In fact Hana Kimi kick-started so many careers of its stars and even supporting cast members who would go on to be featured in a vast amount of notable J-dramas that are often targeted at the same demographic.

Ikuta is just one name most of us will be familiar with, having starred in even more movies and shows that are just as popular since Hana Kimi ended, from 2015’s Ouroboros and 2010’s romantic movie Hanamizuki. Ikuta as Nakatsu oozes charisma, playfulness and all round good guy energy who deserves the best treatment and nothing less. Hana Kimi is one of the earliest and everlasting examples of this with Shuichi Nakatsu achieving this feat mostly thanks to the talented performance actor Toma Ikuta provides. And as Sano’s roommate, how long can she keeps up the masquerade before it detriments their kindling romance? When casting decisions are flawlessĪs an otome enthusiast, nothing gets me feeling a love triangle as much as suffering from the second lead syndrome. And even the school’s own council are causing mayhem through school events to better their own standing within the school and by doing so often causes Mizuki to slightly fumble in her identity hiding. The school doctor Umeda Hokuto, is quick to notice her true gender, so that’s an immediate curve ball in Mizuki’s plan. Worst yet is him being a prime example of second led syndrome, but we’ll get into that in due time. The most traumatizing moments if anything is the fact that good boy, supporting side character Nakatsu Shuichi is falling head over heels for Mizuki! Poor, poor Shuichi, making him really question his sexuality. This aspect more than anything is not new at all in the sphere of a romantic story set up in both manga and J-drama formats (Ouran High School Host Club and Ikemen Desu Ne to name a couple), but it’s all light hearted and played on being silly and fun.

While trying to befriend and help the troubled boy find his passion once more, she must also hide her gender as she’s masquerading as a male in the all boys school!

Now as a passionate and supportive fan, she finds herself applying to the same high school as he is called Osaka High, located back in Japan to encourage him to stick to the career after hearing of the recent news tha he has quit. She is exposed to the talent of Sano Izumi, a Japanese athlete who excels in the high jump and she immediately falls for him after seeing him on TV. We follow Ashiya Mizuki, a Japanese born young lady who currently resides in America. And for such simpler times, Hana Kimi’s premise couldn’t be any less basic. The series encapsulates a simpler time, when we were all much younger and more carefree and our surroundings and entire world weren’t consistently burning to the ground. Hana Kimi is very often said to be the first Jdrama many viewers who would end up being a J-drama fanatic first discovered and watched, kick starting their love of Japanese shows, with myself included.

Hana kimi books