Is 16 years long enough or still too short a period of time to consider offering up a new version? Drama adaptations of Louis Cha wuxia novels are now hitting airwaves at shorter and shorter intervals in between so 16 years may be sufficient to proffer up another Taiwan drama take on the classic shoujo romance manga Hana Yori Dango (Boys Before Flowers). The TW-drama adaptation of HanaDan was the 2001 hit drama Meteor Garden which launched the careers of the entire cast which is quite a feat – Barbie Hsu (Da S), Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu, Ken Chu, and Rainie Yang.
Each on went on to varying levels of superstar-dom and now the same hit producer of Meteor Garden (and the Godmother of Taiwan idol dramas) Angie Chai just announced that she is going to remake MG to air in 2018. Since Meteor Garden there has been the J-dorama version of HanaDan, the K-version Boys Before Flowers, and the C-drama Let’s Go Watch Meteor Shower, and each has made the cast super famous. It’ll be interesting to see which newbies get cast for the 2018 TW-drama remake and how it’ll stack up against the original.
“What???” That’s my first reaction. But then..ISWAK got lots of remake, why not this one, huh?
I… want the whole original cast to star again lmao. I knows that’s impossible but MG is so so iconic in Taiwanese drama history, I just hope they pick the correct people to act it out. No need for anyone phenomenal per se, but charm and charisma specially for Dao Ming Si and Hua Tze Lei needs to be there.
Lol sitting here telling my vousin that I feel the same way as you-wanting the original cast to star again! Lol I hope they will get cameos!
I do hope they cast actors I will want to watch also! Currently, I’m not too interested in watching the new Miss in Kiss. I wish we could have gotten a season 3 of It Started with a Kiss instead!
i love the original tw remake. Not sure how to feel about this new remake. It was my crack and the ost is still one of my favorites. And it’s been 16 years already?
Yeyy!! I really like this tw version and Japanese version better than the korean version Gu HyeSun was pretty annoying as jandi 🙁
Looking foward for the new cast and obsviously HuaZelei my favorite one!! Vic Zhou steal my heart with that perfomance 🙂
Lol I agree Kversion is my least favourite due to GHS. Im actually excited for this remake oddly enough.
Of all the HanaDan adaptation, I love the Taiwan version the most and Jerry is my fave Doumyoji ever. That mascular man with soft voice is so adorable. I agree that I cringed watching BBF because of Gu Hye Sun’s OTT acting.
OMG WHAT. I guess it’s no surprise since every other country has remade it multiple times. Hoping the original F4 will make cameos. This is the drama that started it all for me 16 years ago (can’t believe I just typed that). My very first one. I thought I’d die waiting for each episode to download back when I had dial up lol
Girl, you’re making me nostalgic…gosh…to go back to those years…dial up…lol…Im excited for a remake, but this makes me sad that I’ve aged!
How about VCDs? I had to get someone to buy it and airmail it to me since I loved it so much..
WOW – ok… hmmm… I think I have to see who gets cast first. I am absolutely opened to it having watched almost all of the adaptations. I rather like a really jerk-y DMS… he has to be really mean but have a soft heart. Will it be on of those idol boys – which I can’t quite keep them all straight? Or totally newbies newbies.
Hehe… I am more interested who will play the sassy hot sister. 🙂
W.O.W. This new one has a lot of work to do in order to live up to the original. This was a classic although out of all the Boys over flower series, Japan had the best version.
I agree. I have watched the different versions and my favourite is the Japanese one. The pace and the acting was best there, in my opinion.
My first TW idol drama. If watching the drama now it would look so dated but back then there was nothing to compare it with. It was so crazy popular. Remember watching it on grainy VCD. My favorite of the series followed by Boys Over Flowers. Can’t get into the Japanese version.
OMG! VCD! Haven’t heard that term for a loooong time. I was like 9 when this came out
:O
It looks so dated based on the pictures. Lol, but I remember really liking it when I first watched it.
Sigh, I feel old.
It’d be interesting to see a remake, although I’m already seeing a lot of it (Taiwanese, Korean, mainland, Japanese)….
I think whichever actor to play Doumyoji is destined for superstardom. So far, all the versions have catapulted the lead actor to new height of fame. Just quoting, Lee Min Ho is LMH now thanks to BBF and pls, I meant not to undermine him but that role really kick-start his career. I have yet to watch a version of HanaDan that failed or not popular.
I love BOF and the TW version is my second favourite adaption but I feel burnt out on it.
I’m not sure I want this at all.
For me, this will always be my first and favourite Meteor Garden. Maybe because it’s my first idol drama. Nothing even comes close to it. Jerry Yan will always be my favourite Do Ming Si.
Im just thinking that in 48 episodes of a remake,all original cast will be make a comeback. Maybe in the 3rd chapter of the story. Wow! So excited for the continuation of the loves story of shan cai and dao ming si. (I love the taiwanese version) the start of kilig much here in the philippines.
Awwww now I miss Meteor Garden. It was truly bad looking back now but during that time it was the most insanely addicting drama and I loved every minute of it. It will always be one of my favorite version of the whole HanaDan universe. This drama led me to discover the wonderful world of TW, JP and KDramas which led me to travel, learn a language, embrace other cultures and meet new friends!
The new generation of Taiwanese actors have yet to impress me (i.e.: Miss in Kiss), but I believe that Angie Chai can find talented fresh faces to play Shan Cai and F4. At least, I hope they’re talented fresh faces.
I started to watch T drama and expect more bcuz of Behind Your Smile and Back to 1989. Meteor Shower Boys over Flower???? Forget it! I hate Boys over Flower plot. Such a pathetic storyline and I hate how Lee Min Ho looks with that cuckoo nest hairstyle in BoF. LOL..Besides, haven’t there been plenty of spin-offs or Chinese similar dramas. Can’t ppl get tired of similar stories yet? LOL
I meant *similar Chinese dramas.
Please tell me they are only remaking season 1 as season 2 was terrible. All they did was take the Umi story arch and make it into a hole series I mean what the hell, I couldn’t even feel sorry for the Umi character when she was dieing (sorry I just couldn’t b**** almost broke up my first Asian drama couple) and happened to be the daughter of a rich man so of course mama Domuji lived her. Sorry for going on.
Any ways yay (better only be season 1)
My Taiwanese (canto speaker) improved so much bc of this show. Lol. It was my mom’s vcds she got from hk and my sister and I caught a glimpse and we were hooked. I had to sit next to her and translate everything.
I secretly watched some before watching with her so I could enjoy it. But I never had a problem rewatching it.
Good times. Hahaha!
Has anybody realise that first live action adaptation or HanaDan was the japanese movie back then in 1995 and not tw’s meteor garden? With Uchida Yuki played Makino, Tanihara Shosuke as Doumyouji, and . . . . Fujiki Naohito as Rui!!!! (yup, if not for Fujiki, I wouldn’t know that it exist)
Okay, it was so outdate but what really make it less watchable compare to other version is their fashion, especially Damyoji. Seriously, how can they dress him like that?! It was 90’s right, not 80’s. Even 1996’s ItaKiss was quite normal.
i would like to see who will play lei who was my favorite character. vic Zhou set the bar high for this character.
For fans of the original Meteor Garden a new version would have little sense if it does not include a continuation of the story they have held so dear for the last 16 years. Personally a complete remake with any other ShanChai than Barbie would be unthinkable of. They could build the story as a continuation of the old one with at least some of the original actors, and at the same time introduce a new generation of youngsters who impersonate the new generation. As it is in real life