Boys Over Flowers

Korean Title: Kkotboda Namja
English Title: Boys Before Flowers / Boys Over Flowers
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 25
Broadcast Period: January 2009 to March 2009

Cast
Koo Hye Sun as Geum Jan Di
Ahn Suk Hwan as Geum Il Bong (father)
Im Ye Jin as Na Gong Joo (mother)
Park Ji Bin as Geum Kang San (younger brother)
Kim So Eun as Chu Ga Eul (Jan Di's best friend)

Flower 4
Lee Min Ho as Gu Jun Pyo
- Lee Hye Young as Kang Hee Soo (mother)
- Kim Hyun Joo as Gu Jun Hee (older sister)
- Lee Min Jung as Ha Jae Kyung (JK Group's CEO's daughter, Jun Pyo's fiancee)
- Jung Ho Bin as Jung Sang Rok (Kang Hee Soo's Secretary)
- Kim Young Ok as Head Maid (grandmother)

Kim Hyun Joong as Yoon Ji Hoo
- Lee Jung Gil as Yoon Seok Young (grandfather)
- Han Chae Young as Min Seo Hyun (F4's best friend, Ji Hoo's ex)

Kim Bum as Seo Yi Jung
- Im Ju Hwan as So Il Hyun (older brother)
- Kim Jong Jin as So Hyun Sub (father)
- Park Soo Jin as Cha Eun Jae (first love)

Kim Joon as Song Woo Bin

Extended Cast
Lee Si Young as Oh Min Ji (Jan Di's first friend at Shin Hwa College)
Gook Ji Yun as Choi Jin Hee / Ginger
Jang Ja yun as Park Sun Ja / Sunny
Min Young Won as Lee Mi Sook / Miranda
Kim Ki Bang as Bom Chun Sik (Jan Di's/Ga Eul's boss)
Song Suk Ho as Butler Lee
Kim Min Ji as Jang Yoo Mi

Synopsis - Contains Spoilers!
Jan Di, a low-middle class girl whose family owns a dry cleaning store is just your average girl. She helps her parents out at the store and works very hard. However, the store is located near the luxurious Shin Hwa College, where all the popular and rich kids go. On her way to deliver some dry cleaning, Jan Di saves a boy from committing suicide. She later finds out what has caused the boy's torment - Flower 4, otherwise known as F4, the richest and most spoiled boys in the entire city. She is admitted into the school on a swimming scholarship and tries her best to keep to herself. However, when her very first friend at Shin Hwa College, Oh Min Ji, is confronted by the famous F4, Jan Di steps up. She is forced to declare war on F4's arrogant and hot-tempered leader, Gu Jun Pyo.

After a series of events, Jan Di falls for the quiet and soft-spoken Yoon Ji Hoo, who is the only one in F4 who hasn't bothered with teasing and torturing her. In fact, after being humiliated by the school, Ji Hoo helps Jan Di by giving her his handkerchief to clean off her uniform (mind you, it doesn't really work, but it's the thought that counts). However, he is in love with Seo Hyun, who has been friends with F4 for a long time. When she leaves to pursue a career, Jan Di begs her, literally, to stay as she sees that it's causing Ji Hoo much pain. Ji Hoo gets angry after seeing Jan Di on her hands and knees and he feels cowardly because he didn't have the courage to ask Seo Hyun to stay. Instead, Jan Di had to do so for him.

Eventually, Seo Hyun leaves behind a heartbroken Ji Hoo. After much convincing from Jan Di, he goes after Seo Hyun and all seems well. Until Jun Pyo falls for Jan Di. Her heart returns his feelings, slowly, but then Ji Hoo comes back. He says that his relationship with Seo Hyun did not work out, because her work was more important. Still heartbroken, Ji Hoo seeks comfort in the strong-willed and soft-hearted Jan Di. He is shocked to learn that she is dating Jun Pyo, but seems happy for them nonetheless.

However, Jun Pyo discovers them kissing and breaks up with Jan Di, and kicking Ji Hoo out of F4 in the process. But after a series of events, Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo make up, after all, they have been friends since they were kids. Ji Hoo even helps to get Jan Di to admit her feelings. What he was ready for, was that he began falling for Jan Di as well. However, Jan Di's feelings for Jun Pyo develop into something deeper as she realizes her previous feelings for Ji Hoo were nothing more than that of a friend's. However, the pair go through much trouble. Oh Min Ji turns out to be a girl from Jun Pyo's past. As a child, she approached him and confessed her feelings for him, but he turned her down saying she was ugly. As a result, Min Ji disappeared and underwent plastic surgery. She wanted revenge and ended up betraying Jan Di, who never forgives her for the rest of the drama. Min Ji does not appear in the drama after that as well.

Another conflict arises when Hee Soo, Jun Pyo's mother, arranges for someone to kidnap Jan Di, but of course, Jun Pyo comes to her rescue. The hired men beat Jun Pyo to a pulp, but he insists that he loves Jan Di and that he will never give her up. When they decide to deliver their final blow - using a chair - Jan Di takes it for him. As a result, she injures her shoulder and it becomes permanently damaged: Jan Di will never be able to swim again. This brings Jun Pyo and Jan Di closer together. The story goes on, Jan Di struggles with her status and her inability to be with Jun Pyo as a result of the other students at Shin Hwa, along with his seemingly evil and disapproving mother (regardless of the fact that Jun Pyo's older sister, Jun Hee, welcomes her presence with open arms). Ji Hoo also struggles, with watching the woman he loves love someone else, his best friend no less. Jun Pyo desperately wants to be with Jan Di, but after the tragic death of his father, he is forced to take responsibility for the company.

With a huge sense of responsibility, he does not want to be distracted since he has so many people depending on him. If the company were to fail, thousands of families will lose their sources of income, and the more human side of Jun Pyo is revealed. Although cold and spoiled on the outside, he is tender and gentle on the inside. Jun Pyo is forced to block Jan Di out of his life, and her heart is broken when he refuses to acknowledge her, even when she goes searching for him. During this time, Ji Hoo comes to her aid. This is the time where we see a further connection between Jan Di and Ji Hoo. She even reunites him with his estranged grandfather, helping them rebuild their relationship and giving Ji Hoo, for the first time in a very long time, a sense of family and belonging. It only troubles Ji Hoo further that when he confesses to Jan Di, she does not return his feelings.

After her first failed attempt, Hee Soo also arranges a marriage for Jun Pyo, in hopes of eliminating any feelings for Jan Di in the process. Enter Ha Jae Kyung, daughter of a rich CEO who is determined to win Jun Pyo over. Jae Kyung and Jan Di become instant friends, especially after Jae Kyung stopped a man from stealing Jan Di's wallet.

Inevitably, Jae Kyung begins to suspect that Jun Pyo's heart is not all there when she's with him. Instead, he's protective over Jan Di and she feels that perhaps there was something between them. She does not speak of this, nor does she question him about it. Instead, she tries even harder to get him to fall in love with her and even asks him to kiss her. She discovers a necklace that Jun Pyo had given to Jan Di when they were still together (she doesn't know this fact), and she sees that the letters "J&J" are etched onto the back of the charm. She assumes and prays that the J's stand for Jan Di and Ji Hoo, as they are seeming more and more like a couple. Eventually, she realizes that Jun Pyo is in love with Jan Di, but she still can't let go. It isn't until the actual wedding, when they are standing at the altar, that Jae Kyung decides to leave. Jan Di and Jun Pyo are greatful, and although she has just helped the man she loves and her very good friend, Jae Kyung walks away with a broken heart.

But still, the drama isn't over. Hee Soo still does not approve of the relationship and tries everything in her power to stop them from developing their relationship. After Ga Eul, Jan Di's best friend, finds out that her father has lost his job, she tries to keep it from Jan Di. Ga Eul knows that she will back away if the truth was told. However, Jan Di overhears a conversation between F4 and discovers the truth. She meets with Hee Soo and tells her that if she gets to spend one more day with Jun Pyo, with no distractions, she will leave him. Jan Di does so, leaving behind a grief-stricken Jun Pyo. His sorrow is tripled when he and his sister discover that their father has not died. Hee Soo staged the death of her husband in order to get Jun Pyo to take over the company. Jun Pyo's father, although not dead, remains in a coma. As if that wasn't enough, Jun Pyo misunderstands when he sees Ji Hoo comforting her after the departure, and figures that she has chosen Ji Hoo over him. He is not angry though, but he has said that if he were to lose Jan Di to someone, he would willingly lose to only Ji Hoo.

Later that day, as Ji Hoo is crossing the street, Jun Pyo saves him from getting hit by a fast approaching car. Ji Hoo panicks at Jun Pyo loses consciousness. Once in the hospital, everyone has gathered, and Hee Soo even takes some time out of her schedule to see him. Jun Hee blames her mother for Jun Pyo's injury and the words seem to register. Hee Soo, evidently feels guilty and begins to come to her senses. Jan Di tries to reassure her that Jun Pyo will be okay.

When Jun Pyo wakes up, he remembers everyone except for Jan Di. Instead, he believes her to be Ji Hoo's girlfriend. A girl who has been living in the same hospital, Jang Yoo Mi, wants Jun Pyo for herself and when he asks her if she's the person he's forgetting, she does not deny it. Then, he asks her to make him the same lunchbox she did when they were together, before the accident. Yoo Mi makes one for him and it tastes different, confusing him. He then realizes that she is not the one he's supposed to be remembering. Instead, all he can see in his head is the heartbroken eyes of Jan Di.

After a full recovery, Jun Pyo returns to his regular life. But Jan Di is determined to make him remember. She confronts him at a party, and he brushes her off. She asks him if he can swim and he says no. Jan Di tells him otherwise, that he can swim, that he has before. She then shows him the necklace he gave her, but he says he has never seen it before, that she should throw it away if she doesn't want it. Jan Di proceeds to throw it into the swimming pool. Then, she jumps in after it. Jun Pyo stands there in shock as Jan Di sinks to the bottom of the pool, her breath escaping her lungs. Memories of her flash through his head, from when she got a cramp during swimming but he couldn't rescue her, which was why he decided to learn how to swim. He remembers their first date, when she couldn't hear him tell her that he'd be waiting for her. He remembers their first kiss, and he remembers her name. Geum Jan Di. He jumps into the pool after her and saves her, while she merely smiles and asks him if he remembers.

Just as they have proved their love for each other, there is one more obstacle. Jun Pyo is to leave for two years and establish himself as a businessman and the heir to Shin Hwa Corp. He asks Jan Di to wait for him, and when they come back, he will marry her. Jan Di only cheekily replies with, "If you return a good man, then I will consider marrying you." He does return, and when he does, Jan Di is at medical school with her firefighter Ji Hoo-sunbae at her side. We discover that Ji Hoo's love for her has not died off. She says that he must work hard at school, because he should not let his grandfather down. He only replies, "That isn't the only reason." Jan Di is oblivious to what he means.

And of course, who can forget the wonderful side story that belong solely to Seo Yi Jung and Chu Ga Eul? Ga Eul is the strong, gutsy best friend of the heroine, obviously. While Seo Yi Jung is known for being a playboy. However, the reason behind his flirtatious and promiscuous behaviour lies in a woman named Cha Eun Jae, whom we later discover has gone to dating Yi Jung's older brother. Not only that, Yi Jung has been scarred by his father's similar behaviour. But he meets Ga Eul, who almost instantly falls in love with him. Unlike Ga Eul, Yi Jung says that he does not believe in the notion of a soulmate. However, as their story unfolds, as Ga Eul helps Yi Jung understand why Eun Jae left him behind all those years ago, Yi Jung discovers that maybe he believes more than he thought he did. Although their story does not end as concrete as Jun Pyo's and Jan Di's, it ends as a potential start to a relationship between two unlikely people. Yi Jung tells Ga Eul that he is leaving for Scotland, and when he returns she is a school teacher, waiting for him.

The story ends with the return of Jun Pyo and a heartfelt marriage proposal. Before she can voice her decision, though, they are interrupted by the remaining three members of F4. They teasingly say that they do not approve of the marriage. Then, Jan Di and the four most important men in her life face the sunset with smiles, glad that everything turned out just fine.

The Verdict
Things That I Loved; In No Particular Order
1. Kim Hyun Joo as Gu Jun Hee
Some people say that they were disappointed to see Hyun Joo as the older sister, but I disagree. I fell in love with her performance in In-Soo is Pretty and I was totally ecstatic when I realized she had landed the role. Personally, I can't see anybody more perfect for the role than she was.

2. Chu Ga Eul
I just love her character in general. In a way, she kind of overshadowed the character of Jan Di, but it's okay. I just feel that without her, the drama wouldn't feel complete. Kim So Eun is a marvelous actress at only twenty (?) years of age. She appeared in Empress Chun Chu, too, which I'm also watching, and she definitely delivers, no matter what role she's acting.

3. Yoon Ji Hoo
OMG, my dream boy. Kim Hyun Joong, although his acting is a little rough around the edges, did a marvelous job for a first-timer. And I think he played Ji Hoo quite well. I was actually rooting for them to get together and was a little sad when he ended up alone at the end. I'd like to see Hyun Joong acting again, although I'm glad he's back to his 4D self with his SS501 members. Still, it was refreshing to see this side of Hyun Joong and I felt he did a very good job at portraying the character.

4. Jan Di's family
They're so different from her, as in they're hyper and outspoken, while she's not. I loved Ahn Suk Hwan and Park Ji Bin as her father and brother respectively. They were adorable and I can see a resemblence with my own family.

5. Jae Kyung
As much as the commenters on youtube bashed her for not giving up on Jun Pyo like in the Japanese version, I felt that the Korean version of this character was a little more believable. Unlike most dramas, Jae Kyung was not the conniving third party that we mostly see when it comes to these kinds of plots. However, she wasn't the sacrificial best friend either. Instead she fell somewhere in between. I mean, she was in love with Jun Pyo, obviously she'd want to be with him. In my opinion, when you love someone, not everyone can be the bigger person and just get up a leave. Although Jae Kyung is one of my favourite characters, the Korean version portrayed her as a little flawed, which made her seem more human to me, therefore I could relate to her more. I liked the portrayal of Jae Kyung much better than the Japanese version. Although, I may have chosen a different actress if I were given the choice. However, Lee Min Jung still does a great job.

Things I Didn't Like So Much
1. Jan Di's lack of self-esteem
In the Japanese version, I loved Makino's strength and her strong will. It wasn't until the second season that she lost a bit of her spark. Jan Di's character in the Korean version didn't have that spark at all, except for the first few episodes. As Jan Di began falling in love with Jun Pyo, she became weak and fragile, which is not how I pictured her to be. So that was a little disappointing.

2. Song Woo Bin's lack of appearances
I love Woo Bin's character, even though he only appeared on screen like once every five episodes (an exaggeration, don't hold me to this). I wish they would have given him a side plot too, even if it was just a small one (and I was not satisfied with the fifteen minute side plot they gave him in a particular episode, I forget which one it was). I felt he could have been an important pivotal character for Jun Pyo and Jan Di, by just merely being a guide, a mentor. However, the Korean version did not do his character enough justice.

3. Kang Soo Hee
In the versions I've seen (I haven't seen the Taiwanese one, and I don't plan to), she is 100% evil. I hated her from the very beginning, but I was quite thrilled about the actress. Lee Hye Young definitely looks the part, she's beautiful but psycho and evil, which is perfect! But then, I felt that her character in this version went a little overboard. I mean, staging her own husband's death? That's just plain psychotic. I did like the fact that she finally came to her senses though, when Jun Pyo was in the hospital. It was the first time that she seemed like a mother to me.

Well, I have to say that the Korean F4 is a lot better looking compared to the rest of the adaptations of the manga. I thought that the acting was quite well done too. I liked how it was 25 episodes long as well, because although I liked the Japanese version, it was a tad too short for me. Also, Kim Hyun Joong is dreamy and I just love him to little tiny bits. Through the drama I've also become a huge fan of Kim So Eun, because she's just a huge talent that's bunched up into the frame of a small twenty year old. All in all, I loved Boys Over Flowers. I still do. I wish it weren't over. I give it four and a half out of five stars!