I realise this is a few years old now and it was fashionable at the time, but the hair is just sooooo bad and has dated badly. It even makes the fashion of the time (which wasn't that great) shrink into oblivion. While i'm all up there for girls sticking up for themselves, she's very aggressive and screams a lot which kind of spoiled it a bit too. I'm only 3rd episode in and although i'm cringing at every opportunity, i'm still watching. Lee Min-Ho... mmmmmmm. Horrible, horrible permed hair, but if you look past that in the shower scene etc. ..... mmmmmm. I'll keep watching.
Add a Review
-
chilligrrl8 May 2019
-
crossbow010626 February 2011This is a uniformly good to great drama about a young girl, Geum Jan Di (an excellent Hye-sun Koo) who gets accepted into the most elite school in Korea after saving a person there from jumping off a building. That person had been targeted by the Flowers 4, the quartet of hearthrobs who practically run the school. Geum Jan Di gets particularly under the skin of Goo Joon Pyo (Min-ho Lee) after she refuses to back down to him. He tries to make her life miserable, but she never backs down from him. Eventually, he is enamored with her. Another major character is the sensitive Yoon Ji Hoo (Hyun-joong Kim), who becomes more of a friend to Geum Jan Di. Over the course of 25 episodes, you watch as Geum Jan Di tries to maintain her independent spirit. Goo Joon Pyo is a rich guy and she is a "commoner". How can love prevail? The whole drama is filled with all sorts of emotions, happiness, sadness, anger, frustration etc, but the glue is the great work by Hye-sun Koo. She conveys everything in her sweet smile, her anger etc and her pretty dark eyes. You want her to be happy and thats what really makes this drama, you're rooting for her. There are other characters including Geum Jan Di's best friend Ga-eul, who is very sweet, but the best parts of this drama is when Geum Jan Di is being her wonderful ingratiating self. Guys will love her, girls will love the 4 guys. Very highly recommended, you'll love it.
-
I'm very late to discover the kdrama sensation that is BOF. I started watching it only 3 weeks ago! I love the series even though it's super cliche however I feel really unsatisfied with the last half and ending of the series.
First off, I disliked Jun Pyo- leader of F4 for the first 4 episodes. I watched Playful Kiss first so I thought Ji hoo was the main character but boy I totally did 360 with JP! I loved the character and especially around the time they had their date at Namsam Tower.
From then on, it was Team JP and I was extremely annoyed at any scenes where Ji hoo just kept popping up. Like when she was swimming.
So I have a short list of things that bothered me, here we go! I know it's Kdrama and that's it based of manga.
Jan-di was such a weak character! I think she went overboard with the dorky-ness. She was always shouting, derp looks, drunk walking and eating like a hog! What did Jun Pyo see in her anyway? Was it that spin kick? lol
Ji hoo strategy of "helping" JP and Jan-di confess their feelings? Really? If he was "playing" all along, what about what Jan di feelings? Did he mislead her? Why was it so hard for Jan-Di to let JP or JH know her feelings? I felt both guys tried their hardest but she was so non responsive!
Macau- So they didn't communicate after 6 months and when we sees her, he tries to push her away? Reasons? The show never gave a reason, like was he given an ultimatum?
Why do these kids all have poor communications skills?
Why did JP go along with the whole wedding until the very end? Urgh
What purpose to did JP father play? I thought he would play a more important role since Jan-di was looking after him! Like the key to taking down Madame Kang.
Madame Kang- The money bribe, I'm sure she had something to do with the laundry going under, the kidnapping, the demolition of Jandi's apartment! There's was never any confrontation or justice served!!
Amnesia and another girl introduced in the last 2 episodes? Really were going there?
Who the hells goes away for 4 years? Did they communicate?
Why does Jin hoo pop up everywhere and objecting to all the sweet moments! Urgh an unanswered proposal, seriously such an unfilling scene!
There was simply no chemistry between Jan-di and JP!
Overall I enjoyed BOF for some strange reasons! love the F4 friendship, fashion, travel and most importantly the cute curly haired Lee Min Ho! -
OK, I'm a married guy, which means some times I get certain dramas "strongly recommended" to me by my better half. This is how I got into watching Korean dramas, even though I have to use the subtitles it's usually well worth the time and effort.
Most Korean dramas are original screenplays. But in the case of Boys Before Flowers, it's actually the 3rd live-action version of the story after the Taiwanese "Meteor Garden I & II", and "Hana Yori Dango" from Japan. If you count the original anime, then its a 4th outing on the small screen.
I think being the latest to be filmed allowed the production crew to take the best from its predecessors and also add in some uniqueness of its own. The story takes you to some exotic locales, including New Caledonia in the South Pacific. The scenes were breath taking, but they also add richness to the story not seen in the previous BOF dramas. And who could resist seeing an auto race between some very hot Lotus sport cars? OK, a guys' point of view, maybe. =) But I think beneath all the flashy, super-wealthy extravagance lies a very classic fairy tale archetype. The Cinderella's transformation for the ball, rescue of the damsel in distress, and a knight on his fiery steed; all these are concepts that makes the story very accessible to the western audience. In fact, even with the subtitles turned off, I bet you would still laugh and cry and cheer along as you watch the series.
I will also like to applaud the performances of the very young cast. Most of the kids are in their late teens to early twenties. So they're appropriately aged for their roles. All were very convincing whether portraying the ridiculously wealthy, or the hard working middle class. The parents were also well casted with veteran actors. Jun Pyo's mother deserves a special mention, playing the very believable lone 'villain' role of the story.
After thoroughly enjoying this drama, I actually went back to seek out the sister-series "Meteor Garden" and "Hana Yori Dango". Both were very enjoyable as well. The MG crew had the monumental task of transforming the Manga story into the first live-action drama. HYD on the other hand, had a few more years to fine tune the screenplay, and I have a feeling they had a bigger budget as well. All three are great dramas on their own terms, and for their time periods. So, it might not be very meaningful to compare them side by side. Having said that, BOF (Korean) had the advantage being the last to be made, and it shows in the scope of the production.
If you can find the series, enjoy . -
lil_biscuit9824 September 2010This show completely took over my life this week. I had dreams all about this show! It took me forever to fall asleep every night, since I was anxious about Jan Di and Goo Joon Pyo staying together, Yi Jung's anguishing pain, and the love of my life, Ji Hoo, finding happiness. And don't even get me STARTED on the twits of women! (the mother, Jae Kyung,and Eun Jae) I could go on forever about them and their conniving, manipulating ways...... My only disappointments were 1.) Woo Bin had a shockingly small part, 2.) That those stupid women never got slapped! and 3.) All through the series, I could never decide who I wanted Jan Di to end up with, and I still DON'T KNOW!!!! I mean, I LOVE Joon Pyo, but do you GET any better that beautiful, amazing man Ji Hoo??? Honestly, if you have school, work, or any kind of life, I would warn you away, since you won't be able to turn it off! As for me, I'm hooked, and you can't get me off Korean Drama. Now excuse me, while I stare at Ji Hoo....SIGHS!
-
PeppermintCarnation17 February 2009I love this series!!! i was a little worried at first because I had seen the Japanese version(Hana Yori Dango) and I thought it would not be as good but I was wrong. I think I love this version more than the Japanese. Jandi and Goo Jun Pyo crack me up they are so funny. I love the drama and the comedy this series show. And I am so hook to the music they play in the series. I know them by heart now and I don't even speak Korean. LOl Though occasionally that Paradise song annoys me. I also have a habit of getting upset at Goo Jun Pyo cause he can be really dumb. In the beginning of their series the rich kids treat Jandi very poorly. I have never seen anyone be bullied like that before!
-
haana869 April 2009This is one of my favorite dramas. The usual poor simple girl who has to work hard with family struggles but still triumphs persevering with a smile and has a extremely rich famous (F4 = Flower Four(four guy)) guys falls in love with her. Only this time it's two extremely rich amazing guys that you don't know who you want her to end up with. The sweet gentle guy who knows immediately when she is in trouble and knows where to find her or the obnoxious short tempered childish but faithful and loyal guy. Full of funny moments, romantic, morals and great entertainment. Great friends, and the worst mother I have ever seen. Each character evolves and you end up falling in love with them or pitying them. It was entertaining to the very end.
-
sunraider31 August 2011This is my second Korean drama that I watched after they began being made available on Netflix streaming video service. I don't speak Korean or any any connection to the country, but with the English-language subtitles on Netflix it's no problem.
I absolutely love this series! It's an old story, poor but spunky heart-of-gold girl gets taken in by rich patron (in this case, Korea's most prestigious private high school for scions of wealthy and powerful families) and has two rich men fighting over her, but it's told in a modern way with glamorous sets, location shots, and fashion. I love that the show is romantic but clean (no foul language or raunchy sex scenes) and that there's story and character development.
The interesting thing about the two Korean dramas I've now seen is that it's the men/boys who are presented as the sex symbols. They walk into a room looking like they've just stepped out of a photo shoot for Men's Vogue or GQ magazine; their hair is so perfectly colored and coiffed, long and luxurious. They sneer better than Basil Rathbone and their arrogance makes Mr. Darcy (of Pride and Prejudice fame) seem humble by comparison. The women, on the other hand, are plainer and more ditzy, and very much at the mercy of the whims of the powerful men in their lives.
On reviewer on Netflix said this show had turned her into a couch potato. Likewise. -
Let me start by saying that I am the biggest fan of Korean TV and almost exclusively watch K and C-dramas which I feel are far superior than western tv these days. I totally LOVED Meteor Garden despite it's cringeworthy moments and ridiculous ending. So I thought I would go back and watch the 'classic' Korean version (I haven't seen any others). Wow, where do I start. The good points, I like Lee Min Ho and the Si Hoon character and far preferred Jan Di's friend to the same part in MG. But this series required you not to just set your brain aside, you need to put it in another room just to prevent the urge to use it from time to time. It was like they wanted certain moments or scenarios but didn't bother on any of it making sense. I kept laughing out loud at the sheer ridiculousness of the situations and stupidity of the characters. I mean MG was frustrating, but at least the chemistry between Si and Shancai was off the charts and they were actually happy together for more than 5 seconds at a time. Jan Di looked like her skin crawled every time Joo Pyo came near her. She was a sweet character, but thick as a plank and totally lacked that unique cuteness required for the role. The ending was slightly better and less ridiculous than MG but it was tedious to get through. Apart from one series, I have never rated a K-drama lower than a 8 so my 6 stars hurts, but I recommend you might want to skip this one.
-
Kiamond17 July 2009This is an amazing drama that everyone around the world should be watching, not only Asians and especially not only Korean people. If it has your language subtitles, then it's a must.
1. The title: Boys Before Flowers, Boys Over Flowers. Who wouldn't want to watch such an amazing romantic drama with such an attractive name? It's sweet, bitter and unique.
2. The F4 cast: F4 stands for Flower Boys, and they just give the perfect praise to their names. You would be drooling when they appear!
3. Love and laughs: The perfect combination is up for grabs in this 25 episode series. From personal experience I tell you that you would not like to finish the drama anytime soon.
4. Rich princes and poor damsels: A Cinderella-story come true as unrequited love is explained, and lived, within JanDi's life.
5. Loyalty within love: Every girl watching this drama, from 6-year-old children to a hard-working mother, would enjoy seeing how love unfolds through this story. JunPyo is so loyal to Jandi, it's maddeningly, sickeningly jealousy you would feel for something alike. And what about JiHoo? He is the perfect example of a prince charming. You just watch and compare how these two butt heads with each other for love. They are so different, you can compare them both for your like.
6. Rich, awe-gaping scenarios: The scenes are all filmed brilliantly with pleasant lighting and scenarios that are awe-inspiring. The houses, the school, the ISLANDS! are so stunning.
7. The Soundtrack: Even though you may get tired from some of these repeating over and over throughout the 25 episodes, most of them are quite lovely and pleasant to hear. Say, I love 'Because I'm Stupid'!
8. Ga Eul and Yi Yeong: They are definitely NOT the intended main plot, but guess what, they should be! The chemistry between the two is so intense, you would be praying for the next scene with both of them. How would this love end up...?
9. Villains, Fr-enemies and Drama: Asian dramas always have a very theatrical story to unfold. From backstabbing to lying to manipulative ways, you will always find some bump in the road in this love story. The manipulative mother, the crazy fiancée, the psycho fr-enemy and the rich villain would all keep you stuck to the screen.
10. Wardrobe: If you are looking forward to that window-shopping trip, forget it. This drama has every piece of clothing that goes perfectly with another. You would love the ideas here.
These are your 10 reasons. But believe me, there are so many more. An unmissable romantic comedy with a twinge of drama that every girl is looking for! I would watch it a thousand times! -
phd_travel7 March 2020The hairstyles of the F4 are so atrocious it's funny. The overacting and by the lead actress is cringe worthy. Yet this iconic series has something entertaining about it. 25 episodes was way too much.
-
afpranto3 June 2021This is a must watch drama. I watch it in 2021 but I just loved it soon much. I really addicted to it. Every cast member is brilliant in acting, very lovable and adorable. I like it too much. I can't express my feeling through a review. Just watch it and you can really feel the magic..
-
lisacolettaclark9 September 2021I Loved this story and even all of the characters and acting. My problem was I Liked Lee Min-ho's character as the main lead however I absolutely fell in love with the second male lead character Ji-hoo. Although you could tell both men loved Jan-di you could truly feel the depth of how much Ji-hoo loved her. I really feel they made a mistake by having her end up with Lee Min-ho's character. I wish they would make a part 2 where she would end up with Ji-hoo some how. Oh well i did enjoy watching and soundtrack was great.
-
emplalla26 May 2020How did the girl who was a pro swimmer, drown so many times? And what happened in the end, he proposed but she never answered back and then they all laughed and it ended?
-
tamarenne31 October 2011I generally rate the things I adore a ten and this is no exception ADORE IT. I found it by accident and watched a few minutes and was hooked and have spent two night crying the night away.
I adore Jandi and her handsome loves Goo Joon Pyo and Yoon Ji Hoo. I was totally in Ji Hoo's corner at first but then just fell in love with Joon Pyo.
So now I'm hoping for Jandi and Joon Pyo to make it. But I'm still torn.
This gives lovely insights into Korean society, which I am totally falling in love with also. -
zainabfidha2 May 2021There are certain kdramas that are meant to stay in your heart forever and can be rewatched to the fullest joy again and again. This is one of them for me. 'Boys over Flowers, Although it's been 10 yrs since this drama was released but it's really so superior n will be always my no.1!Every character of the story is a heart-winning. Songs are also powerful plus point of this drama.
-
guptashanti17 February 2020I won't ever get bored of min ho or this series plus so amazing songs on such a great timing!! Loved it totally worth my time.
-
Thank goodness for Lee Min-ho or I would have turned it off. When I started this didn't realize there were so many episodes. Couldn't stand the female actress who was dressed like she got her clothes from a Goodwill Store, loud, obnoxious, dorky, mean and cruel to the best friend of the lead male who also fell in love with her, and I believe there could have been be better casting in this department. Lee Min-ho was cast perfectly and I hope to see him more in the US on Netflix. These long series are too stressful for me as all these situations go back and forth, back and forth, and will look for ones a little shorter next time.
-
I watched Meteor Garden before this one and I was told to check out this one.
As the other, the frustration, the anger, the sadness, and happiness were all included in this series. It will keep you wanting more because you just want to see what will happen next. -
Movie_Mayneeyak3 June 2018This show almost gave me a headache and I had to stop watching it 'cause I didn't know whether I wanted the main girl to be with the main guy or the support character lol.
-
choncolm9 April 2021It's a best friendship drama forever. Everyone need to watch this drama and rating 10 star on imdb.
-
karenwmc24 July 2020I watched the Taiwanese version in 2001 and it was a big hit at that time. I re-watched the same series a few years back in my early 40s and I enjoyed it as much. However, I cannot say the same for this Korean version. Many scenes especially those which involved them having fun are unnecessarily long and thanks to the fast forward button I can skip them each time. The female lead's overly exaggerated acting was too much for me, especially during the first few episodes. Overall, it's still a fun drama to watch, but maybe younger viewers may appreciate it more.
-
hrhdianascott28 April 2022This retelling of the 2000-year-old fairy-tale takes a post-modern twist as Cinderella stops on the way to the castle for a medical degree and pursues not only her prince charming but her purpose. Some reviewers complain about the cliché and common tropes, but this is like a Tyler Perry play; it swings from cartoonish to deadly serious social commentary all the while show casing the many talents of its players. Cinderella has the loving supportive family (with a few flaws) and the resulting intact ego, while prince charming has an evil biological mother and not only suffers from the child abuse of emotional neglect, but the slavery of being a commodity that can be sold. The bullying by the rich entitled boys is shown to have roots in their traumatic home life.
Ah the boys... They are flesh and blood art. At times the acting is so poignant the you want to reach through the screen and comfort them. BOF is a master class in how to photograph men. The men in this are so beautiful that I frequently paused the TV so I could stare at them until I was full. There are moments in this where the framing, the glide focus and tracking shots are so perfect, so perfectly timed, so smooth, it takes your breath away. Lee Min-Ho's reflection in the water droplet covered mirror, with his wet hair slick to the point of his jaw, water shower foreground, Rembrandt lighting.... Excuse me while I pour ice on myself to cool down (Ep 2: 47:50 - why does it seem I'm quoting scripture?). There is a very slow tracking in this that I swear you can feel the heart beat of the camera chart grip. It is so perfect I thought it was done mechanically. Who ever that grip is I want to marry them - man or woman.
The men's fashion shown here influenced menswear all over Asia and beyond. And we got to see an entire year's collection: every possible type of sportswear, formal, bridal, winter, summer, spring. The plot seems to make excuses to showcase the fashion. The women's fashion was, well, ahem.... The Min Seo Hyun's character wears an outfit that looks like someone stuck road kill on the front of an ill-fitting gray sack. Jan-Di wears a dress to the final pool party that looks like window curtains and is perhaps homage to Bob Mackie's Scarlet O'hara creation. But hey, the girls are the moral compass, the towers of strength, the unyielding morale, the mortals who when plan A fails have plan B, C, and D - and I guess these women didn't need to out shine the G-ds in the fashion department.
BOF has the fairy-tale constructs, but also deconstructions, and it occasionally almost mirrors modern day royals. There are damsels in distress for the boys to rescue, but it also has Jan-Di as savior to the damoiseau in distress. The women occasionally swoon, but so do the men. One of the subplots could be taken from modern day princes and princesses. Ha Jae Kyung (princess Diana) saves herself from being the unloved, bulimic, trophy-wife by bowing out to Camilla (Jan-Di) and Charles (Jun-Pyo) (all good fairy-tales teach a lesson).
The character acting was outstanding. Lee Hye-yeong's evil witch Kang Hee Soo is less Margaret Hamilton and more like Alan Rickman's slowed, cold, steely delivery. Jeong Ho-bin's secretary Jung Sang Rok is the on the surface the obedient servant to Hee Soo, but whose deviant intend is shown through thoughts behind his eyes and the most subtle of facial expressions.
Some of the acting and set-ups remind me of Gilligan's Island. It's goofy and over the top, but you love the well defined characters. There is always a reason the cast and crew can't get off the island, and in BOF there is always another setup keeping Jan-Di and Jun-Pyo from getting together or staying together.
There is an interesting construct that Jan-Di gets her husband Jun-Pyo, but also her soul mate Ji-Hoo. The love triangle is not solved by choosing one and discarding the other. Some women in the states have a husband and a gay "husband." These friendships with this second man often go beyond being someone's lover to being something deeper, longer lasting, and more satisfying. In BOF ji-Hoo and Jan-Di share a profession and a close friendship, but he is heterosexual and a former suitor. Are friendships like this possible? I hope so. Perhaps more than Cinderella marrying the prince, keeping both men is this fairy-tales magical event.
BOF has soap operatic amnesia, jealous rivals, love triangles, romantic gestures, multiple kidnappings, (chloroform must be widely available in Korea). Some of the plot features are repetitive: 5 near drownings (6 if you count Jun-Pyo childhood flash back). I could blather on about plot problems, continuity issues, gaffs and blunders, but I won't because despite its problems there is something so joyful and fun about this series that sharp criticism feels like disrespecting a good friend. I started watching this again with a five-year-old and he tells me to read it to him (the subtitles)...Thank you translator for leaving in some Korean words: sunbae, noona etc). He enjoys the parts with the goofier acting. He gets some of the stereotypical charters (the mean girls, the evil mother). He comments on the fashion and hairdos. And he, like all the flower boys, loves Jan-Di. So do I. -
badea-bianca9317 April 2020I watched it after more than 10 years from its release date because I just discovered Lee Min Ho whom I absolutely love. However, this TV series has disappointed me a lot and I don t get its high grade. The female lead was so stupid that it literally annoyed me, nothing funny about it and the male lead had a very weak and spoiled character. The only thing that impressed me in this drama was character Yoon Ji Hoo with his power to sacrifice his love from a great feeling of friendship towards his almost brother.
-
packor30 August 2020I was exposed to this work by Meteor Garden(2001). I watched Meteor Garden I & II, and I loved both of them. Sanchoi was very cute and fit very well with Mangxi Do. Even though Sanchoi's aversion to physical intimaticy was weird, and sometimes she's just off the wall, most of the relationships and occurances are believable, the story had excellent flow, and the progression was engaging, exciting, and satisifying.
I've started Boys over Flowers and Hana Yori Dango before, and had dropped the latter after season 1, possibly due to the style of Japanese family dramas. But I just plain didn't like Boys over Flowers.
With Flowers being on Netflix, I gave it another go, rewatching Meteor Garden first. I got through Meteor Garden quickly, and I discovered that I really hate Flowers. I dropped this series multiple times mid episode and basically have to force myself to return to it. Right now, I'm only at 17. Here are some issues that are prominent on my mind: 1. Jan Di is just plain annoying. I hate her hair. She has 3 modes: tantrum yelling, emo sad, and sometimes she's just a robot that stares at you because she doesn't know how to act dumbfound, so she just makes you dumbfound. 2. Scenes are erratic and don't make sense. The story jumps all over the place, and instead of having a linear flow, it feels like each instance is a separate filler episode. Jun Pyo's mother doesn't consistently harass Jan Di even though she was just mad as f at her in the previous instance. Then all of a sudden, we are going to vacation somewhere. 3. It's repetitive and boring. They may have been trying to stretch episodes because literally one whole episode was spent on Jan Di feeling sorry for herself over Jun Pyo rejecting her with basically nothing else happening; and they love to show scenes of characters feeling sorry for themselves, and it's redundant and boring. 4. Jun Pyo shouldn't even like Jan Di. She basically has no characteristics to like. See #1. The show also doesn't show any reason for them to like each other. Basically, it's Jun Pyo doing things for her. And they like each other just because the actors say so. It's as believable as Jun Pyo liking Ga Eul, whom he doesn't even interact with.
I've also tried to read Flowers(manga) and I got turned off by the art on the first page. Being that Flowers is based on the manga, and I also dropped Hana Yori Dango. Maybe the fault doesn't actually lie with Flowers(drama), but that Flowers(manga) isn't good in the first place. For comparison, I've read(not watched) Lovely Complex and My Little Monster and enjoyed those.