly that the movie gets less cartoony with the violence and comedy... and it's a bit more enigmatic about "the girl".

The series is standing on its own though. And I'm enjoying the expanded emotional scenes that we're getting into now. That's one of the places where the series has an advantage, and the great chemistry between Kusanagi Tsuyoshi and Tanaka Rena makes those scenes even more of a pleasure. Not just during their soul bearing conversations, but also in all those little moments where he looks at her and you can see how much fun he has around her... or she does something to show her appreciation.

sz1266
Posts: 6
Joined: May 23rd, '08, 13:43
Location: Hyderabad, India

Post by sz1266 » May 23rd, '08, 13:58

Hi everyone, I am new to this site and J Dramas. I like this show and I loved My Sassy Girl. I am from India and I speak only Hindi and English.

Alpedra
Posts: 42
Joined: Aug 9th, '06, 08:54

Post by Alpedra » May 27th, '08, 17:58

Well.. I enjoyed the movie a lot. But with this drama I couldn´t watch more than episode 2 . One of the weakest jdramas of this season IMHO. Very low tv ratings too.. Began with 13.5.. now it´s around half that... so I guess I´m not the only one to think that way....

:unsure:

lzydata
Posts: 184
Joined: Jul 29th, '05, 10:36
Location: Singapore
Been thanked: 2 times

Post by lzydata » May 28th, '08, 04:15

This thread's been pretty quiet recently: I'm wondering whether that's just because people are busy watching other Japanese dramas, or whether they, like me, have simply soured on Ryokiteki-na kanojo.

Seriously, it's been a horrible disappointment so far. Alpedra: I'm bowing out too, but I've made it all the way to ep5. You may be interested to hear they brought in Ichikawa Somegoro, Sasaki Kuranosuke and Kanjiya Shihori for a few minor, minor roles. Since ep2 - maybe since ep1 - it's all been about Saburo helping Riko get over her boyfriend, with the occasional slapstick comedy by the clowns in the marine biology department. With a cast as huge and as bloated as this, everyone gets less screen time and less substance to work with, unless you consider Tanihara Shosuke's good-natured performance character-forming. (And when they do have material to work with, it often sucks: It only took a few lines in ep5 to twist and ruin Suzuki Emi's character.) Meanwhile, never mind the magical aspect of the relationship between Kyeon-woo and The Girl I was hoping for, even the funny sadistic stuff's been cut to almost nothing. I can't understand why the staff thought it would be a good idea to, for instance, rush through the love hotel incident to make time for Asakura Minami and whoever she likes. I mean, it boggles the mind. The actors try valiantly, but even Kusanagi and Tanaka can't save this.

I don't know who specifically caused this train wreck, but I have a good feeling it's the scriptwriter Sakamoto Yuji. I even spotted Asakura Minami reusing one of the old lines in another drama written by Sakamoto, Itoshi kimi e: "The opposite of love isn't hate, it's not caring." But even if Sakamoto actually thought this thin gruel was good enough for a 10/11-episode drama that's also an adaptation of such a well-known movie, well, the people in production should have known better. Seems like not a single person actually responsible for adapting this show understood why it's good at all.

Sorry for the long rant, guys, just had to get this off my chest.

auroragb
Posts: 1138
Joined: Aug 30th, '05, 15:16

Post by auroragb » May 28th, '08, 21:48

I'll keep watching, but only because I'm a d-addict...
My reason for not liking the series is not as sophisticated as everyone else's
I just felt that Tanaka Rena's Riko is just not glam enough to cheer her on and overlook her sassiness. It's just feels someone has to be certifiable to choose her over Minami... I've always felt that My Sassy Girl worked largely because of its casting, JJH was just heartstopping, even as a drunk.

incyphe
Posts: 54
Joined: Mar 11th, '04, 23:17

Post by incyphe » May 30th, '08, 02:46

I think Rena Tanaka is just fine... Kusanagi is a disaster in this show however...

LaLaLaDRAMA
Posts: 115
Joined: Jul 28th, '07, 23:53
Location: sunnytown CALI

Post by LaLaLaDRAMA » May 30th, '08, 08:55

I've never watched my sassy girl (always wanted to), but anyways, this drama is growing on me with every episode.

*Go Go*
Posts: 10
Joined: Apr 22nd, '08, 01:29

Post by *Go Go* » May 31st, '08, 13:49

Never watched it either. Actually, this is the first Japanese series I've ever watched, and I'm totally not disappointed!

LaLaLaDRAMA
Posts: 115
Joined: Jul 28th, '07, 23:53
Location: sunnytown CALI

Post by LaLaLaDRAMA » Jun 1st, '08, 04:40

^^^^^ are you serious?? wow, good thing you started!! you are missing out on many many great dramas!!

Number 11 Ox
Posts: 13
Joined: Feb 8th, '05, 17:37

Post by Number 11 Ox » Jun 1st, '08, 13:38

I loved the movie, but also tried to give this series a fair chance. I did enjoy the first episode, but after three more episodes (and watching the first few minutes of the fifth), I just can't believe anyone could think positively of this drama.

For me, the fundamental problem is that there is absolutely no logical motivation for what Saburo's character does. He allows himself to get bullied over and over again, even though he is not romantically interested in Riko. He was desperate to win Minami in the first episode -- but then he screws Minami over and over and OVER again for the flimsiest of reasons.

In the movie, it makes some sense why the boy would put up with The Girl's antics -- she's hot, and he is trying to make it work as a couple. Here, they are not a couple, and yet Riko can make him do any idiotic thing.

After a while, it makes you wonder if Saburo would let Minami drown in a river because Riko wanted a foot massage -- it just makes no sense.

By the fourth episode, I just couldn't take it anymore. And after the big reveal at the start of the fifth episode, I'm actually angry that I wasted several hours watching this series -- I didn't even bother watching the rest of the fifth. It is just more nonsense.

ryoko11
Posts: 429
Joined: Jan 27th, '06, 15:43
Contact:

Post by ryoko11 » Jun 1st, '08, 17:15

Number 11 Ox wrote:I loved the movie, but also tried to give this series a fair chance. I did enjoy the first episode, but after three more episodes (and watching the first few minutes of the fifth), I just can't believe anyone could think positively of this drama.

For me, the fundamental problem is that there is absolutely no logical motivation for what Saburo's character does. He allows himself to get bullied over and over again, even though he is not romantically interested in Riko. He was desperate to win Minami in the first episode -- but then he screws Minami over and over and OVER again for the flimsiest of reasons.

In the movie, it makes some sense why the boy would put up with The Girl's antics -- she's hot, and he is trying to make it work as a couple. Here, they are not a couple, and yet Riko can make him do any idiotic thing.

After a while, it makes you wonder if Saburo would let Minami drown in a river because Riko wanted a foot massage -- it just makes no sense.

By the fourth episode, I just couldn't take it anymore. And after the big reveal at the start of the fifth episode, I'm actually angry that I wasted several hours watching this series -- I didn't even bother watching the rest of the fifth. It is just more nonsense.


He hasn't ditched Minami for a flimsy reason since the begining of episode 2, but I think lots of viewers can't seem to get past that one section of the story. Even then they'd already shown him to be attracted to Riko from episode 1, though most folks seem to overlook the admission in favor of his Minami fixation, which is treated as a pretty shallow crush to be totally honest. The fact that he is attracted to Riko despite thinking she's a horrid person is pretty logical for why he'd say he wanted someone else but choose Riko instead every time. That motivation matches his attraction to the girl in the movie... and he didn't always look at "the girl" as someone he wanted to be in a relationship with there either...
like when he hid from her while drinking with his friends and pretended that his phone was out of service.
Honestly, I felt that the third episode made it clear that he has deeper feelings for Riko than he admits. He has fun with her, he shows that he enjoys their verbal banter, he teases her back, and he laughs with her. Even at the best of times he just doesn't have that rapport with Minami, so it's not surprising when he prioritizes something like feeling responsible for hurting Riko and possibly driving her away over a meeting with someone who seems to have had more in common with who he was as a kid than who he is now.

It's rather limited to think that someone can only be attracted to another person when he has a monologue scene to tell us he is and there are no other attractions in the way. In the drama he admits that she's his type back in the love hotel scene from episode 1. He even had to stop himself from kissing her while she was passed out. That's a romantic interest! While he thinks that Minami is the one who is his perfect girl from their childhood crushes, all of his actions tell us the truth about how he feels as he and Riko grow closer over each episode. Personally, I enjoy that about the show, and the fixation is long gone anyhow.

While you don't understand how anyone can think positively of this drama, I don't understand how many viewers have such a hard time believing that people aren't always honest with themselves about what they want or how much some viewers seem to go out of their way to say that Saburo is terribly abused by Riko when for at least three episodes now his relationship with her has shown him enjoying being with her. The original movie was all about Gyeon-woo helping the girl get over her old boyfriend he just didn't know it, so I can't fault the drama for following the theme of the movie either.

The sadistic parts of the relationship aren't the parts that I find funniest. I actually find parts like the Hoshino Aki pillow jokes to be truer to the relationship from the Korean movie. It's more similar to the zany bonding exploits from the film, where she embarrasses him yet they have fun and build a deep rapport.

For example in the movie:
Like when they went clubbing in their highschool clothes in the movie. Or when she pretended about being pregnant to his professor to get him out of class. Or when he had to bring her the rose in front of her class at the girls' college.

Kinda nice to see the blue rose pick up the rose from her ex-theme, and I do wonder how else that might be worked in later. The heels worked great here, ending in the laughter between them over her "trying" to say thank you, which gets picked up later when she really does express thanks to him. Those things are just as Sassy Girl as the couple of times she beats him up in the film. And she does still do plenty of "sadistic things to him in the drama in pretty much every episode.


Of the two adaptations I went with this season, this is the one that actually felt truer to its source material and turned out to be a fun drama. They had an hour and a half worth of material to work from but managed to give us a solid story with two dynamic lead characters anyhow. The story is much more involved, so that even over the first 5 episodes the main characters grow subtantially. The background group is mostly kept to the background, which is fine. They are supporting characters, and that's the job they are doing. Minami and Natsume get more play for obvious reasons, and they are also dimensional characters with both strengths and flaws in them.

It's not a drama for everyone, but there's a lot in here that I enjoy. Obviously, different people will have their own feelings for any two dramas, but this adaptation works for me.

RoodyPooUS
Posts: 6
Joined: Oct 8th, '04, 06:15

Post by RoodyPooUS » Jun 4th, '08, 05:43

lzydata wrote:This thread's been pretty quiet recently: I'm wondering whether that's just because people are busy watching other Japanese dramas, or whether they, like me, have simply soured on Ryokiteki-na kanojo.

Seriously, it's been a horrible disappointment so far. Alpedra: I'm bowing out too, but I've made it all the way to ep5. You may be interested to hear they brought in Ichikawa Somegoro, Sasaki Kuranosuke and Kanjiya Shihori for a few minor, minor roles. Since ep2 - maybe since ep1 - it's all been about Saburo helping Riko get over her boyfriend, with the occasional slapstick comedy by the clowns in the marine biology department. With a cast as huge and as bloated as this, everyone gets less screen time and less substance to work with, unless you consider Tanihara Shosuke's good-natured performance character-forming. (And when they do have material to work with, it often sucks: It only took a few lines in ep5 to twist and ruin Suzuki Emi's character.) Meanwhile, never mind the magical aspect of the relationship between Kyeon-woo and The Girl I was hoping for, even the funny sadistic stuff's been cut to almost nothing. I can't understand why the staff thought it would be a good idea to, for instance, rush through the love hotel incident to make time for Asakura Minami and whoever she likes. I mean, it boggles the mind. The actors try valiantly, but even Kusanagi and Tanaka can't save this.

I don't know who specifically caused this train wreck, but I have a good feeling it's the scriptwriter Sakamoto Yuji. I even spotted Asakura Minami reusing one of the old lines in another drama written by Sakamoto, Itoshi kimi e: "The opposite of love isn't hate, it's not caring." But even if Sakamoto actually thought this thin gruel was good enough for a 10/11-episode drama that's also an adaptation of such a well-known movie, well, the people in production should have known better. Seems like not a single person actually responsible for adapting this show understood why it's good at all.

Sorry for the long rant, guys, just had to get this off my chest.
I agree. I couldn't stand watching any more after two eps. I think Kusanagi really ruined it for me.

biniBningPunkista
Posts: 1036
Joined: Jun 17th, '06, 14:31
Location: inside toma's closet
Contact:

Post by biniBningPunkista » Jun 4th, '08, 06:02

is it just me or are the ratings going down on every episode???

joykimlee
Posts: 139
Joined: Mar 10th, '07, 21:30
Location: Hong Kong
Contact:

Post by joykimlee » Jun 7th, '08, 19:41

Stopped watching after ep 2. So not surprising the thread is slow n ratings depreciating.

XiaoPauli
Fansubber
Fansubber
Posts: 182
Joined: May 27th, '07, 21:21
Location: Texas

Post by XiaoPauli » Jun 8th, '08, 11:28

Finally got to see some of it recently.

*sigh*

Now I understand what everyone else was talking about. For those of you who haven't seen the movie, stop watching this drama and watch the original Korea movie instead.

TabooxNightmare
Posts: 101
Joined: Aug 9th, '07, 20:46

Post by TabooxNightmare » Jun 22nd, '08, 22:33

I think it has happened after all: Everyone was worried if it might turn out okay, and it did well for a long time, but finally now, after episode 8, i'm thinking "God, no."

I will finish watching this drama, because I don't likeleaving things like that, but it has just turned out far too long for me.
It#s like what they tried with Star no Koi, another Kusanagi Tsuyoshi drama, that is a kind of adaptation of the Notting Hill movie - you just can't turn a movie into a drama, the plot will drift into unnecesary lenghts and things that you really didn't want to see happen to your favourite movie will be added etc.

Im really sad about this, though.

Kazuya_
Posts: 141
Joined: Jun 30th, '07, 10:32
Contact:

Post by Kazuya_ » Jun 22nd, '08, 22:51

TabooxNightmare wrote:
It#s like what they tried with Star no Koi, another Kusanagi Tsuyoshi drama, that is a kind of adaptation of the Notting Hill movie - you just can't turn a movie into a drama, the plot will drift into unnecesary lenghts and things that you really didn't want to see happen to your favourite movie will be added etc.
Interesting you mentioned Star no Koi. I really liked that drama for the first half of the series but then it just seemed like they didn't know how to wrap it up and everything spun out of control.

That's the same way I feel about this drama. I really was enjoying things for the first 5 episodes but once they reached a certain point, there was nothing left to do with the series and 5-6 episodes left. And like Star no Koi, this has led to some unnecessary weeping scenes.

And I don't think that adapting a movie is a bad idea necessarily. The producers just need to find a point to make and how the series will unfold before they ever start filming it. Obviously in this case they had no idea how to resolve this drama.

It's too bad, because this is the only drama I 've actually enjoyed watching Tanaka Rena and all that is going to go down in flames with this show.

lollercopter
Posts: 215
Joined: Sep 13th, '08, 08:33

Post by lollercopter » Feb 13th, '09, 10:35

I liked this quite a lot. When I heard that Tanaka (one of my favorite actresses) is playing The Girl, I suspected that she was the right choice for the role, and I was right. Kusanagi (who I'm otherwise not familiar with) also does a very good job, and he and Tanaka work well together. Although Jun Ji-hyun is pretty awesome, I think this is a lot better than the movie.

Not sure why this seemed to have tanked in terms of ratings.

Post Reply

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests