Boys Over Flowers (2009)

Boys over flowers is like the "must see" in k drama world. This is probably the most famous k drama ever, and the first k drama for a lot of people, and that's why we -somehow- love this drama although it isn't actually a good one.

The story is just a big WTF! to me, really... and it doesn't always make sense. But incredibly it is still a catchy story lol, this is what BOF is, it somehow hooks you up, but deep inside of you, you know that what you're watching is not good at all.

The acting is just BLEH! although I love Lee Min Ho and now is one of my favorite actors, in BOF he wasn't as good as he is now... it wasn't a terrible acting but it wasn't a good one either... Same for Koo Hye Sun, she's good at dramatic scenes and crying and suffering but she lacks emotion in other scenes like kisses or funny moments and etc...

F4: oh boy! the eyecandy in this story has a 10/10 these four Asian boys doing whatever they want with your feelings and looking hot while they're destroying your heart haha it's just asdfghjk...

And probably what makes this drama a "must see" and a famous one is Yoon Ji Hoo (Kim Hyun Joong) BOF probably has the worst and saddest second lead syndrome ever! REALLY... even if you don't ship JanDi with JiHoo the drama still makes you feel terribly sad about JiHoo's life (a terrible and lonely one) omg! my heart still aches when I remember...

Despite of all that BOF is a very rewatchable story... if you want to cheer up, or cry like crazy or just remember or see hot Asian boys gathered in one drama, just go to BOF. :)

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This is undoubtedly the most popular Korean drama of all time and I really don't know how many are going to agree with me, but this one's a classic. Boys Over Flowers was my fourth Asian drama (after I'm sorry I love You, 1 litre of Tears and Secret Garden) and although I have watched lots of dramas afterwards I keep going back to watch BOF (at least)once a year. The plot is really cute. It's full of those chaebol cliches but Jun Pyo does it so well, I cannot help enjoying it like hell.

So I've always wondered what makes Jun Pyo click so much. I mean, there are tons of other arrogant chaebols in various dramas that are tamed by Plain Janes. But with Jun Pyo, it's like a whole new level of excitement. I have concluded that it's the childish sincerity. Jun Pyo is a bully but when he's sincere, he just moves you, you know. He has his childish and bully ways but his heart is at the right place. And yes, Lee Min Ho is freaking hot and works those curls charmingly ;)

Coming to other characters. Geum Jandi is disliked by a lot of people. You just have to turn-on the viki comments and (BAM!) you're showered with all the abusive words in the world, directed towards Geum Jandi. But I love her! Yes she's not the typical K-drama lead girl with her long hair and honey voice. She's a total tom boy who takes no bullshit from anyone, yet she's a sweet and simple girl and pretty likeable.

Coming to Jihoo. I know lots of people got their hearts broken Ji Hoo didn't get the girl (and maybe that made people hate Geum Jandi more when she refused his confession). I felt sorry for Ji Hoo too. He had the sweetest smile that could make anyone melt and I shipped him with Geum Jan Di faintly. I think I would've shipped him harder with her if Jun Pyo wasn't so awesome. But Ji Hoo's character was great.

The rest of the characters were great too. The acting is BIG 10 for me, especially because of the lead pair. I know majority of people prefer Lee Min Ho in City Hunter over this drama, but if you ask me, I love his acting more in Boys Over Flowers.

The music is sooo good. This was the drama that introduced me to the world of kpop through Shinee's song "Stand By Me". "Lucky", "Yearning of the Heart", "Paradise" and "Because I'm stupid" are really great songs too and overall this drama has a brilliant OST. Definitely on my top 10.

My rewatch value for this show is a solid 10 because I don't even remember the number of times I have rewtached it (lol). Love it. One of my favorites.

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Do you know the feeling when you are watching something so terribly bad that you continue watching it to prove yourself that it can't possibly be worst than that (and finally it is, oh yeah, it can be worst)?
First I should say that one of the first Asian dramas I watched was Hana Yori Dango (the Japanese version), and even if we can admit is far from perfect, I enjoyed it. Later, Netflix had Boys over flowers, and I decide to give it a try to compare between the two versions. But, since the beginning I couldn't stand the female lead. Not only she is far far away from pretty, or normal (what an awful hairstyle she has), but also I think she tried to be funny and failed terribly.
Not for a second I could believe Goo Joon Pyo would fall for her (in fact, zero chemistry there), nor Yoon Ji Hoo, who, by the way, it's kind of masochistic because it does not make any sense that he follows her for so many years, helping and saving her all that time, without nothing in return.
So... For the story, nothing original, but the main problem is the plot, no sense at all. The acting... It could be muuuuch better. The music, overall the main song, drives me nuts, and no, I'm not going to rewatch it never ever. I only finished it because I have a problem with dropping books and series and I lost my time finishing them. Conclusion: if you want to watch something lightly funny, go for the j-version. It worth the watching even only to see Matsumoto Jun and Oguri Shun together.

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Bullying and parental abuse

I hardly know where to start reviewing this comedy, romance drama. I don’t think it fits in either genre. I watched this series, then waited a year and watched all 25 episodes again. I watched it again because I was so polarized, and I wanted to see if I missed something before I wrote a review. I understand this show was a stepping stone to stardom for some of the actors. Lee Min Ho stood out from the rest even though his character was blah and really strange. The rest were average at best. Gu Hye Seon’s portrayal of Jan Di was almost unbearable. She had zero chemistry with the ML and should never ever play another romantic role.

The story, however, was one of the most horrendous depictions of bullying and parental abuse I’ve ever seen. I watched 24.9 episodes of misery; all piled on one young woman. Misery is not drama. The horror genre would have been a better fit for this one. None of the male characters in this show had any redeeming value. The story was unbelievable and even the ending was weird without any direction. Where was the romance? Was that ending supposed to make us feel good? Some of the bullying bordered on life and death. How can the word comedy be added anywhere in this series? When I review dramas, I like to add a misery index to my reviews when it’s needed. This one receives a misery index of 10. I don’t know how many times I have to say it. Three minutes of sunshine at the end of a show full of misery does not leave you with a good feeling. All you remember is the misery and hate.

Looking back, I can’t believe I watched it twice. I would never recommend this series to a friend.

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I watched Meteor Garden when I was a kid and read the manga after watching all the live-actions so I guess I'm a die-hard fan of HYD.

Boys Over Flowers was a nice drama. It has its sparks here and there but it never really caught my heart. The story line was good, the cast was just amazing and the soundtrack just makes you flutter.

But Hana Yori Dango/Boys Over Flowers, in my sense, was a story about a kind and brave girl who fell in love and changed a guy who longed for love among everyone else. A girl who did all she could to protect her loved ones and fight for herself. A guy trying to show to the girl he loves that she was the only one for him, with the help of his friends. A not-so-cliche couple, trying to prove to the world how much they treasure each other and how they can overcome all the hardships reality threw to them.

BOF gave viewers great visual on how the F4's lives were. But I never saw the friendship between them. They were good-looking as hell but, the closeness was not there. Jan Di was, sure, poor, but I don't think she would gobble down food like that.

Jun Pyo and Jan Di had sparks, just wasn't enough. Their chemistry just never caught my heart, unlike Domyouji (Matsumoto Jun) and Makino (Inoue Mao). Never got their version of the necklace either. Domyouji gave Makino the necklace as to let her know that she is his soul-mate, based on horoscope. Why the moon never escaping the star?

I guess every adaptation has its own twists and patterns to make it different from the others. Just so happens that this one, indeed caught me eye, but not my heart.

( Tho I love the fact that they made a side story to Ga Eul and Yi Jung, even tho it was not in the manga xDD )

I don't regret watching this. It was a nice drama. Lots of eye-candy and idol-ish faces. Just that, compared to the other versions, BOF was probably the one I like the least. I recommend this to those who have watched HYD or Meteor Garden, since if you're a real fan of this story, you definitely have to see this.

:D

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Before any of you die-hard BoF fans rage at me for the ratings, please not that this is my own *personal* opinion, ergo you don't have to read it if you don't like it. II'm not trying to be mean or rude, I'm just saying that everyone has an opinion and you have to accept that.
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"Boys Over Flowers" might have been my first drama ever, but I can't really remember. I do remember that this was the first drama I watched I finished. At the time, I really had no idea what to expect, but seeing how much the friend who introduced it to me loved this drama, I figured it had to be pretty good. So I watched it and wondered how exactly a mess like this got such high ratings.
Story: Speaking from an objective standpoint, BoF is a hot mess. The fans must have been really forgiving to fall in love with characters who drove kids to suicide, and a story that had the main couple breaking up and getting together pretty much every other episode. I like romance and watching the OTP get through conflicts victorious, but I also like having another overlying story arc to keep me interested. In here, was there even something beyond Jan Di's and Jun Pyo's romance? I didn't even ship them.
Acting: Lee Min Ho, despite his mane of shame, is a good actor. I haven't really seen him anywhere else, but he's good here. Kim Bum is outstanding and his chemistry with Kim So Eun was pretty much the only reason I kept watching this. Kim Joon didn't really have that many scenes, but he was good and I'm fairly certain the only reason Kim Hyun Joong is here is because they needed another "flower boy" and were running short. He's really not that great of an actor, but pretty moves mountains. I'm not a hater, since I'm a huge fan of his music, but maybe he can brush up on his acting. Ko Hye Sun, frankly speaking, annoyed me to no end. Not just her character, but her in general. I don't think I'll ever watch a drama with her ever again. She's not a bad actor, but I don't feel like she's particularly good either. Plus, her chemistry with Lee Min Ho felt a bit forced.
Music: I'm still not sure if it was meant to be so funny. "Almost Paradise" killed me no matter what scene it showed up in. The director was really unwieldy in using the music wisely and spacing out the songs, so most of the other music grated on my nerves by episode 15.
Rewatch Value: Ha. No. Never. You would have to pay me to get me to sit through it. This drama may have been other people's favorite, but to me it was tedious and long. The plot spun in circles and the angst shot through the roof and there was still no plot beyond Jan Di and Jun Pyo.
Overall: This drama was so popular for a reason, I guess. Pretty is such a powerful force its nearly sentient. Another reason? If you were sincerely rooting for the main couple and honestly really liked them together, you would watch just for them and for the gratification that came with seeing them together. If you really did not care about the main couple, you would probably throw your computer out a window.

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I've been postponing watching this show for ages and I must say all my expectations were crushed because...

1) This is soooo boring, the girl playing Jan Di tries too hard to be funny (and fails miserably imo) and as she is supposed to have a strong personality her huge teary puppy eyes completely rule that out.
2) The OST has like... 3 songs. At least those are the ones playing all the effing time (pretty much like "Love is the moment" in "Heirs", only worse). Sad moment: song number 1; happy moment: song number 2; lots of unnecessary scenes that if cut would spare us from watching about 12 episodes: song number 3.
3) Everyone has a sad story/background and the only one who doesn't barely gets any lines.
4) JUST HOW DID SHE FALL FOR HIM?!, I wonder.
5) And what is this mischievious plot against the girl when the simple solution would be sending him to study abroad? Just how Character X has that kind of time to think about 283423913847 unlikely things to do when the answer couldn't be simpler? Oh, c'mon!
6) Too much self sacrifice from these kids that obviously never got a chance to even grasp the concept.

I could go on but I'm unsure if I could help the spoilers any longer. I've been dragging this up since episode 5 or 6 only hoping to see the one scene that never happened (unrelated to the main couple fyi). Yeah... thank you so much.
Summing up, I just 'ughed' and rolled my eyes a lot through this show and I wouldn't recommend it to anyone. Unless you're 13 or something. Too old for this crap. xo

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Like Jo-hannah said in reviwe below: this drama is a big WTF!

I watched cause saw many people saying "It's perfect! Was my first drama...! Just amazin! OMG, the F4".

So.. when I finished it, I could just think...OMG, how could this exist and have so many fans that loves it.

All the drama is just physical / mental / moral abuse.
In addition to the extreme romanticization of violence, and has a female leader who had everything to be strong, but they put a character to act always stupid and submissive.

This drama I do not indicate to watch nor out of curiosity.

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If I could some this drama up in one word it would be 'meh'. Boys before flowers isn't that special, it was kinda disapointing to be frank. Yes the actors were brilliant but the storyline lacked spark.

I'll start with the storyline, it was ok at the beginning and good through the middle but the end was an anti-climax and a half. The ammount of cliches in this show is annoying, I've seen it all before. I haven't seen any other adaptions of this show and since watching Boys Before Flowers I don't think I will. It was average at best.

However the actors in this show, particulary Lee Min Ho and Kim Hyun Joong were awesome. Each and every emotion was potrayed brilliantly and had this show a better storyline it would have easily got a ten. I liked the different styles of acting and personalities that each character brought, even the minor ones. Plus they're all nice eye candy.

The music in this show made it worth watching. I loved the soundtrack and plan to buy every song that I possibly can from it. A nice mix of classical and pop that fitted each mood. Very very good music in this show.

In the end I would reccomend watching it so long as your not one of those people who like to pick wholes in every detail. Its easy-going and makes for an enjoyable watch. But it's not life-changing or addictive. And you probably won't watch it again.

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I watched this drama for the first time just a little over a year ago. It was my second kdrama after Full House, and when I was watching it I just thought it was amazing! A year and 30 kdramas later, I have the experience to understand how flawed this drama is, even though it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Now that I have seen true chemistry between leads, I can understand that the chemistry between Jan Di and Jun Pyo was just nonexistent. I can still remember right after I finished I was searching the web for more information, and was irritated by how many people were trashing the actress who played Jan Di for doing a horrible job, and it's taken me a year to agree with them. Jan Di's character was harsh and grating 75% of the time. To the point where I look back and wonder exactly what Jun Pyo found so alluring about her.

My love for Lee Min Ho is as great as it was a year ago, but now I can see that his acting in BBF is not anything like his acting ability in any of his subsequent dramas. Jun Pyo was over the top and ridiculous. But to be honest, that's why he was so lovable.

Three of the four F4 members are given pretty solid storylines, though So Yi Jung's didn't really show up til they needed to give Jan Di's friend a love interest. There is one scene where all of a sudden the writer's decided to try and give the fourth member Song Woo Bin a bit of a storyline involving his complaints about his mafia family and how F4 was his only family now, and it was just awkward. I felt bad for him that they never made a real effort to incorporate him into the storyline more than just the muscle.

I still love BBF and it will always have a special spot in my heart and I still find myself going back to some of my favorite scenes. If you want something that has a pretty ridiculous storyline and tons of drama, drama, drama and ridiculously good looking boys then Boys Before Flowers is exactly what you need!

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This is my least favorite k-drama ever. Sorry not sorry.

The plot is so bad and it's just so cliché. The acting is so cringeworthy (at least to me.)

I don't even know what else to say. The only good thing about this is the music, and that's because I'm a sucker for overly cheesy music. I can't ever recommend someone to watch this drama, it's just a hot mess of clichés and it being 25 episodes made it really just drag the pain. It has a lot of embarrassing moments and to me, not funny embarrassing, just straight up bad. The only reason I watched it was so I could understand references made about it. I think this was my 2nd or 3rd drama ever watching and it has effectively ruined the actors and actresses for me. I'll be honest and say that beside my ill feelings towards this drama, I still don't think the main actors are that great. I do want to point out that despite this harsh review and me probably seeming very hateful, I don't hate the actors. I mean it, I still watch things they are in, hoping to be impressed. My reason for being so harsh is to make it clear to people who dislike these clichés to not bother watching it, to not waste their time in that case.

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For those of you who have watched the other versions of this drama, which are "Hana Yori Dango" and "Meteor Garden" and enjoyed it, may want to watch this Korean version. Extras have been added to the story line which round everything up better like secondary characters back stories and more of a rivalry between the 'Rui and Domyoji' equivalent characters. Jan Di's character has been made more capable to cope with all the rotten situations thrown at her and more smarter than Tsukushi's character.

For those of you who haven't watched any of the previous versions of this drama, watching this will take you on a wonderful journey and a roller coaster of emotions, just make sure you have a pillow handy to hide yourself during the painfully embarrassing moments, and are sitting in a sound proof room so your shouting at the screen won't disturb and freak out the people you live with

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