I loved the Taiwanese version. I am fully aware of it's looking... cheaper, definitely less glamorous and shiny, with some naive acting, mostly in the first season. Nonetheless, it was very satisfying on a romantic/chemistry level, and the only version where I truly liked the main couple to be together.
I don't gladly talk about superiority in beauty. I have my own taste, and I would never say Kim Joon is hotter than Vanness Wu, or Lee Min Ho more beguiling than Matsumoto Jun (not a fangirl of either one).
In both Hana Yori Dango and Meteor Garden, the 4 guys and the girl look more... natural, with a lot less make up and a lower key style than their Korean counterparts. The end effect is more pleasing to my eyes, and definitely more convincing.
This said, the true force of Hana Yori Dango is Makino. She's a character I can rely to, a lot more than Jan Di. Eye-candy guys are all well and nice, but if I can't empathize with the female lead it will sooner or later fall flat for me.
By the way, I made a mistake in my previous post: Nishikado Soujiro is So Yi Jung in BBF, not Woo Bin. Sorry, names are not my forte. ;)
:)