Eleison

BOFs is somehow cozy and endearing while being problematic (I know these things shouldn't fit together but they do). I've seen the Kdrama and like 3/4s of the Jdrama and the Thai drama. The Kdrama was my introduction and I have a special place in my heart for it despite its flaws (the OST is still one of my favorites, and honestly it's still my favorite Lee Min Ho drama), and the Jdrama has a really nice end to the first part (there's two parts, each about 10 episodes), but I think the Thai version, while low budget despite how recent and "updated" it feels, is the best version I've seen so far. It keeps all the things I loved about the Kdrama (and even improved on some of them; the ending, for one, is very good in the Thai version) and then improves on all the negatives while moving at a faster pace and keeping the story moving without all the filler (16 episodes, as opposed to the Kdrama (25 episodes), the Jdrama (20 episodes, I think), and the Cdrama (which I think is something like 40 episodes?)). It also does a better job showing the redemption arc of the ML, and showing F4 as an actual group of friends. It's still dark (more language), dramatic, over-the-top and a bit disturbing, but quite good. Much better written with good pacing than the other BOFs dramas in my opinion.

True Beauty, too. Came out even more recently than CLOY.

And we learned a fun spoiler about the old guy in Episode 10! It will help add content for later episodes, I think.

They literally showed him making a fake item to replace a real one with in Episode 10. So yes, it's him.

Same! She didn't seem nearly as giddy as I was expecting (and no, she didn't say she liked him). When they kissed for the second time without talking about it (before or after!), I said to my screen, "Communicate! This seems like a good time to communicate!" 😂

Is she gonna get mad at him for ditching her at the party rather than taking her to the hospital? 🤔

Right? I thought that was so random!

I thought the opposite. I agree it's well-acted, and I loved the guys that played the main trio, but this sort of violent bullying with people getting beaten to a pulp at school with no adults anywhere and then it all just getting covered up? Not sure how that's realistic. A typical school is not like this. And if a school IS like this, it's a very, VERY bad school.

I kept waiting for the bullies to get back at Kang Ha for "stepping out of line" (you know, BOFs, style), but they never really did (Ri An just walked around looking angry and moping). Even the bullying wasn't convincing (which is the whole premise!). Why did they get so intense with In Han but not Ha? 🤔

The FL is a great actress in other things, so I don't know what happened here. She didn't look well to me.

He totally went for that kiss! So much for not even being able to walk in her shadow! 😅

I kinda liked that the misunderstanding he had to clear up was not what we expected. Hong Do (and the viewers) probably thought he got shocked and nervous that he'd been leading Hong Do on when he's just being respectful, but I like that it was the opposite: he was worried she wouldn't figure out that all he was doing was because he liked her. 😂 Cute twist! He had no shyness about admitting his feelings, either. 😅

What's with the Seongsan villagers having cell phones all of a sudden? 😅

Yes, overall, it's very cozy! The ending was a bit of a let down for me, but still a solid, super fun watch. :)

I'm almost done with Episode 1, but the lady on the phone's affectation of a lisp kind of drives me nuts (I'm assuming it's put on, and not a real lisp; if it is real, then I don't mean to bash on the way she talks! Just making an observation). Sometimes I've noticed the female actresses playing royalty/nobility in historical sageuks do this, too, and I have no idea why, but it makes me shudder (I don't know why! But I can't stand it). Is the lisp seen as a dainty/elegent way of speaking in Korea? 🤔

Ick, okay. Wasn't expecting that!

But hey, maybe the editing and cinematography crew will get good gigs for it later. :)

Wait, Jae Yi ends up with Ri An?! Ew, he's terrible!

Yeah, I did not expect to see American football! Is that a thing in Korea? I imagine not. Football only works if you're big and burly, and also, why would a bunch of high profile high schoolers even play football if there's nothing for it to feed into? Seems like a sport that would take you nowhere if pursued in Korea...

It's like the action movies that forget that they can't keep the audience entertained merely by blowing things up constantly. You've got to make us care!

Yes, she looks so different in this! 😟

I've only watched one Thai drama (F4: Thailand: Boys Over Flowers), and while I really liked it, I don't really have a desire to see any more since, since in addition to what you mentioned, many Thai dramas are BL and BL is not my thing. Haven't jived with Jdramas either. 🤷‍♀️ They seem very much like an acquired taste!

Yes, when it was airing we had lots of frustrated talks about how misleading the synopsis is.