lilili

I agree! The writing and directing are incredible. I had no idea how they were going to pull off updating this story but to my shock they are doing it. Some of the subtle changes I noticed:

- The F4 introduction isn't glamorous the way it is in Boys Over Flowers and other versions. They are introduced at the stadium when someone is about to get seriously beaten and it's scary. You are automatically thrust into a much darker world than other versions.

- Giving the good shoes will take you good places speech to Gorya's father. This is brilliant because when her shoe is cut up by Thyme and then she wears it to kick him, it isn't simply that she's fighting back, it's that she's standing up for her family and her values.

- Thyme's mother being the direct reason why Thyme bullies and gives out red cards. She goads him into this behavior because she says if he can't control the school he can't control their business empire. And even though he's terrorizing the school it's not enough for her. She still has contempt for her son's perceived weakness. This is a lot more complex than the simple "I'm a bully because my mom was mean to me" in previous versions and it makes Thyme more sympathetic.

- In the kidnapping scene, instead of Thyme trying to get Gorya to be his girlfriend, he's trying to bribe her into recording an apology so he can rescind the red card. He knows he's gone too far on this and feels guilty but he can't exit without a win so he can keep his status at the school. He's also starting to catch feelings for Gorya but he won't admit it to himself. This makes him more sympathetic and opens the door for his redemption arc.

- Ren is much more active and interested in Gorya in this version. He doesn't just stop the sexual assault, he makes sure she gets out of the school safely and he helps her at the party. Also, Mira tells Gorya that he's interested in her. This means we get to the rivalry between Ren and Thyme much faster.

- MJ has a real role in the story unlike the previous versions of the character. He's the Greek chorus commenting on the action in the story and calling out problematic elements like saying the kidnapping is illegal and that Thyme is going too far.

There's more but I'll stop before I write a book. But if you want to learn more about the approach the director took to the story you should watch the BTS interview with him: https://youtu.be/l-I7Z2kG7pI

The plot has a lot of the same story beats as BoF and other versions like Hana Yori Dango and Meteor Garden but they made subtle changes to the plot and characters so the whole vibe is very different from other versions. It's more raw and realistic. The bullying is legit terrifying. The female is complex and interesting unlike Jan Di who just cried all the time.

None this week because of NYE programming.

I love this fmv comparing Thai F4 with their Korean counterparts. I'm loving the Thai version but I have to admit the F4 entrance in the Korean version is iconic and will never be topped: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyZYsFPW4cY&ab_channel=SooNa

I wonder how much of the plot they will keep though because it's so much and they are only doing 16 episodes. For example, I think you could cut out the whole seaside thing with no problem.

I freaking loved that. Also when she leaves the classroom she says I must have morning sickness while looking at the evil trio. In all the other adaptations she screams about being a virgin. It's so cool to have a female lead in a teen drama who's all nope you can't slut shame me

That kiss scene was in the original manga and there's a version of it in every adaptation of the drama. And it looks goofy and weird in all of them. It's supposed to be ridiculous.

That's exactly what I'm doing 😅

Thank you! Also the ratings went up the second week, that's excellent.

Does anyone know what the television ratings are for F4 Thailand so far in the countries where it's airing? On YouTube, the first episode is at 1.8 million views as of today.

MJ was the least developed character in other versions so having him become the Greek chorus to the action is pretty genius. He's the one who calls out a lot of the problematic aspects of the story like the kidnapping being literally illegal, hello.

YouTube or Viu depending on your region.

There's a difference between fashion and costuming though. This is a complaint I heard about The Devil Wears Prada, that actual magazine editors would not dress that way. But it was movie costuming for an audience that isn't sophisticated about fashion. Also, IMO the only one who's really dressed ridiculously is Thyme. The animal prints he wore in the first scene were meant to evoke a Roman Colosseum where innocent people are being torn apart so yes it's silly but it's also thematically appropriate.

She's also the only version of the mother who actively pushes her son to rule the school and says if he can't rule the school he can't lead their business empire. And she refers to red cards in the interview in ep 1 which directly ties her to the bullying and abuse at the school. I was so taken with that because there's a capitalist critique in there along with Thyme's origin story. The cruelty needed to become rich and stay rich.

The animal print is there for a reason though. He's supposed to be a predator in the stadium when we're introduced to him. Yes it's over the top but I thought it worked really well. It's not fashionable but it's thematic.

It's on Dramacool but unfortunately the print is crappy. Also, someone edited together the kiss scenes from all the versions up to Boys Over Flowers: https://youtu.be/AcjcmnZhWtg

AMEN

Thyme's style is supposed to look sort of ridiculous. That's been true in every version of HYD. The Korean version is famous for the crazy hair and clothes.

I think it's very simple. Ren/Dew is incredibly handsome and so far he's been shot from Gorya's POV so for example when he saves her from SA and then the sprinklers go off and he's backlit standing in a spray of water literally glowing as he smiles at Gorya. No wonder people are shipping him! The visuals are shock and awe. Also, Thyme hasn't come into his own yet, first he's scary and then he's a goober. You're not supposed to be rooting for him at this point, that comes later as he evolves and grows as a person.

Thanks! I have a Kdrama podcast and we did an episode on Boys Over Flowers and discussed the entire HYD universe so I automatically go into meta mode 😆. If you're interested, you can listen here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2DQjHxMrY41UoxjLnJr9ir?si=y4u200RuRf-SoiuzxFMRIg