Japanese TV Series for Those Who Are in a Rush
Hello dear reader, or should I say experienced traveler? It’s been a while, but we are back with our time travel, which I know you all love. I am happy that this article series is read by both new and old drama watchers! As always, don’t forget to pack snacks, comfort animals, an invalid ID, and most importantly, keep in mind that this spaceship does not have any emergency exists! |
1. HANA YORI DANGO |
It would be a crime if this article didn’t start with the iconic Japanese series, which is a direct adaptation of a manga written by Yoko Kamio. The series gained incredible popularity and has numerous seasons and movie spin-offs. Other than the Japanese version, this story was adapted by many other countries, such as America (a failed adaptation), South Korea, Thailand, China, and Taiwan. Below is a quick synopsis if you have forgotten about this series over the years. Makino Tsukushi is the only poor student at Eitoku Gakuen, a school for the ridiculously rich and privileged. Eitoku Gakuen is ruled by the Flower 4, or otherwise known as the F4, a group of four boys who come from extremely powerful families: Domyoji Tsukasa, the leader and heir of the Domyoji World Finance Group; Hanazawa Rui, the introverted son of a large company; Nishikado Sojiro, a player who is the heir of a tea ceremony school; and Mimasaka Akira, a madam killer with ties to the underground. If a student gets on the F4's bad side, he/she gets a red notice and is bullied and driven out of school. Makino hopes to pass her days quietly - without drawing any attention to herself - but one day, she stands up to Domyoji in defense of her friend. The next day, Makino receives the dreaded red notice. Even though she is harassed, Makino decides to keep going to school and declares war right back on the F4, because she is a "tough weed." Her resolve gets the attention of her crush, Hanazawa Rui, and oddly enough, rouses romantic feelings in her worst enemy, Domyoji Tsukasa. |  |
2. IT STARTED WITH A KISS |
I would be in jail if I didn’t mention another famous adaptation, which for some reason keeps appearing in all of our time travels. Hmm, is it because I love it so much? No, you cannot put the blame on me for this one, because indeed, this series has made the year 2005 very popular. The first adaptation was done in Japan, where the manga was originally written, but then it continued in Taiwan, which to this day is considered among the best versions of the original story! We have two seasons, which have long episodes full of well-made character development. I truly feel that this season did true justice to the character of Irie Naoki. Enough of my rambling; it is time for a quick synopsis for people suffering from amnesia! After an earthquake destroys Xiang Qin's house, she and her father move in with the family of her father's college buddy. To her surprise, her new kind and amicable aunt and uncle are the parents of her cold and distant schoolmate, Jiang Zhi Shu, a genius with an IQ of 200 who, not too long ago, rejected her after she confessed her feelings for him. Will the close proximity give her a second chance to win Zhi Shu's heart? Or will her love for him end under his cold words? |  |
3. MY LOVELY SAM SOON |
After we visited Taiwan and Japan, we are traveling to South Korea in 2005, which made another iconic classic, which, just like the TV series above, was adapted in many other countries. Who can blame them? This series was the blueprint for good foodie romances and cute banter between the main characters. So, what is My Lovely Sam Soon about? Kim Sam Soon is a baker who has a talent for making pastries and cakes. On Christmas Eve, she catches her boyfriend, Min Hyun Woo, cheating on her and breaks up. On that same night, she meets Hyun Jin Hun, the owner of a restaurant called Bon Appetit. By sheer coincidence, Jin Hun needs a baker for his restaurant and Sam Soon is unemployed. Sam Soon is hired as the restaurant's chief baker and the two fight like cat and dog. |  |
4. DEVIL BESIDE YOU |
Listen, listen, listen, dear traveler. Many times the travel destinations do end up on series which I do not know well, but with this time travel, I want to proudly announce that I fell victim to almost all the mentioned dramas, so I am not ashamed to admit that I did enjoy this red flag romance! There, I said it—sue me. Even though the drama itself might be very controversial nowadays, back then it was a big hit, and I have to agree, but I respect people who are not into the stepbrother/stepsister relationship which is heavily present in this series. Also, have I mentioned that this is another adaptation of a Japanese manga? If you are new to 2005 dramas, let me drop down the synopsis for better clarity of this story! After finally getting the courage to confess her feelings, Qi Yue was handing her love letter to Yuan Yi, but by a stroke of bad luck, he did not see and walked passed her. The person standing in front of her was the troublemaker of the school, infamously known for his devilish ways - Jiang Meng. The devil will get what he wants, and the object of his desire was Qi Yue. Although having a cruel exterior, Jiang Meng's heart is kind and caring, which truly touched Qi Yue. The big problem remained - Jiang Meng is the son of the man Qi Yue's mother is going to marry. |  |
5. BISCUIT TEACHER AND STAR CANDY |
So, shall we officially rename this article as a red flag time travel or as a guilty pleasure time travel? I am once again guilty because this drama is one of my top-rated dramas for 2005, and many are going to be shocked that the drama has Gong Yoo and Gong Hyo Jin as the leads. It is a teacher/student romance, and I know some of you are already filing a lawsuit against them, but remember, to each their own. Now, what is this controversial drama about? Na Bori is a 25-year-old woman who desperately wants to be a teacher at the high school she was kicked out of due misunderstanding with her teachers over injuring a group of male classmates. After getting her GED, she rejects job offers from other high schools and works on becoming a teacher at her old high school so she could work side by side with her high school love interest, the art teacher Ji Hyun Woo. However, the only thing that enables her to get the coveted job is by signing a contract to essentially babysit Park Tae In, a troublemaker student who attends the same high school. Tae In, a lonely youth, quickly becomes the "jjang", or "king" of the high school, and enjoys playing mean tricks on Bori whose easygoing personality attracts the attention of majority of her students. Noh Jemma is jealous of the relationship between Bori and Tae In, and goes out of her way to get Bori kicked out but she's not the only one against them. |  |
6. 1 LITRE NO NAMIDA |
We are back in Japan, and this time we should all bring our tissues because, like the title itself, we are about to cry. Once again, in 2005, we encountered a very popular series that had many sequels and remakes. I personally do not really prefer tearjerkers, but this one deserved those tears of mine! A quick synopsis can be found below. 15-year-old Ikeuchi Aya is an ordinary girl, the daughter of a family who works at a tofu shop, and a soon-to-be high schooler. However, odd things have been happening to Aya lately. She has been falling down often and walks strange. Her mother, Shioka, takes Aya to see the doctor, and he informs Shioka that Aya has spinocerebellar degeneration - a terrible disease where the cerebellum of the brain gradually deteriorates to the point where the victim cannot walk, speak, write, or eat. |  |
7. NOBUTA WO PRODUCE |
We are still staying in Japan, but this time you won’t have to cry your eyes out. This time, we are transported to high school, where we not only have one handsome male lead but two, which often sounds like a potential for a love triangle, but... weren't they famous back then? So, what is this TV series about? Shuji Kiritani is one of the most popular guys in his school. He pretends to care for all of his classmates, but deep down, he is quiet and doesn't open up to others. But for some reason, when his eccentric classmate Akira Kusano is around, he can show his true self. One day, a new girl from another school comes to Shuji's classroom. Her name is Nobuko Kotani. From her gloomy looks, she begins to get harassed by the class bullies in no time. The harassment was devastating. Hearing about this, Akira comes up with the idea to makeover Nobuko from her looks to her personality, so that she'd become one of the most popular girls in their school. That way, there's no way the bullies can harass her. And so Shuji and Akira's great make-over begins. A Cinderella story which portrays the social life of Japanese teenagers. Can this gloomy girl really become popular in her school? |  |
8. KO ONE |
How can I miss talking about this iconic delinquent high school TV series which had a superb cast? If you are still loving high school dramas and can’t get enough of them, plus you crave handsome actors who blew up after it, then you traveled to the correct year! KO One is truly a comedic relief but also a drama filled with tense situations. Also, I don’t want to spoil, but there is magic as well. A quick summary of the series can be found below. KO One is a class designed especially for the delinquents and rejects that other high schools would not accept. Even so, everyone in the class is loyal to the leader, Da Dong (KO.3), and would die for friends. Tied for #3, Ya Se, and #4, Xiao Yu soon joins the class. Out of some fortuitous events, their lives become tied together and they become best buddies. Another student, Lei Ke Si, who had been gone for a whole semester, rejoins the class. Although Lei Ke Si seems like a weak kid with only good intentions, Ya Se suspects he is KO.2 because legend say #1 and #2 are capable of concealing their true identities. At the same time, incidents start to occur and the culprit always leads to Ya Se. Is Ya Se wrongly accused? Will the class be able to stand the politics or will it be driven apart? |  |
Buckle up! We are landing back in 2024, which will surely bring us amazing dramas as well, and who knows? Years later, we might be traveling back to this year, which is the present for us now. How did you like this time travel? Have you found your guilty pleasures? I certainly did, and I must say, I enjoyed this trip the most! Dear senior traveler, where shall we go next? Edited by: devitto (1st editor) |
