what a BEAUTIFUL picture you have chosen for them *___*;;;;;;;;;;

love how you're so up-to-date and know everything!!!
keep up the awesome blogging!! ^0^

What can I say?
We're all suckers for the F4.
Go Jun Pyo!!

ok wow whut. i like 꽃보다 남자 BUT there are so many better dramas! this one is entertaining, but... omg this is just sad =/

I like this picture. The Korean F4 didn't feel like it was meshing as a group but they look great here. Maybe they should wear the school uniforms more.
Also GJP in the school uniform might look better with Jandi in hers. More like a couple. Right now with her tween outfits and his designer wear they don't look that great together. Either they dress her up or he should dress down. I would love to see LMH in jeans. Rich kids do wear jeans. They are not decked up in formal wear all the time. It's 2009. So stop with the silly Mr Darcy wear.

That's great news. :] Btw, I love your new BOF headers - thanks to Luv!

I also don't think the 4 guys have any chemistry with one another, which is really unfortunate and is one of the main reasons keeping me from enjoyinging this drama. I'm watching it just to pass time if there is nothing else to do, but I definitely don't make it a point to watch it and I'm definitely not a fan.

The production, direction, chemistry and some of the acting is really a disappointment coming from a k-drama. Considering a prior version came out so recently, they really needed a fresh approach to the story to make it stand out and noteworthy, and so far to me they've failed.

LMH is probably one of the few saving graces, but to me that's not saying much.

it's nice to have something to look forward to even if it's still not at par with Coffee Prince. I was one of those CP addicts who, caused your site to crash when Coffee Prince was being shown almost 2 years ago. I remember telling everybody over and over again to watch it. i am tempted to do the same with Boys Before Flowers. But not yet. . . . . after 2 more episodes, i hope.

Hmmm understandable... it's a cute story. During these sad times I don't really mind the bad acting. I think the reason why the rating is high is because it's just a funny, light-hearted, teenager love story and beautiful actors/res to boot.

Oh man, that is pretty pathetic, losing to a rerun T_T.. I hope with a string of new couples, WGM could rise up again. It used to be such a hot thing.

Ah...whereas Coffee Prince deserved all its hype, BBF is falling rather short for me. I'm watching it mostly because I loved the manga, anime, and japanese drama (hated MG) and I was curious how this one would look, but I gotta say, I'm sorely disappointed. The fact that it's being touted as so great is really a slap in my critic-y viewer's face.

#5, sonam -- so true! Hilarious! Although they look very spiffy and dashing in their formal wear, it's just not realistic. Then again, this series isn't realistic to begin with, so I guess I can live with pretty boys over real boys (; .

i'd watch it over and over again just for kim bum and lmh <3

Alright BBF!!!

Way to knock everyone's socks off.

They seriously look really good on those uniform and they don't have to wear those expensive brand to look rich..
but still,,

oh,, i really love this drama,,thanks dramabeans for the update!

Gah, Gu Hye Sun makes an annoying and unnatural Jandi ><;; Her way of talking, her gestures-- all way too exaggerated. Thats why I don't like this version.

BBF is entertaining enough, but I'm not completely wowed by it. It's not better than Hana Yori Dango, which I enjoyed thoroughly. HYD drew me into their world with a more loveable Makino and an F4 who gelled together. Lee Min Ho is winsome, yeah. Totally. But as for the proclamations of him being the second coming of Takuya Kimura, nah...I don't see it. Nobody has been able to copy Kimutaku's combination of snarly sensuality + cheeky charm.

gawd, why do comments in every single BBF post have to turn into "Japanese HYD was better"? it's getting old. can't we just talk about BBF itself?

sorry for ranting and i'm not pointing a finger at you specifically Felicity, but i've been following the comments and i really love reading all of them, but there's soooo much jap/taiwan comparing. and all the comments are always the same. you can imagine it's tiring to read.

It seems quite a few people don't like the Korean version. But I'm enjoying it immensely. Who cares if it's a critical success or whatnot, as long as I'm entertained the series is already a winner in my eyes.

And it's easy to see why Boys Before Flowers is a commercial success - it's light and sugary, has a feel-good story, and has 4 good looking guys.

dk: Well, I don't think the comparisions are going to end anytime soon. It's inevitable when the Taiwan and Japanese versions have both been runaway hits....but I feel for you. Myself, I skim through all the comments cuz it's either the "BBF is the best thing from KBS since sliced bread" bandwagon or the "BFF is a complete flop and embarrassment" camp. I'm on the fence.

I don't really like "Boys Before Flowers". I'm still watching it because I love Kim Bum (Soujirou) and Kim So Eun (Yuki) -- I'm really looking forward to their side story.
Le Min Ho is a promising actor but I don't really like his interpretation of the Domyouji character. Domyouji is a mean person who became a better person but I don't really like the fact that he was so willing to change everything about him because of love (wearing a uniform, ironing his permed hair, etc.). It's just not something Domyouji would do. I mean even though he became a better person, there's still that wildness and sadistic streak peeking through.
Gu Hye Sun is what makes me dislike the drama. I hate her overacting, her exaggerated gestures, yelling all the time, etc. Also, if her character Jan Di hates everything about Jun Pyo, wouldn't that make her falling in love with Jun Pyo even more unlikely? I mean I'd understand if she hates the fact that Jun Pyo is a bully but hating the permed hair and other things about him -- what's up with that?
A lot of things don't really make sense with the drama and I'm trying not to overanalyze things... It's just really difficult sometimes.

I think the reason why this drama is so popular is simply because it's an easy, fun, and entertaining watch, which imo, is what recent dramas have been lacking. Sure, you can try to push meaningful voiceovers and complicated conspiracies (half of the time it'll work), but imo, you can only take so much heavy, mature plot centered around a bunch of 30+ years olds before you start craving for something simple, funny, and aesthetically pleasing (aka young). Anyhow, I've long since figured out BOF isn't the type of drama you take seriously- I just take it all in as I go.

Then again, I am a teen and my attention span IS dangerously short. As of late, BOF's the only drama I can sit through. Maybe it's the eyecandy or perhaps the bright colors...?

@ Lana: Really? I rather liked the fact that he straightened his hair- it appeared in the manga, although they didn't include that part in the jdrama.

Oh, and if the rumors are true -- that Shigeru's role will go to the actress that played the best friend of Go Ara's character in Who Are You? -- then I'm definitely looking forward to this drama... I love that actress although I'm sorry to say that I can't really remember her name at the moment.
This might be the first time I'd want the Domyouji character to end up with Shigeru instead of Makino. And it's really sad because obviously that's not going to happen.
I think the reason that this drama is so popular is because it's a familiar story and if properly executed -- it will be an amazing production. So far, I'm disappointed with it but that's just me...
I don't mind lighthearted stories but even though a drama is simple, shouldn't it still make sense to a certain extent? Or at least touch people more than at a superficial level. I really think Boys Over Flowers will be a forgettable drama.

For instance, Jan Di is supposed to be really poor so she brings spam and rice as her lunch... This absolutely does not make sense because her mom is supposed to be intent on having her daughter fit in... Even though the mom does not have any money, the plausible thing is for her to insist that Jan Di bring a nicer lunch.
In the Japanese version, Makino is poor but her mom found a nicer lunch box and even though they don't have money, she prepares good food like shrimp one time for Makino's lunch even though for their dinner as a family, all they have are rice and boiled egg...
In the Taiwanese version, when Shan Cai was supposed to attend a party, her mom brought out what she thinks are haute couture dresses. Of course they are not but the fact that she thought it was and insists that Shan Cai wear the dress to fit in -- her character is more consistent...

@ Lana -

It's based on a manga. The extent to which it will mimic reality will not be much. That's why I'm taking the drama as it is. It's a fairytale - the characters are unrealistic, their hairstyles are unrealistic, their behaviour is unrealistic (or maybe not), everything is unrealistic.

And in regards to my personal opinion on Gu Hye Sun: I agree she's overdoing the cutesy act, but even I have to admit that she nails the serious/emotional scenes. The confrontation in the woods is the standout scene for me over the 2 episodes this week - the chemistry and acting from the actors was awesome and the scene was riveting without being draggy. So my message to GHS is - you've got the serious scenes down pat, you have chemistry with the lead male, all that's left is to tone down the overly cute acting and exaggerated facial expressions.

Finally a damyouji I can respect, lee min ho is doing alright!!! Before I kind of wondered how can the 3 other f4 ever respect their so called leader if he was 'so' stupid, even if he was the richest of all of them

Now at least i see the character that should have been from the start. I mean, his supposed to lead a big conglomerate in the future, if he was that stupid from the beginning no amount of tutoring could ever help him become the man he needs to be.

I enjoy thiz drama.lee min ho n kim bum cutesy..goo jun pyo please don't bee 2 nice,2 care n 2 prince charming too soon:-D please..

OMFG... this overanalyzing and comparing to the other versions slowly really get booooring.

Sure.. the show is really crappy in parts (bad acting, bad directing, bad music, lots of story flaws.. whatever you would like to point out there). That's not why we watch this show... if we want something realistical (or something which tries to be) then we would watch some other show. When we watch BBF we just want ridiculous and hilarious fun... nothing more. Who cares about realism here... just watching Jan-Di bouncing bobble beanie when she runs... what more reason is required to watch this show? :)

BBF you watch when you need a break from the more brain sucking shows which require you to analyze complex story lines and/or melodrama. And currently BBF is the only airing show which offers this "let's have a break" feeling, IMHO.

And btw... whoever thinks GHS overdoes on the cuteness or looks to old or anything like that... you're just a jealous F4 fangirl (or boy). ;) IMHO she's just perfect for the role.

After all the hype on this it is sad the acting and writing so sucks. Only good thing is Kim Bum. Why does all Korean Singers think they can easily act. Proof here in BBF!

@ clowninpathos Very good observations. I agree that a big part of the Korean HYD's success is the already built in fans. I was expecting the Korean version to be much better than this but it seems like they have decided to play it safe and stick to the formula like casting teen idols. If they had cast a real actor for Rui it would have been so much better. My dream Korean Rui is Kang Dong Won . He would have made a perfect Rui...he still looks dreamy and delicate. I am still hoping it will pick up and get better since we are just on the 4th Ep. Thank goodness LMH is so delightful. Jandi is tolerable but ..................................to quote a line from Mr Darcy.
I have noticed too that when something works you get a slew of similar themed dramas. People like predictability and familiarity. And the producers want to make their money and so poor writers and directors probably get forced to rehash the same formula.
I am very attached to HYD like all Asians so it's excting to hear that there's going to be a China version. HYD is brilliant because the boy falls in love with the girl when she kicks his ass literally. What a love story!

"This teen-age drama probably provide a breath of fresh air from the same old genres. "

BBF brings out my inner 14-year old. My inner 14-year old giggles whenever Lee Min Ho pops up. Then again, this also happens when Shin Tae Hwan twinkles over a new evil plan in East of Eden. Ah, you sweet evil man. :D

"Is this why I’ve heard that China is doing their own Version of Hana yori Dango too?'

WITH RAINIE (who was uhh in the original MG.) Eh?!? Not sure if this will really go through, and frankly there isn't much appeal if they don't actually make a true Mando F4+Makino (i.e. no Rainie.) Making a "Meteor Garden: The Next Generation" doesn't have the same appeal.

I'm totally psyched, though, for a North Korean HanaDan. Kim Jong Il would make a sweet Doumyouji!

"HYD is brilliant because the boy falls in love with the girl when she kicks his ass literally."

Yup. This never gets old.

Scene 1: Girl decks pretty boy.
Scene 2: Therefore, pretty boy falls in love with girl.

TRUE LOVE. :D

its all the F4 charm =)

i only watch it for 4 reasons:

1) the boys
2) the boys
3) the boys
4) the boys

LOL!

Hmmmmmm......Well.......you gotta give it up to Youko Kamio!
She can really write a story that keeps ppl hoooked.
The manga was a hit. MG was a hit. HYD drama was a hit. BBF is now a hit.

I think there needs to be research done on what exactly is it that makes THIS particular cinderella story sooo damn addicting!!!!!

Even when the series isn't going as well as expected, we would STILL rather watch it, eventhough we alllllll know not only what's going to happen next, but also how it's going to end!!!

@ dramabeans - not sure if you had mentioned this in your previous posts about the cast of BBF, but just wondering do you know or has it been announced who will be playing Shigeru aka Domyoji's arranged fiance?

BBF Episode 5 ratings are interesting.

TNS has BBF and EofE at 24.8 and 25.1 (virtually tied)
Neilsen has BBF and EofE at 22.1 and 27.1.

But the buzz is that -- if you account from Netizen viewership -- there are more people actually watching BBF than East of Eden. LOL

Somewhere Lee Dae Hae is laughing . . .

"I think there needs to be research done on what exactly is it that makes THIS particular cinderella story sooo damn addicting!!!!!"

Hana Yori Dango was a virus created by Yamio Kamio to infect Asia with curly hair. The virus failed Kamio's original purpose, but who knew Asia would fall in with a certified psychopath? :D

@Lana: It isn't properly executed, is it? The guys=pass. But the heart of the story? The heroine? I want to punch her in the face. And the bad directing and music-god, the music! I love the franchise, but I can't see why this drama is pulling such high ratings. I'm just hanging on for F4 and in hopes it gets better.

Speaking of Jandi, I agree with what you said. She's striking me as the arrogant one. The stubborn, stupid, coarse and impolite who's prejudiced against the rich (this, btw, isn't helped by Jun Pyo not being very violent). So in all the scene, it's her that violent and shrill. And FYI: If someone's bleeding on a roof, they want to jump. And being a "tough girl" doesn't mean having no table manners or yelling at your parents and being loud and obnoxious.

Furthermore, she has no heart. There's not one moment I've pitied and cheered for her. When she decided to fight back, I saw no struggle. I didn't believe in what was as stake for her. Amazing how it's basically the same story, the same events, and yet different actresses could make such a difference. Part of it can go to the script (Kdramas seem to have a problem with a tough girl not being bratty tomboys), but really, I pull my hair every time she makes those faces of hers.

Miki, I agree with you 100%. I don't understand Jandi's character whatsoever. The problem lies partly with the actress, but also the script writer and directer, who changed the character so much and yet failed to develop the character at all in order for the audience to see any heart in her.
I love Makino, ultimately she doesn't resent that she is poor, and neither does she detest the rich, what she hates is injustice, those weaker being abused by the more powerful....that's how everything first started with her standing up against Domouyji. Despite being indecisive in the love department, Makino is a smart character and very strong....I love the essence of the character, and especially how Inoue Mao brought her to life.
I don't hate that the k-drama script-writers took liberties with the character, but I'm absolutely dissappointed that they trailed so far off course as to fail in retaining the original, true essence of the character.
I'm quite pissed thinking about how they've butchered her. I've always been a bigger fan of k-dramas than j-doramas, but it's amazing how this version of BOF is causing me to lose so much faith in k-dramas. In my opinion, this version is barely better than the Taiwanese version but far far far trails the Japanese version.

oh wow! this is a great new drama!
everyone should watch espeacially if youve read the mangas!
hyung joon is soo hawt. though the acting isnt great.
hes so hot.
and so are all the other characters.

Lol at most of the 'I hate BBF coz it's not what the real essence of the drama is' comments! guys, it's simple really. if you don't like the drama or think that it lacks the ooomph factor to make it a drama that YOU would want to watch, then just stop watching it. it's that simple. DON'T click on the view button/download button/ whatever button that gives you access to the drama.

I mean, why would you want to waste your breath, time and brain cells on something that you hate and are just going to complain about anyways? really doesn't make any sense to me if you ask me.

besides, each version of the drama has its own plus and minus points. is there really one that was perfect? coz there is no such thing as perfection. unless you're too clouded to see that, then i really can't help you. oh well.

I don't really mind the exaggerated story line of Hana yori Dango. I actually like the fact that it is different in a sense that it was the guy who first fell in love with the girl. In most dramas, it is always the girls who fall in love with the guys first.
I watched Meteor Garden when it came out eight years ago and I liked it then (but honestly, if I watch it again now, I doubt I'd still like it. It was okay at the time it was made). I have also watched and loved Hana yori Dango (er, I did not really like the movie though).
Anyway, I just didn't think this drama (Boys Over Flowers) was properly done as a whole. It has it's good points though.

@Miki
I know! Jan Di is really irritating. It's a disgrace to all belonging to the middle class how she portrays her character (because she's not very very poor in this version, her family owns their own business). I mean Ga Eul is roughly in the same social class and you don't see her acting sooo unrefined. So it's not a question of social class then, it's personal character.
Makino's character is supposedly not intelligent but she is street smart and sensitive to people around her (that's why she fights bullies). Jan Di in this instance is really stupid to the point that she doesn't have common sense.
Also, I don't understand the way her toughness is portrayed. When she finally fought back for her honor, she was sooo scared going back to school and trying to hide while climbing up the stairs. I hated this scene because I really hate her acting in this scene but more than that, I do not understand her actions after defending her honor. I mean even if deep inside she regrets her drastic actions and worries about the consequences, she should have been dignified even for appearance's sake because she stood up for something that's important to her supposedly.
The fact that she was awake while people did the "princess-makeover" with her and she did not ask questions until after she's dressed and made up, wasn't it weird?!

LOl! at pplo criticizing the lead actress.. erm.. did anyone ever see the Taiwanese version! Barbie can't act! Period. They could have put on a sock with eyeballs on Meteor Garden and it still would have made no difference. Point is

Go Hye Sun - She is a typical Korean heroine. Outspoken and humble at the same time.

Lee Min Ho- Matsujun and Jerry need to hide in a closet if they watch his amazing acting. He is the best.

Hyun Joong- Haven't been a big fan of his acting but he is doing decent. Has highly improved in the past 2 episodes.

Everything else on the drama has been top notch. And the Koreans seem to love it. Those who ask "why is it getting so much ratings?" Because they managed to create a drama for the korean mainstream viewers. This drama was not created for the manga or to copy the previous drama versions. Its is great on its own..
And if u dont wanna watch.. they have this little drama called East Of Eden.. same time.. go watch.

royally amused:
I always hate the argument, "If you don't like it, don't watch it." and.... "Why don't you save your breath?" Those are very ignorant things to say. It's like we have no right to voice our critique because we don't like it and disagree with the majority.

The same concept applies to you, if you don't like comments such as mine, why do you waste your time addressing them? Why don't you save your breath and talk about how much you like the drama?

I'm watching this drama in order to judge whether or not I will like it. And so far, because I don't like it, I'm here discussing my reasons for why that is the case. The whole purpose of discussion is to have a better understanding. The more I discuss it, the more I understand why I dislike it, as compared to everyone else who does. And that's fine, we disagree, but that should not mean that I can not voice my dissent.

Why would I want to understand why I dislike this drama? Because being a fan of the manga and the previous Japanese version, as well as being a big follower of K-dramas (moreso THAN J-doramas), I have every inclination to like this BOF version, and yet, I don't. I want to know...."Is it just me?" Because everyone else seems to like it, it being as popular as it is/seems..... SO here I am, discussing about it.

Why should you have a problem with that?

I'm still watching the drama now because I'm hopeful that I'll like it as a whole in the end -- that the good things about the drama for me will far outweigh all the bad points. At the moment, it does not seem possible but there's always that possibility and I don't want to rule that out.

"Go Hye Sun - She is a typical Korean heroine. Outspoken and humble at the same time. "

I kinda wished that were actually true. Normally in K-drama, a Cinderella character would be played fairly straight. There would be cutesy bits (Yoon Eun Hye in Goong) and "Aja!" bits (Kim Ha Neul in My Tutor Friend, Kim Jung Eun in Lovers in Paris), but more or less the character has to seem "level headed" and "normal" to the viewer. It's even okay to be bland (i.e. Barbie Hsu's Shan Cai.)

But that's not Jan Di; she's overall the most manic, mannered character in the drama. It throws off the screwball bits between her and the F4, her and the school. I find myself feeling for the F4 that they have to deal with Jan Di. :D Even the Bitch 3 seems more personable than Jan Di sometimes.

That's not meant as a strike on Goo. If you've seen her on Pure 19, you know she can play this kind of character. And if you've seen King and I, she can certainly deliver the goods when the story turns substantial. I feel the director made a bad call with having her play Jan Di this shrill.

Having said that, overall I'm happy with the show (and the sets are IMPRESSIVE), and I'm happy with the ratings that it's drawing. And there's another 19 episodes to go. I feel that this is a good adaptation and besides Lee Min Ho is full of WIN. I've been a fan of Hana Yori Dango for almost 10 years. It's like pizza. Even when it's bad, it's sex.

@ Poptastikai
I think even Jerry Yan will laugh at Lee Min Ho because he looks like a playful, romantico, stupid, somewhat arrogant hero rich korean boy who looks 35 years old, whose the look is the only argument used by his fans to bash the previous actors and who has zero chemistry with the lead actress and the non existent F4. Everything Domyoji is not. So don't tell me about Matsumoto Jun

in comparison of BBF with meteor garden, the former is more realistic.how so?just the competition scenes alone, omg.in meteor,they only had the basketball which sport is only for the poor.whereas the BBF realistically showed the sports played by rich people like car racing and horseback riding which are beyond the reach of the commoners.and BBF showed the special classroom of the F4 whereas in meteor ,there wasnt any single scene shown .so i believe, korean writers are way better than any other asians'. as proven by other kdramas sold to other countries which almost all were hit.cudos to the korean writers .