Meninos Antes de Flores (2009)

Addicting but stupid

First of all, this wasn't my first korean drama, so I don't really have any nostalgic feelings for it. And I probably wouldn't have watched it (title sounds stupid haha) but on some many platforms (e.g. youtube) people recommanded it, so I gave it a try. It's kinda addicting, even though the story itself is completely stupid, weird and cringe-factor times ten. The only REALLY good thing is the soundtrack, I really liked it, especially "Paradise" because in combination with that intro it was just comedy gold hahaha
Because of the stupid plot and the length, there isn't really a chance that I'll rewatch it someday.

Leia Mais

So bad its good lmao

Oh boy, how do i start this lmaooo
I have watched this series a total of two times in my life. So prepare yourselves for TWO opinions.

The first time, I was around 11 years old and this series was something that marked my life. BOF was my first exposure to the Korean industry and it was this series that introduced me to SHINEE and kpop in general. I think that's why I have a love for this show that I can't even explain lmao.
And okay, the first time I watched this, I LOVED IT. It was my first exposure to other country media aside from mine. Im mexican, and at the time i wasnt used to see tv series directed to teenagers or younger audiences in general, so this was an instant love for me. I try to think back as to what exactly was what I loved so much about this lmaooo I think being 11 at the time, the concept of 4 handsome guys and a ''normal'' ''poor'' girl was exciting and thrilling to me; also I thought Jun Pyo was the epitome of the perfect guy so yeah, I don't think 11 year old me really cared about the acting or the plot. I just wanted to see a love story and well this is just exactly that. Also the fact, that me and my friends all got into BOF when we where around that age explains a lot ahahaha it has a lot of nostalgia to me.
But lets keep in mind that this is what a 11 year old girl in the 2010s thought, I think my age and the time has a lot to do with it.

But OKAY, lets talk about the second time I watched this. I remember i just wanted to rewatch one of my favorite series and oh man, what a huge surprise and dissapointment it was. The second time I watched this I was 17, I was a whole different person and obviously my critical thinking wasnt the same lol So when I watched this with more adult eyes, I was surprised how bad this series really are.

This show is a MESS. Like a total MESS lmaooo. The plot doesnt make any sense and its not consistent at all; things just keep happening to the point where its ridiculous. Evil mother, amnesia, car accident, bad guy turn good, this show HAS ALL THE POSSIBLE CLICHES. Literally, Im sure this show is the epitome of cliche and is what shaped the kdrama stereotypes lol. It kinda reminds me how mexican telenovelas are: over the top and dramatic.

The relationship between Jun Pyo and Jan Di is toxic to say the least; Jun Pyo orders her around, is controlling and violent. Jan Di is annoying , thick headed and the actress acting is not good or convincing at all. The relationship between these two doesnt even feel convincing, it started out of nowhere and the romantic scenes feels kinda awkward. I dont even know what Jun Pyo liked about Jan Di and vice versa, like they are not even likeable characters.

The music is iconic but I agree they overused the Paradise song to the point it was funny xD. It came all the time and out of nowhere but I still think its a great song. However I must admit I LOVE, LOVE LOVEEE songs like 'Because Im Stupid', ''stand by me'' and ''Something happened to my Heart''. I truly love them, even till this day I get so excited everytime i hear them. So yeah, love the soundtrack.

In general, I think BOF is still loved by many because of the nostalgia that comes with it. Just like my case, this kdrama was the first one to a lot of people, so I understand why many loved it till this day. I personally have a complicated relationship with this series. I KNOW ITS BAD, like Im aware its trashy and cringy and my now 21 year old self would never watch something like this again, but I cant bring myself to hate it. It holds so many dear memories related to my childhood and teenage years.

Plus we cant deny the cultural impact this kdrama had in pop culture media. It was a huge success in South Korea and one of the first kdrama to go big internationally.

Would I recommend BOF to someone that its new to kdramas? NO.
Would I recommend BOF to someone who is getting into kdramas? NO.
Would I recommend BOF to someone who has been a kdrama fan for several years now? NO.
Simple as that.

However, I will never hate this drama, I just cant bring myself to hate it xD.
If you want to watch this drama, i mean, go for it. Just know what you are getting yourself into. Its ridiculous, its over the top, its dramatic and exaggerated. But mostly its very entertaining.

Leia Mais

There is no denying that the boys are eye candy, labyboner material. However, the story looks to be shallow when first glanced, but if you care enough to start looking beyond the first impressions you will quickly realize that in fact is a very deep and profound story with a prophecy and all included. The scenery and the places the characters travel to truly show the extravagant lifestyle of the F4, our modern day princes. Jandi is of course the relatable character every viewer wants to become. Anyway, I feel like this story was truly compelling. Just make yourself a favor and go watch it.

Leia Mais

this was the first drama that started this whole obsession with dramas..so offcourse this little drama has a special place in my heart coz one never forgets first love
this is one of those rare dramas which keep you on edge most of the times because you never know what is gonna happen..

this drama has lee min ho..that almst covers why it became so popular..the guy can act and he sure has an amazing screen presence which makes it impossible not to like his character Gu Jun Pyo..he carries out his role nicely but alas the acting department is fairly lacking in this drama as aprt frm a good acting by a few this drama suffers from robotic acting..the actress really doesn know how to act..Ga Eul was far better an actress than Geum Jan di..

this drama has tonnes of glamour unlike the other two versions of the drama.from sports cars to good fashion sense this drama is light on the eyes.it also has lots of eye candy so its good to see such good looking guys onscreen.Kim Bum did a good job.Yi Sung's and Ga eul's love story was more on the cutter side adding to the charm

too much of anything is bad therefore this drama really streches the nerves to an extent where one cant properly breathe.the leads go through so much that its hard to believe that the heroine's life could be endangered so many times.therefore this drama creates conflicts just for the sake of the conflicts.
its suffers from bad writing and directing
it also drags in a lot of parts that at episode 24 one almost wants to pull out the hairs and scream jst why.if they had just finished it in 20 i would have been one happy girl

i give it a 4 for the music score because the songs are repeated like a gazilion times decreasing its uniqueness
the rewatch value is less too because this for me atleast is one drama where u will love it less the more you rewatch it..leave it at its innocent best after watching it once.

overall its a good one.a must watch for the the romantics out there..:)

Leia Mais

Overall: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Plot: 7/10
Feels Factor: 9/10

Let's make one thing pretty clear: I love Lee Min Ho. Seriously, he's gorgeous, he picks awesome dramas, and overall he's just a Korean heartthrob. I will admit, however, that this drama is not what made me fall in love with him. Especially because of that hair. Guys, that hair though.

Not my favorite. That said, this was inexplicably one of those dramas I just could not put down. Even the second time around when I showed it to my mom, I couldn't look away. It actually defies logic because really, the plot wasn't that great, the leading girl was pretty annoying a good 80% of the drama, the kisses were stiff and awkward, and their relationship was downright strange at the best of times. Was it the gorgeous F4? Was it the fast pace? Was it the fact that the characters just REFUSED to quit despite every impossible challenge?

It's hard to say.

What I can say is that overall I actually enjoyed this drama. If you're wondering whether or not its worth a try, I'll tell you that this drama is kind of the gateway drama you have to watch at some point. Like a rollercoaster you have to ride before you officially enter Kdrama Land.

The Good: This drama starts at a fast pace, and pretty much keeps that pace through the whole thing. And right off the bat we get sparks flying between the two main leads, and some simmering feels between the main girl and the second lead. And speaking of second lead WOW. If ever there was a painful second lead, Ji Hoo is it. There are few dramas where the second lead has metaphorically stabbed me in the heart like Ji Hoo did. I actually had to go and watch "Playful Kiss" right after this one because I needed to see him "get the girl" so desperately.

Also, if you love the damsel in distress thing, there is plenty of that in this drama. (Too much? No, what am I saying--there's no such thing.) The F4 has to save the leading lady a lot, and that's my kind of my thing, so I enjoyed it immensely.

And without giving you spoilers, there's a feel good ending, so that gets two thumbs up from me. That's another thing I look for in my dramas, personally. The tone was equal parts light and fluffy, and dramatic and heavy at all the right parts, and the "villian" so to speak, was appropriately treacherous. All great things.

Also, Lee Min Ho. What a dream boat.

The Bad: I almost dropped this drama after the first episode because Geum Jan Di, the main girl, was too painful to watch. The overacting, the ridiculous...whatever it is that she is...I couldn't...

Yeah, I almost dropped it. But I persevered! I got used to Geum Jan Di eating like a camel and wearing her hair like a four-year-old. She lacked a lot of...everything. But the F4 are so perfect, they completely make up for anything this drama might be missing. They are the real reason you'll watch this drama.

Another thing I wasn't so happy about was the fact that this is what I like to call a "misunderstanding plot." I really rather detest that usually. This is when a plot is based almost entirely on the main characters misunderstanding one anothers intentions. They say one thing, but think something entirely different, and thus fight over...well...nothing. Things that don't exist. For example, Geum Jan Di doesn't think she deserves Goo Joon Pyo, so she runs away. But he thinks its because she doesn't like him, so he decides to be cold toward her. This, apparently, passes for tension. I don't know. I got over it because like I said above--there's just *something* about this drama that pulls you in.

So there you have it. Overall, does your Ahjumma friend think you should watch this? YES. Go watch it.

(See this and other drama reviews at http://theahjummas.blogspot.com)

Leia Mais

There isn't really much to say about this show. This is one of those must see. Thats the only reason I watched this awful show. Story was awful, just weird conflict after conflict that was so unrealistic and just problematic. And the fact that fl chose him in the end. I aint forget about that weird ass abusive bullying the beginning. This was just really bad and too much. Like conflict after conflict that didn't even make sense. And the fact that she couldn't swim anymore. There weren't any attractive guys in this cause even if that was hip before those hairstyles weren't doing it for them. (lee min ho couldnt be saved by better hair tho). Awful show don't recommend. the only thing i got from it is being able to say that I actually have watched this "iconic" show. Ngl tho chuckled a few times in the first episodes but it got worse and worse especially when he left and the new love interest came in. Took me a solid 7 months to finish it lol.

Leia Mais

Unfortunately for Lee Min Ho, he looked much older than the high schooler he was attempting to portray and his hairstyle was ridiculous, an obvious attempt to make him appear youthful but a distraction throughout most of the episodes. He seemed overly committed to the role of F4's leader, Jun Pyo -- a rich, arrogant asshole with mommy issues and at no time did I root for him to be with Jan-Di. If I were her parents I wouldn't want my daughter anywhere near an unstable prick subject to violent outbursts. I mean, if this show is a reflection in any way of South Korea's culture at large than the entire country is filled with a bunch of romantic bullies! Jun Pyo's infantilizing treatment (a paternalistic father knows what's best for the child) of Jan-Di was difficult to watch but what was even more difficult to watch was her suffer from a kind of Stockholm Syndrome where the victim identifies with her attacker.

Leia Mais

I love this korean drama and whoever out there who plans to watch this drama... i totally recommend it 100%... this korean version of "meteor garden" is such a great drama ,,, i watch it over and over again... I really like the constant love quarrel between Jan Di and Gu Jun Pyo is so cute to watch.... and i dislike Gu Jun pyo's mother so much.... (not literally though).... why does she make Jan Di's life so hard,,, And the best part of this film is that LEE MIN HO... is the main character and he is such a great actor and a good-looking one too... He is one of favourite Korean Actor... I plan to watch any drama he is starring in... and whoever reads this please recommend them.... thanks!

Leia Mais

This was one of my first Korean Drama I have ever watched. I was hooked on it for the longest time, but after watching more and gaining more experience with dramas... My view changed from AMAZING , to.. "It's okay". Lee Min Ho was great here, as always I was able to feel his emotions. But sadly, Koo Hye Sun was unable to match Min Ho's acting ability. I was unable to feel her emotions and my only "Kyyyyyaaaaa!" Moments were when Min Ho was being sweet. Koo Hye Sun was unable to make me *FEEEEEL* if you know what I mean. Not that I completely disliked her acting ability, it was just she was unable to show VERY much chemistry with Min Ho. Even though Hye Sun's character wasn't suppose to be madly in love, I was unable to feel sadness, anger, love or any of that sort from Hye Sun's acting. But I felt as though Min Ho, aka Goo Jun Pyo truly loved Geum Jan Di. But I was unable to say the same for Jan Di. Her character seemed somewhat stale (Maybe that was how her character was suppose to be I'm unsure)... Kim Hyun Joong did alright. He's character was more of the laid back type of character so I understood his mono-toned acting. Kim bum was good and though Kim Joon had little parts he didn't bother me nor made me loove him. Overall Boys Over Flowers was a good watch, it was quite the experience. I wouldn't rewatch it... But I did like it with the storyline and twists that it had. Its worth watching!

Leia Mais