Ikemen Desu Ne

The Japanese remake of the Korean drama - You're Beautiful. I'm not much of a fan of Korean dramas as I am of Japanese dramas, but You're Beautiful was one of the few exceptions. When I heard Japan was going to make a remake if the drama, I had mixed feelings. Remakes rarely go well. However, I decided to give it a shot.

- I think right from the start I was disappointed. When I heard Japan was going to remake this drama I expected some differences, but the beginning of episode 1 was exactly like the Korean version. Much of the drama so far follows the same format as the Korean one. There are some minor differences, but it's still too early in the drama to say if anything major will be altered. However I'm debating if I will continue to watch this. The main cast is a bit disappointing. Takimoto Miori who plays Mio isn't exactly convincing and looks more feminine than Park Shin Hye did when disguised as her brother. She doesn't convince me with her role and comes off flaky, whimsical and annoying. Tamamori Yuta who plays Katsuragi Ren, his role is probably the most difficult to live up to. From what I researched it seems he hasn't done a lot of acting so that already is a set back, so far his acting seems very rough and forced, hopefully it won't feel so as the drama continues. Second his voice just does not carry the same power that Jang Geun Suk's does, but I don't have many expectations considering he's from Johnny's Entertainment (as the other two main guys are). Fujigaya Taisuke plays the role of Fujishiro Shu, you're typical "Hanazawa Rui" (refer to Hana Yori Dango). I can't remember the name of the show I've seen him on, but I'm having a hard time actually seeing him as his character. He's cute, I'll give him that, but his acting feels stiff and compared to Jung Yong Hwa, I'm not feeling it. He makes a pretty girl though (referring to a particular scene in episode 2). Last up is Yaotome Hikaru who plays Hongo Yuki. I really don't know where to start with this guy. I'm a bit biased because I actually like Hikaru, but the same goes for Lee Hong Ki who played the Korean version of Hikaru's character. So far Hikaru has made me grin watching his character, but I think he's overdoing it a little trying to be cute. I've seen his acting before and I think he has potential if he stops trying to be cute like Hong Ki. Overall the chemistry of these four has been very sloppy and I hope things get better with time, but I'm not getting my hopes up for this drama. The Korean version definitely wins.