The Hollowness of the Romantic Triangle: Hana-Kimi Series Comparison

Hana-Kimi or For You in Full Blossom is the tale of Mizuki Ashiya, a young Japanese-American woman who sees high jumper Izumi Sano on television. She determines to move to Japan and attend his school. The school happens to be an all-boys' school, so Mizuki disguises herself as a boy. She ends up Sano's roommate. 

I read the manga series years ago. I have so far seen the Japanese live action series, the Korean live action series, and part of the Taiwanese live action series.

The differences between the first two series leads to the overall point of this post: the sheer dumbness and purposelessness of the romantic triangle when it takes over the story. 

In both versions, the premise (girl dressed as a boy in a boys' school) strains credulity (a dedicated viewer/reader simply accepts the premise). As the doctor continually points out, it is amazing that Mizuki lasts so long. The Japanese version, which is rather like High School Musical on speed, doesn't bother to hold onto realism. It is...

Fun! I have no other single encapsulating word. It moves at about 1000 kph, full to the brim with campiness and singing and dancing and slapstick and serious moments and over-the-top action sequences and great music and everything in-between. 

I watched the whole thing, and I enjoyed it, though I was left in what I imagine would be a psychedelic haze. 

So, at first, I thought the Korean version, To the Beautiful You, might come out ahead on the realism side (except for the dorm room, which in both versions is bigger than my apartment). 

The first five or so episodes of To the Beautiful You are solid.

And then the whole thing falls apart. 

It falls apart because it stops being about the school and becomes about rivals. 

Japanese version: The leads are dead center.

In both the manga and the Japanese live action, the focus is always on the school. Mizuki finds her feet, makes friends, and enters wholeheartedly into the school experience. She doesn't want to leave, not only due to Sano but due to the bonds she forms. Nakatsu does become attracted to her and Sano is close to her from the beginning (how much he knows about her sex varies)--but there's so much other stuff going on, the young men's worries on that score get lost in festivals, sports competitions, ghost stories, Sano's training and family issues, the dog, the school trip, and such. Mizuki is in the middle of it all.   

In fact, in the Japanese live action series, even more than the manga, Mizuki is a kind of Pollyanna who gladdens the hearts of those around her--not only the solemn Sano but her peers in the clubs and activities she joins. 

The Korean series, unfortunately, becomes nearly obsessed with the leads' rivals: the girl that Sano/Tae-joon grew up with; the seriously unnerving Johnny whom Mizuki/Jae-Hee knows from America; Nakatsu/Eun-gyeol, who is attracted to disguised Mizuki/Jae-Hee without understanding why...and so on. (Nakatsu's worries and jealousy are given far more airtime in the Korean series than in the manga and in the Japanese live action series.)

I can never tell with series like this whether we viewers are supposed to be impressed by all the people who desire the leads. Or worried for them. No clue. It's tedious and irritating.

In this particular case, the hollowness of the triangles-and-rivals trope literally detracts from the material, namely, the Korean version bypasses the gripping Nakatsu-cheating-accusation arc despite its powerful plot, fascinating cultural highlights, not to mention, these days, the relevant problem of institutional bullying (see recent accusations regarding Stanford). And the arc's message of friendship. 

The arc: friendly and guileless Nakatsu is accused of cheating by a disillusioned teacher. He is placed in the pressuring position of "confessing" to something he didn't do or being kept from the soccer field. His friends, including Sano and Mizuki, support him. The student council moves to confront the teacher directly. The issue is resolved. Nakatsu later makes peace with the teacher when he approaches the man for help. 

The Japanese series gives this arc its full due. If the arc is in the Korean series--I stopped paying close attention--it lasts for about 5 minutes. All so we viewers can learn more about who wants whom and who wants someone more and how jealous everybody else is. *Yawn.*

My School President

In comparison, the recent high school BL series My School President does a magnificent job avoiding the romantic triangle rut, chasm, abyss, pit (pick a synonym). 

The story centers around an amateur high school band, which is threatened by the school with dissolution unless the band members can do more than hang out, have fun, and eat BBQ pork. The leader of the band, Gun, and the school president, Tinn, work together to save the band--in part because Tinn likes Gun. 

There are no rivals. Although Tinn doesn't act on his feelings--due to a club rule--and Gun--passionate about music and afraid of losing focus--pretends not to know, they are a unit from Day 1, rather like Bones and Booth. 

The focus is on the high school experience--the band of brothers (who also happen to be skilled at cover dances)--the music competitions--the studying--the trips, including a slog to a shrine at the top of many steep steps during which arguments and then bonding ensue.

I'm not one to think that high school was "all that." But if I'm going to watch a high school drama, I expect it to do its job. 

The Japanese version of Hana-Kimi does. The Korean version, unfortunately, fails. 

Interestingly enough, the Taiwanese version--which is quite faithful to the manga series--emphasizes school and school life similar to the Japanese version.