Wonderful Movie

Excellent adaptation.

A lot more amusing than I thought it would be.

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

This was the second Korean drama i watched, and i was really not prepared for the violent and over the top start. I was tempted to stop watching it before i even finished the first episode. I felt like this was never gonna work. It was too ridiculous. There's no way this could turn into a cute romance drama. Thankfully, i pushed through and slowly found out that i was wrong. Because it really does get better. The main character, Jan Di, was sadly a character that i really struggled to like. Her personality was all over the place. It was hard to predict or understand her actions. She also came off as very cold most of the time, showing almost no affection to her love interests. Which obviously made it difficult to care about her.Joon Pyo, who started off as a spoiled brat i thought i would hate, ended up being the one i loved the most in the entire show. He was hilarious, emotional, had great character development, and had heartbreaking troubles that made you just want to hug him. Ji Hoo was one of the main reasons i wanted to watch this show after seeing him in Playful kiss. But well, Joon Pyo stole the show instead. Ji Hoo was interesting, yet a bit too dull. I didn't really like that he was a part of the love triangle. Everything about him was just too sad. I wish he would've gotten some proper happiness, but it never happened.There's not much to say about the other two f4 members. I liked Yi Jung's love story with Jan Di's friend, even though i would've preferred if it had just been about a player getting used to having a relationship, instead of dragging up an old love of his. There's basically nothing to say about Woo bin. Sadly there's was only a very small look at his life. Shame they didn't get into it more.All in all, i really enjoyed it, despite it being a bit over the top at times and too much plot crammed into 25 episodes. Half of it would've been intense enough. But once you get into it, you're in for a wild ride. Though, if you're looking for a show with romance overload and a typical cute awkward girl following their crush like a puppy, then maybe look elsewhere. Because in this show, it's mostly the men who takes care of that part.

Boys Over Flowers (2009, Korean Version) centers around a rich boy, Jun Pyo, who falls for poor girl, Jan Di, with plenty of obstacles in their path to love. Jun Pyo is the leader of the F4 (Flower Four), 4 rich close friends that are widely popular in the richest high school in Korea. What I liked about the Boys Over Flowers: a) this was first kdrama I ever watched and it will always have a special place in my heart. I was dismayed after the 1st episode with the overacting of Jan Di's family but was hooked by episode 2. b) F4 friendship worked and I loved how they became protective and caring of Jan Di. I watched the Japanese version after I watched the Korean version. Comparisons between the two versions are inevitable. The F4 Japanese actors are better than the F4 Korean actors with the exception of the lead male actor where I preferred Lee Min-ho. However, the Korean F4 members have intangibles that captivated me. F4 lead Jun Pyo was charming, caring, and loyal under the sneering veneer. Lee Min- ho, in his first male lead part, carried the show and has only improved in subsequent roles (Personal Taste, City Hunter). Ji Hoo (Kim Hyun Joong) was only initially a viable rival for Jan Di's love until she decides Jun Pyo is the one for her. His acting skills were limited but to his credit he stayed in that range and portrayed a sincere friend to both Jun Pyo and Jan Di. Yi Jung (Kim Bum), pottery master, was adorable and had good chemistry Ga Eul (Jan Di's best friend played by Kim So Eun). His acting skills were immature but his smile took that character far. In comparison, the Japanese character Soujiro was more mature, a truth teller, but completely shied away from romance. Finally Woo Bin (Kim Joon) completely lost the storyline lottery but had charm and chemistry with the others. In comparison, the Japanese character Akira had heart and was the glue of F4. c) female lead Koo Hye Sun as Jan Di had undeniable chemistry with Lee Min-ho and thankfully toned down the physical acting and amped up the emotional acting as the series progressed. Her character was reticent to commit to love but once she did, her continuous sacrifices for love mattered. In comparison the Japanese character Makino was spunkier and more open about her feelings. When Jan Di believed so strongly that Jun Pyo would remember their love that she almost drowned, it was compelling. d) the storyline is expansive (16 episodes, season 1) versus the Japanese version (9 episodes, season 1) but it works where they deviate. I preferred season 1 ending airport scene in the Japanese version (episode 9 Hana Yori Dango) and the season 2 ending beach scene in the Korean version (episode 25). The Japanese movie, an extended epilogue, Hana Yori Dango Returns, ties everything into a nice bow, where I wanted more of an epilogue in the Korean final episode 25. e) evil mom was formidable (aka President Kang played by Lee Hye-young) and could make any character shrink back with a single raised eyebrow.What I did not like about the show a) Jan Di's family made me cringe, the over acting was palpable. b) how many times did they play the theme song Almost Paradise? When they played that song during a fight scene, it was laughable.While the Japanese version, Hana Yori Dango, was better made, better acted, and more concise than the Korean version, Boys Over Flowers has intangibles which makes me prefer it.

This is my second Korean drama that I watched after they began being made available on Netflix streaming video service. I don't speak Korean or any any connection to the country, but with the English-language subtitles on Netflix it's no problem.I absolutely love this series! It's an old story, poor but spunky heart-of-gold girl gets taken in by rich patron (in this case, Korea's most prestigious private high school for scions of wealthy and powerful families) and has two rich men fighting over her, but it's told in a modern way with glamorous sets, location shots, and fashion. I love that the show is romantic but clean (no foul language or raunchy sex scenes) and that there's story and character development.The interesting thing about the two Korean dramas I've now seen is that it's the men/boys who are presented as the sex symbols. They walk into a room looking like they've just stepped out of a photo shoot for Men's Vogue or GQ magazine; their hair is so perfectly colored and coiffed, long and luxurious. They sneer better than Basil Rathbone and their arrogance makes Mr. Darcy (of Pride and Prejudice fame) seem humble by comparison. The women, on the other hand, are plainer and more ditzy, and very much at the mercy of the whims of the powerful men in their lives.On reviewer on Netflix said this show had turned her into a couch potato. Likewise.

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.