Boys Over Flowers

This is a uniformly good to great drama about a young girl, Geum Jan Di (an excellent Hye-sun Koo) who gets accepted into the most elite school in Korea after saving a person there from jumping off a building. That person had been targeted by the Flowers 4, the quartet of hearthrobs who practically run the school. Geum Jan Di gets particularly under the skin of Goo Joon Pyo (Min-ho Lee) after she refuses to back down to him. He tries to make her life miserable, but she never backs down from him. Eventually, he is enamored with her. Another major character is the sensitive Yoon Ji Hoo (Hyun-joong Kim), who becomes more of a friend to Geum Jan Di. Over the course of 25 episodes, you watch as Geum Jan Di tries to maintain her independent spirit. Goo Joon Pyo is a rich guy and she is a "commoner". How can love prevail? The whole drama is filled with all sorts of emotions, happiness, sadness, anger, frustration etc, but the glue is the great work by Hye-sun Koo. She conveys everything in her sweet smile, her anger etc and her pretty dark eyes. You want her to be happy and thats what really makes this drama, you're rooting for her. There are other characters including Geum Jan Di's best friend Ga-eul, who is very sweet, but the best parts of this drama is when Geum Jan Di is being her wonderful ingratiating self. Guys will love her, girls will love the 4 guys. Very highly recommended, you'll love it.

I know I am a bit late with this but I just finished watching Boys Before Flowers and Meteor Garden and I loved, loved, loved both of them. I do like the Korean version better and I have a new found appreciation for Korean men if they all look like that - especially that Lee Min Ho. Anyway, so begins my new obsession with Korean TV - I am watching City Hunter now which is equally as good and a couple of other shows as well. Yes they can be cheesy but that is the draw and it seems like all the women have had some sort of nose job (which is really sad because they are pretty to begin with) but overall i have been thoroughly entertained this last month.

I saw this ten years after it was released, I am not Asian, I am not a teenage girl. So I guess the flaws in this show are impossible not to notice. 1. The F4 are not only jerks with weird hairstyles, they are criminals. They are such bullies at the beginning of the show, it is practically impossible to really believe they are good later on in the series. 2. Jun Pyo in particular is such a big jerk, showing his "love" by constant insults and manhandling. 3. Jan Di starts well, but her character regresses instead of developing. 4. There are some pretty big plot holes there... 5. I really hope schools in Korea aren't like the one in this show, which is plain hell for the weak. 6. Jan Di's family are the worst. They are always trying to get money out of everything. There are one step before prostituting their daughter, if that would mean catching a rich son in law.

But: there is chemistry between the leading couple, Jan Di can be endearing at times, the male lead is pretty attractive in an ugly-handsome way, even with that God awful haircut (apparently he's a very hot name all over East Asia), and the soundtrack is addicting, so I would be lying if I said I didn't enjoy it at all.

OK, I'm a married guy, which means some times I get certain dramas "strongly recommended" to me by my better half. This is how I got into watching Korean dramas, even though I have to use the subtitles it's usually well worth the time and effort.

Most Korean dramas are original screenplays. But in the case of Boys Before Flowers, it's actually the 3rd live-action version of the story after the Taiwanese "Meteor Garden I & II", and "Hana Yori Dango" from Japan. If you count the original anime, then its a 4th outing on the small screen.

I think being the latest to be filmed allowed the production crew to take the best from its predecessors and also add in some uniqueness of its own. The story takes you to some exotic locales, including New Caledonia in the South Pacific. The scenes were breath taking, but they also add richness to the story not seen in the previous BOF dramas. And who could resist seeing an auto race between some very hot Lotus sport cars? OK, a guys' point of view, maybe. =) But I think beneath all the flashy, super-wealthy extravagance lies a very classic fairy tale archetype. The Cinderella's transformation for the ball, rescue of the damsel in distress, and a knight on his fiery steed; all these are concepts that makes the story very accessible to the western audience. In fact, even with the subtitles turned off, I bet you would still laugh and cry and cheer along as you watch the series.

I will also like to applaud the performances of the very young cast. Most of the kids are in their late teens to early twenties. So they're appropriately aged for their roles. All were very convincing whether portraying the ridiculously wealthy, or the hard working middle class. The parents were also well casted with veteran actors. Jun Pyo's mother deserves a special mention, playing the very believable lone 'villain' role of the story.

After thoroughly enjoying this drama, I actually went back to seek out the sister-series "Meteor Garden" and "Hana Yori Dango". Both were very enjoyable as well. The MG crew had the monumental task of transforming the Manga story into the first live-action drama. HYD on the other hand, had a few more years to fine tune the screenplay, and I have a feeling they had a bigger budget as well. All three are great dramas on their own terms, and for their time periods. So, it might not be very meaningful to compare them side by side. Having said that, BOF (Korean) had the advantage being the last to be made, and it shows in the scope of the production.

If you can find the series, enjoy….

Wondering if this is worth your time?

If you love Kromcoms, this show is mandatory. If you think romcoms are Daebek, 🇰🇷 or otherwise, you will want to add this one to your list. Here's the test: If you aren't starstruck by ep2's conclusion, just move on; BOF is not for you.

Jun-Pyo may love viewing the skies through his telescope, but BOF isn't intended to be viewed through a high powered lens. Lie back, look at the 🌌 and dream a spell. Yes, there's consistency issues, and 2-2-Too much back and forth. Yet, I couldn't stop watching. 25 episodes is a LOT, and yes, it should have been trimmed back. The last vignette is best forgotten; it's that 5th season that never should have been made. Ask Jun-Pyo to hand over a towel in order to wipe that one away.

Additionally, it stretches credulity a tad far when we see these ruthless and cruel overlords of the school all (rather quickly) turn from black holes into North Stars. Actually, the 3 aren't necessarily cruel, but they are indifferent, which is just as bad. Since they were in playpens together, it seems that his 3 quasi underlings just let Jun-Pyo be Jun-Pyo. He is the sole instigator, the solar flare.

Jan-di's parents are over the top of Namsam tower extra, but within the sphere of comedies at large. Jan-di has some strange moments in the first 3 or so episodes. She almost looks (clinically) spastic. Obviously, the director was going for laughs, but ultimately gets a "Huh?" None of that is important, though, because this is very Pride and Prejudice (especially if Darcy had an evil queen for a mother) with some Beauty and the Beast stardust thrown in.

Geum Jan-di is a beautiful soul, and Gu Jun-pyo loves her so completely, that I fell for them. Their relationship is lovable... when it's not WWIII, that is. The way they tit-for-tat fight, make up, and merely converse (always addressing each other using full names only, for example) is adorable. The leads did a bang-up job: The attachment feels authentic, and the sparks are visceral. While I haven't seen the lauded Japanese version, Koo Hye-sun is perfect - she's artsy, smart, and still forward-strong: She's a singer-songwriter, actress, director and artist now. I 💘 her Jan-di, except for the loose handful of Red Cards in the early episodes. Lee Min-Ho🌠 - Don't dismiss him. He's not a heartthrob merely because he dropped from the sky that way. He built his image one work at a time, and BOF was his big launch to international stardom.

It does make sense that he falls for her, btw. She blew his mind by standing up to him. "No" is something he'd never heard. Ever. He's no longer a lone star in upper space looking down on everything. Here comes a moon at his level, orbiting him. He loves the challenge. While engaging in their unofficial contest in partial shock that a girl exists that isn't interested in him, Gu Jun-Pyo concludes that Jan-di is the #only light in his sky. He's been denied love and family time, which is what his 💞 wants most. He fixates on Jan-di as his panacea, his home. He boorishly pursues her, knowing nothing but bossing people around. He'll grab her arm to drag her somewhere, and she #lets him. She, likely, has no idea why(?!) she lets him. She certainly doesn't want to like him - especially given how much she °loathes° him. The human heart is a mystery, indeed.

If you find his behavior offensive, you're right, but only for a twinkle. Gu Jun-Pyo is a quasar, Jan-di, the red giant. Once their paths collide, the quasar changes course, shooting down to earth. All those episodes find Jan-di schooling Gu Jun-Pyo. He accepts her tutoring and becomes a better, happier, more peaceful man. The opening of the show finds him a veritable toddler - le infantile terrible - throwing tantrums and money at everything that vexes him. Don't think for a moment that he's domineering, abusive, or controlling in the relationship; that ain't what's going down. Jan-di would kick him in the head if she didn't want his attentions. Anyone thinking Gu Jun-Pyo is in the lead is projecting. He enters HER world, and it's endearing. They travel light-years to bond, only to have that bond tested to the extreme. The gravitational pull between them only strengthens as they share any orbit to work through obstacles together.

BOF is an excellent choice for teens. Jan-di is a shining role model. Her beautiful smile elevates all who are in her proximity (except The Witch). She stands for what's right. She is courageous. She's a veritable Joan Of Arc in the battle for Shinwa High - Without the burned-at-the-stake thing. Yet, she can be as comforting as a plate of warm 🥞. The way Gu Jun-Pyo adores her, emitting rays of warmth in which she can bask, should resonate with teenage girls, and prod them to reflect on their standards when it comes to boyfriend material. If you can swim with it and overlook some of the goofy stuff, you will escape to the great beyond with this entire group of friends. You will also be treated to an epic kiss, mid thruway at rush hour, in the background the sun slowly descends from the sky, igniting the space between them. Eat your hearts out Sunny, Ginger & Miranda.

The notoriety of the show, which includes its effect on popular culture, plus the fact that BOF boosted Kdramas' popularity globally, as well as the numerous nominations and awards bestowed, all supply evidence that this series is WONDER-FUL.

IMHO...

🎬7 🎭8 💓9.4 🦋8 🤔6 🎨7 🌞7 ⚡6 🔚8.

For Age 13+ with cautions: Jan-di gets duped into taking fetish photos. She's shown in a childlike skirt and wearing bunny ears. She holds up a revealing costume and refuses to put it on. There are setups to look like two singles shared a bedroom (to get an enemy in trouble), and there was a lie about a pregnancy scare. These would all be good for generating worthy discussions regarding safety of person and reputation. Decide accordingly.