Staff Pick of the Month - School Dramas Edition

School time has come and what’s better than school dramas for this month’s recommendations? Being a constant part of Dramaland, school dramas are certainly interesting in their own way. Read below for our favourite dramas of the genre.

AmandaMarta (Trailer Staff) recommends:

Nobuta Wo Produce

It's back to school this month. This impressively written drama has taken a toll on me ever since I have entered the drama world. This is one of the first dramas that swayed me over from reality to the drama world. It breaks the mold of the conventional high school dramas that seems to have similar storylines. You know what I am talking about. Most of the time, I rarely see the honest and true portrayal of high school dramas without the exaggeration. This drama does just that! It is about a coming-of-age story of two high school students who decide to produce the very shy girl who is given the name 'Nobuta' in becoming one of the most popular girls in their high school. The three main characters who drive 'Nobuta' is what blew me away in this drama. Nobuta played by Horikita Maki, where she is a high school student who is continuously bullied and shy. Akira Kusano is wacky, weird and free spirit played by Tomohisa Yamashita who manages to add a depth to his character. Finally, Shuji played by Kazuya Kamenashi who tries to manage the 'cool' facade among his peers and chooses to hide the real him. All three actors give brilliant performances. Aside from the acting, the soundtrack is another highlight of this drama. Check it out. This is truly a masterpiece about three misfits coming together to form a deep and lasting friendship.

Cheer (Editor & Approval Moderator) recommends:

Great Teacher Onizuka (GTO)

Although this is an older school drama, it was one of the few that left a great impact within me. The story is actually the usual school dramas’ material; an unconventional teacher who’s on a mission to fix his students’ crooked life. But unlike other dramas of the same genre; the feelings and methods used in here were no way near typical or fake. In these types of dramas, it’s a habit to exaggerate things for the sake of drama-making but GTO was more laid back and quite realistic. The plot focused on the human emotions within every student without making them feel surrealistic. The characters were very well-written starting with the teacher who once was a trouble-maker and ending with the students who needed guidance on their troubled path. The countless ordeals they had to deal with were definitely unforgettable.

GTO is definitely one of the dramas that stay with you. The actors’ performance was quite memorable and the drama still holds its value after 17 whole years. It’s not a mere coincidence that it was remade twice now.

rosefae72 (Editor) recommends:

Hana Kimi

When I was asked if I had a school drama to pick, the first one that came to mind was Hana Kimi. But I love both the Taiwanese and Japanese (2007) versions. Hana Kimi is a classic story, and both versions got me interested in the manga. I couldn't say which one I preferred though. Japan's 2007 version of Hana Kimi is cute and sweet and is almost like a retelling of the story between Sano, Mizuki, and Nakatsu. So it's a good thing I saw the drama before reading the manga otherwise I'd be a bit disappointed. But given Japan's tendency to change the story when adapting a manga to live action, I would also not be surprised. Regardless, Japan's Hana Kimi is a great stand-alone high school comedy.

If you want a story that's closer to the manga, I would suggest watching Taiwan's Hana Kimi. Despite its inanity, it's really fun to watch. I've watched it multiple times already. Plus it has a special place in my heart as one of the first Taiwanese dramas I watched.

I also watched Japan's 2011 Hana Kimi, and I liked it too. But still not as much as the first one. It's more serious and somber, but it is closer to the manga than the 2007 version. I haven't seen Korea's To the Beautiful You yet, but I do plan on watching it. Yes, I'm a bit obsessed with Hana Kimi and do plan on seeing all live-action versions of the show.

Those would be our recommendations for this month. How about your favourites?