Title: Boys Before Flowers (꽃보다 남자)Episodes: 24
Watch:
Cast (mentioned in post):
Geum Jan Di - Goo Hye Sun
Goo Jun Pyo - Lee Min Ho
Yoon Ji Hoo - Kim Hyun Joong
So Yi Jung - Kim Bum
Song Won Bin - Kim Joon
Chu Ga Eul - Kim So Eun
Find more at Drama Wiki:
http://wiki.d-addicts.com/Boys_Before_Flowers
Summary:
I'm sure you've probably already watched Hana Yori Dango or Meteor Garden already, so you probably know the story. But I'm still gonna give you the gist of it. Main female , Geum Jan Di, is poor, but happy. She has a loving family and wonderful best friend. But then, she enters the richest school and meets F4 by way of a red card, which she is given for annoying F4's leader and the heir to the Shinhwa group, Goo Jun Pyo. (Shinhwa group built the school and is the most powerful company in Korea.) Goo Jun Pyo tries to break her, and she finds an unexpected savior in one of the other F4 members, Yoon Ji Hoo. Quiet, but handsome, she forms a crush on Ji Hoo. In the end though, Goo Jun Pyo realizes he can't break her and actually comes to like her. He tries to woo her in his own way, and she eventually returns his feelings. Unfortunately, Jun Pyo's Mama doesn't like this. She doesn't think Jan Di's good enough for the Shinhwa group heir. So she does everything she can to break them up, while everyone else does everything they can to keep them together.
Review:
Okay, it's inevitable that I will make comparisons between this and Hana Yori Dango, as I watched HYD first. So here goes. The way they portrayed Goo Jun Pyo in 꽃보다 남자 is very different from how Tsukasa was portrayed. I felt that Goo Jun Pyo was less harsh than Tsukasa, and in the end a lot more likable. I, for one, really liked his character. He was actually quite affectionate towards Jan Di, in my opinion. I liked Tsukushi better than Jan Di, though. Not to say I didn't like Jan Di...I just liked Tsukushi better.
The storyline was okay. I don't know if it's cuz I already know the story, but I did skip through some scenes that I thought were boring. I didn't skip through any scenes between So Yi Jung and Chu Ga Eul though! Yi Jung and Ga Eul are meant to be! ♥ Their couple name is even called SoEulmates. Hehe. I liked the equivalent of this relationship in HYD, too. But I like it much better in this version. :)
In the end, I felt like the drama dragged on longer than needed. Especially when they tried to add in one last hardship for Jun Pyo and Jan Di's relationship in the form of amnesia and a bakstabbing female hospital patient. I really felt like that was an unnecessary addition, as it was already the last episode so that part of the storyline was very rushed. Another thing I had an issue with was Kim Hyun Joong. I love him as part of SS501, but the man needs to tone down his expressions! Seriously. His eyes get way too big and his expressions are way too intense for some of the scenes that he does.
But even so, I really liked the drama. F4 was great. SoEulmates made it even better. Plus, I love happy endings. I'd probably rewatch this drama in the future. ^^
Rating: ★★★★
