Every time K showed up on screen flashing his crazy grin, I knew I was in for a good time. A show about a serial killer and mental illness made me laugh harder than most comedies.
Boys Over Flowers is generally everything I dislike in one drama: ridiculous makjang melodrama; love triangles (plural!); evil potential mother-in-law; passive, gullible female lead; broken relationships; manipulative parties trying to break up lovers; a noble sacrifice meant to save pain but only inflicts more; and that irritating bugaboo that infects so many dramas, the case of amnesia that allows the sufferer to remember everyone but his dearest and most beloved (seriously, do Koreans have the thinnest skulls of all humans?; one touch, and it's instant amnesia).
Having said all that, why do I love this drama so much? I adore Geum Jan Di. When the world was against her, she stood her ground. When she was battered and beaten, she raised her chin and asked for more. She didn't complain about injustice unless it was directed against her loved ones.
Jan Di stood up to bully Goo Joon Pyo without fear, and he came to respect her. His growth as a human being was directly as a result of Jan Di in his life. His transformation from a sullen, raging beast to a decent, caring human who wanted to do right was a good journey to witness. I read so many comments about "red flags" with Joon Pyo. He grew up alone and was manipulated by a controlling mother who instilled in him his feelings of superiority. He'd never had anyone stand up to him until Jan Di. He came to realize how toxic he and his circumstances were, and he changed. Lee Min Ho did an excellent job of portraying the arrogant Joon Pyo; later, he showed Joon Pyo's vulnerability. I particularly love Joon Pyo's redemption arc. Toxic people often come from toxic beginnings; if everyone shuns or tolerates them, they often remain toxic. God bless those who stand up to the toxic. Even better, bless those who love the toxic and show them a better way.
Yoon Ji Hoo was a love triangle done right. He never stopped caring about his friend, even when they were both in love with the same girl. He tried to maintain boundaries and respect his friend and the girl. Ji Hoo also changed through his relationship with Jan Di. He became more empathetic and caring. In my happy, future world, Ji Hoo meets a sweet woman with his same level of stoicism, and they live happily ever after in a very quiet house. This would have been impossible before his friendship with Jan Di, so even though their love story didn't happen, he received as good as he gave from her.
This drama instilled my disdain for amnesia plots. I suffered through the angst of the first bout of amnesia, and I thought I'd be able to finish the series. Then **wham** The amnesia patient collapsed and suffered REVERSE amnesia. I'm done.
I can forgive meekness and acting like a doormat when a character has suffered trauma or abuse, and Park Ha / Boo Yong had certainly experienced both. However, I can't overlook wholesale stupidity. Park Ha knew her sister was a manipulative, lying, evil human being, but she continually met up with her and believed what she said. Park Ha knew Yong Tae Mu was likely a murderer, but she barely hesitated when he asked her to get into his car. As she lay shivering to death in the ice truck, I had little sympathy. She fits in my category of 2S2L (to stupid to live).
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Having said all that, why do I love this drama so much? I adore Geum Jan Di. When the world was against her, she stood her ground. When she was battered and beaten, she raised her chin and asked for more. She didn't complain about injustice unless it was directed against her loved ones.
Jan Di stood up to bully Goo Joon Pyo without fear, and he came to respect her. His growth as a human being was directly as a result of Jan Di in his life. His transformation from a sullen, raging beast to a decent, caring human who wanted to do right was a good journey to witness. I read so many comments about "red flags" with Joon Pyo. He grew up alone and was manipulated by a controlling mother who instilled in him his feelings of superiority. He'd never had anyone stand up to him until Jan Di. He came to realize how toxic he and his circumstances were, and he changed. Lee Min Ho did an excellent job of portraying the arrogant Joon Pyo; later, he showed Joon Pyo's vulnerability. I particularly love Joon Pyo's redemption arc. Toxic people often come from toxic beginnings; if everyone shuns or tolerates them, they often remain toxic. God bless those who stand up to the toxic. Even better, bless those who love the toxic and show them a better way.
Yoon Ji Hoo was a love triangle done right. He never stopped caring about his friend, even when they were both in love with the same girl. He tried to maintain boundaries and respect his friend and the girl. Ji Hoo also changed through his relationship with Jan Di. He became more empathetic and caring. In my happy, future world, Ji Hoo meets a sweet woman with his same level of stoicism, and they live happily ever after in a very quiet house. This would have been impossible before his friendship with Jan Di, so even though their love story didn't happen, he received as good as he gave from her.