There’s a lot of issues and actions in this drama that will not hold up in today’s society for korean dramas. But when it aired over 10 years ago, it was just so addicting and a fun journey.
If you’re craving a tropey, 00’s drama with an annoying but ICONIC soundtrack to have a simple, fun time? This is it.
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It Was Great During Its Time
If you have watched/read "Hana Yori Dango" (Meteor Garden was also a great adaptation, but comes almost a decade later), you expect to watch a social hierarchy struggle with an adorable love triangle giving you false hope for relationships and daydreaming your HYD life. That doesn't happen with "Boys Over Flowers".I watched this during its air time in 2009. At that time, I screamed a perfect 10 rating. Any human that even hinted interest in K-Drama's I shouted this is a must watch. AT THAT TIME it was the perfect representation of what K-Dramas were. overdramatized high school love stories where some sort of social status affected the relationship. The actors were gorgeous, the love triangle kept you on your toes. It deserved a 10.
Re-watching it 13 years later had me cringe, roll my eyes, and scoff every episode. It hasn't aged well (especially in America), and I can't seem to understand how I glorified the terrible relationship all the characters had.
The acting is AWFUL! Another shock when re-watching because I remember praising the main actors for a beautiful portrayal of the characters. Watching it again and it was a total cringefest. I couldn't believe at how terrible the lines are delivered, how stiff and awkward they all seem on camera. The terrible, "I'm sexy, but brooding" or "I'm cute, but sad/hurt" looks made them all look constipated.
Granted, I no longer suggest this to my new K-Drama fans, I DO mention it to them as a should watch, or at least attempt to because of the impact it had DURING ITS TIME. I stress quite a bit that it just does not age well.
The OST still stands as one of my favorites! I'm heartbroken "Paradise" is no longer a featured song in every episode during every happy moment (it only plays as the intro), and the replacement "Bang, Bang, Boom" is lackluster in the spots where "Paradise" should have been. The OST is addicting and a beautiful mix of bops and ballads. Most of the songs still make their appearance on my Spotify lists, today.
I based my ratings off of my recent watch. I said it previously and meant it. Watching it during its run, I absolutely rated it a 10.
If you are curious or want to be able to say you watched a K-Drama classic, I say go for it. I will add not to expect much, and definitely be aware that in this current time, it's problematic.
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I’ll never understand
every time I'm reminded of this series I get annoyed especially remembering how much time I spent hearing Paradise by T-max... that song shaved at least a year off my life I think... this wasn't my first impression of kdramas (when people say this I feel bad) but I was a fan of Hana Yori Dango so I was interested when it came out... however it's been 12 years and I've never rewatched it and never will because I love myself and hated this adaptation but the OST that I can still hear in my head, truly hauntingWas this review helpful to you?
Most iconic of all kdramas. Watch it, even if you can't finish it.
Tender hearted viewers take heed - do not binge this drama. It's one of the most painful dramas I've ever watched and the writers used every method to make it uncomfortable. While a homely, immature, ungainly, lacking in sense female with extremely unpolished eating habits is a norm for many a kdrama, Jan-Di might take first place. The actress brought all these characteristics across to perfection. The series is now 16 years old since originally airing and dramatic styles have changed. This may have been the style people expected back then; I had a hard time sticking to it.Besides this female character trope, the unending lucky and unlucky circumstances surrounding the main 3 of 5 characters were quite unreasonable and unrealistic. By episode 15 I wanted to exit; it felt like a dreadful journey to keep watching. Much of the writing is too emotionally brutal to call entertainment. At the very least, gives reasons to why countless people in our real world, have such deep traumatic and psychological scars. Boys Over Flowers is classified as a Romantic Comedy and Drama. I suggest it be classified as a Romantic Melodrama. The moments of comedy are not compensation for the continuous stream of unhappy events that befall the main couple.
DO NOT BINGE watch this series if you have intense emotional sensitivities. (where violence, overt meanness, melancholy music, touch you on a deep level). It can drain you to the point of exhaustion if you don't take a break. Upon reflection, I should have assigned my own viewing to smaller increments of time over a couple weeks.
If you can watch this all the way to the end, there are a good number of sweet, endearing and rewarding moments along the way. Especially where lesser characters in supporting roles act as rays of light and hope when things are dreadfully dark. Still, for me it was a torment to watch and at times watched with the sound off to lessen trauma of listening to the musical soundtrack that fed so much sadness during heart rending scenes.
For me I don't love Boys Over Flowers and didn't find it enjoyable. Ultimately I felt exhausted from the experience (binge watched 6 episodes at a time which took its toll). But yes I still recommend it because not everyone feels the same way; or is unable to detach from such ludicrous stories. What kept me going is Lee Min Ho's acting - and I despised everything about his character in the beginning. Never been a fan of his, but I give credit where credit is due. It makes sense seeing him in this role why he is considered so great an actor. And to be honest - that hair!! which is so ridiculous - I don't know who else could have pulled this character off. And I found humor in the fact the writers did not think his hair was normal. They made fun of it through the script. Other reasons to keep watching are, the other lead male actors and many characters who supported Joon Pyo and Jan-di throughout the strife and heartbreak they suffered as teens and young adults. As a bit of a spoiler, Gu Joon Pyo's hair gets less freakish towards the end - even attractive.
Why watch? This may be the most iconic of all kdramas and in order to have dialogue or exchange opinions with your kdrama friends you can certainly benefit by knowing what happens and how things go. And maybe why other fans of kdramas love it. At my writing, Boys Over Flowers is 16 years old and still drawing an audience of avid Korean drama fans who absolutely love it.
My Disclaimer: never been into soap opera. And BOF is an intense and short version of that genre. Melodramatic, absurd situations are perpetually created for their own sake and not necessarily the characters. This made BOF painful to watch. Yet, it had its moments and I ultimately came to care for all the characters in their limitations and circumstances. Not many, but some other reviewers have pointed out similar likes, dislikes, and observations which stand as proof we are all very different in how we find pleasure in entertainment.
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Jan Di belonging to poor family fell in love with Goo Joon Pyo (heir of Shinhwa group). His mother tried to create many misunderstanding and stop them but she fails. Their love remain the same.(So call True love)
The most sadest part for me was for Ji Hoo. He also like Jan Di but for friendship he gave up his feeling .He is great and supportive.
Music-All the music in this drama is good but for me I would say the violin music (Ji hoo theme ) because it makes me feel the sadness and loneliness felt by Ji Hoo.
Acting of all the actor/actress are very good and adorable.Their coordination and timing is very perfect.
It could have been more better if they had shown that Ji Hoo had found his girl which understand him very well.
Watching it after so many years again I realized how the time has passed away . All the actor have aged so as we ..
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Most popular coming-of-age kdrama of all time!
Boys over Flowers is the first kdrama I ever watched. I remembered period of my life when I watched it - in July 2011, I had just resigned from job to pursue a master's degree overseas. This series was playing on tv when I returned home early from the last week of my work. I was intrigued so I watched the series in whole. It has been 13 years since I watched this series so I'm writing based on what I remember and compilation video from Asian Crush (no time and desire to rewatch this series).What I liked:
1. Ji Hoon - I always prefer Ji Hoo to Joon Pyo. He's quiet, mature and kind. The happily ever after guy not the happy for now type of guy (that's Joon Pyo).
2. Romance - I actually like the relationship between Yi Jung and Ga Eul because it was natural and sincere. Ki Bum was so endearing.
3. Sass - Not a fan of her character but Jan Di had sass to fight against Joon Pyo and her school bullies.
What I disliked:
1. Too much drama - too much for me to handle, be it from school bullying to Joon Pyo's family saga. His mother was really overbearing.
2. Joon Pyo's hairstyle - who could ever forget?
3. Class inequality - This drama really emphasised the big gap between rich and poor. Snobbery. I hate that Joon Pyo was condescending towards Jan Di at the start.
Favourite scene
When Ji Hoo kissed Yi Jung. What a tease!
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Beautiful drama with good lesson to our lifes
In the beginning, I couldn't enjoy this drama very much, because of excessive bullying etc, but, after some episodes, the story and the characters started being interesting, and more and more, enjoyable. The inside and deep feelings of the boys, that are rich but meanwhile have many problems in your family and life, make us understand that humans are humans, don't matter what do you do or which family you came from, we are no different. We need to be lovely with everyone and understand the pain of our friends and stop judging people by appearance. After all, i found that this drama is beautiful and have a good lesson to us, to take it to our life. I recommend for everyone.Was this review helpful to you?
A BLAST TO THE PAST
First of all i would like to say i don't conduct bullying of any sorts especially to doing that to someone who u claim to like perhaps if this drama premiered today it will get canceled and i would have been commenting negative words on every post but it did not so in that note despite all the things I've said nobody can deny the chokehold this drama had on us my first ever k drama and it was epic it took me on a Rollercoaster of emotions that i still feel to this day at the time of watching this i didnt understand the bullying aspect now that i am older i can understand i am physically repulsed by the idea but still can't deny i absolutely love this drama it's like a toxic ex u can't get enough of is it disgusting in the plot aspect yes but am i also gonna rebinge it every 1 or 2 years also yes whats a girl to doWas this review helpful to you?
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Teenaged Rom-Com
BOYS OVER FLOWERS (2009) is a now classic (and iconic) teenaged romantic comedy / Kdrama.It is my personal opinion that this drama was one of the drama's that caused Kdramas to become so popular and more mainstream in the West. This drama is one of the few that started the craze.
While I appreciate it now, there are a few times I found things to be cringy or controversial. Nevertheless, "Boys Over Flowers" is a near iconic rom com in the realm of dramaland.
"Geum Jan Di gets a scholarship to the elite Shin Hwa High School. She is picked on by Gu Jun Pyo, one of the richest and most popular students, but soon Jun Pyo finds himself attracted to her."
Overall, this was one of the earliest Kdramas I've watched. It will always be somewhat special to me.
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Iconic Drama
This drama is one of biggest hit, story wise is not really good but if you're a avid consumer of korean culture it's a must-watch (even just to get the reference). F4 is such a iconic meme, you will always see someone mention it.Acting wise is so so, ML and FL dont have chemistry at all. The ending barely makes sense (what the hell happened with mom bad btch? Just give up like that?Since when she wants to be a doctor?).
Now, on serious note bullying is one big problem on Korea (in the whole world really) and having a drama being nonchalant about it is icky to me. You cant go around saying that bullies can change once they fall in love and deserve a happy ending too, bullies should be punished to the extension of law.
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This review may contain spoilers
To begin with the story is very good, really, there are a lot of things I liked and others I didn't like. But unfortunately some characters are very dumb, which is a counterpoint to others that are quite emblematic. I don't even like to mention the main one that gave me the creeps, not because of the acting but because of the personality of the character that seems like a child. As they put it on the youtube video, there is a lot wrong with this drama and it's not just the most violent and psychologically unstable parts. Clearly this drama will be on the list of those I would never watch in my life.I know that a lot of people were introduced to the world of dramas because of this, and that the vast majority watched it years ago, but for me who watched it for the first time now it was a huge crap. The ost is quite weak compared to others from the same year.
I confess that I only watched until the end because I wanted to know who the soul mate was and what she would lose, according to what that psychic said.
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