Review of Hana Yori Dango Final

Actually, even if you had not watched the previous 2 installments of Hana Yori Dango, I think that there won't be any problems if you decide to get started with this movie first. Basically, we all know that Doumyouji and Tsukushi got engaged at the end of the 2nd drama so this is sort-of an obstacle course before their wedding. Maybe this is to reinforce the message that true love never runs smooth? The thing is, the whole chase for the tiara really felt boring to me. It was only when the story got to the wedding that I finally woke up from my "slumber". ^___^

To cut the story short, the bulk of the story was about the chase for the tiara which Doumyouji's mother, Kaede gave to Tsukushi as a family heirloom for the daughter-in-laws. And because this priceless tiara was stolen, the couple had to go around the globe for it and they were forced to reconsider whether it was OK for them to get married after all. Well, the only one who was still unsure would be Tsukushi because Doumyouji had never doubted that she is the only woman for him. As all love stories go (well, most if not all), everything goes well at the end. Watch out for the wedding...it's so saccharine-sweet! Well, I'm not one who loves such "sweet" things but this wedding scene was done pretty well. And that final scene which I'm not sure whether it appears in the manga, served as the icing on the cake.

On the whole, I would say that I had no interest in what happened to that tiara. That's because there is no way that the couple cannot get married just because of that thing. As such, I was pretty bored with the developments but I must say that the setting and on-location shoots were great. That hotel suite in Hong Kong which faces the harbour as well as the fountain display in Las Vegas were nice to look at.

Matsumoto Jun is indeed suitable to play Doumyouji, simply because he can handle such flashy roles with ease. At least, you don't get disgusted at his acting since he doesn't have to try too hard to show the traits of Doumyouji. And I mean this in a good way because not everyone can do it. On the other hand, this also means that his image gets in the way when he wants to switch to roles like that in Bambino. As for Inoue Mao, I'm quite tired of her playing the strong and tomboyish role all this while so I think it is high time she does an image change. Oguri Shun doesn't appear much in the movie. It was a pity that he did not appear together with Fujiki Naohito who was the previous Hanazawa Rui. It would have been nice to see the 2 generations of Rui at the same time.

As for the theme songs, I prefer the song by Arashi which is somewhat representative of Doumyouji's feelings for Tsukushi. A very warm and easy-to-remember number. With regards to the song by aiko, the lyrics are good but I don't really like the melody.

And my ratings for this drama...
Story: 6 out of 10 (The tiara part was boring but the wedding and final scene helped to salvage the movie.)
Acting: 6 out of 10 (Nothing particularly outstanding)
Theme song: 8.5 out of 10 (This is for One Love)
Visual effects / Scenery: 7.5 out of 10 (I was simply amazed at how much money they spent or rather wasted just to bring the whole of the wealthy to the screen)
Teamwork / Chemistry: 6 out of 10 (Again, nothing too impressive. Matsujun seemed more engrossed in his role as compared to Mao.)

Total: 34 out of 50