Hana Kimi

Ooooh this is new! A Taiwanese drama! As recommended by 'Bte'.

It's another gender-bender, but this time more serious! Lu Rui Xi deliberately disguises her self a boy to enter an all boys school all for the sake of being in the same school as Zuo Yi Quan a high jumper that Rui Xi idolises. However, by the time Rui Xi transfers she finds that Quan has already forsaken high-jumping, so, as his number 1 fan she sets about getting him back in the game. Meanwhile, in a soccer match with her new friend, Jin Xiu Yi, Rui Xi gets knocked unconscious, and when Quan lifts her to take to the sick bay he works out that she's a girl. Since they are room mates he thinks it'd be awkward if he knew so he keeps his discovery to himself and just watches Rui Xi's attempts at manliness.
Rui Xi goes through numerous trials to keep her gender a secret and Xiu Yi has to battle with his 'homosexual' feelings. Although it is quite romantic and a lot of lovey-dovey feeling develop about, it's more focused on the comedy and the problem of faking your gender. Which you may know is what I wanted more of in Coffee Prince!

But that doesn't necessarily make it better than Coffee Prince because it is lacking in a lot of different aspects. For example the characters are nowhere near as interesting. Rui Xi may have a few stories to tell, but in general every one else are just normal high school students... Well not normal.... But not interesting. For a drama there's been a lack of... well drama! No long lasting hate towards any one really. But it's such a laugh, so I guess it doesn't matter!!
The acting annoys me.... A LOT!! It's like they're acting for a child's program, every action they do needs to be exaggerated to a ten fold! Rui Xi will literally explode with happiness at some things then bawl her eyes out at everything else! And when she tries to be extra manly her face looks so ridiculous! Quan's all right. But then he's the most sane character so it's to be expected.
The characters are really nicely varied, a comedy duo, a super-natural freak, playboys and shotas. But then they need that variety in character because that's half the fun! Watching all the different character interact with each other on a day to day basis!It's also quite interesting to see the characters react to homosexuality, Xiu Yi who is horrified at the thought of being gay, Rui Xi who has so many misconceptions about the gay doctor and Quan's rival who expresses an open-minded.
Although the acting and production seem a bit poor, I do love this plot. Maybe I should watch the Japanese version? I probably won't! Because if I'm honest with you, I have to enjoy all the gay-ness and gender-faking-ness and the cbeebies-style-acting-ness. But that's just me really!! Either way, thanks for this Bethan!!

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