0 Maeda Atsuko and Horikita Maki in Hana Kimi drama series

Fuji TV announced today that the 2007 drama series “Hanazakari no Kimitachi e ~ Ikemen Paradise” is coming back this summer, but with an entirely new cast. Instead of the original lead actress Horikita Maki, the new series will be led by AKB48’s Maeda Atsuko.

Based on the popular manga series by Nakajo Hisaya, “Hanazakari no Kimitachi e” (abbreviated as “Hana Kimi”) tells the story of a girl named Ashiya Mizuki who lives in the United States. She falls in love with a young high jumper named Sano Izumi after seeing him on television, but when he suddenly quits the sport, she decides to take action. In order to get close to Sano and help him return to high jumping, she moves to Japan and disguises herself as a boy to enroll in Sano’s all-boys high school.

In the first drama series, the male leads were played by Oguri Shun and Ikuta Toma, though the show also featured other popular actors like Mizushima Hiro and Okada Masaki. The new show will reportedly have a fresh cast, and the setting and story will also be changed. Rather than being a sequel to the first series, Fuji TV’s announcement suggests that this will be a new retelling of the story. However, plot details are being kept secret for now.

The original series averaged 17.3% ratings over its 12-episode run, and the finale reached 21.0%.

Naturally, AKB48 will be in charge of the new show’s theme song, to be released in August, likely as the group’s 22nd single. The center member and other participants will be decided in AKB48′s Senbatsu election, which starts on June 9.

The drama series will start in July and air on Sundays at 9:00pm.

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