Nodame Cantabile and Nae Il's Cantabile

I'm doing a joint review of these two dramas, not because I'm lazy (though I am) but because as good adaptations of the manga Nodame cantabile by Ninomiya Tomoko, or remake of one another, I would have repeated myself.

I've watched Nodame Cantabile twice but it's been some years and I've just watched Nae Il's Cantabile for the first time. I had actually read part of the manga, for once, and from what I remembered, the Japanese drama was quite faithful.

Japanese title : のだめカンタービレ

11 episodes

Aired on Fuji TV

From 2006 October to December

+ 1 special (2 ep, 2008) + 2 movies (2009 and 2010)

Main cast :

• Ueno Juri as Noda Megumi
• Tamaki Hiroshi as Chiaki Shinichi
• Eita as Mine Ryutaro
• Koide Keisuke as Okuyama Masumi
• Mizukawa Asami as Miki Kiyora
• Saeko as Saku Sakura
• Uehara Misa as Tagaya Saiko
• Takenaka Naoto as Franz Stresemann
• Fukushi Seiji as Kuroki Yasunori
• Mukai Osamu as Kikuchi Toru
• Toyohara Kosuke as Eto Kozo
• Nishimura Masahiko as Tanioka Hajime
• Ibu Masato as Mine Tatsumi

Production credits :

• Screenwriter : Etou Rin
• Producers : Wakamatsu Hiroki, Shimizu Kazuyuki
• Directors : Takeuchi Hideki, Kawamura Taisuke, Tanimura Masaki

Korean title : 내일도 칸타빌레

Other title : Tomorrow Cantabile

16 episodes

Aired on KBS2

From 2014 October to December

Main cast :

• Shim Eun Kyung as Sul Nae Il (Noda Megumi)
• Joo Won as Cha Yoo Jin  (Chiaki Shinichi)
• Go Kyung Pyo as Yoo Il Rak (Mine Ryutaro)
• Park Bo Gum as Lee Yoon Hoo
• Jang Se Hyun as Ma Soo Min (Okuyama Masumi)
• Min Do Hee as Choi Min Hee (Saku Sakura)
• Bae Min Jung as Jung Shi Won (Miki Kiyora)
• Baek Yoon Shik as Franz Streseman
• Kim Yoo Mi as Chae Do Kyung (Tagaya Saiko)
• Lee Byung Joon as Do Kang Jae (Eto Kozo)
• Nam Goong Yun as Ahn Gun Sung (Tanioka Hajime)
• Ye Ji Won as Song Mi Na
• Ahn Kil Kang as Yoo Won Sang (Mine Tatsumi)

Production credits :

• Chief Producer : Hwang Eui Kyung ; producers : Kim Jin Won, Park Woo Ram
• Directors : Han Sang Woo, Lee Jung Mi
• Screenwriters: Park Pil Joo, Shin Jae Won

 

Notes : Funny how I've just rewatched Secret Garden in which Lee Byung Joon and Kim Ji Sook also appear, in very different roles.

Review : Fav !

Title : Makes sense since these dramas revolve around students in a music school, and especially around the impact that the character Noda Megumi or Nodame / Nae Il has.

Girl : She's a tricky character to play because she's eccentric and childish, which can easily be annoying and ridiculous, but I think that both actresses nailed it. She's a piano genius but she doesn't want to make it her career. She's obstinate, honest, warm, lovable and doesn't care how she is perceived by people. (+)

Boy : He's also a genius in so many things. He's confident, hard-working and perfectionnist. Also closed-off emotionnally and struggles to express his feelings. (+)

Relationship : This shouldn't work. But it does. These two characters, also surrounded by their friends, help each other to grow and to overcome what is keeping them from achieving their true potentials. They also have the same passion for classical music and admire their respective talent.

Plot : The plot deals mostly with the growth of the characters, through the challenges they face individually and in relation to each other.

The Korean adaptation adds some power struggles at the head of the school, which was not that interesting but also not bad enough to ruin the drama.

Other characters : Characters are interesting and likable. The Korean adaptation has a new character, but, as with the other changes they've made, it fits well.

What the... ? Nodame/Nae Il is a quirky character, maybe she would be too much for some people ? Another tricky character is Stresemann and I'm actually glad they toned down his "pervert" side in the Korean adaptation.

Funny : Yes.

Music : Most diegetic and non diegetic music in these dramas are classical pieces. Classical music is at the heart of the story. You don't need to know anything about it (I don't) to like it and maybe these dramas will make you appreciate how beautiful and emotional classical music is.

Bonus : A glimpse of Salzburg !

Bottom line : I love the characters, in every iteration, their relationships and to watch them learn and grow. It's not realistic at all but it's very satisfying, funny, with sublime music. Fav !

Musings on comparing

Hello!

First, a disclaimer. These are just some observations of mine, I'm not pretending that they are particularly insightful, especially since I haven't watched that many dramas, all things considered. Almost all of them have been romance / comedy, and broadcasted between 2005 and 2012. So my observations are probably biased and possibly outdated.

You're welcome to politely disagree and enlighten me!

When I was updating this blog, I chose to watch an equal amount of Japanese, Korean and Taiwanese dramas, but what dramas did I tend to prefer ?

In order to know, I looked at the list of my reviews and... I realized that I had actually reviewed 17 J dramas, 13 K dramas and 13 TW dramas.

Oops. I totally blame Yamashita Tomohisa. *cough*

Anyway, there are no significative differences in the Fav nor in the +/- or in the minus/ DNF (I added these two categories since there are no Japanese DNF, probably because J dramas are shorter). I have 7 J dramas rated + compared to 4 K and 4 TW dramas, but it could be explained by the fact that I have watched more J dramas. So I can say that I don't really have bias, and it's confirmed when I add the Fav and the Minus/DNF of dramas I've watched but not reviewed. But I would be more affirmative if I had actually watched/reviewed the same amount of each.

That (kinda) established, I'd like to say that music is always important in J, K and TW dramas, with recurring motifs and songs, and I always like the OST.

Now, moving to a basic difference : the length. There are exceptions, that I didn't watched because I didn't want to get into a 50 or 100 episodes drama, but here are the usual :

Japanese : usually 10 or 11 episodes of 45 minutes

Korean : usually from 16 to 20 episodes of 1h

Taiwanese : usually from 13 to 20 episodes of 1h15

J dramas are the shortest, which may also explain why I used to watch more of them, considering that I usually binge them. They also sometimes have sequels, like second season or "special" (i.e. a TV movie).

I noticed that some TW dramas have a "turning midpoint" which is a traumatic event, after which the drama jump a few years in the future. I think it may be due to the length. This jump allows the drama to reset itself and keep things fresh.

The length difference also explains that K and TW dramas, but especially K dramas, tend to have a B-couple, or almost 4 leads, who has its own storyline. It adds difficulty because the other couple must be as interesting as the main one.

Onto the style/content, I've watched two J dramas that I consider "crack": Anna-san no Omame (2006) and Mendol (2008). TW dramas Brown Sugar Macchiato and The Legend of Brown Sugar Chivalries, which were vehicles for groups Lollipop and Hey Girl, were kind of "crack-y". However, all the K dramas I've have watched have been straighforward (but still funny when they were supposed to, just not in the weird how-did-this-make-it-to-air way).

On the other side, I've learnt to be prepared for TW dramas, they hold nothing back, even in romance. Suddenly killing beloved character ? No problem at all!

Since I didn't want to spoil any dramas I've reviewed, I wanted to use as an example "Mars", a 2004 TW romance drama I've never finished. It was a big deal at the time, but I bailed because it depicted too much misery. The first episode gives us the aftermath of a crippling accident, sexual assault, hallucinations due to a trauma and the second episode, murder attempt, sociopathy, bullying. Yeah... Then, I read that it is actually based on the manga "Mars" by Soryo Fuyumi and that there is a 2016 Japanese adaptation. So, not a good example for my point of Taiwanese romance dramas not afraid to go dark.

TW dramas acknowledge sexuality more than J and K dramas. I think this has started to change but dramas, especially J dramas, are very soft in depictions of "sexuality". Love interests used to barely even kiss. Now, it seems that kisses have gotten more passionate. Sexuality is more in the subtext, like sleeping in the same bed is quite common but then there are the "saving the apparences" or "embarassed" parts. By the way, this is not a complaint, but it's something that stands in contrast to Western media.

Now, last topic I want to address talk about : the multiple adaptations/remakes.

Something I wish I could do would be to read the source material, then watch and compare all of the adaptations. If someone did so, let me know!

In the list below, I underlined those I've watched entirely. I DNF Absolute Boyfriend (TW) because I didn't like it and Hua Yang Shao Nien Shao Nu (TW) because the lead made me think of my brother. I could try to watch more of them. I also mentioned Chinese (mainland) adaptations.

Besides Mars, I know of :

Boys over flowers / 花より男子(1992-2008) : manga by Kamio Yoko

Adaptations : Meteor garden (TW) 2001 / Hana Yori Dango (JP) 2005 / Boys over Flowers (KR) 2009 / Meteor garden (CH) 2018

Absolute Boyfriend / 絶対彼氏。(2003-2005) : manga by Watase Yuu

Adaptations : Zettai Kareshi (JP) 2008 / Absolute boyfriend (TW) 2012 / My Absolute boyfriend (KR) 2019

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (Hana Kimi) /花ざかりの君たちへ (1996-2004) : manga by Nakajo Hisaya

Hanazakari no Kimitachi e or Hua Yang Shao Nien Shao Nu (TW) 2006 / Hanazakari no Kimitachi e (JP) 2007 / To the Beautiful You (KR) 2012

Nodame cantabile / のだめカンタービレ (2001-2010) : manga by Ninomiya Tomoko

Adaptations : Nodame cantabile (JP) 2006 / Nae Il's Cantabile (KR) 2014 / Symphony's Romance (CH) 2020

No manga. Also the worst.

Fated to love you (TW) 2008 / Fated to love you (KR) 2014 / Unmei Kara Hajimaru Koi (JP) 2020

No manga. Also, I only remember it was fine.
The Man who can't get married or Kekkon Dekinai Otoko (JP) 2006 / The Man who can't get married (KR) 2009

Best couples in dramas I've watched

No ranking, like children, I love all of them equally ;)

Kamiya Naoki & Shirakawa Riko, Buzzer Beat

portrayed by Yamashita Tomohisa and Kitagawa Keiko

They're both nice and honest people, and passionate about their chosen professions. Friends first, they encourage each other when they're feeling down. They care a lot for each other. There is cute, angst and romantic chemistry. Riko is a bit more outspoken while Naoki is quieter. She helps him feel more confident and he helps her feel secure. Their growing connection, the obstacles they face, everything is so good.

This drama made me fall in love with Shirakawa Keiko (I was already in love with Yamashita Tomohisa ^^).

"Love makes me stronger."

Kim Joo Won & Gil Ra Im, Secret Garden

portrayed by Hyun Bin and Ha Ji Won

Unlike the other couples on that "best" list, I've only watched the drama in which this couple appear once (it's been twice for Coffee prince and My Lucky star, around three times for Autumn concerto, and countless times for Hotaru no hikari and Buzzer beat) so it may be harder for me to talk about them.

Anyway, they left a strong impression on me.

They're both headstrong people and start as "I can't stand this person but I'm kinda falling for them and always end up ingratiating in their lives."

They can be cute and hot, separately and together, sparks fly. Their connection is intense real fast and only goes deeper.
[2020 July 18th edit : So. I decided to to do a rewatch, to find which defining "quote" to give them. As I was watching, I wondered what I was smoking in 2012 and considered taking them off this list because for a good part of the runtime, these two are definitely not couple goals. However, for the last stretch, they work very well and are so cute that I decided to keep them.
Now, the quote, I have to go with the references to the Little mermaid. I tried to resist and find another one but the drama really leans on it, so here it is.
"... disappear like foam on the sea."]

Amemiya Hotaru & Takano Seichi, Hotaru no Hikari (season 1)

portrayed by Ayase Haruka and Fujiki Naohito

"Forced to live with my boss" ? Yeah, in theory, this is all wrong. There is a part of "opposite attract", with Amemiya being an absolute slob in her private and home life while Takano is very neat and worldly. And maybe some Pygmalion/My Fair lady vibes with Takano helping Amemiya, but in a good way, in order to build her confidence and improve herself without betraying who she is. As for Amemiya, she brings out his playful and joyful side which had been buried for some time. He also appreciates how dedicated she is when she puts her mind to it.

But, though I love them dearly, there is some kind of imbalance in their couple, with Takano being more invested and Amemiya gaining the most ? Something that unfortunately worsens in season 2 and becomes unbearable in the movie. Let's ignore the "ever after" and appreciate the quasi perfection of the first season. Oh, fair warning, this is a verrrry slow burn, if there is even a burn. They are the lost low-key couple of this list.

"AMEMIYAAAAA!!! BUCHOU!!!"

Liang Mu Cheng & Ren Guang Xi, Autumn's concerto

Portrayed by Ady An and Vanness Wu

Sorry, it was hard to find a relevant non spoilery picture. But it shows that this couple goes through very rough times.

Guang Xi is a spoiled heir but he becomes impressed by Mu Cheng's quiet strength and resilience. He helps her and for maybe the first time in her life, someone is on her side, fighting with her. She helps him take down his cynical walls, showing him that there are honest and kind people. The circumstances conspired against them, there is a lot of angst (!) and when they have their happily ever after, it's so satisfying.

Air on the G string

Go Eun Chan & Choi Han Kyul, Coffee Prince

Portrayed by Yoon Eun Hye and Gong Yoo

These two are full of chaotic energy. Their banter is funny and cute. They're both looking for direction in what to do with their lives. They help and support and encourage and care for each other. They're so natural together that it seems that they're a couple even before they're actually a couple.

"It’s so warm and great that I almost forgot that I’m in a lie."

Xia Zhi Xing & Zhong Tian Qi, My Lucky Star

Portrayed by Yoo Ha Na and Jimmy Lin

They both are outspoken and confident people, who need a new start. They start as enemies but they work so well as a team. They have great chemistry (obviously or they wouldn't be on this list).  They also go through many harships together, which shows how strong their bond is.

☆⭐☆

Worst couples in dramas I've watched

The best and worst couples were supposed to be the same post since I wanted to balance the negative by the positive but thinking about what I wanted to write, I realised that they would be two very different posts.

This post will actually be me ranting to the world (or more correctly, to the few people who wandered here... hi few people !) about two dramas in particular.

This is because there are some couples I didn't buy (Kil Da Ran & Kang Kyun Joon from Big, Iwase Ken & Yoshida Rei from Proposal Daisakusen...), but they're not in the same league as the very worst which are the ones I want to highlight here: Lee Young Jae & Han Ji Eun from 2004 Korean drama Full House and Chen Xin Yi & Ji Cun Xi from 2008 Taiwanese drama Fated to love you.

These two dramas have been crazy popular. Full House starred Rain, one of the biggest idols ever and Fated to love you was remade in 2014 by MBC under the same title. [I just learnt that there is also a 2020 Japanese remake... What !! I feel like I'm taking crazy pills!... I wished I had never known that. 😩] I haven't watched the Korean remake. I don't think I have it in me to check if it breaks me as much as its predecessor .

This is why I actively dislike those two dramas, and it all comes from how much I disliked the main couples. There are three elements, that taken separately, would not be as awful, but in conjunction? Oh boy.

1- An Arrogant jerk taken too far or better said, an abusive bully

I actually like the Arrogant jerk trope in romance (Braime, Zutara maybe?) but you have to dose it well, add some wittiness, redeeming qualities and you know, not just relentlessly have him treat his romantic prospect as dirt. There is a reason why in most dramas, this kind of character is quickly toned down.

2- A meek woman who's in love with him even though he treats her horribly

Again, it's okay for someone to be meek, but paired with someone who takes advantage of it, it's a catastrophe. The Arrogant jerk works in romance when their love interest challenges them. If they are just a doormat, it's not interesting, it's painful.

To be fair to Fated to love you, the fact that Chen Xin Yi is someone who never stands for herself is acknowledged and is the basis for her character development, from "Sticky Note Girl" to a confident woman. But, if I remember well, that whole character development happens offscreen. Oops.

I also thought about other male characters who treats their love interest terribly in dramas but which I don't hate. The closest example I could remember was from Hana Yori Dango/Boys over flowers. Tsukasa/Joon Pyo is a bully to Makino/Jan Di, he treats her horribly. But, at that time, she despises him. She only falls in love with him after he starts treating her well and stops bullying others. Imagine if Makino/Jan Di was in love with Tsukasa/Joon Pyo while he was insulting and tormenting her. Yeah... that was my experience watching Full House and Fated to love you.

3- Who are trapped with each other.

So you have these two characters who have no business being together, and what do you do? Well, you make it so they (and especially both women Han Ji Eun and Chen Xin Yi) can't leave the "relationship". Why, do you ask if you haven't seen these two dramas ? Because they have been forced to marry and are now forced to live and stay together. I actually forgot that they also had to get married in Full House, I only remembered that they had to live in the same house for some reason.

Again, I actually like the "arranged marriage" trope, done well. And this was not done well.

So now, if you still don't believe me that these two couples are the worst, let's read the synopsis for Fated to love you (and it's for real the premise of the drama) with some of my interjections since I can't hold them :

A really unfashionable working class girl Chen Xin Yi has the desire to tie down her handsome boyfriend to be with her [just ugh! No, no, no. I know it happens in real life, but she is our main character, not the villain]. Due to certain reasons, her boyfriend gets her to go on a love cruise and she started to ponder on how to lose her virginity and tie down her boyfriend. Xin Yi ended up taking cold medicine which made her drowsy and went into Ji Cun Xi's room. Cun Xi is the sole male heir to his family's company and has been in love with his girlfriend, Anna, for a long time. He planned to propose to Anna on the boat but she didn't turn up on the cruise. An island owner added drugs into Cun Xi's drink and Cun Xi became disorientated and returned to his own room. Xin Yi and Cun Xi end up having a one night stand. [So, the first time they have sex, they are both intoxicated and both in a relationship with someone else, and she thought he was her boyfriend. Mmm okay.] So, Xin Yi later finds out that she's pregnant and Cun Xi's grandmother forces them to get married. Will a couple forced to marry for the sake of their unborn child find love with each other? [Spoiler : they will at the end, but for a long time, Cun Xi actually resents her and as previously said, treats her horribly.]

The synopsis for Full House is slightly less terrifying but still you have the premise of Young Jae exploiting the situation of Ji Eun, and again, to get to the happy end, you have to endure Ji Eun being mistreated.

Han Ji Eun is an innocent woman who gets swindled by her best friends in need of money. After a few unfortunate encounters with top actor Lee Young Jae, Ji Eun finds out that her house was bought by said actor. Young Jae has been in love with his best friend, Kang Hye Won for more than a decade but she has her eyes on Yoo Min Hyuk, their senior. After growing tired of waiting for her to come around, Young Jae proposes a contract marriage to Ji Eun in order to spark some jealousy and get the media off his back. In an attempt to earn back her house, Ji Eun agrees to be his wife for a year. But as they live together, they start to learn what it means to live a married life, genuinely care for one another and have each other's back when they're up against the world.

So, this is why these two are the worst couples I've ever seen and also why I really really don't like these two dramas.

And why I don't understand how they could be so popular (or at least, they were at that time) so this is me taking this off my chest. I don't really feel better. Actually I feel worse, after being reminded that they got married in Full House and finding out about the Japanese remake *facepalm*).

Bye, few readers! I'm going back to the "Best couples" post.

The Heirs

Korean title: 왕관을 쓰려는자, 그무게를 견뎌라 - 상속자들
Other titles: The Inheritors or The One Trying to Wear the Crown, Withstands the Weight

20 episodes

Aired on SBS
From 2013 October to December

Main cast:

• Lee Min Ho as Kim Tan
• Park Shin Hye as Cha Eun Sang
• Kim Woo Bin as Choi Young Do 
• Kim Ji Won as Yoo Rachel/Yoo Ra He
• Krystal Jung as Lee Bo Na
• Kang Min Hyuk as Yoon Chan Young
• Choi Jin Hyuk as Kim Won
• Kim Sung Ryung as Han Ki Ae
• Jung Dong Hwan as Kim Nam Yoon 
• Kim Mi Kyung as Park Hee Nam 
• Choi Won Young as Yoon Jae Ho 
• Park Joon Geum as Jung Ji Sook 
• Yoon Son Ha as Lee Esther R
• Choi Jin Ho as Choi Dong Wook 
• Im Joo Eun as Jun Hyun Joo 
• Kang Ha Neul as Lee Hyo Shin 
• Park Hyung Shik as Jo Myung Soo 
• Jun Soo Jin as Kang Ye Sol 

Production credits:

• Chief Producer: Choi Moon Suk, Producers: Shin Bong Chul, Lee Sung Hoon, Yoon Ha Rim
• Director: Kang Shin Hyo, Boo Sung Chul, Assistant Director: Lee Kwang Young
• Screenwriter: Kim Eun Sook

Notes:

- I saw Kim Sung Ryung first in Miss Kim makes a million. I loved her in that drama and I love her in this one, in which she's a really different character.

- The screenwriter is also credited for Secret garden... I thinks she's less successful here.

- I started to write this review after watching the drama but I'm just finishing now, years after, from memory.

Review: -/+

Title: Generic. Except for Girl, every young character is heir of a powerful family. Though there is a central love story, other characters' relationships with their family, and especially their status as heirs, are explored.

Boy: He's a typical Lee Min Ho character, which is not a bad thing. He's passionate, protective, hot and cute.

Girl: Ouch. Here's the rub. Girl is the most reluctant Girl I have ever seen. It's like she just wants to be left alone, in a "I would very much like to be excluded from this narrative." way, but for real. I'll get back to it below. Besides that, she's a typical down-on-her-luck girl.

Other boy: He takes "arrogant jerk" straight into "scary jerk" territory.

Other girl: So this is years after, so I don't remember much. She's basically a "Mean girl", you know the popular pretty girl who has minions.

Plot / relationship: The problem with the main couple is that Boy does all the work and Girl is just... there, kinda. I sometimes wondered if she wanted that relationship, was she even in love with him? Luckily, Boy is a very strong character, with an interesting arc, and his feelings are clearly expressed, so you keep watching for him. His relationship with Other boy is also explored.

Other characters: Again, I don't remember much, sorry :(. I liked Girl's mother. I seem to remember that she was mute so they used sign language to talk to each other, which is a good thing to see portrayed in a drama. Boy's family was typical drama rich family but with a twist, which added to Boy's character arc. He also had a group of friends, they had a fun dynamic and as I said, their struggles with their status and the pressure of their family are explored. It can go quite dark.

What the...? I was confused by the characters' age. At first, I thought they were in uni so it was weird to see them in high school.

Also, the drama starts in the US. Its depiction of America was funny.

Clichés: Stalking. Love triangle.

Funny: No.

Music: I didn't like it which almost never happens.

Bottom line: So thinking again of this drama, its issues reminded me of Marrying a Millionaire. Like in this drama, I was really invested in Boy's character but didn't really care for Girl. When you don't actively root for the main couple in a romance drama, there is a lot to compensate, and though everything related to Boy was good, it was not enough for me to give this drama more than a -/+.