“Boys Over Flowers” Producer Chooses New Manga To Adapt

Group 8, which produced the dramas "Boys Over Flowers," "Princess Hours," and "Playful Kiss," is planning a k-drama version of the manga-based Japanese drama "Nodame Cantabile."

The story by Tomoko Hiroshi was serialized in a Japanese manga publication and ran from 2001 to 2009. It was first made into a Japanese drama in 2006. Movie sequels were released in 2009 and 2010 with the original drama cast. The Japanese TV drama was also shown in Taiwan and Korea.

The manga's story concerns Shinici Chiaki, a talented but arrogant perfectionist who dreams of becoming a musical conductor. But he's not really perfect as he suffers from phobias that limit his ability to live his life fully.

He meets the eccentric messy piano student Megumi Noda and they fall in love. She helps him overcome his phobias and he learns to live with what he sees as her shortcomings. The series follows the couple from school in Japan to Europe where they live and work.

Group 8 has not said how much of the manga series will be adapted into a drama. The company has already produced three dramas that were based on mangas, with varying success.

The most popular of their manga-inspired dramas was Boys Over Flowers," which began as the Japanese manga Hani Yori Dango and was also made into Taiwanese and Japanese series. That drama starred Lee Min Ho, Kim Hyun Joong and Kim Bum and became a classic. The company also produced "Playful Kiss," which starred Kim Hyun Joong and Jung So Min. The drama was based on the Japanese manga "Itazura Na Kiss," but it did not do as well as "Boys Over Flowers." The least popular manga adaptation was the recent drama "Pretty Man" by Yoo Young Ah. The drama, which starred Jang Geun Suk and IU, did not do well in the ratings.

Other dramas that were inspired by mangas include "To the Beautiful You" which was inspired by the manga series "Hanazakari no Kimitachi," and "Dr. Jin," which was based on the manga series, "Jin."

A few entertaining Korean dramas have also been remakes of popular Japanese series. Most recently "The Suspicious Housekeeper," starring Choi Ji Woo, was a remake of "Kaseifu No Mita," a popular Japanese series. "That Winter, The Wind Blows," starring Jo In Sung and Song Hye Keo, was based on a Japanese series, "Ai Nante Irane Yo, Natsu."

Plans are underway to air the drama within the year. Have you read the manga series? If so, who would you cast?