Boys Over Flowers

This is the Korean manifestation of the Japanese Hana Yori Dango and the Taiwanese Meteor Garden. However, I've seen neither of those, so I went into this story fresh.

The Premise:
In the Boys Before Flowers world, Korea is domineered by the corporate Shinhwa Group. Short of the president, there is no one more powerful than Shinhwa. They do everything: manufacturing, business, retail, and they even have a school/university where only the richest go to get the finest education. However, while the rich are sequestered away in their own little world, the commoners must make a living through hard work and determination. Our main protagonist Geum Jan Di is just an average girl who works as a delivery person for her family's dry cleaning store. One day, she is forced to stop inside Shinhwa school to make a delivery. However, in a weird twist of fate that only the drama world finds acceptable, she finds herself preventing the death of one of the students who is being fiercely bullied by the orders of a group known as F4. The president of Shinhwa, in an effort to stop negative public opinion of her son (the leader of F4) offers Geum Jan Di a scholarship to attend the school. Thus begins Jan Di's encounters with F4 and the world of the wealthy and privileged.

The Romantic Dilemma:
Will Geum Jan Di choose the kind and gentle Yoon Ji Hoo (another member of F4) or will she decide to be with the abrasive but lonely Gu Jun Pyo? The answer's quite obvious. And once she chooses (and she does pretty quick), will misunderstandings, unwanted fiancés, bitchy mothers, and big business mess everything up?

Characters/Main Cast:
Koo Hye Sun as Geum Jan Di: Jan Di is your basic girl from dramas. Poor, hardworking, optimistic, and she stands up for what she thinks is right to the point of pigheadedness. I must say that I wasn't impressed at all with the way she is portrayed. Koo Hye Sun is an ok actress but it feels like she's trying way too hard here, and the result is (almost painful to watch) overacting and shrillness. There are a few scenes where, when forced to show some true emotion other than extreme annoyance, Koo Hye Sun makes Jan Di bearable. Unfortunately, these are sort of lost in the shuffle of this drama's lavish and at times ridiculous world. (See excessive rants about the horrors of her character further down).

Lee Min Ho as Gu Jun Pyo: Jun Pyo deviates slightly from the average version of "rich guy". Yes, he's arrogant. Yes, he's got a huge superiority complex. Yes, he's got money pouring of his pores. And yes, he's secretly very lonely and longing for affection. However, it's a very refreshing twist to see that Jun Pyo has also got a silly and immature streak that creates the most hilarious and touching moments. Lee Min Ho, who didn't immediately strike me as a gifted actor, pulled through brilliantly. His portrayal of Jun Pyo had just the right balance of excellent comedic timing and hardcore emotion. Considering that this was Lee Min Ho's first major starring role, this was nothing short of an amazing feat.

Kim Hyun Joong as Yoon Ji Hoo: Ji Hoo is the gentle guy. That means he always wears white, is usually surrounded by something pure like flower petals or falling snow, and has a tragic past that still haunts him to this day. In the beginning, Kim Hyun Joong seems to be confused between gentleness and just plain out apathy, but as the series progresses, he manages to obtain a few more facial expressions and a wider acting range. Personally, I have a soft spot for Ji Hoo mostly because I prefer the gentle guys, but also because despite the apathy, Kim Hyun Joong shows more promise than people give him credit for. At times, he's drowned out by Lee Min Ho's strong performance, but in his own right, he didn't do a bad job. It's also nice to note that despite the gentleness, he still has that rich mentality. So, there's still a bit of arrogance poking out there.

Kim Bum as So Yi Jung: And here begins the side characters. Yi Jung, a member of F4, is a genius ceramics master with the soul of a Casanova. However, what happens when he starts to get to know Jan Di's best friend Chu Ga Eul? Actually, I have a huge attraction to Yi Jung. First of all, he's completely adorable. Second of all, despite having a smaller role, he lived in it well. He was the person I most believed was rich in real life. Did he always do a good job? Well, no. They never do. While he's good at acting breezy, nonchalant, or like a player (he handles it with considerable aplomb) his sadness and especially anger need some improvement. Overall though, does a great job and also has amazing chemistry with his love interest.

Kim Joon as Song Woo Bin: He's the final member of F4, and his family is the head of a construction corporation that has mafia-like qualities. And...that's about all you learn or find out about him. They gave this character almost no story line. However, he was a steady and constant presence, a reminder that F4 is a group about friendship before anything else. If he were given more to work with, Kim Joon could have really done an excellent job. Although his occasional lapse into "gangster" speech is painful to watch.

Kim So Eun as Chu Ga Eul: Ga Eul is Jan Di's best friend since childhood. She is the ever-optimist, as she believes that there is a soul mate for everyone. Therefore, when they first meet, she doesn't see quite eye to eye with F4's So Yi Jung. However, we all know that a girl can't resist a player, and she begins to fall for him. As a character, she isn't that complicated. She's like a more toned down and genial version of Jan Di. Kim So Eun did a competent job of portraying Ga Eul and her chemistry with Kim Bum was actually extremely good. I rooted for them as a couple almost as much as for the main couple.

The Strong Points
I think what I liked most about this drama was how it created a world. Some dramas just place characters into interchangeable backgrounds without creating a sense of place, atmosphere, or reality. Boys Before Flowers placed me right into the world of the wealthy to the point where I felt like I was living in it. Admittedly, the lavish richness also allows for some really lame plot inconsistencies. I felt like the writers at times let themselves be ridiculous because they said to themselves, "Oh, the characters are rich so it's ok." Regardless, it was something I felt fully involved in. And that's what kept me interested to the end.

Another thing I really liked was the characterizations. Aside from Jan Di (who was one of the more obnoxious drama girls), the guys actually had a lot of personality. Most noticeably was of course Gu Jun Pyo. There were times when he was a royal, pain in the ass jerk and a total "rich kid." There were times when he was plain out cruel just because no one could tell him it was the wrong thing to do. There were also times when he was sad that he was lacking in any sort of familial kindness or affection. However, (and this was made me like his character) he had an innate sense of social retardation which manifested in the most hilarious and adorable ways. In layman's terms, he had a silly/dumb streak. And while this could have easily been mishandled in a horrible way by an incompetent actor, Lee Min Ho does a wonderful job with the confusion and dismay and also has excellent facial expressions. He wears Jun Pyo's feelings on his fancy, rich sleeves which, to me, makes him the most successful character. (As well he should be. After all, he's the leading man). Ji Hoo, on the other hand, is more inscrutable. He's of course more quiet and reserved and still closed off after the tragic car accident which killed his parents. However, what made him more intriguing was the fact that he's actually quite calculating. Not in an evil way, just in a way that makes you realize that he hates losing almost as much as Jun Pyo. It's sort of a complicated nuance to convey, so Kim Hyun Joong's success rate varied. But for the most part it was successful enough for me to let some of the more embarrassing things slide.

Another thing I really liked? The subplot for Yi Jung and Ga Eul. This is mostly because I think they look adorable together, but it's also because they feel more like a "traditional" Asian drama couple. Not that the main couple was lacking in anything…but let's face it, they became extremely frustrating after awhile. I just wanted to whack them both over the head with a massive telephone pole. Ga Eul and Yi Jung stayed adorable throughout the whole thing. Therefore, when I got main couple fatigue, they were a nice diversion.

The Weak Points
Because, let's face it, this drama was chock full of them.

You know how in every drama there are some things that you simply have to accept or "buy" in order for you to watch without banging your head against the wall? Well, a good drama has very few of these while still allowing for the perfect blend of escapism and reality. The problem with Boys Before Flowers was that there were way too many buys, most of them resulting from inconsistent writing. I will list just a few below:

Buy 1: Geum Jan Di.
She earns a category all of her own mostly because I just couldn't see two of the richest and most gorgeous guys in Korea falling for her. I'm not shallow nor am I an elitist, but if you've seen this then you'll understand just a little. For one, she never stops screaming. Gu Jun Pyo must've been awfully sick of hearing his name by the end of this show because if he so much as put a toe outside of Geum Jan Di's idea of good behavior, his name would be shouted to the heavens usually accompanied by heavy amounts of bickering. That's another thing. Jan Di's tolerance level is surprisingly low for someone who is supposed to have a "caring" and "compassionate" heart. The least little thing and she's off. Also, she won't accept Jun Pyo's financial help for her family but she's perfectly able to go off on several sumptuous vacations during which she is lavished with clothes and accessories. She's whiny, sort of dumb (her becoming a doctor in the end was COMPLETELY unrealistic), and never grateful despite her constant thoughts about being so. If I were a guy, I wouldn't be able to see the good in any of that. This all could have been fixed if there were some moments where she showed the boys some genuine warmth, but it is in fact her family that offers Jun Pyo the affection he craves. The most she ever does for these boys is sit back and smile while they do all the work. The moments where relatable emotions surfaced were so few and far between that any love for her character was quickly put out by some of the most inane character writing skills I have ever seen.

Phew...sorry if you like her...but...had to get that out...

Now...

Buy 2: Yoon Ji Hoo and his grandfather.
One of the side plots of this drama was the tension between the orphaned Ji Hoo and his former Korean president grandfather. You see, they blame themselves for the accident that killed Ji Hoo's parents. Ji Hoo thinks that his grandfather definitely wouldn't want to be with the grandson that killed his son. And his grandfather thinks that he made his grandson an orphan. A potentially touching storyline was completely ruined for me by the one line that Ji Hoo utters. "He abandoned me." I thought you felt guilty for causing the death of your grandfather's son. If you feel guilty and you think he blames you, well wouldn't his abandonment be the next logical step? It could have been a mixture of things for Ji Hoo, but the script didn't get that nuance at all so this was one storyline that just didn't cut it.

Buy 3: Lee Jae Ha.
In a brief, episode and a half story, Lee Jae Ha decides to exact revenge upon Gu Jun Pyo for his brother (who happens to be the one that Jan Di saved during her first Shinhwa High encounter). And how does Jae Ha decide to do this? Through Jan Di of course. (And by the way, of course Jae Ha happens to be a model on the side but no one realizes who he is because he inverted his name to be Ha Je and wears glasses when he's not on the job. Of course that fools all of the brilliant, rich minds at Shinhwa). So, Jae Ha gets to know Jan Di through a series of encounters, kidnaps her, and holds her captive until Gu Jun Pyo rushes onto the scene only to get beaten senseless. But of course Jae Ha wishes that Geum Jan Di would have just "come to him" instead meaning that he's fallen for her. And through that whole episode I was thinking, "Another guy falling for Geum Jan Di? Puh-leese." It was bad enough that Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo were all gaga, but now a part-time model/part-time evil kidnapper too? Seriously? Are you joking? I immediately mentally stamped this part as "does not compute."

And because I feel like I am killing the love here just one more...

Buy 4: Useless Characters.
When they're in Macau, Ji Hoo encounters his friend Ming. And that's it. No further plot development here. Pointless. Gu Jun Hee, Jun Pyo's sister. Pretty? Yes. Good character? Yes. Useful character? Not so much. Master of the porridge shop where Jan Di and Ga Eul work. Extremely funny, extremely expendable. And finally, Cha Eun Jae, Yi Jung's past love. At first, she might seem essential because the misunderstandings between her and Yi Jung explain his playboy tendencies. However, with the brief inclusion of Yi Jung's father, it is easy enough to see why Yi Jung is the way he is. So, Cha Eun Jae? If we cut out her character, we might have one episode less. Which would have been helpful.

Overall
Despite the large amount of dissing I just did above, I don't hate this show. The fact that I finished it proves that I thought it was worth something. It had this weird sort of addictive quality that some dramas lack. And for that? I give it a 3.5/5. You should watch this show if you're willing to accept some glaring inconsistencies, and some major, major issues with plot holes. However, once I got over all the frustration, I had a lot of fun with Boys Before Flowers.