to my mind the best Japanese version was this one;
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hana_Yori_Dango_(TV_series)
My family [wife is Japanese + 2 girls are fluent ...I’m just a subtitle reader] felt Matsumoto Jun [known more for singing in the band Arashi] and Mao Inoue made this great and that it was closest to the manga.
THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
I just went and found the Mandarin Chinese one and started that. I’ll look for the Japanese one as soon as I get thru it. Great to know!
Give my best to your wife and daughters. I’ve had better luck with Korean dramas and some Chinese. I’d love good pointers to Japanese ones, if they could!