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Jun. 4th, 2008 10:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tammaiyaThe problem with mainlining 36 volumes of a single manga in two days is that inevitably, when one comes to write up a post on said manga, one tends to find oneself rather overwhelmed.
Oh well, here goes.
I wasn't fully certain about the manga when I started, because I kind of adore the drama to unreasonable degrees and they were always going to be different. I mean, obviously the manga came first, and it's not like the drama didn't have issues with excessive use of flashbacks in S2 and suffering a little from on-again off-again syndrome, but I totally imprinted on it, I couldn't help it. :<
This incessant comparison did bother me a bit for the first few volumes, because they're all so pretty in the drama and the early manga art is still a little bit shaky (like, I thought Jun's S1 hair as Doumyouji was bad, but on my first look at manga!Doumyouji I shrieked "oh my GOD, what is that THING on your HEAD!" XD;), plus I couldn't help going "but they did it THIS way in the drama!" or "Tsukushi's dress was so much more elegant and less... blindingly 90s... in the drama!" a lot in the early parts. Aside from how Tsukushi and Doumyouji first met, with the girl who was actually kind of like Tsukushi's friend and then completely disappeared into the ether after a volume or two (merged with Sakurako in the drama), the stories are pretty much the same for the first few volumes, so obviously that didn't help.
After a while, though, they start to diverge kind of wildly. I was still comparing them a lot at first-- like, in the manga there are two parties, one which the three bitchy girls take Tsukushi to so they can humiliate her, followed by another party after Shizuka shows up where Tsukushi and Tsukasa accidentally kiss, but in the drama that's merged into one party. That's probably the first major difference, and I preferred the drama's way because I thought it was a more awesome introduction of Shizuka, but of course I'm biased, having seen the drama first. After that they started to differ from each other a lot more, though, and I found it much easier to take them as completely different canons. Things that happened in both canons happened at totally different times in different contexts, like the snow cabin happening really early instead of right at the very end and with the three bitchy girls instead of Umi, not involving the amnesia plotline at all (on the one hand, I appreciate less Umi because she really raises my UGH GO DIAF instincts like nothing else, and also Tsukushi's freakout at Tsukasa telling her to take her top off or you'll get hypothermia is gold; on the other hand, Tsukasa going to save her ever though he has amnesia is such EPIC OTP); the top teen contest has nothing to do with Tsukasa's mother and actually kind of makes more sense that way (although the actual content of the fashion and english components are different between canons too; I prefer the drama version of the English test because I thought it had stronger impact, the fashion part works well both ways); and the whole plotline with her parents moving away was different in the manga, because it had nothing to do with Tsukasa's mother and it didn't connect to the amnesia plotline (which was a relief, I was tensed up expecting it and then it didn't come XD). Tsukasa's mother was still a big "bad guy" figure in the manga, but not to the same extent; she didn't do anything to Tsukushi's family, just to her friends.
They REALLY dealt with Yuki's feelings for Soujirou differently in the drama. On the one hand, I liked the way Sara didn't run away in the manga, the more quiet resolution worked better for me. On the other hand, the way Yuki ran herself into the ground finding the right building for Soujirou had a lot more impact. Also, I kind of don't know how to feel about the way they resolved that in the manga. It was much more open-ended in the drama, Soujirou moves on from Sara and in the ending Yuki is still working on him (they didn't have the whole bike riding significance thing in the manga, on that note), whereas in the manga... okay, basically Yuki decides after the whole building thing that she's grown up from the girl she used to be, she is totally ready to go through with sleeping with Soujirou with it being a special moment of connection but nothing more and move on from it afterwards. And on the one hand, that's more realistic, and Yuki grows up and becomes happier and more self-confident from the experience. But on the other hand, it's SHOUJO! I want my ridiculous sparkly romance! And it seems to defeat the point of Soujirou's experiences-- yes, he's moved on from Sara, but he's still a playboy. Nothing's changed. So what was the point of that arc? I kind of wonder how the movie will deal with that, if it addresses the issue of Soujirou/Yuki at all.
Moving on, though. Overall comparisons... let's see. Things I liked about the drama that were changed from the manga: Tsukushi's family are a lot more awesome; Susumu and Tsukasa bonding was A++++, I totally missed it when I was reading the manga (Susumu played a much smaller role); the way Tsukasa asked her out on their first date (he didn't do the whole rotating in circles around the table like a crazy moron thing in the manga); Rui's friendship with Tsukasa (he's kind of a jerk in the first half of the manga and those two aren't as close); Tsukushi's closer friendship with Yuki; the very existence of the dango shop lady and Nishikado; JUN AND MAO-CHAN ♥; the ending in general (see below).
On the other hand, things I preferred about the manga: the context of the best teen contest (it was a bit random for Tsukasa to have TWO fiancees over the course of the drama, and I honestly liked the other girl, so I'm glad she didn't have to lose out in the end); the pacing (Tsukushi and Tsukasa take ages to get together; a lot of the plots in the manga happen before they're a couple, so there's a lot less on-again-off-again); Tsukushi's friendships with Sakurako and especially Shigeru, which are a lot more important; the lack of ridiculous excessive flashbacks to things you saw (or read, I guess) FIVE MINUTES AGO; Soujirou and Akira play-acting Tsukasa and Tsukushi in hilariously gay ways while Tsukasa goes >E! and/or Rui goes ><; in the background; the increasage of kissing and UST and the dealing with same.
As for Tsukushi's male friend from primary school, I'm not sure which camp to put him in. He's very obviously there for the lols, most of the time, and he can be kind of annoying, like a fly. XD; But I think if I'd read the manga first I'd have missed him in the drama. It's kind of hilarious watching Tsukasa get all jealous caveman about his very existence. And he did help me separate out the canons a lot more easily.
Anyway. I did love the manga. OBVIOUSLY I loved the manga, I read 36 volumes of it in 2 days. The art by the end was really gorgeous, Tsukasa and Tsukushi are super OTP forever and ever, and it was certainly blessed with a lot more makeout-related incidents than the drama. Parts of it made more sense, it was much less hot-cold on-off than S2 of the drama was, and I am completely attached to it in its own right. Despite the lack of makeouts, though, the ending of Handan Returns was much more epic and satisfying than the manga's ending (AND we still have Hanadan Final to go, which includes some of the things previously missed from the manga as well as an original plot line with the tiara)-- which is unusual, because the manga tends to go further. But the drama ended on much more of a bang with the amnesia and snowstorm plotlines being merged together and then the prom-- which was Tsukasa's graduation prom in the manga, not Tsukushi's-- culminating in the proposal. The manga, on the other hand, did not even result in successful makeouts. Tsukushi gets a fever at a totally inopportune moment, and they're like, OH WELL, she will stay at school and he will go to America and they'll wait for each other~ And I am like, that's very nice, but after 36 volumes WHERE ARE MY MAKEOUTS AND/OR PROPOSALS? :<
So! Conclusion: the manga is really fun, it's addicting and doesn't drag (like, I love HanaKimi, but by the end volume I was so ready for it to end-- and it's over 10 volumes shorter than HanaDan), I'd totally read it again, but ultimately my love for the drama is still greater. (*points to icon* because it has EPIC MARRIAGE PROPOSALS OF OTP!)
Oh well, here goes.
I wasn't fully certain about the manga when I started, because I kind of adore the drama to unreasonable degrees and they were always going to be different. I mean, obviously the manga came first, and it's not like the drama didn't have issues with excessive use of flashbacks in S2 and suffering a little from on-again off-again syndrome, but I totally imprinted on it, I couldn't help it. :<
This incessant comparison did bother me a bit for the first few volumes, because they're all so pretty in the drama and the early manga art is still a little bit shaky (like, I thought Jun's S1 hair as Doumyouji was bad, but on my first look at manga!Doumyouji I shrieked "oh my GOD, what is that THING on your HEAD!" XD;), plus I couldn't help going "but they did it THIS way in the drama!" or "Tsukushi's dress was so much more elegant and less... blindingly 90s... in the drama!" a lot in the early parts. Aside from how Tsukushi and Doumyouji first met, with the girl who was actually kind of like Tsukushi's friend and then completely disappeared into the ether after a volume or two (merged with Sakurako in the drama), the stories are pretty much the same for the first few volumes, so obviously that didn't help.
After a while, though, they start to diverge kind of wildly. I was still comparing them a lot at first-- like, in the manga there are two parties, one which the three bitchy girls take Tsukushi to so they can humiliate her, followed by another party after Shizuka shows up where Tsukushi and Tsukasa accidentally kiss, but in the drama that's merged into one party. That's probably the first major difference, and I preferred the drama's way because I thought it was a more awesome introduction of Shizuka, but of course I'm biased, having seen the drama first. After that they started to differ from each other a lot more, though, and I found it much easier to take them as completely different canons. Things that happened in both canons happened at totally different times in different contexts, like the snow cabin happening really early instead of right at the very end and with the three bitchy girls instead of Umi, not involving the amnesia plotline at all (on the one hand, I appreciate less Umi because she really raises my UGH GO DIAF instincts like nothing else, and also Tsukushi's freakout at Tsukasa telling her to take her top off or you'll get hypothermia is gold; on the other hand, Tsukasa going to save her ever though he has amnesia is such EPIC OTP); the top teen contest has nothing to do with Tsukasa's mother and actually kind of makes more sense that way (although the actual content of the fashion and english components are different between canons too; I prefer the drama version of the English test because I thought it had stronger impact, the fashion part works well both ways); and the whole plotline with her parents moving away was different in the manga, because it had nothing to do with Tsukasa's mother and it didn't connect to the amnesia plotline (which was a relief, I was tensed up expecting it and then it didn't come XD). Tsukasa's mother was still a big "bad guy" figure in the manga, but not to the same extent; she didn't do anything to Tsukushi's family, just to her friends.
They REALLY dealt with Yuki's feelings for Soujirou differently in the drama. On the one hand, I liked the way Sara didn't run away in the manga, the more quiet resolution worked better for me. On the other hand, the way Yuki ran herself into the ground finding the right building for Soujirou had a lot more impact. Also, I kind of don't know how to feel about the way they resolved that in the manga. It was much more open-ended in the drama, Soujirou moves on from Sara and in the ending Yuki is still working on him (they didn't have the whole bike riding significance thing in the manga, on that note), whereas in the manga... okay, basically Yuki decides after the whole building thing that she's grown up from the girl she used to be, she is totally ready to go through with sleeping with Soujirou with it being a special moment of connection but nothing more and move on from it afterwards. And on the one hand, that's more realistic, and Yuki grows up and becomes happier and more self-confident from the experience. But on the other hand, it's SHOUJO! I want my ridiculous sparkly romance! And it seems to defeat the point of Soujirou's experiences-- yes, he's moved on from Sara, but he's still a playboy. Nothing's changed. So what was the point of that arc? I kind of wonder how the movie will deal with that, if it addresses the issue of Soujirou/Yuki at all.
Moving on, though. Overall comparisons... let's see. Things I liked about the drama that were changed from the manga: Tsukushi's family are a lot more awesome; Susumu and Tsukasa bonding was A++++, I totally missed it when I was reading the manga (Susumu played a much smaller role); the way Tsukasa asked her out on their first date (he didn't do the whole rotating in circles around the table like a crazy moron thing in the manga); Rui's friendship with Tsukasa (he's kind of a jerk in the first half of the manga and those two aren't as close); Tsukushi's closer friendship with Yuki; the very existence of the dango shop lady and Nishikado; JUN AND MAO-CHAN ♥; the ending in general (see below).
On the other hand, things I preferred about the manga: the context of the best teen contest (it was a bit random for Tsukasa to have TWO fiancees over the course of the drama, and I honestly liked the other girl, so I'm glad she didn't have to lose out in the end); the pacing (Tsukushi and Tsukasa take ages to get together; a lot of the plots in the manga happen before they're a couple, so there's a lot less on-again-off-again); Tsukushi's friendships with Sakurako and especially Shigeru, which are a lot more important; the lack of ridiculous excessive flashbacks to things you saw (or read, I guess) FIVE MINUTES AGO; Soujirou and Akira play-acting Tsukasa and Tsukushi in hilariously gay ways while Tsukasa goes >E! and/or Rui goes ><; in the background; the increasage of kissing and UST and the dealing with same.
As for Tsukushi's male friend from primary school, I'm not sure which camp to put him in. He's very obviously there for the lols, most of the time, and he can be kind of annoying, like a fly. XD; But I think if I'd read the manga first I'd have missed him in the drama. It's kind of hilarious watching Tsukasa get all jealous caveman about his very existence. And he did help me separate out the canons a lot more easily.
Anyway. I did love the manga. OBVIOUSLY I loved the manga, I read 36 volumes of it in 2 days. The art by the end was really gorgeous, Tsukasa and Tsukushi are super OTP forever and ever, and it was certainly blessed with a lot more makeout-related incidents than the drama. Parts of it made more sense, it was much less hot-cold on-off than S2 of the drama was, and I am completely attached to it in its own right. Despite the lack of makeouts, though, the ending of Handan Returns was much more epic and satisfying than the manga's ending (AND we still have Hanadan Final to go, which includes some of the things previously missed from the manga as well as an original plot line with the tiara)-- which is unusual, because the manga tends to go further. But the drama ended on much more of a bang with the amnesia and snowstorm plotlines being merged together and then the prom-- which was Tsukasa's graduation prom in the manga, not Tsukushi's-- culminating in the proposal. The manga, on the other hand, did not even result in successful makeouts. Tsukushi gets a fever at a totally inopportune moment, and they're like, OH WELL, she will stay at school and he will go to America and they'll wait for each other~ And I am like, that's very nice, but after 36 volumes WHERE ARE MY MAKEOUTS AND/OR PROPOSALS? :<
So! Conclusion: the manga is really fun, it's addicting and doesn't drag (like, I love HanaKimi, but by the end volume I was so ready for it to end-- and it's over 10 volumes shorter than HanaDan), I'd totally read it again, but ultimately my love for the drama is still greater. (*points to icon* because it has EPIC MARRIAGE PROPOSALS OF OTP!)
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no subject
Date: 2008-06-04 01:35 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-04 01:47 pm (UTC)I really love this series, it brings me joy to share. Also, you can get subs of the drama off torrents or I think youtube or any of the usual places.
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Date: 2008-06-04 01:40 pm (UTC)...:C WRY, BB. WRYYYY.
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Date: 2008-06-04 01:43 pm (UTC)I was really dubious for the beginning of HanaDan about Doumyouji but they're kind of epically OTP by the ending. You might be better off trying the drama instead, though.
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Date: 2008-06-04 09:24 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-05 03:45 am (UTC)... Icon of this post is in fact from the drama!