There's enough dated clothes and crazy "acting" in the old versions
(I did give the 2018 version still solid 5.0 so I needed to go even lower, here...) I searched my heart what kind of feeling would describe this version, and perhaps the cultural difference could be only compared to if F4 version was made in Bollywood...? No, that would be FUNNY, at least. This is morelike a LONG product-placement video with models only posing as characters who should be so precious to us.I seriously think now in 2023 young people should have a better version of HYD to watch to appreciate it. If they don't, then there's enough dated clothes & crazy acting in the old ones...
I wasn't particularly looking forward THAI remake of HYD, and to actually watch it, I did postpone it. It has the typical thai "qualities" that go beyond borders of good taste, straight product advertising put right into the scenes, and cast like Bright Vachirawit in the main role... He looked problematic right from the start, because F4 should be group of FRIENDS, and not something else (maybe 'G4 Thailand'?:), so I expected to find his romance with the main girl not very convincing, given that the viewers should inadvertently expect him to fall into each other's arms with Win Metawin any second... Turned out, that was the least of Bright's problems.
This show looks like an ambitious project. It's GMM25, though. I watched ENOUGH of their shows. I wasn't excited. First minutes, I wondered what was it that was wrong with Bright. Oh, they did try to make his hair "curly". I forgot about that Doumyouji trait. It's (once again) not a good attempt, so I'd wish the producers would forget about it, too. Seeing F4's "cool" clothes, again I got reminded that the source material for this show is indeed pretty old:) The main girl's actress is someone completely new. Her looks fill the requirements. She's supposed to be pretty, yet totally ordinary. First thing her character does, she explains in detail how the the school bullying works. Like a game with rules. I realized these things were never said out loud in any previous HYD adaptations. I mean, we always kinda felt it didn't make much sense but now the show was trying to "logically" explain it, the more it actually stood out, lol. I had to laugh even more, seeing Bright's fur coat. Was he warm enough in thai weather? LOL. Again with the gay reminiscence. There's even Pompam Niti on the cast. Tootsie left, tootsie right... Then again, wasn't it gay to call the boys FLOWER four in the first place? So, the 1st gay reference actually goes all the way back to Japan:)
In the scene where main girl's new school friend bumps into main guy and stains him with her food, I actually thought she did him a favour, lol. She drops some spaghetti on his extremely gay shoes (those were sparkling! seriously) and then no matter what way his character reacted, I was distracted by Bright's weird hair and his weird makeup they made him wear. Look at the photos on 'F4 Thailand' official posters, he's almost unrecognizable on some of them. And I DID think his face had personality. What a disaster. He was super handsome in '2gether' compared to this. And back there I thought he was average looker:) Also, that was BL. Now, isn't it an interesting irony, how are guys in STRAIGHT drama way more groomed than the ones in BL? LOL.
Cindy Bishop appears as the main boy's mother. Wow, what a cast. She won a beauty pageant when she was young but I actually like her better now she got older.
I liked the kick scene. It was great and started warming up to this version. I was like: This old story always works:) So many adaptations. There must be something about the extremes which highten emotions on the war field. It's just a perfect playground for all the drama & romance to blossom... So, at that point, I still looked forward episode 2.
Episode 2, it looked like the significantly different thing would be that the mother is here since day 1. She meets Gorya the first day she enters F4's leader's house! But, she just walks past her and they don't really have any confrontation. Bright keeps wearing bad taste, passed-era clothes that make him look like a clown and his face is still distorted with makeup. His character, called Tham (they write it as Thyme, but that's wrong, that's not what everyone really pronounces) is clearly interested in Gorya, also since day 1. Ren has a weak actor and is not dreamy enough. The mafia bad boy looks too feminine and keeps wearing ponytail. Win Metawin makes me feel uneasy watching him with huge 70s glasses which are somehow supposed to make him big playboy. I thought: I need a big dramatic scene again, soon. Else it's mostly about big feeling of WTF...
Instead, there was a funny scene in which the 1st kiss was stolen, LOL. That was always the awkward bit in all previous versions. I liked how they made fun of that.
Epi 3, I realized Bright's acting was a bit forced. It seems he was really constrained by the big role. When scene didn't have the required atmosphere, it used voiceover to support what it was supposed to convey. Voiceovers are always a sign.
As for the modernization of the story. I get the ubiquitous use of media, but I just didn't believe Tham would be left standing on a square ALONE after he broadcasted the time and place to the whole school. Would NONE of his stalking fangirls come? What's a few hours in the rain to THEM. They'd be camping there.
Epi 4: No matter how "classy" this show tries to appear (it uses black letterboxing like a movie) it cannot escape the cheap waters of the obligatory Oishi tea product placement, right into the main story. After that stumble, the main two had their infamous "first date". Which was more or less an accident. Yet it was immediatelly followed by Tham's friends giving warnings against things getting "too serious"...
Epi 5: Win Metawin as an invincible fighter? Please, just keep him as the spoiled pretty-boy, lady-boy. That's at least partially believable. Bright's "acting" is now really becoming a problem. His facial expression when he is supposed to be angry, depressed, sorry... It kinda always looks like he's grinning. WTF?
He really makes the worst Doumyouji. It's everything from his expressions to his manner of speaking. I did not expect much still I did not expect Bright to be THIS bad. And maybe it's not just Bright. I mentioned that HYD offers so many moments of exciting visuals and dramatic settings, that it might seem it's not possible to make a bad series with such strong source material... But it is. And it might happen, here.
Story here seems to follow the japanese 2005/2007 live action version, which was very short. And if this manages to squeeze both seasons into 16 episodes, it will be even shorter.
Episode 6, there's yet more product placement (or plain advertising, morelike) and there's the double date in zoo. There, among the colorful parrots, first time Tham's clothing fits right into the surroundings:) Perhaps his clothes were also inspired by the 18 years old adaptation. Or was it the 22 years old one from Taiwan? Tu wears a head cap. On today's whole planet, she would need to be teleported to China, the only place that one might still be in fashion. Gunsmile assumes the role of the obnoxious boyfriend, as he takes pride in such roles. Other question is whether he's really good at those. This version, Tesla (seriously, that's supposed to be his nickname... Thailand is lucky it's not siginificant country enough for Tesla's descendants to sue this show:) serves morelike as a mirror to Tham, as his looks & behavior basically copy Tham's. It's like Tham had his chance to see how would be able to withstand his own self.
Bright's spastic "acting" continues...
Funny moment is in episode 8, where Tham moves into a house next to Gorya's, to "experience common domestic life". Him watching boran lakorns on television is something you obviously won't find in other countries versions:D There is Tham's birthday party too, in that episode. Cindy Bishop appears, wearing such a cleveage (and the necklace!) like she should straight go continue as MILF in some adult movie. No matter how striking she is, it occurs to me that she is actually ridiculous in this role. Her age doesn't fit, either. She can pass as Bright's mother, but not as Maria Poonlertlarp's.
Episode 9, I was curious which girl would he grab, as I always found it idiotic when he grabbed the wrong one (previous versions do vary, here) and you can guess if this one picked the good option. Yes, it copies the japanese live action alright. I can't even give the "Story" here high rating, because the writers actually do nothing but compile from all previous versions. Which is actually tiresome since the 2009 korean version, let alone today. I must admit I really am tired. And I honestly don't care whatever happens to those people onscreen. Since episode 1, I didn't see anything I would like, and what DOES get repeated is precisely the stuff I found tiring even in the old verisons. Like, there is the new rich girl who is Tham's fiancee and again the main girl gives her her friendship too easily (and does NOT tell her that she dates Tham... ugh, is she going to get cornered into helping her own rival yet again?). Tham hugs Gorya and says he needs to go and do something important, but Bright's volatile facial expressions make the "emotional" scene look comical. The same goes for their "passive-aggressive-fight" scene, where Gorya is supposed to say to Tham that he'd be actually better off with the other girl. The audience should always note that this was her mistake when she told him that, but this version, Bright Vachirawit makes such faces that I don't really care whether she breaks up with him. Gorya says she's tired. Gee, she's tired? I am tired. I was tired with "the latest" version in 2018 already and I have rated it 5.0 perfect average and that was extremely low considering how much I love HYD (it was like 10th adaptation I watched already). But this time, it looks I might even DROP the latest version...? Or should I keep watching for the sake of the whole scenes dedicated to advertising the KFC box?
Episode 10: I started to feel that I am generous to dedicate my time for this. After all, I don't need to find out the "story", I've seen it like eleven times already. There's not a single good actor on the cast, either. Things get lively again in this episode, and there is a scene in which they almost kill Gorya, because thai never know the right measure. Is this supposed do be rated for the audience 13+ years old? We have this, instead of proper kiss scene, which should be due by now (or at least an attempt of it, like in the korean version, lol).
Epi 11: When they capture Gorya in the famous scene where Doumyouji/Tham is supposed to let himself get hurt in her stead, even there comes a modification and it doesn't make sense. The only thing I appreciated was we could see Tham's redemption over his past victims and we could see that his friends said it right: He was inspired by Gorya. Still, no kiss, we get our eyes polished by the KFC box, yet again.
Episode 12: We still did not get to the anticipated 1st kiss (boy, and when I think of the taiwanese version from 2001!!) , yet we got to the stage when Gorya becomes Tham's "personal maid" (which I always thought exceptionally badtaste and I'm not sure if that even was in the original manga) and then Win Metawin and his mega-lips actually beats the main couple to it. Sad, tragic... Now I know, why I was uneasy about his cast from the beginning, LOL.
Episode 13, it seems they can no longer put it off. We get to the same dated side-story about a sunrise on a rooftop & Cindy Bishop returns. Also, KFC box returns. Yay. Tham & Gorya kiss hispanic telenovela style ("Make it big! Make it big!" - yelled the director in the background:) Gee, only 3 episodes left, now.
Episode 14: Tham tries to act like a grown-up: Big LOL. We can see him in office, wearing black tuxedo with sparkles on it (seriously), all this because his mother showed Gorya some cancer pictures which looked like printed from the internet. We watch him having a conversation about his personality change with his sister, which was a scene I couldn't help but burst out laughing. Apart from his clothes, Tham seems to be standing in front of a wall covered with pussy pictograms (known in some countries:) Did they try so hard to communicate THIS to the audience?, LMAO. There's more bad acting from Bright Vachirawit... So, if I laughed at the "wrong" places, you understand my boredom, after all I watched this story more than 10 times already (though, without the KFC box), so forgive me.
Epi 15: Yawn. Still not the final? Without caring much whether Tham stays in his vagina-symbol covered office or leaves it to find Gorya, I'd like to nominate the box from KFC as an alternate F4 member. Still less boring and better acting than most of them . You do understand how I fastforwarded through the whole episode to finally get to KFC scene!
As for the final, I can say positive things about it, like it did come fast enough to spare us more episodes and the obligatory amnesia arch... Oops, not really. They "modernized" that too... With "great" performance on top (our handsome boy Bright tries hard to yell on the top of his lungs to compensate for the acting... after all, at that point of the story Tham is no longer just thick, but actually brain damaged). But, it was just one final hour and then it was over (I still wanted to fastforward all the lame product-placement, or Bright's "english") and I was done with watching and listening, up to the last "wise voiceover" which felt like a chore. You can try and guess whether the "magic" of the LAST SCENE did get broken by yet another blunt KFC advertisement, or had thai tv shown a bit of restraint for ONCE? lol.
OVERALL, this didn't have any rewatch value with moments when would my heart stop. Ending of the 1st episode was closest to it, but this adaptation didn't manage to fully bring it on. So, it might serve just as a starting point for the people who did not know F4, yet. When we're at it, to call the drama bluntly "F4 Thailand" perhaps speaks about it best. But it's NOT enough success that they did film it, that they manage to adapt it in their language & environment, that they manage to "modernize" it and done it: In fact if you decide to get acquainted with the original story, you need to be prepared for the fact it IS dated and that's a part of it's "charm". Flaws or not, watching it should be an experience that somethat stays with you. Not another binge-watch that makes you log on social media to comment and order KFC box. I won't give it significantly low Overall rating because after all, it does have good enough production value and stuff. It's actually MEH more than anything else. Looking back, it's actually the same word I used last time (2018)... I'm afraid time will come at some point when the endless remaking has to stop. If we keep at it for more 100 years, making "less toxic", and then even less toxic version, we'll totally forget what it was actually about. It IS a story of a certain era... Like, you might consider watching an actual old movie, to understand old movies, right?
For all the people gushing about this being the best version. During this review, I also compared this version to this or that. One version was left aside, though. The 1996 ANIME version. Yes, it's animated. It's cartoon. Yet it's the most flesh out, most raw... You might be struggling through watching it, but in the end of the day, that one really is the truest version, the funniest, the sexiest, the most deep... And in the very end, the best version. And you go watch it if you don't believe me. You will believe. It's an amazing experience and a SURPRISE even after a person watched other versions with live acting and got totally obsessed with THEM, in the end most people admit that anime version was the best. So, the viewers who haven't yet watched: You still have something good to look forward to;-))
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I Didn't Want To Like It But I Do
As the headline states, I didn't want to like this show. The show- and the character Thyme- goes a bit far with physical violence -though he only raises his hand once at the main character without actually hitting her- and I would implore anyone in a relationship like this to leave it immediate. I feel the need to say that as I know a lot of the fans of shows like this are teens who could get the wrong idea.Still... The actors, the plot and the humor stole my heart. I'm completely fixated on this series. I typically only watch BL but this show is so electric. Even while I question the need or even the morality of creating stories like this while abusive relationships are so prominent in the real world, I must admit that this series is addictive. I suppose as long as one is capable of criticizing the media they consume, it should be fine. I just implore any young woman or man watching this to do that.
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I haven't seen the other versions but I don't think I will now.
I haven't seen other versions except for the first few eps of Meteor Garden, but I can already say this is the best. I think the other versions will really dissapoint after this, because it is the most annoyance-free drama I have ever seen - and that is not easy with a story like this one. Like the story just flows so smoothly, plus its kind of changed up so the new outlook on things is the cherry on top we needed, the characters have great morals, not a single one is annoying its like you can understand them all. The ACTING!! 10/10 no doubt about it, especially when its not usually the case with high school romances. Im totally digging the bromance, all members of F4 are given good screen time unlike in meteor garden imo. Also, I keep replaying the OST all day long!!! Its that good and you can't get bored of it and when it starts playing at the cliffhanger it gives me chills for real. Now I regret watching it when its airing cuz I simply can't wait for the next eps.Was this review helpful to you?
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Amazing so far
I'm reviewing this from the perspective of someone who have watch the 2018 Meteor Garden and Boys Over Flower and read the Original Manga Hana Yori Dango.I like the cinematography of F4 Thailand ALOT. As someone who work in the field of cinematography, I can tell the director put a lot of effort to condense all the details into each scenes in each episodes. Unlike the 2018 meteor garden that has 40 plus episodes, this one only has 16.
The wardrobe choice is amazing, they use branded clothing in a lot of the scene and i love it because that's how the F4 dress in Hana Yori Dango. Flashy and stylish. It's also realistic to me since i'm used to seeing real life Thai conglomerate's son and daughters dress in real life and in social media, these days they use exactly how Thyme and the other f4 dress lol. The flashy Balenciaga jacket, Louis Vuitton outfit, the fancy cars etc In my opinion it really suits the characters. I prefer the wardrobe of the F4 thailand than 2018 Meteor Garden. Not to mention i love that the setting is in highschool and the others use uniform. It really is like Hana Yori Dango! Unlike the 2018 meteor garden that uses the university setting, i prefer the highschool setting because i love when movie adaptation don't change the important aspects such as the settings of the original plot . (highschool/uni) it really is a point plus for me.
I like Gorya's character more than Shanchai of 2018 Meteor garden. Gorya's character is the perfect balance of smart, independent, nice and she doesn't look dumb. And the way the episodes goes you can see Gorya's feelings for Thyme develop so it's more realistic if in the end she likes Thyme. Shanchai on the other hand always seems to dislike Dao Ming Si and she's always rejecting his advances and overall didn't look like she's into him in general lol and it took so many episodes and draggy plot for her to finally seems to be into Dao Ming Si? Even now I forgot which episodes in the 2018 Meteor Graden where Shanchai actually make the first move for Dao Min Si or is willing to receive his advances. Is there even any? hmm. In the same plot and scenes, Gorya and Shanchai both gives different reaction, and for me Gorya's reaction is the best because she's actually seems to be into the male lead which is Thyme. And it's so refreshing to watch. I didn't have the feeling of "I feel so bad for ML because FL keeps rejecting him" that I had when I watch 2018 Meteor Garden.
Thyme was acted by the actor really great so far. I've never watch Bright before, this was my first time. I think his acting skill is nice, It was shocking to see reviews that say his acting is bad? It shows that people really does have different opinion. I thought the actor of Thyme really was good at expressing his facial emotions to show his feelings. The characters of Thyme is better in this version than Dao Ming Si or Gu Jun Pyo. Dao Ming Si threw food at Shanchai's face and Gu Jun Pyo and Domyouji Tsukasa in the manga ordered boys to as*ault the female lead and I'm glad they didn't add those in this adaptation. It's 2022 I'm glad they figured those shouldn't be romanticized. Oh and I love in episode 5 Thyme said to Hana the only person she should love is herself. Yasssss. We love self love campaign <3 That's my favorite part, thank you for including that! That's so thoughtful. Always remember to Love yourself first! I like Dao Ming Si alot, I thought Dylan wang was handsome and cute and played Dao Ming Si well. Bright also did a great job. I like both. Lee Min Ho also was really good and i remembered I like his acting as Gu jun pyo back then when I watch it years ago. So yeah there's no one i like best, i like them all. they're all attractive in different ways.
Love the mixture of romance and comedy, there was many scenes that i thought funny. Btw i love how Thyme is such a big softie and very soft to Gorya at alot of times. Like in episode 5 where Gorya was sleeping in his lap and he spoke "Gorya" so soft and sweet to ask her to be his gf and when their lips almost touch while Thyme wanted to turn off the lamp and Gorya shifted and Thyme GASPED and was so shy about it, it's so cute AHAHAHA. He's like such a giant tall baby who is actually a hopeless romantic and is such a SIMP? Lol he have so many simp moments i find so dang adorable. I just love mean looking ML who turns out to be a simp to the FL character.
And btw It's funny for me when i see reviews that the plot is cliche, like this is literally an adaptation of a manga that was published in the 90's that has alot of adaptation already and the plot basically follows the original plot lol so idk what they expect. As a Hana Yori Dango fan who have read the manga from yearsss ago, when I am about to watch it's adaptation, I am expecting it to be like the Hana Yori Dango manga which is it is what it is, cliche plot or whatever. But that's what I'm expecting though. If i wanted an original plot drama i dont think i would be watching Hana Yori Dango's 23478287742thh adaptation? lol
Anyway the F4 cast is very good looking and tall, it really is like the manga. I like it.
Love the hairstyle of the F4 too. they all have different hairstyle. Love MJ's side trim alot and that ponytail. He looks cool.
Oh and i love how this adaptation is modern and just like real life. there's twitter, instagram and they use instagram story, instagram story close friend etc lol .
and i thought the scene in episdoe 5 where they search about hanna's past and there was her old school information and stuff and there was like her paren'ts name and the details like she's from the us and stuff, basically in the sheet was all the info and how she change her name in the new sheet is so well done. Oh and btw i also noticed the little detail like how Hana gave little Thyme cookies and there was his name in the cookies and even CAT SHAPE COOKIES because thyme has cat named DANGO (love the reference) like i said yall i can tell the director put alot of thoughts in the little detail.
And i love how they make hana like an obsessive sasaeng fans alot because it justify her action and made it more realistic at least in my opinion. Because in the 2018 meteor garden version, i forgot the name of the character that was shanchai's bestfriend in the uni, but basically she liked dao ming si but there was no backstory to it. Meanwhile I know in the original manga, Makino's bestfriend was childhood classmate with the F4 and she had surgery in germany to become prettier after she was rejected by Domyouji. So you see the Thailand version is more like the original manga and i love that! I didn't like how the 2018 meteor garden didn't include that lol. I think 2018 meteor garden change so much important scene like how they change the red card to the joker card and made the card game thing. Lol
I think 2018 meteor garden was tryna omit the bullying cuz it's the modern era now and we know those things shouldn't be normalized but since the original manga has those, i prefer the thai version. and tbh bullying is still happening these days and it shouldn't be normalized but it's nice to see that Gorya is trying to put an end to it by doing what she did. So i feel like the thai version isnt normalizing the bullying but rather raising awareness on this bullying issue that i still happening in many school around the world. And i really see that there is alot of moral lesson put in the F4 thailand so kuddos to the director! hope to see more moral lessons in the next episodes.
And btw i love how helpful Kaning is. She's a nice bestfriend who helps FL alot. In the 2018 meteor garden shanchai's bestfriend was useless in many scenes and even in one episodes shanchai almost died because of her, she was like having fun with one of the f4 who is linked with her. lol
i prefer the FL's bestfriend in the F4 thailand basically
Btw it can be seen like I dislike the 2018 meteor garden but that's not true, i enjoyed watching it but i just prefer F4 thailand for now. But i need to compare it to 2018 meteor garden to show why I think the f4 thailand is better in my opinion
Very excited to see more episodes from F4 Thailand
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A story about hope, love and forgiveness. " A grass will rise to the stars"
Honestly F4 Thailand overall at it's core is a story about hope, love and forgiveness. This the ONLY version that successfully addresses the problematic aspects of the original story and allows the MC to realise they were a horrible person and actually do something about it. It has some of the best directing/production in a series I have seen in a long time and uses a lot of beautiful symbolism. It isn't just a high school romance it has more to say and tries to make social commentary on society as a whole by looking at class divisions and how the decisions we make can ripple towards multiple people whether we acknowledge this or not. It also talks about the power of change and like the slogan says ' a grass will rise to the stars' and how the efforts of one person can be the catalyst needed to make a big change. It is one of my most favourite shows ever!! I love the amazing character development and everything about this show. There was so much hard work and love put in by the production team and it shows!!! <3 <3Was this review helpful to you?
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BEST ADAPTATION OF BOF EVER MADE!
Boys over flowers (Korean version) was the first drama I ever watched back in 2012, it marked my life for the better and I also rewatched it a good couple of times haha. It didn't stop there, I watched the Taiwanese version (Meteor Garden), Japanese Version (Hana Yori Dango) and also the anime version haha. I even got to the conclusion that, even though it is quiet a toxic story, it means a lot to me, and I just love it! I love watching how every version tries for something new, and what they offer in every role.But this Thai version, just outdid the original story, and I still can't believe it! I didn't have that much faith in it, I was ready to suffer all along, but little did I know how much this story could be modified, without changing what made it so magical in the first place! I loved every bit of it, I got scared every time the story was advancing because I just knew what would happen, and I didn't want them to do the same all over again! Also, I love how they really showed change and redemption on the characters, mostly Thyme, whom I believe, this is the best he's ever been portrayed and written!
I still have to watch the Chinese version of this story, but until now, I'm so thankful I got to watch this version and did not leave it aside!
10/10 would recommend!!
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Thyme and Gorya: Our Shooting Star Couple༘⋆
I think F4 Thailand is the best adaptation of other previous dramas. This drama is Tu Tontawan first debut but she can act sooo well!! There is no need to doubt the chemistry between Tontawan and Bright, who were initially enemies and became couple˚♡˚₊‧⁺˖Gorya, a girl who lives in poverty, she has to be the breadwinner for her family but she's lucky because get a scholarship to attend an elite school with the conglomerates around her. Her character is very brave, has strong principles, and not afraid of anything. At school she had to face bullying every day after having problems with the F4 leader so her life could not be peaceful.
Thyme, as the leader of the F4 squad who have been friends since childhood. F4 members are Thyme, Kavin, MJ, and Ren. All have different characters but one thing in common, they all come from rich families. Thyme, who was raised by his strict, arrogant and always wanted to win mother, made his grow up to be someone who doesn't care about other people and likes to put other people down.
Starting from Gorya defended her friend, Hana who caused problems with Thyme then actually made Gorya become an enemy of F4 and all the students at her school. Every day she has to face Thyme's ridiculous actions to bully her. However, this didn't last long because Gorya managed to turn things around. Gorya's courage makes Thyme, who initially hates her, become curious and fall in love with her.
In fact, for Gorya and Thyme, who come from very different family levels, it makes really hard for them to be together. Thyme has difficulty adapting to Gorya life and vice versa. Also Thyme's mother doesn't agree with their relationship and tries to get rid of Gorya from Thyme's life. I really liked the character development in this drama. Thyme, who was very childish, became an adult to fight for her relationship with her girlfriend and Gorya, i swear I am so in love with this girl!!! She is always strong on her own feet, even though she falls in love with Thyme too, but she remains rational and mature, does not depend on other people for her life as always.
Apart from the dynamics between the main leads, I also like the dynamics between Gorya and Ren♥ I was hit by second lead syndrome because Ren is truly the definition of a walking green flag guy. Just like Tontawan, this is also Dew's debut drama, but they can show extraordinary chemistry here.
Kavin and Kaning they are also very cute!!! They don't get much screen time in this drama but it's enough to make the audience's hearts melt when they see their relationship. Playboy MJ also made his debut in this drama and was very successful in presenting his character.
Overall, I really like this drama. I can't count how many times I've rewatched this drama and it made me fall in love with Tontawan and Prim in real life, they're so beautiful!! I hope they can meet again in another drama─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ──
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"Captivating Drama Experience: F4 Thailand Sets a New Standard"
"F4 Thailand is an absolute gem that had me hooked from the start. It's my first foray into Thai dramas, and what an introduction it was! The storyline is gripping, with just the right balance of drama and humor to keep you on the edge of your seat. But what truly sets F4 Thailand apart is the incredible chemistry between Bright Vachirawit and Tu Tontawan. Their on and off-screen dynamic is electrifying, making their love story utterly compelling . And it's not just them—the entire cast delivers outstanding performances, bringing depth and authenticity to their characters. With stunning cinematography and a perfectly curated soundtrack, F4 Thailand is a must-watch for any drama enthusiast. It's no wonder this series has captivated audiences worldwide."Was this review helpful to you?
Liked it more than I thought I would
TBH, I watched it because I've watched the other versions and I wanted to compare them. This one was better than I thought it would be. I don't watch a lot of shows from Thailand because there is a lot of melodrama and a lot of over-acting, but this surprised me. In the interest of full disclosure - I skipped A LOT because of the bullying. The bullying was excessive and over the top (and I don't think it's ever okay to hit a girl, just saying).This version was shorter than the Korean version, which was a plus. Some of the storylines were changed/omitted/combined, which I appreciated.
There is a lot of yelling. It seems like everyone yells. I don't particularly care for this. As far as the ML and FL are concerned, she wasn't a pushover (for the most part) and the ML wasn't as bad as in other versions. Honestly, I've never bought her liking the ML in any version, just because he's so toxic. However, this is the first version that I didn't ship the FL with the 2ML. They were better as friends in this version.
ML - his hair wasn't as ridiculous as in other versions (petty, I know, but it really bothered me!), and I did like this actor's take on the way his personality changed because of knowing the FL. He wasn't as high-handed, and I could sense some vulnerability in him.
Story - they took out a few of the overabundance of terrible things that happened to the FL and her family, which was great. Especially in the Korean version, it was one thing after another, just to make the story longer. I liked the way they treated the amnesia segment toward the end because they didn't bring in yet another girl to compete with the FL.
The ML's mom - oh my goodness, she was chilling to watch. I thought she ought to have something happen to her because of all that she put everyone else through, but her scene at the end was touching.
The ML and FL were interesting together. I can't really say they had "chemistry" as we know it, but they certainly had arguing down to a science.
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This review may contain spoilers
Such great acting from the main cast
After seeing a lot of the different adaptations of the F4/Boys Over Flowers story over the years, I couldn't help watching this while comparing them to the others. This version held its own and I think it captured the key points without putting too much filler into it while simultaneously including some side stories that I don't recall being in any of the other versions. (It's been a long time since I watched the older versions so maybe they were there and I don't remember them.)Right off the bat, I really liked Bright's portrayal of Thyme. (All of the F4 guys were phenomenal but Bright in particular.) I thought the series did a good job at showing Thyme's personal growth and change over the course of the episodes, especially showcasing just how far he had come when he reverted back to his old self after losing his memory. Bright did a great job showing the many complicated sides to Thyme and how different he acted around different people.
Kavin and MJ reminded me so much of their Taiwanese counterparts in the 2001 Meteor Garden adaptation. Like, at times, I felt like I was literally watching Vanness Wu and Ken Chu. They even had the same basic look which, yeah, it makes sense since it's the same character. But it was just so bang on that I could immediately tell who was who when the series started.
I was kind of hoping they would have gone further into Kavin and Kaning's relationship (I guess I'm so used to series having multiple couples now) but I understand why it was left the way it was since that's how it was in the original manga. Their story was kind of left open ended.
For a series that I knew what was going to happen and what it was about, I wasn't prepared to be so invested or emotional about it. Especially the rage I felt over the bullying. The series is literally based around bullying but it's still so frustrating to watch which I guess means they did a great job at showing it. I did like how they included the bit about them going to all their victims and apologizing and, even though it was like a montage with narration over it, you can still see how the victims could finally let go of it, even if it doesn't fix what happened. Sometimes, that's all they need.
This was also a better showcase of how kids mimic their parents' behavior and the effects it can have on their life early if they don't recognize it themselves and change before it's too late. Thyme was on a fast track to being as cold and heartless as his mother and, while he wanted to please her, he didn't take a moment to step back and realize she had zero love around her and that was how he'd end up in the end. On the other side of the spectrum, you have Gorya who has basically nothing but love and yet she's happy and has healthy relationships with her close friends and her family. From one extreme to the next, they needed to find a middle ground which came at the end of a long and bumpy road.
I don't know if I could watch this again, seeing how frustrating the overall plot is. But I did enjoy it and I think it's a great addition to the Boys Over Flowers catalog. I would recommend it but just keep in mind, it's not for the faint of heart or if you want a light and fluffy romance. The characters are flawed and sometimes have to learn the hard way from their mistakes. But it makes the ending that much more satisfying, in my opinion.
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It's not a bad drama
, but I'm a bit surprised by such a high rating, especially compared to the Korean version. The story is interesting; for me, the best parts were the ones that weren't in other versions, but I watched the rest of the scenes with a feeling of being unsatisfied and of having seen better acting. The first few episodes were captivating, but after the middle, the quality dropped. The last episode was a travesty; the creators' solutions were so flawed that it was painful to watch. The acting was also mediocre, with only Rosylin and Gorya; the rest of the characters' facial expressions were limited to two or three. I've watched the Korean version five times, and I definitely won't be watching this one again.Was this review helpful to you?
