Meninos Antes de Flores (2009)

I watched this drama after watching the japanese version of it. Acting wise, this drama lacked more than i expected. Mainly Hye Sun was the worse actress in this. I felt like i was watching a robot sometimes. her robotic movement was totally out of place. The others did a good job, with lee min ho being outstanding. However I watched this drama not for the main couple but for Yi Jeong and Ga Eul. I was not interested in the main couple mainly cause I knew what was going to happen so I found it rather tiring to follow it. And it was also rather draggy. Generally I don't think this dramais the best korean drama ever. It was tiring watching it. of course if you are someone who loves romantic dramas of the same nature (rich bastard guy , poor girl , they fall in love, she tells him she doesn't care about the money lalalala familiar pattern that has been used for more than 20 years over and over by many telenovela scriptwriters around the south american countries ex: marimar, maria la del barrio, paulina, perro amor, luz maria etc. nothing new to it but then again if you have not watched something similar before it definitely strucks you). I would not rewatch this drama again especially since it's a drama that i won't forget it's plot so there is no point in rewatching. How ever watching it for the funny scenes again, i would probably do, which is why i have a 5/10 rewatch value.

Leia Mais

I've never felt so unsatisfied in my life after finishing a show.
Theres a huge overdramatic buildup with over the top bad things just happening to her/them over and over again. And then there is no resolution. To the plot, to their love story, to the love triangle, to the other characters. Well there is one but its so makeshift, I'm not even sure there was a point. Literally one of f4 doesn't even have a plot, but they try and give him one but never carry through with it. The resolutions to all the characters except for LMH's were all bad like I don't have a feeling of finished. They tried to resolve everything in 20 minutes, but no thqat doesn't work especially when you defy the reality of time.
The acting is eh. The story was cute until like half way through, and it just got irritating.
Nevertheless, it was incredibly addicting to watch, but I was actually torn apart. I hold so much hate for this show.
It was my first drama, and actually the worst I've ever seen.
Would Not recommend purely because of the anguish that it will give while watching and after its over.
I suggest you save up a drama you'll know will be really good to watch right after if you do watch this.

also I suggest watching The Heirs. It's the better slightly less overdramatic version of this that still has Lee Min Ho in it.

Leia Mais

It is one of my least favorite k-dramas so far.

Maybe I've watched it too late for it to be a good experience. It was made when I was 13, so I get why so many people love this drama and why it is a "must-watch", but honestly I just finished it cause I can't let things unfinished.
The story is too dramatic, I got to a point where the only thing that kept me going was the secondary couple cause I simply couldn't stand the drama of the main leads. Instead of following a path of "falling in love > having a problem > solving that problem" they actually made a cycle out of it, where it happened so many times i couldn't even keep track, and that ended up being too tiring for me.
I felt very compelled to watch it because all of my friends who watched it when they were young kind of love this drama, but I guess I am, indeed, too old for this. It may be a good experience for other people, since it is very cliche sometimes and, let's be honest, a cliche is a cliche for a reason, but I wouldn't recomend for people like me who don't like abusive male main leads and annoying female main leads.

Leia Mais

The story begins well and then really gets tangled in its own messy web. The female lead is a pain to watch in this character. She had no chemistry with the lead and her monotonous acting by tilting the head to one side just became unbearable after first 4 episodes.
The romance was a roller coaster ride with the leads fighting and separating in almost all the episodes.
The second lead had better chemistry with the lead actress.
The storyline is flawed and painfully boring . With the leads acting poorly throughout, I am glad i was able to finish it at all.

Leia Mais

Hot guys, dramatic plot, heart wrenching love, and did I mention hot guys? It's not hard to see why Boys Over Flowers is number one of Mysoju's top dramas of all times!!!
Every episode seemed to be a script out of Days of Our Lives, but I admit, the beginning had me from when she gets out of her dad's car, or well, whatever you want to call it, to start her new life at the prestigious school right until the end. It’s a drama that keeps you hooked and I wish, to be honest, they had spread the stories out as it soon became OTT and every scene less realistic than the last. It was because of this I was unable to completely fall in love with the characters and rather viewed it as a story without sadly any personal connection.
Easily my favourite character was Ji Hoo and it almost seemed as if BOF writers were trifling with the idea that true love and the love you should spend the rest of your life with are not the same person. Which is quite a unique idea. Apparent from that, the drama is quite shallow with basic themes of morality versus money being thrown out the window with the lingering close ups of extreme wealth at every turn.
However, in all that, a great fun Saturday night watch – not that I would watch Asian dramas on a Saturday night, geesh – and make sure to pick your own flower to fall in love with

Leia Mais

Oh boy... this is the first drama that I ever watched, the one which started it all. It will always hold a special place in my heart, on a high-high pedestal, perfect in every way, the drama to which no other drama could ever compare. Well... it is really hard to think another drama might take its place in my heart. However, as I've watched more and more dramas I've found this level of love for other dramas for a whole plethora of reasons. But no matter how many dramas I watch I highly doubt that the special and honored place that Boys Over Flowers has in my heart will change.

In my opinion this drama is an excellent choice to introduce the non-K Drama-believer to the world of K-Dramas. For me it made me hungry to know more about the culture of Korea, the language, and the story concepts used to tell this tale. Because of this drama I was introduced to some very basic concepts of the K-Drama scene. Chaebol, Eomeoni, OTP, OST, STP, Flowerboy, Sunbae, Wae/Wae-yo, Ya!, Second Male Lead Syndrome, and Oppa. As I watch more and more dramas I gather more and more terms and words to my knowledge base. I’m sure there are other really phenomenal choices for a person’s first drama, but I’m biased and really believe Boys Over Flowers is in the top three best choices to bring people into the fold.

I won’t summarize the story here, there are so many places and blogs which rehash and retell the store in its entirety. Instead, my goal is to talk about what I liked and disliked about the story itself. Hopefully help others to decide if Boys Over Flowers is for them.

Let’s start off by saying if you’re watching a drama for the eye-candy then Boys Over Flowers has it in abundance. All of the F4 are handsome Flowerboys. Each fulfilling a different character archetype. Goo Jun Pyo is the cold hearted Chaebol who torments and tortures others with a smirk. Yoon Ji Hoo is the tender hearted and warm second male lead with a smile that can melt your heart. So Yi Jung is the suave Casanova/Plyaboy who can charm the pants off anything. And Last but certainly not least is Song Woo Bin, the enforcer and smooth talker of the group who will defend his friends no matter what. Something for everyone that’s for sure.

Geum Jan Di is the poor, working class gal who finds herself wrapped up in the world of the excessively rich. She is stubborn, cheerful, hard working, and a bright light to her friends. For me she was amazing to watch. The story put her through the gamut of emotions and she still remained strong and true to her own morals. For me that was an amazing journey to witness.

I keep saying what I loved about this show, so I should add a few notes about what I didn’t like. Geum Jan Di’s family caused me no end of frustrations. The more I learn about the culture there and the image portrayed in their TV shows I can see where they were coming from. However, this poor noona just couldn’t get over the fact that they were pretty much trying to sell their daughter to a rich family for their own improvement. Plus the strained/strange relationship between the parents didn’t sit well with me. Because Jan Di was so hard working I really wanted to see a family that supported her and was happy at home. Lastly, it bothered me that the parents left the high school daughter in charge of her middle school brother and left to make money.

The Eomeoni, Jun Pyo’s mom, yeah I hated her so much. I understand the role she played and the way she created dramatic intensity in the story, however, she was a bit much. I wanted to see her part toned down a little, because then it would have been a little bit more believable.

This story introduced me to Second Male Lead Syndrome, I’m sure there are a ton of other names for it. But what it boils down to is that I loved Ji Hoo so much that by the end of the story my heart was broken and bleeding for him and his unrequited love. I hated that he didn’t get a happily ever after, it still bothers me to this day.

Other things that I loved about this show was the secondary love story between So Yi Jung and Cha Ga Eul. It was fun to watch Yi Jung grow as a man and to see Ga Eul slowly fall in love with him. The friendship that blossomed between Ji Hoo and Jan Di makes my heart all warm and fuzzy (as long as I don’t think about his unhappy ending). I loved how Goo Jun Hee (Goo Jun Pyo’s older sister) and Min Seo Hyun (Ji Hoo’s first love) protected and supported Jan Di. I also just loved the story. Angry, rich, spoiled, brat who slowly becomes a good man through his love for a woman he shouldn’t want. The acting was superb and writing amazing. Best of all, for me, it had a mostly happy ending. There were a few sad things which I wish could have turned out better for the characters I adore, but even with these road bumps the ending was happy and sweet.

Noona's Rating
Overall: 9 (Rated at 5 Stars on DramaFever.com)
Story/Writing: 9
Cast/Actors: 10
OST: 9
Sets/Costumes: 7
Feels: 10

Leia Mais

I understand that this drama is surrounded by varied opinions so I will attempt to be mindful of that...

'Boys Before Flowers' or "Boys Over Flowers' was my very first K-Drama. My friend and I watched 20 of the 25 episodes in one full sitting - dedication right there. I must admit, I was not disappointed (evident by the various dramas I have watched since).

The storyline of 'Boys Over Flowers' provides moments of tears (I cried like a baby), joy (grinned like a fool and laughed very often), pure annoyance and hatred toward certain 'evil' characters (we experienced much of this), it is certainly a drama that can leave people shouting at their screens. I thought the storyline was great, it always had me at the edge of my seat, enthralled in the events that were unraveling in front of me. However, it has been noted by many other people that the last story plot (I won't state what it is) was unnecessary, and I agree, to a point. I can understand the need for such a plot as it signified the strength of Gu Jun Pyo's love for Geum Jan Di and vise-versa. Overall, the storyline was very good/great, in my opinion - as infuriating as it was brilliant.

The acting/cast... The supporting cast were convincing in their roles, especially Gu Jun Pyo's mother... horrendous woman - she performed her role very well. I ADORED the main leads - Koo Hee Sun (Jan Di) and the F4 members... I must admit, this is the only role of Hee Sun that I have liked (please don't hate me). The actors who played the members of F4 (in my opinion) suited their roles perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed watching them interact and slowly reveal their inner character. Their performances were commendable.

The music... what can I say? I thoroughly enjoyed it. I downloaded the various soundtracks to my phone if that says anything. The music in this drama was outstanding. I believe it was well suited to the drama and the events which were occurring.

Re-watch value... considering that I and a group of my friends have each re-watched this drama on multiple occasions... I would say its pretty high.

Overall, I would say this is a great drama. It is enjoyable and successfully and skillfully manipulates the audiences emotions. I found myself caring for each character (minus the obviously detestable characters... I would definitely recommend watching this drama if you haven't already, the cute moments are well worth it.

Leia Mais

The Good: Lee Min Ho as Goo Joon Pyo. This was his break out role for a reason. Goo Joon Pyo is not a good person and he would make a terrible boyfriend, but boy is he fun to watch.

The Meh: Everyone else, practically, especially Kim Hyun Joong's Ji Hoo and Goo Hye Sun's Geum Jan Di. Seriously, what was up with her character. Had potential to be a decent and even kinda badass female lead, but she was just such a puzzling and at times infuriating one instead.

The Bad: The story, oh, it's bad. And frustrating. And terribly cliched. But so, so addictive and fun to watch.
This show was one of my first korean dramas and I finished it in like four days, I couldn't stop. I have a very soft spot for it, in spite of its flaws and overall messiness. One of my guilty pleasures.

Leia Mais

Overrated

When I was starting my journey in Asian Drama I read that Boys Over Flowers was a must see, oh boy, it actually disappointed me to the point that I stopped watching Asian dramas for a while. I know this one is one of the first dramas that became popular and opened the doors for all the other to come but the characters and the plot were disappointing. I am not sure but I think that in 2009 it was one of the one dramas to go along with the story of the rich boy and the poor girl (that's why I am giving it a 9), but what I don’t like is the lack of consent and consistency in the story.

First, to explain the lack of consent I don’t understand why Joon Pyo was always dragging Jan Di around, making her go places she didn’t wanted to and practically forcing her to be his girlfriend, he never asked her if she wanted to, he just started telling people around hum that it was that way and taking Jan Di with him to different places. And with the lack of consistency, at first Jan di is shown as a strong girl who is ready to stand up for herself and her friend to whomever dared to mess with her, but then she just lets Joon Pyo toy with her and drag her around, when they “started” being a couple she tried to explain that they weren’t but like, just saying it like twice as much and in a tone that no one would pay attention to, girl, you were throwing ice cream to that guy and yelling at him and now you can’t defend yourself?? And let’s not talk how Joon Pyo’s mother made her do whatever she wanted, I understand you can’t talk back to elder people in Korea but then she actually did what the woman asked for?

And don’t get me started on how she actually feel in love with the guy that was always bossing her around and didn’t care how she felt and not with the one that was always taking care of her and was so nice with her.

Leia Mais

BOF vs. Meteor Garden (2018) - spoilers abound!

I watched Boys Over Flowers first, then immediately moved on to the Chinese remake Meteor Garden (2018). I have so many feelings! Wrote this comparison for a friend recently and figured I'd share it here too as my official review.

Tl;dr: In BOF, Jan-di should have chosen Ji-hoo, but in MG I'm happy for Shancai and Dao Ming Si.

In BOF there wasn’t enough development and growth to the relationship with Jun-pyo. She went from not liking him to kinda liking him to being wrecked that he no longer wanted her. I needed more good times between them to cement the emotions and convince me that she actually loved him as much as he loved her, and that they could actually work together for a lifetime. This is where MG definitely excelled! The relationship arc is much better. And because the love triangle is so downplayed in MG, I’m perfectly happy that she ends up with Dao Ming Si.

Ji-hoo’s line in BOF about being her honorable fireman and coming to her rescue when he hears her heart alarm just slayed me. Like how can you have a line that great and not get the girl in the end!! He was SO good to her.

I probably could have made my peace with her choosing Jun-pyo if the ending hadn’t been so shitty. Ji-hoo spends THREE YEARS by her side as they pursue their common interest in medicine while Jun-pyo is MIA, he still loves her completely, but Jun-pyo makes a flashy entrance and gets the girl? UGH! And worst of all, Ji-hoo’s grandfather is now dead, so the poor guy is left totally alone! Soooo unsatisfying. In MG on the other hand, the ending is very sweet.

In some ways the acting felt more natural in MG, but the acting was more emotional in BOF. MG never made me *feel* whereas BOF had me a wreck at times. I also liked that everyone in BOF had tragic backstories, bad things happened that had lasting consequences (her shoulder, Yi-jung’s hand, etc.) and villains were truly villainous, whereas everything in MG was toned down and always easily resolved. BOF was all about the anguish, and that worked for me.

I did prefer that MG downplayed the bullying aspect and made F4 better people from the get-go than their BOF counterparts.

Even so, I liked the supporting cast F4 boys better in BOF. I felt like they had a stronger relationship with Jan-di than the MG counterparts. I liked that all 4 in BOF had stronger identities that established why they were considered so elite, whereas in MG their lives seem pretty average except for Si’s. And I preferred the Yi-jung/Ga-eul romance side plot romance in BOF. I *could not stand* MG's meek little Xiao You as she chased after Xi Men! Multiple times I shouted “have some self-respect, girl!” at my screen lol. Xi Men got *real hot* in the second half of the series though. In BOF I did feel bad that Woo-bin’s character was so minor, like he’s the only one who didn’t get his own side plot, but then I got super annoyed with the amount of screen time his MG counterpart Mei Zuo got with that other love triangle story that came out of nowhere and ate up waaaay too much screen time in a disconnected plot.

The characters are meant to be younger in BOF than in MG, but for me I felt the plot scenarios and the acting and the emotions all felt more mature in BOF.

The hair was bad in both shows early on, but got better as it went. Ji-hoo got hotter when he started wearing glasses, and Xi Men got hotter when he stopped lol. I always preferred BOF’s fashion over MG’s though, more dapper.

BOF had more plot holes and wild unbelievable scenarios, so MG for sure wins for better and more even storytelling.

The many travel excursions in BOF made it feel like I was watching a season of the Bachelorette, which honestly I really liked. The travel in MG was unexciting to me, and the London scenes were downright AWFUL with the accents and absurd portrayals of British people (having lived in London for 4 years, I was literally screaming at the TV during the fancy restaurant musical moment).

Lastly, the product placements in MG were laughably annoying. So in your face!

I think that on a point by point logical basis, I might lean towards MG as the being better, but honestly it’s the overall feeling and lasting impression that makes BOF win for me, logic be damned.

Leia Mais