Boys Before Flowers: Episode 25 (Final)

671 March 31, 2009January 24, 2016

by javabeans

Last episode!

I was pretty satisfied with this finale. It didn’t feel rushed, but it wasn’t too dragged out either — it wrapped up everything much as you’d expect, but managed to insert enough details to keep it interesting (because I was fearing that the ending would go down too predictably and therefore be lame). Oh, and you know the part that they kept saying would deviate from the Hana Yori Dango original? I LOVED IT.

(First) SONG OF THE DAY

Toy – “Bon Voyage” with Jo Wan-sun of Roller Coaster. [ Download ]

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Oh my god, this recap is so long. Sorry, guys! You are forewarned.

EPISODE 25 RECAP (FINAL)

Jan-di visits the hospital in the early morning, while Jun-pyo is still sleeping. She makes a joking comment trying to magic back his memory (“abra cadabra, make Gu Jun-pyo remember Geum Jan-di”), then drops off her dosirak lunchbox at his bedside.

Later that morning, Yumi comes by. I want to give her the benefit of the doubt (so far she’s annoying, but not evil), but really, she’s got boundary issues to be slipping into a sleeping patient’s room and applying a skincare device to his face while he sleeps. That wakes him up.

Glancing over at the side table, he wonders what the lunchbox is doing there. Yumi opens the containers, and as she pulls out the Jun-pyo Face Rice tray and the egg roll-up snacks, Jun-pyo furrows his brow, a thought niggling at the back of his mind.

He tries one of the egg rolls, and the taste jogs his memory — it gives him a vague (good) feeling. Jun-pyo asks if she made the food, and for a brief moment Yumi hesitates, as though wondering how to answer, then nods. He says, “I remember. The thing I forgot — it was you, right?”

Although you get the sense she hadn’t intended to lie at first, this is too good for her to pass up, so she goes with it.

F2 arrive at the restaurant for some lunch, while the girls watch in puzzlement, wondering why they’re here. Finally, when they’re done eating, they announce the good news: Jun-pyo’s been released from the hospital.

Jan-di perks up. The guys encourage her to go to him, and she rushes off excitedly.

Yi-jung remains behind, because he has something to say to Ga-eul. They watch clay baking in a kiln as Ga-eul muses, “They look happy, those plates inside. For some reason, rather than thinking they’re hurting in that heat, it feels like they’re happy. They’re full of hope that if they endure this, they can come out and receive love.”

Yi-jung has two things to tell her, and starts with the bad news first, the way she likes it: He’s leaving. He adds, “I guess that may not be bad news to you.” He plans to remain abroad for four or five years.

Ga-eul tries to be optimistic, saying it’s actually good news because he’ll be sure to return an even better potter. She asks for the second part, so he tells her, “When I come back, I’ll come find you first.”

That’s even more startling than the first, but makes her much happier. Perhaps Yi-jung is a little uncomfortable to have opened up, because he adds, “I mean, if you can’t find your soulmate by then.” But that’s enough of a confession for Ga-eul, who breaks into a smile.

Eager to see Jun-pyo, Jan-di rushes into his room, calling out a welcome greeting, then stops short: Yumi is already there. Jun-pyo just tells her that Ji-hoo’s not here, and that she should take care of her boyfriend before rushing to check up on him.

At his ungracious non-welcome, Jan-di figures this was a mistake, and turns to go. Yumi steps in to admonish Jun-pyo for being mean, and urges Jan-di to stay for tea. It’s an odd dynamic, because Yumi has usurped Jan-di’s position as hostess, and I’m not the only one who thinks she’s an upstart: the maids also direct dirty looks at Yumi.

Jun-pyo acts pretty friendly and relaxed with Yumi, which is hard for Jan-di to watch, so she gets up to leave. Jun-pyo tosses out casually, “Don’t come by again.” (He doesn’t say so in a mean tone, but maybe it’s all the more hurtful that he’s so blasé about something that means so much.) He adds, “When I see you, I feel really bad. It bothers me.”

Jan-di retorts, “Fine. I’m sorry! I won’t come by anymore!”

Yumi reads the tension and follows Jan-di outside to ask, “Are you the person Jun-pyo oppa is supposed to remember?” She sees that Jan-di is, and takes a tone of concern as she says, “But as you can tell, I think it’s worse for him to see you. If he sees you, I think his condition will deteriorate. So for now, I think it’ll be better if you don’t drop by. Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to bring back his memories of you naturally.”

Yumi’s words are reassuring, but Jan-di is also a little doubtful; after Yumi rejoins Jun-pyo, Jan-di peers inside. Jun-pyo asks Yumi to make the lunchbox again — proof that Yumi had taken credit for her lunch, which probably means she’s lying about the rest, too.

Upset, Jan-di rushes down the stairs on the way out and bumps into Ji-hoo, who tells her firmly, “Don’t run away.”

Jan-di tries to escape, but Ji-hoo says, “You can’t be pushed aside like this.” Pulling Jan-di behind him, he heads for Jun-pyo’s room. Unfortunately, they find Jun-pyo and Yumi napping cozily on the couch together.

That hurts. Jan-di rebuffs Ji-hoo’s attempts to reason with her (and persuade her to fight for Jun-pyo), telling him that it’s over, she’s done: “Even if he lost his memory, even if we started over from the beginning, I had faith he would recognize me. But I was wrong.”

Ji-hoo starts to protest, but Jan-di isn’t swayed:

Jan-di: “No, it may be upsetting and unfair, but I have to acknowledge the truth. The Gu Jun-pyo I loved is gone now.”
Ji-hoo: “I told you that you couldn’t be the little mermaid. I can’t let you two break up over such a ridiculous thing.”
Jan-di: “This isn’t because of Yumi. In the end, Geum Jan-di and Gu Jun-pyo could only make it this far.”

Yumi presents her lunchbox to Jun-pyo, who eats an egg roll with anticipation. However, the moment he registers the taste, he frowns: “This isn’t it. The taste is different from before. Did you really make it that time?”

Yumi stutters, “O-of course! Who else could have made it? That’s just because every time I make it, the taste is a little different. I’ll make it right next time.”

But something’s not right, and the taste of the food just enhances his bad feeling. He says, frustrated, “That girl. That Jan-di weed girl — I can’t forget her expression.”

Yumi: “That’s too mean! How could you say that? I’m the one who was with you, from the hospital up till now, but you feel so bothered by a girl who just dropped by and bugged you a few times? Your friends all treat me badly and take her side, and her boyfriend totally ignores me. But still, I put up with it because of you. If you act like this too, what is Yumi supposed to do?”

For us who know the truth, she’s obviously way over the line with this speech — but if she really WAS Jun-pyo’s girlfriend, I suppose this is how she would react, and she’s acting her part to the hilt. She cries, and makes Jun-pyo feel uncomfortable.

The guilt trip works, because the next thing we know, Yumi and Jun-pyo are jointly hosting a “surprise pool party.” (I’m wondering what the surprise is, if they’re handing out formal invitations.) The setting is absolutely gorgeous. In fact, this entire episode is pretty visually stunning, on the whole.

Yumi wastes some screentime with a harp performance — and seriously, Mr. Jeon PD, do you really have to pay tribute to yourself (again!) by using a My Girl theme song here?

Feeling pretty low, Jan-di steps aside to be alone. Yumi finds her by the pool and keeps up the ruse that she’s been working to “help” Jan-di. She has news to report, but it’s not good: “He doesn’t remember you.”

Yumi speaks obnoxiously about herself in the third person (because we don’t already hate her enough?): “I’m sorry to tell you, but Yumi likes Jun-pyo. I didn’t try to deliberately, but I ended up falling for him, so much that I can’t break up with him. Oppa feels the same as Yumi. But you can understand, can’t you? We can’t control our hearts.”

Yumi draws everyone’s attention to make a big announcement: She and Jun-pyo are going to study abroad together to the States. They will leave in one month.

F3 marvel in a sort of disgusted fascination at Yumi’s fast maneuvering. Ji-hoo leads Jan-di away from the crowd to the pool, where he leaves her while for a moment to get her a drink.

Alone, Jan-di takes out her star-moon necklace, just as Jun-pyo walks by. As soon as he sees her, Jun-pyo turns to leave, but Jan-di asks if he remembers the necklace she’s holding, or the names engraved on it. Jun-pyo takes a look at the “JJ” and says irritably, “How would I know that?”

Jan-di holds it out to him: “I’m giving it back. Take it.” None of this makes sense for Jun-pyo, and he retorts, “Why would I take something like this? If you want to get rid of it, do it yourself.”

He hands it back. Jan-di says, almost defiantly, “Fine.” She throws the necklace into the pool, where it settles on the bottom. But she’s not quite done:

Jan-di: “Gu Jun-pyo. I’ll ask just one more thing. Do you know how to swim?”
Jun-pyo: “Swim? I don’t swim.”
Jan-di: “You don’t, or you can’t?”
Jun-pyo: “I have a bad childhood memory, so I don’t swim. I’ve never learned.”
Jan-di: “No. You did know how.”

Jun-pyo bristles at the way Jan-di is talking about him so familiarly, but her words start to unnerve him, particularly as she tells him what kind of person he truly is (including a few of the sayings he’d messed up previously):

Jan-di: “You’re hardly afraid of anything in this world, yet you shake in fear over a bug. You’re an idiot who thinks it’s better to get all your ribs bashed in than see one of your girl’s fingers break. You’re a dummy who can’t tell the difference between the words privacy and pride, who insists like a train that swallowed its heart that the 38th Strategy [of ancient China] is running away [it’s the 36th]. You say you hate kids, but you want to be a devoted father who watches the stars with your son. You’re a lonely person with a lot of love.”

Uneasily, Jun-pyo demands, “What are you really after?”

Jan-di tells him, “Say my name,” then starts to step backward, slowly, purposefully. At the edge of the pool, Jan-di pauses… and then lets herself fall backward into the pool.

It’s an eerily beautiful image as she hits the water, stiff as a board.

In the pool, Jan-di picks up the necklace, but doesn’t come back up to the surface. Clutching the necklace, she remains submerged.

The rest of the party rushes to the water’s edge, alarmed. Jun-pyo stands frozen in shock… and then, memories come flooding back.

In quick succession, he flashes to all the other water-related emergencies earlier in the drama (if I didn’t love this moment so much it would be funny that they have enough of those to compile a montage).

He whispers, “Jan-di.” Then, jolted out of his stupor, Jun-pyo shouts her name again, and dives in.

Memory now back in full force, Jun-pyo pulls her to safety, where he tries to revive her. In a panic, he administers CPR and calls her name repeatedly, until Jan-di sputters awake.

She looks up and asks weakly, “Do you remember now?” He tells her he’s sorry, and she asks him to say her name again.

He clutches her to him and obliges.

(Yumi walks off, petulant. Good riddance!)

And then, it’s back to everyday life, kinda.

Jan-di and her family are back at their old place in Seoul, and she’s about to graduate. She doesn’t intend on going to her graduation party, although her mother urges her to.

Jun-pyo calls her out to congratulate her on her upcoming graduation. He also asks if she’s really serious about medical school, teasing about how she’s not smart enough.

He’s also here to request a date. Echoing an early scene, Jun-pyo traps Jan-di against his car, leans in closely, and says: “Tomorrow, ___.”

Naturally, just as he relays that crucial bit of information, a passing motorcycle drowns out his words. Jun-pyo thinks his message is clear and warns Jan-di that if she’s late this time, she’s really dead.

True to her word, Jan-di doesn’t plan on showing up to her graduation party, but a stretch limo pulls up (presumably from Jun-pyo) to take her — so when she arrives at the formal party, she’s still wearing her school uniform. (Let’s ignore the horrid dancing and the familiar set, shall we?)

F3 greet her warmly, and Woo-bin steps up first to ask her to dance. This allows each person a send-off as each gets his moment with Jan-di. As she dances with Woo-bin, she thinks, “Song Woo-bin, he’s always reliable and caring, as though he was the eldest in F4. I know now that he understands better than anyone how to comfort a person’s feelings, while standing one step behind.”

With Yi-jung, she thinks: “He acts cold and like a bad boy, but in reality he’s warm and innocent. Thanks to Yi-jung sunbae, I think Ga-eul has really become a lovable woman.”

Ji-hoo’s last:

“I was like Alice dropped into Wonderland. Could he know what a huge solace he was to me, that I was able to meet him whenever I went to that emergency door? He’s like a ‘bonus’ given to me from heaven. I won’t ever forget him. My soulmate Ji-hoo sunbae, thank you.”

When Jun-pyo doesn’t make his appearance, the guys wonder what’s keeping him. Jan-di thinks back to his drowned-out words, and now realizes what this reminds her of — and rushes off to Namsan Tower.

Sure enough, Jun-pyo’s waiting for her and asks, “Didn’t I say you were dead if you were late?” But he’s not upset, and with a snap of his fingers, lights fill the courtyard.

Jun-pyo comments, “It’s nothing magical. Stuff like this is really easy — compared to tending to the Jan-di-baht.” (Literally, “maintaining the grass.”)

Since this is a reenactment of their first date (albeit upgraded), Jun-pyo buys her coffee, then leads her to the viewing deck. In a cute moment, Jun-pyo brings her to the cable car, intending on pointing out the graffiti he’d written on their first date, but Jan-di’s embarrassed and blocks his view.

She complains, “Why’d you write this, and make it impossible for me to get married?” (This means that it makes her look promiscuous and would therefore be a stain on her character.)

Jun-pyo doesn’t see the problem: “Then just marry me — who else are you thinking of marrying?” In contrast to her grimace, Jun-pyo looks at the scrawled words proudly, announcing, “Now you can’t get married.” (To anyone else.)

But now it’s time for them to get down to some serious talk. Jan-di tenses nervously when Jun-pyo’s tone turns solemn: “Let’s marry.”

Jan-di doesn’t know whether he’s joking — he isn’t — and is completely taken aback, since she just graduated from high school. Jun-pyo explains, “I have to go to America. This time it’s not because of my mother, or the company. I decided this.”

He’s decided to take his future into his own hands: “I’m going to do my best. If I can save the company, that’s good. If I can’t, I’ll shut it down with my own hands.”

Jan-di’s dismayed when he says that he’ll be back in four years at best, asking, “That long?” Jun-pyo: “So come with me.”

But that’s not the magic solution, and it’s Jan-di’s turn to grow (more) solemn. She can’t go with him: “When you went to Macau, I made a decision too, regarding my dream, my work, what I want to be. Like you, I have something I want to devote myself to, and it’s here.”

It’s not a rejection, it’s reality butting in. Jan-di says with a hint of a smile, “Go, and come back. In four years, if you come back as a really impressive man, I’ll think about it again then.”

At this, the mood lightens. Maybe it’s not an ideal solution, but the compromise will work for them. Jun-pyo asks, half-jokingly, “Do you mean that? If you lose me, you’ll really regret it.” She teases back, “Hey, if you lose me, you’re the one who’ll regret it.”

Jun-pyo has no problems admitting, “I know that if I lose you, I’ll regret it till I die.”

Once again repeating some words she’d formerly told him, Jan-di says, “Gu Jun-pyo. You may not be a complete idiot.”

And now, we’re four years later.

Jun-pyo has made significant progress as a managing director with the company, and is being interviewed on television. While it starts with his business successes, the interview segues into personal questions. Naturally, as a rich, young, handsome chaebol, Jun-pyo’s the target of a lot of crushes and romance speculation.

When asked whether there’s anybody in his life to help him through the hard times, Jun-pyo responds, “It would be a lie to say I haven’t had tough times or been lonely. But because of a promise I made with somebody, I drew upon that as support and was able to endure.”

Watching proudly are Jun-pyo’s family — Mama Kang actually shows warmth as she watches alongside her husband, showing him affection that we’d never seen from her. It looks like she’s finally showing the personality that the others have hinted at — the kinder version of herself before she’d become Shinhwa chair.

And maybe the biggest surprise in this epilogue is that Jun-hee has now taken over from her mother’s position — she’s the new Shinhwa chair.

Next up: Yi-jung, who arrives at the airport with dark shades and a swagger. (I’m sorry, Yi-jung being badass just makes me giggle.) True to his word, he heads first to Ga-eul, who is now a teacher. He watches as she leads her young students in a pottery session, then steps in.

It’s adorable how one of the little girls looks at Yi-jung and asks, “Ajusshi, did you come from abroad?” He’s surprised that she guessed right, and she follows up, “Did you come from Sweden?” Is he their teacher’s boyfriend? ‘Cause, y’see, Teacher Lady mentioned something about someone in Sweden… A little embarrassed, Ga-eul moves to shut the girl up, but Yi-jung enjoys this proof that she’s been talking about him to her kids. (SO CUTE.)

Now, for Jan-di. And, somewhat surprisingly, also Ji-hoo.

She is a student at Shinhwa University’s medical school, as is Ji-hoo. As we might expect, Jan-di’s sorta struggling along, klutzy and bumbling as ever, while Ji-hoo is doing very well and about to graduate.

Today, they’re on a sort of medical outreach trip. During a break, Jan-di sighs to Ji-hoo about her tough time, and he teases her about failing.

A sudden disturbance interrupts their conversation — a helicopter hovers above, and a familiar voice comes over the loudspeaker. Just like a prior scene when Jun-pyo crashed Jan-di’s working vacation on the fishing boat, he now announces, “Oy, commoner! Can you hear me? Geum Jan-di!”

He instructs her meet him at the beach and zooms away.

When she arrives at the beach, well, now THIS really is almost paradise! (Yes, I’ll admit it — despite making my ears bleed earlier, I was glad to hear the return of “Almost Paradise” after its extended vacation.)

Jan-di approaches with gladness, but a little disbelief to see Jun-pyo here in the flesh .

Indicating her white coat, he teases that she looks like “an ugly duckling playing at being the white egret” — another callback to a previous Jun-pyo-ism (he means swan). At that, Jan-di laughs, “It really is you.”

Pulling her to him in a hug, Jun-pyo says, “I missed you to death. I’m not letting go again.”

He reminds her that she’d agreed to marry him when he came back. Jan-di returns, “Look here, Dummy Gu Jun-pyo. If you want to get technical, I said when you came back in four years, I’d think about it.”

Jun-pyo drops down to one knee, pulls out a ring box, and makes it official: “Geum Jan-di. Marry me.”

And of course, at that moment a voice calls out:

Ji-hoo: “I have an objection to that proposal!”
Yi-jung: “I do, too!”
Woo-bin: “Me too! You two can’t agree without our approval!”

THE END (finally)

And, okay, another Song of the Day, just because:

Rumble Fish – “사랑해 마지막 그날까지” (I’ll Love You Till My Last Day). If this were a movie, this would be the point halfway through the ending credits where the main song ends and a second song starts up. [ Download ]

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I’m going to start off with the criticism, because ultimately I was happy with the ending and would prefer to end on an upbeat note. So I’ll pull a “Ga-eul” here and start with the bad:

WEAKNESSES (aka, Stuff I Just Let Slide):

(1) Madam Kang’s witchy opposition. Poof, gone now? To be fair, I don’t really think it’s a logic flaw, because after Jun-pyo recovers his memory, I take it we are to assume Mama Kang gave up her opposition. It actually does make sense — there’s nothing like contributing to your son’s near-death to give you a wake-up call. But on the other hand, we didn’t see that explicitly, which might give the impression that the Jun-di reconciliation happened too easily, when goodness knows it came anything but “easily.” Not after all those episodes of separation and angst.

(2) Dr. Ji-hoo. Uh, but what about The Music? Where did his doctorly pursuits come in? I get that this probably has as much to do with his grandfather as Jan-di, but it felt random. Like it was conjured just to prove again that Ji-hoo is Jan-di’s soulmate, only now it emphasizes that they’re platonic soulmates, since they’ve remained friends even though Jun-pyo’s been away.

This leads me to:

(3) Soulmates (not to be confused with Soeulmates). I’ve never been a big fan of the “Ji-hoo is Jan-di’s soulmate” aspect. Maybe we’re all conditioned to think that soulmates are a romantic thing, and maybe I resent how much time was overwhelmingly given to the soulmate and not the actual love interest. I think Kim Hyun-joong has improved a lot over the course of the drama, but I still don’t really feel the chemistry between Ji-hoo and Jan-di. The fact that they had SO many sweet, intimate moments throughout the series and I still never jumped ship indicates just how lacking their pairing was for me.

(Intellectually, I thought Ji-hoo was better for Jan-di, but I never felt their emotional connection on a gut level, and their interactions never got me excited or giddy or otherwise invested.)

On the other hand:

STUFF I LIKED:

(1) Callbacks, yay! I enjoyed all the revisited past moments and bits of dialogue that were injected into the finale. I’ve seen dramas do this in the past, but a lot of times they feel forced in. Boys Before Flowers surprised me by doing a good job of incorporating past lines or interactions to build the action here. It didn’t feel like a mere rehash but a natural use of these characters’ personalities.

For instance, I liked how all of Jun-pyo’s misstated sayings came back and were worked into dialogue — both in really serious scenes (the pool) and lighter, more upbeat scenes (the cable car, the beach). In some dramas, it feels like characters are suddenly altered/forced into making the ending work, but I like that this was an example of continuity done right. Done wrong, we get blatant fanservice, but done right, it’s pretty emotionally satisfying.

(2) The epilogue. The time-skip epilogue is a risky device and is sort of an easy out. Epilogues can be problematic in that they provide a “perfect” wrap-up for characters, kinda like sticking a band-aid over a more serious problem. BUT, in an over-the-top, feel-good romantic comedy like this, I’m all for it. I know there’s no such thing as a true-life Happily Ever After, but this is what I want from a giddy, lovey romance drama. The perfecter the better!

An epilogue gives us a little more time to deal with goodbyes, so we avoid the let-down feeling of a resolution that comes too quickly. I would have been sorely disappointed if we ended after the cable-car kiss — and for a few dreaded seconds, I actually thought they’d ended the drama there — but the “four years later” gave us (okay, me) that needed buffer to let myself down gradually. LOL.

(3) Soeulmates. I expressed my ambivalence about how they would wrap up, but I was pleased with their ending. I don’t think they really needed a huge finish — that would’ve taken time away from the other romance — but I like that we have hope for their future without necessarily seeing it.

The time skip works for them because they, perhaps more than Jan-di and Jun-pyo, needed to grow up and live their lives and mature some more before getting together. As much as it might have been romantic for Yi-jung to have made a big gesture at the age of 20, I wouldn’t have the hope for their future that a time skip sorta automatically takes care of.

(4) The amnesia fix. Just as I was pleasantly surprised about how the amnesia plot came about, I was pleased at how it played out.

Example: The taste thing was one part that was well tied in, because Jan-di made those foods for him in the past, and when she did, they had some significance. The first time Jun-pyo asked for those egg rollups, it was after the snowstorm. It also symbolizes something of their class differences — or rather, emphasizes the “Hey, maybe we’re not so far apart” aspect of their statuses, since Jun-pyo loves this commoner food for what it is, even though he has gourmet stuff all around. (Hey, metaphor!)

But I was glad that the taste issue alone wasn’t enough to get Jun-pyo’s memory back. Here’s where the plot diverges from Hanadan, and I was really happy with it — and frankly wished they’d diverged more often. The taste was enough to remind Jun-pyo of his newer, warm-n-fuzzy feelings, but not enough to identify all the details (like, for instance, WHO those warm-n-fuzzies were directed at).

That leads Jun-pyo to be chummy with Yumi (grrr), because he’s correlating his memory of Jan-di’s warmth (evoked by her food) with Yumi. I doubt he feels anything for Yumi specifically; it’s more like his wires got crossed so the affection he feels for Jan-di is being misdirected at Yumi.

(5) The pool. OH, the awesomeness of the pool!

Here’s why I love that Jan-di fell into the water:

(a) It proves that despite what she tells Ji-hoo, she still does have faith in Jun-pyo. At first I thought she would merely fake being in “trouble” underwater till he jumped in to save her, but she committed to her last-ditch effort so much that she was really in danger. Was it foolish? Perhaps. But it’s also evidence of how much she believed that he would come around, because even if his conscious memory can’t recall her, she believed in their other connection — that intangible, indestructible love they feel, that connection that’s so strong that forces much stronger than plain ol’ amnesia weren’t able to sever them. (Namely, Madam Kang.)

(b) I love Jan-di’s speech to Jun-pyo, because it appears that his selective amnesia (as evidenced by his belief that he can’t swim) has blocked out the past year or so. Any feelings that resemble the Newer Jun-pyo (post-Jan-di) are mostly expressed subconsciously; everything he knows and does consciously is from pre-Jan-di times. So in her speech, Jan-di speaks to the Jun-pyo who changed for/because of her. The things she tells him may not even be things he realizes concretely — they’re things he’s forgotten as well — but as she talks, he feels them resonate. He can try to deny that he knows her, but he can’t deny the truth of her insight into his character, and that scares the bejeebus out of him.

(c) And most importantly, Jan-di’s jump into the pool forces Jun-pyo’s subconscious to act. Sure, all throughout the episode, Jan-di (or F3) could have told Jun-pyo the truth of their relationship, but it would’ve done little good to merely announce, “Hey, I’m your girlfriend, you idiot!” Maybe it would have helped, but it wouldn’t have provided the jolt that would return the rest of his memory — not like a good ol’ scare to the subconscious could, anyway.

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Was Boys Before Flowers a GOOD drama?

Well, no.

In all honesty, I can’t really call it good — insofar as a “good” drama requires strong acting, masterful directing, tight storytelling, and overall high quality. And it can’t just have one of those elements, but most or all of them, expressed in skillful balance.

On the other hand, it depends on how you define the word “good” for yourself. “Good” might not mean “artistic” to you; it might not mean “eloquent” or “insightful.” Good might mean entertaining, or emotionally provocative. Excitement-inducing. Enjoyable to watch and rewatch and participate in fan culture. And in those measures, I’d say BBF delivered.

Because sure, an Academy Award-winning film deserves its praise, but to be frank, they’re not always entertaining. Or they may be beautiful and meaningful, but not move the heart.

Boys Before Flowers was kind of a glorious mess — the acting was sometimes very good, sometimes horribly bad. The music was decent, but applied carelessly in messy spurts like a five-year-old who’s sneaked her way into mommy’s makeup stash for the first time. The writing had its moments, but more often than not was poorly paced, and as we know you can’t build an entire drama upon random nice moments.

But it also had its weird brand of narcotic magic. If you stuck around till the end, you know what I’m talkin’ about. If you didn’t, well, you may still know what I’m talking about, even if you were never under the influence. A film snob may sniff at “the masses” — and I’ve been that person too — but so what? Let the snob enjoy his lofty solitude while we masses can commune with each other and laugh and cry together.

I was actually reading a book somewhere around the middle of BBF’s run, and a paragraph leapt off the page and just about smacked me in the face with its aptness. And who can argue with the words of the (late, great) awesome David Foster Wallace?

“At root, vulgar just means popular on a mass scale. It is the semantic opposite of pretentious or snobby. It is humility with a comb-over. It is Nielsen ratings and Barnum’s axiom and the real bottom line. It is big, big business.”

Truer words, y’all.

Okay, okay, I’m done! Finally!

I’ve had SO MUCH FUN, you guys! I think the drama has reached its time to go, so I’m not sad that the series is over, but I will miss the insanity of this drama. All the discussion, the fangirling (myself included), the plot dissection, future predictions, kvetching about story insanity, snarking about ridiculosity, and yes, even bitching about everything that drove us crazy.

Honestly, I haven’t been this entertained following a drama in a while. True, in a vacuum, this product itself is far from perfect — but thankfully, I don’t consume my entertainment in a vacuum, but out here in the wilds of the internet as part of an enthusiastic community.

THANKS FOR ALL THE FUN TIMES!

671

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201 G

April 1, 2009 at 7:36 AM

Thanks for this final recap!
They're always fun to read, so long recaps don't bother me at all!

Ah, Consider the Lobster...I've written all over that book with little checkmarks and exclamation points for parts I loved. I'm sure you know what I mean when I say it's pages are covered~. It's definitely my comfort book, like the one thing I can read and know it will be great even the hundredth time around. That's next on my re-read list after IJ. I know you made just a quick comment, but I love David Foster Wallace, and felt like I had to share. You know, Slate Magazine had their Audio Book Club on Infinite Jest recently, and they didn't do a bad job--you can listen on the Slate mag site if you want...

Anyway, sorry for the long post, I just love any opportunity to talk DFW :)

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202 yoonah

April 1, 2009 at 7:44 AM

LOVED the pool scene!! Out of the 3 drama adaptations, this was my favorite resolution to the amnesia arc.

(I just wish the directing made it more obvious that F3 -- esp Ji Hoo -- wanted to jump in and save her, only they were waiting for Jun Pyo to make his move. I mean, she could've been in real danger of drowning! And they just stood there while Jun Pyo had his flashbacks lol.)

I agree that it was disappointing that Madam Kang's change of heart wasn't shown more explicitly. Also, what was the point of Jan Di visiting and bonding with Comatose Dad when they were gonna drop/forget that storyline anyway? I was expecting him to be a factor in Madam Kang's acceptance of Jan Di. Despite the "carrying on his grandpa's life's work" line the show is feeding us, I also thought it was kinda random for Ji Hoo to just abandon his music for medicine (didn't ring true for the character). Lastly, I wish Jan Di had finally said "Saranghae" to Jun Pyo in the last scene (not just her paltry "Chohahae" before), and that Jun Pyo had insisted on hearing her "YES!!!" to his proposal after F3 interrupted them.

Other than that, it was pretty satisfying. I loved that Jun Hee is now Chairman, loved the SoEul resolution, esp LOVED the callbacks. It was a giddy giddy happy happy ending...just as it should be. :)

Thank you sooo much for your wonderful recaps and commentary, javabeans! It's been a blast.

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203 Cdahlan

April 1, 2009 at 7:59 AM

Thanks a gazillion for excellent recaps ( as always ), I truly enjoy reading your recaps than watching it directly, I've been one of your "loyal" readers since I accidentally read your recaps for "Dalja's spring ", I truly trust your "rating" and watched several drama based on your recommendation.
As for BOF, agree that it's not a "great" one but it's enjoyable we have the ups and downs, great and draggy one, but the main rule is just play what you would like to watch and fastforward the draggy part and it will be OK... ha..ha..
thanks again Javabeans..looking forward for your upcoming project.. I'll visit your blog regularly...

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204 iamme

April 1, 2009 at 8:19 AM

i love the pool scene!!! it's now my most favorite scene,
earlier i was like "hurry hurry jun pyo, save jan-di!" then cried after jun-pyo saved jan-di LOL

i missed mr. jung, dr. grandpa and jandi's dad.
also, i really thought jan-di will be given credit or the reason for the recovery of jun-pyo's dad.

love the ending and i love this drama!

thanks thanks ms. javabeans for the recaps! i wish you well! mwah!

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205 Rachel

April 1, 2009 at 8:19 AM

WHY THE HELL DID HE HAVE TO GO STUDY IN AMERICA??!!!!!

Just study in Korea god damn it!!!!!!!! Argghhhhh.

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206 meenuby

April 1, 2009 at 8:26 AM

Thank you for the awesome recaps, Javabeans!!

I had so much fun on this BBF glorious mess of a ride with all of you commenters. It's the first time I've followed a drama end-to-end while it's airing (yes, I only joined the Hallyu wave last summer).

Here's hoping another insanely fun drama will come along so we can all commune together again!

And I'll be keeping a close eye on these actors' future projects, as I'm sure most of you will! :)

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207 MizzNat

April 1, 2009 at 8:28 AM

I genuinely think Lee Min Hoo is a great actor..! for someone his age to be so seasoned... Kudos to him!! His expressions and gestures make you laugh n cry with him. KHS on the other hand was good n touched me at some parts but really boring at times .

I think the worst actor was Jihoo. For some reason his face seems really unnatural.. did he have surgery to his nose or something? He had NO expression throughout the series n everytime he was on, I had to fast forward as it was almost painfulllll to watch him go thru his lines with no feelings like a zombie. Maybe because I have never seen him in his other popular show WGM thus I am not as forgiving as his die hard fans....

ALL in all very entertaining n dramatic...hopefully there will be a prt 2 and we will get better acting n more great soundtracks!

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208 StarryNight

April 1, 2009 at 8:31 AM

A big "thank you!" for your constant recaps. Your reviews have added a new dimension to drama watching. I had not touched drama for several years and BBF got me addicted all over again... thanks to the internet, quick uploads and that sense of comaraderie among BOF fans on your site.

About JH being a doctor as random. On the contrary, I think it ties up with what grandpa Yoon said, that it was JH's parents' dream to heal the heart with music, and the body with medicine. I take it as a way for JH to fulfill that dream and take over the clinic and art centre as requested by grandpa Yoon. It also gives the JH-JD relationship an appropriate ending -- they are separate yet connected by work and a special friendship. And given, JH's character, this would be good enough for him.

To me, the pool scene really saved the JP-JD story to what had been a tenuous thread throughout the show. It offered a conviction to their relationship that I had found lacking until then. Because of that, their being together in the end, as dictated by the manga storyline, didn't come across as inevitable or weak.

While some look upon the show as too heavy on JH-JD ( n I agree!) and a diversion from JP-JD, that is true blue Kdrama style, isn't it? I think we can recall other Kdramas with JH equivalents who are as devoted to the female lead in a love triangle but can never be with her.

JH's quiet, reserved way of treating his love for JD plays out as a contrast to JP's fireworks and fanfare. JP's style is dramatic, JH holds his cards close to his heart until the end. JP-JD is a topsy-turvy-on-again-off-again saga, JH-JD reaches a depth in the details of daily life. Hence JH-JD have many sweet, sad, funny, touching lines and moments sprinkled throughout BOF.

I am a JH-JD supporter. And here are some scenes I like in particular:
-school stairwell when JD tells JH her dream of becoming a doctor, sharing it with someone who is standing by her and cheering her on to find another goal in life post-swimming.

-JH kissing JD's hand while she was ill. In that restrained hand kiss, you sense how much JD means to him, feelings he can reveal only when she can't see it.

-temple visit where they pray for each other

-JH counselling JD it doesn't matter JP and JD come from different worlds, and looking into her eyes saying they are both in the same world right now.

-View of the sea in ep. 24 after their short exchange how he is afraid he could not hear her emergency calls.

There were moments I cringed at the raw acting from Kim Bum and KHJ. But I think the young actors did a decent job overall. Some have criticised KHJ's acting in the beginning as "wooden" . I think he came across appropriate showing JH's initial oblivion to the world. It is a tougher role as JH since that character is perceptive and warm but one with few words.

Ah...there wasn't an ending on Mr Jung...pity. And giving back Madam Kang her heart was a nice touch.

Glad BOF is finally over, so I can get back to normality...until the next drama binge hits me...ha ha.

Thank you!

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209 gbox

April 1, 2009 at 8:34 AM

i totally agree javabeans. the series was not good but it was so much fun being caught up in it. even with all the flaws, i smiled so much watching this last episode. giggling when 'almost paradise' came on. loved jandi's smile when joonpyo finally remembers. loved the soeul exchange in the kindergarten class. loved seeing the boys together again. smiling just thinking about it now!

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210 min

April 1, 2009 at 8:35 AM

Well.. Once again, THANK YOU!
Have been following this site once ep 1 had been aired.
Honestly, this is my first time that i will do it as a routine to download on every tuesday and wednesday.
Love this show although it's rather chopy( as in fast compared to other versions).
I see more jihoo and jandi in this version which i DO really LOVE it.
As i'm alway at ji hoo side but not jun pyo.
haha.. but overall i think it's a nice show!

There ends my motivation to fight against monday blue and tuesday.
Hope to watch another series with a same interesting plot!

Arigatou ne!

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211 momo

April 1, 2009 at 8:35 AM

the first half was absolutely brilliant. i watched the pool scene like 5 times and cried like a stupid baby every time (despite the terribly fake CPR even though their previous CPR looked much more realistic). i thought it was done very well and you hit the nail on the head about how it showed JD's faith in JP. LOVED this angle. then things turned super rushed, things were either left unresolved or sloppily done so. hated the 4 years later thing, as i generally do in dramas. and i didn't like how the PDs tried to make it seem like everything just magically fell into place despite the massive plot holes. still, it was very cathartic to watch the final episode and considering how things have been for the second season, the finale wasn't as unsatisfying as it could have been. sad to see it's over but i suppose i should do other more productive things now, like rejoin the gym. or catch up on my readings.

p.s. LOVED the david foster wallace reference.

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212 Aaannie

April 1, 2009 at 8:46 AM

this was the only episode i watched before reading your recap (i was waiting last night but when 2am came around i could no longer keep my eyes open hehe) but i just wanna say thanks for the recaps, they were even more entertaining than the series itself. i hope u know how much u & other english bloggers mean to people like us who don't speak the language. keep up the great work!!

btw i love love love the pool scene!! i wish Jandi was fierce like that more in the series. the pool scene & her 2 altercations with Madam Kang were the only times where i'm like "ooooohhh u go Jandi! u fight for ur man!"

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213 v2in

April 1, 2009 at 9:01 AM

Thanks Javabeans !!! For your wonderful recaps.
I was a bit surprised that they put "Almost Paaaradiseeee" at the end lol
Agree that It wasn't a a"good" drama in terms of script writing, acting, music arrangements etc. BUT~~ enjoyable most of the times yes definitely.

aaww.. who's going to make another version of Hanadan next? maybe Philipines version of hanadan? i wonder if that's ever going to happen.. would be amused if it's made into a show in the US. ^_____________^ keep me posted if it does~~

once again THANKS FOR ALL THE HARDWORK JAVABEANS..

I have definitely enjoyed the ride ~~

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214 Toya

April 1, 2009 at 9:02 AM

Enjoyable yes, good no, I agree with that one.

BBF is like one of those guilty pleasure dramas that you know if it wasn't for those certain things drawing you to it, you would have stopped watching a long time ago.

But I liked it over all. Not great, not revolutionary, sure as hell wasn't epic but it was fun to watch (and to read about on here) so I can't say I hated it.

And yeah, I said that about Ji Hoo's character, too, at the end. What did happen to the music? I almost thought the grandpa died and that's what pushed him to it but even then, it's like my mind screamed, "WTF happened to music, dude?"

And I also loved what they did with the pool scene because throughout the series I kept saying to myself, "WTF is with all the drowning and the water and the saving?" and it makes perfect sense once you watch that scene to see where they were going with it.

Only thing I didn't like is that Woo Bin didn't get more attention. His character is always overlooked in the dramas and I really wish they gave him a girlfriend or something. When I think of all the versions I watched, I don't remember him getting a girl.

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215

April 1, 2009 at 9:05 AM

This might seem like a stupid question but...

Were Jun pyo and jandi 'together' in the four years that they were apart?
I mean, they could still have been together, maintaining a long distance relationship right?

You mean, jun pyo never called her or anything like that in the four years that they were apart? Like he never flew back for Christmas or something?

Javabeans, guys, help..

Thanks for the recap javabeans

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216 AshleyL

April 1, 2009 at 9:14 AM

What I loved about the pool scene was that:

1. JanDi was strong, strong enough to keep listing all that she knew about JunPyo even when he responded in hostility, even after numerous rejections.

2. She revealed she knew him. That was in contrast to his own mother who didn't even know his favorite things to eat.

3. She reveals her last words to him when she boarded the bus about never thinking of him as "just a man" were untrue. The things she reveals about him are about him - just as a man- without the Shinwa piggyback.

4.The JunPyo style CPR. That was way too hot so in itself made the pool scene incredible.

5. They finally gave JanDi a dress that didn't make her look like a nun. (I mean, what was up with that button-up to the neck shirt she wore when she was stargazing with JP??!)

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217 yoonah

April 1, 2009 at 9:21 AM

#204 iamme
"i missed mr. jung"

Right! I forgot to say that in my previous comment. Wish he could've had some little scene at the end, he was a big help in the JunDi relationship.

#215 Anonymous
"Were Jun pyo and jandi ‘together’ in the four years that they were apart?
I mean, they could still have been together, maintaining a long distance relationship right?

You mean, jun pyo never called her or anything like that in the four years that they were apart? Like he never flew back for Christmas or something?"

Well, I would like to think he did. What's a private jet for, right? :P You can still miss someone to death even when you only see each other occasionally and keep in touch via phone/internet. It's just that this particular reunion is special because Jun Pyo is back in Korea for good and now they can be together every day for the rest of their lives. :)

Rewatching the episode:
- Why the hell didn't Jan Di take her hands out of her pockets and hug Jun Pyo back?? Tsktsk.
- They REALLY should've given the cast CPR lesssons lol. Aside from preventing unintentional hilarity in those multiple water-related emergency scenes, it's useful in real life too, you know.

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218

April 1, 2009 at 9:23 AM

etsy@46: Me too! LMAO during scene! I couldn't figure out if he was trying to perform CPR (um, hold nose closed?) or kiss her awake, à la Sleeping Beauty ;)

And poor Kim Hyun Joong! Certainly no track star, that guy! He looked like a colt still learning to work them legs as he runs (flails?) around the pool corner. :D High probability that he'll get a lot of grief from his friends about the bit. Who knows? If he stays in the business long enough, maybe it'll come back to haunt him as a "funny".

Thanks to javabeans for her lovely recaps and to everyone else for making BBF more than just watching a drama. Peace, my bro! (final nod to Woo Bin)

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219 Anatisha

April 1, 2009 at 9:23 AM

What a glorious mess!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU MISS JAVABEANS... youre awsome!

I was wating for your recpa cos i found some thigs I needed to clear up...

1)the first yes indeed i love all the amnesia thing... if the pool scene was the end of it, it was all worth it... I WAS CRYING ON THAT PART... i think is (for me) the ebest scene in the whole drama.

2)The soulmate thing... for instance Yi Jung and GaEul I can say they are soulmates but they are willing to work to be together as much as JD and JP even if JH is JanDi's soulmate so in a begining I thought a soulmate means only to love a person an be toghether as couple relationship but I guess is a person you love but not that necessarily.

3)I believe the ending closes all the side stories well.... altough I agree I wish I could see more about the change in Madam Kang... ahh and it was good that the sister end up as a Chairman.

"A film snob may sniff at “the masses” — and I’ve been that person too — but so what? Let the snob enjoy his lofty solitude while we masses can commune with each other and laugh and cry together."..... this frase make my day hahahaha... that sums up everythig... and of course your quote of

"At root, vulgar just means popular on a mass scale. It is the semantic opposite of pretentious or snobby. It is humility with a comb-over. It is Nielsen ratings and Barnum’s axiom and the real bottom line. It is big, big business.”

Is not a great drama but indeed it is a great drama, the things that had achieve will be forever in our memories... is the first time I live this kind of paranoia over a drama, news, spoilers, etc...

I can say that what we all lived was actually the DRAMA; with the good news, the bad news, the flaws, when we got angry, when we were surprised, the fans taking over the PD (trying to have a serious talk with him hehe) JanDistress the drinking game, the roll up eyes, the goo JunPyo rice, etc... many many things. So Im quite happy with the ending and what i take with me.

Thank you once more Miss for your wonderful insight... see you (I hope we can find a new addiction) next time.

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220 cecee

April 1, 2009 at 9:27 AM

@211 momo--- i compeletly agree! I must have watched the pool scene over 10 times! I loved it. There are some scenes that I can watch over and over again but that one takes the cake!

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221 trihok

April 1, 2009 at 9:31 AM

Thanks Javabeans for the wonderful recaps :) I enjoys the ending too..esp Soeulmates! i was smiling thuout the show!

I agreed too that BBF is not a good drama but somehow it made us hook! I thk i will miss the OST most (enjoy all the OST thou overused it)

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222 yoonah

April 1, 2009 at 9:32 AM

Oh, and why no What Woo Bin's Been Up To scene 4 years later?

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223 Minny

April 1, 2009 at 9:36 AM

Ahhhh I must find the time to watch this soon. I haven't watched the last three episodes :( This episode looks so cute.
Thanks for the review :)

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224 Mei

April 1, 2009 at 9:39 AM

Agree. Its not a good drama. it was (at times ) fun to watch but its not something I will ever watch again.

the Japanese version was super good and both the KR & TW pale in comparison IMO.

The KR version mostly i watched for Jun-pyo i was pleasantly surprised by the actor who played him) On the other end, the casting for Jan-di didn't work for me so the drama didn't click...

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Sakshi3631

August 8, 2023 at 2:02 AM

Well said. Lee Min Ho was carrying the show single headedly. I wonder how he managed to not cringe during his scenes with Gu Hye Sun

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225 me

April 1, 2009 at 9:40 AM

Finallyyyy…
Javabeans thank you so much for all the recaps..nice nice drama.
I really like the ending even though I kind of hoping that they will end up married, with the wedding scene and all..but that was awesome anyway..
I love how junpyo kneel-down and propose to jandi.but I hate it when they stopped the song when it was kim joon’s part.haha..
now Monday and Tuesday will never be the same again..
I think I’ll start to hate Mondays just like I used to feel before BBF.hahaha..

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226 IcanhazGJPyo

April 1, 2009 at 9:57 AM

Javabeans, I hope you will open an extra Open Thread next Monday because there will be so many BBF fans feeling seriously lost and depressed next week :-).

Also, I guess I was the only one hoping for a REALLY satisfying ending with GJP and JD married, with kids, and with the whole family watching the stars at night.

Yeah, it's cheesy, but I like my romance cheesy.

The creator of HYD needs a sequel for JH. I want JH--considering he is a quiet mopey type--with a JK type of girl who will NOT need saving so they won't have a codependent relationship. That boy is way too pretty to be left alone. I mean, COME ON.

I miss BBF already :-(

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227 rcc

April 1, 2009 at 10:01 AM

Awww... thanks for the always timely recaps! I've grown so accustom to watching the drama and then coming here to hear your thoughts (and others). It was def a hot mess but so entertaining. Before this I had taken a major hiatus from kdramas and now I'm back on the wagon.

I have to hand it to the PD, I had major concerns about this last episode but overall it was, as you put it, satisfying. I cannot WAIT until the DVD set comes up. Will have to put it on the shelf next to Goong and My Girl.

Thanks for the fun times, BOF and Dramabeans!

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228 CyNurse

April 1, 2009 at 10:03 AM

This blog is the best Korean entertainment blog ever. Thanks for the recaps.You made my BBF experience all the more enjoyable!

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229 jandoe

April 1, 2009 at 10:07 AM

i loved the last episode! i liked that it didn't drag on or finished off sloppily, but rather with quite a nice touch and the plotline "moved" pretty nicely, dare i say. LOVED that they finally had GaEul and YiJung together and that scene when JunPyo kneeled on one knee to propose to JanDi was pure WIN for me.

but this is the drama junkie side of me at least- who'd enjoyed so much in being back in the zone with all the craziness from BBF!

loved your recap as usual and yup, again agreed with a lot of your opinions ;p

i had fun too so thank you as well! :)

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230 hola

April 1, 2009 at 10:24 AM

while i agree in most part with javabeans, the pool scene made poor impression on me. the reason being, i am watching lovers in paris currently. lo and behold, there is a very similar pool scene executed better, in my opinion. so boo...

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231 crazyfrenchnoona

April 1, 2009 at 10:24 AM

THANK YOU javabeans for your awesome recaps !
I've never commented on your blog before, even though I've been reading it for a few months already (since BBF started). When I think I started to watch this show just out of curiosity ! ... I would neved had imagined it would get me so addicted !

This was the first time I watched a Korean drama at the same time that it was airing in Korea, and I must say it was an interesting experience. It was so great to feel connected to viewers from all over the world (I'm from France and I don't really know people who watch kdramas here).

But what I liked the best was reading your recaps, and looking at the pictures, right after watching every episode. I really enjoyed your comments :) They helped me understand things sometimes, and also made me laugh :p

I'm quite new to kdramas so I can't judge BBF's quality in this regard, but I agree on the facts that it was an addictive and entertaining-yet-flawed drama.

I'm happy it's over, since it means I'll gain a few hours each week to do other things ... and I'll hopefully stop hurting my eyes due to lack of sleep watching this drama late at night on my computer.

But I feel like I'm going to miss BBF's crazyness for a while ... and our lovely F4 (I wish Woo Bin had been given more screen-time).

I'll sure be looking forward each actors' new projects (well, ... especiallly 이 민호 and 김 준's) :)

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232 (o.O)''

April 1, 2009 at 10:27 AM

>>Like Gaeul, I'll start off with the bad ,too:

major flaws:
- whatever happened to the connection between Jandi and Junpyo's dad? I wanted to see reconciliation(or some kind of family reunion) since she was to the key to making the relationship work... So if Junpyo hadn't lost his memory, then would Jandi have come running back to him? And even if she did, the problem solver would've still been JP's dad.. they sorta left that out.. maybe the writers were trying their best to avoid dragging any further??.. helllllooo? this is the CLIMAX. The problem solving. The reason for all the angst in the past 12 eps. We all know that Jandi and Junpyo love each other oh-so much already, but was it that easy to get back together? By proving their love once again by battling memory loss(what about Darth Kang--- wasn't she also an obstacle?).

- it's pretty obvious that the writers favored Jihoo way more than Junpyo. I understand that they tried their best to make everything romantic and soulmatey between Jandi & Jihoo, but that was way too much. As for Junpyo being the lead, they should have taken to consideration his lovable character, too(i just couldn't get enough of his cute moments & stupidity). Or perhaps the writers think we're all shallow idiots who will root for Junpyo AKA--Lee Min Ho no matter what. But what do we find? I find commenters getting irritated at Junpyo's character who needed to grow some balls while Jihoo was having some sweet moments Jandi. Is it all for fanservice? WHO KNOWS.

enough with the frustration...
________________________________________

now for the good side =) --> sudden change of mood.

First of all, i gotta say that I really really enjoyed the swimming pool scene. The logic actually flowed somehow. Most of us here cringe and freak when it comes to Jandi drowning or Jandi-distress [asdfghjkl]. But this time, it really felt different. I actually wanted this situation to happen. She went the extra mile for Junpyo, having faith in him even though her life was on the line. The acting, the scenery, the directing, the LINES(omg), were perfect. It was enough for me to accept all the other flaws.

The ending was also good enough for me.
Not something totally fantastic, but enough to leave me satisfied.

_________________________________________
BEST SCENES(throughout the series)
- Jandi/Goo Hye Sun*
(1) break-up in bridge in Macau (ep. 14)
(2) plays & sings I Know Nothing But Love (ep. 15)
(3) this final pool scene marking her last courageous attempt for Junpyo
To think about it, this actress has her ups and down in acting. She's better off playing emotional roles-- it just suits her more. But I just can't come to hate or love her.

- Junpyo/Lee Min Ho**
(1) stolen kiss after drowning (ep. 3)
(2) Junpyo's rescue (ep. 5)
(3) all the straight haired moments!
Good actor right here, although I can't call it 'great.' He managed to nail silly, cruel, emotional scenes altogether but I believe he could still make tiny bits of improvement here and there. The best scene(not mentioned above) that I'll always remember though is when he saw Jihoo kiss Jandi's hand, walks back to his car where he laughs and cries at the same time, then erupts into frustration. (ep. 17)

*wonderfully scripted, directed, executed
** memorable

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233 leideeLuck

April 1, 2009 at 10:40 AM

GHS- was just marvelous in her GJD character in the cable Car!....She stood firm on her personal Goals and commitments. That shocked GJP's ego again. But this time, GJD's not loud, or making faces, or pointing fingers back, but simply sweet, serious and assertive in her determination to put herself first and GJP second!
I could not appreciate her acting now if it were't for her acting earlier....she has really grown up with the drama as GJD. GHS has always known that of her character it seems...
The ending, should point to a movie in the future to complete the marriage proposal really. But who knows if they will follow the J-Version.

JH character again was very much protected as the major here....He just tries harder and harder at acting....but GJP has really grown up and become a very sweet and fun bf to JD.

That in itself puts many smiles on JD and she responds sweetly as well. I love the scenes with JD and JP. much more than JH and JD. JH just is a looser type character in real life as a bf. But in reallife he is the most awesome friend to have, a bonus fell from heaven, like JD says about him.

Really no loosers here but all winners.....I wish for a movie to follow to give more JD and JP their romantic time together....

LMH still is the best actor in all the 3 versions. He carried this Drama for me @ a 75% of the time....it is my feeling and my opinion. That is based on his personal style and professional characteristics

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234 it was good

April 1, 2009 at 10:43 AM

Hey dramabeans, haven't had a chance to comment throughout this drama but i've been religiously reading your fun - nicely written recaps and it does help to understand some of the plots.

{Good might mean entertaining, or emotionally provocative. Excitement-inducing. Enjoyable to watch and rewatch and participate in fan culture. And in those measures, I’d say BBF delivered.} -- can't agree more than you !

Thank you !

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235 bontaku

April 1, 2009 at 10:48 AM

Thanks for all the recaps and news! It was a fun ride and I agree with your overall thoughts. Couldn't say it any better.
P.S. Next time I watch this, It will only be for SoEul parts!

P.S.S http://film-enthusiast.blogspot.com/2009/04/boys-over-flowers.html - Another person who actually share the same thoughts as me esp on JunPyo+JK!

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236 leideeLuck

April 1, 2009 at 10:51 AM

MS DRAMABEANS;

I wish you were the writer of this BBF. You are so very on and I have really really admired your insights and recaps.

mahalo

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237 Fiqa5636

April 1, 2009 at 10:54 AM

Javabeans,your recaps are addictive.

I'm glad that BBF is finally finish.Just forget about the CPR scene,JanDi braides,Ji Hoo specs and Yumi.Overall i agree about what you say that BBF is a glorious mess.There are few people who don't love the pool scene.But,i love how the dialogues are played throughout the scene.It is very simple yet shown that JanDi are willing to risk her life again and again for JunPyo.

I just hoping that Jandi will show more affection towards Jun Pyo.Maybe she just kiss JunPyo like she did in their farewell date to answers to Jun Pyo proposal.If not,why would JunPyo wear a scarf again???

I bet they will make the BBF Final in the future.If they are,make sure the films come in Malaysia.Kekeke.

My fav characters in this drama is definetely Madam Kang,Jun Hee noona and Mr Jang(the assistant to Mdm Kang & Jun Pyo).Thanks a lot Javabeans.I felt some emptiness if i don't read your recaps after the ep.

Lots of Love from Malaysia.

p/s: what happen to Yi Jung Mother and Jan Di father???Just curious.Bye2 BBF.

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238 DBSK

April 1, 2009 at 10:56 AM

thank you sincerely for all your hard work and amazing recaps. i stopped watching the drama about halfway, but i felt really connected and "in the know" due to your insanely insightful and witty comments. it feels like it has been a long journey and now we have reached a "graduation" point ourselves. it will be weird when monday and tuesday nights roll around and i don't have boys before flowers recap summary anticipation. i already feel the void. but again, thank you thank you thank you. you really are something. bbf hwaiting! dramabeans hwaiting! javabeans hwaiting!

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239 jandoe

April 1, 2009 at 11:01 AM

oh by the way, would like to take one or two of your screencaps to put in my blog, that okay? i'll give you the full (and correct creds!)

hope it's okay, do let me know if you can :P

thank you!

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240 ju liu **** ^-^

April 1, 2009 at 11:01 AM

234TH!!!!!! I was planning to be the first!!!!!

I AM GOING TO MISS MY JI-HOO!!!!! AM SO INLOVE WITH HIM! AM GLAD HE WILL BECOME A DOCTOR! TRULY MY SOULMATE!! (this is me missing him already!LOL)

GOOD ENDING.... !!!!

THANKS JAVA!

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241 ju liu **** ^-^

April 1, 2009 at 11:02 AM

oh shoot! now am 239th-240th!!!

jeez!!!!

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242 sitknee

April 1, 2009 at 11:06 AM

thanks for all the recaps
Im going to miss checking for your BBF recaps
every monday and tuesday
(ie. refreshing the page every 5 minutes...no joke)
Thanks for it all!
Hopefully another great drama comes out so we can obsess again until then
THANKS!

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243

April 1, 2009 at 11:10 AM

Hmm. So it's over. Now I can confirm BBF is the best out of the 3 versions for me. I liked MG1, hated MG2 (gave up on it actually), enjoyed HYD, and LOVED LOVED BBF! Definitely will watch this drama again (I will skip a lot of the JK arc though, hahaha)

The pool scene was beautiful and awesome. I watched LIP before, but the pool scene there did not make me wide-eyed, choke up and burst into tears like this one did. I love love Jandi's wide smile when JP hugged her - I think that's the happiest smile I've ever seen of her. I initially dreaded the amnesia arc, but it turned out fantastic!! It was okay in HYD, and terrible in MG2 (seriously, the whole season for amnesia?)

BBF has been an emotional rollercoaster ride for me. I haven't had this much time (and feelings lol) invested in a drama before! If a drama can get all sorts of emotions coming out of me throughout and give a satisfying ending, then it's a good drama for me.

Mucho gracias for your recaps and insights, Dramabeans!

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244 srscassiopeia

April 1, 2009 at 11:10 AM

This series could have been really good! Had their editing been better, had they chosen the scenes more wisely with better pacing, had the writing been more consistent (for the sake of Jandi's character!), Kkotboda Namja could have been so good. Nevertheless, despite all its flaws, it still kept us addicted for all that made this series good:

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245

April 1, 2009 at 11:12 AM

Javabeans (or someone else who knows),
Could you explain where and how BOF deviated from the original HYD? I didn't read the manga or see any other version so I am very curious. Is it just that JP finally remembers JD and then jumps into the pool, as alluded to by a commenter here? What else? Thanks and can't wait to see what catches your interest next!

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246 Monday

April 1, 2009 at 11:18 AM

Its over.... and it was such a fun ride. I don't recall ever being this tuned into a show online. It's been so great to be able to share the excitement with everyone else. Thanks a lot for your hard work!

I look forward to any of your new projects.

Cheers!

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247 mommy

April 1, 2009 at 11:20 AM

yes.. a sequel would be great.

I wasn't just as satisfied with the ending as I was with the TW version. Seems to me that there were still things left unanswered like Jandi didn't even said yes to Gun Pyo's proposal, and that also goes for the SoEul couple.

But it was a feel-good open-ending, maybe because of the the way PD treated the scenes in the epilogue. Yes, its soooo heart warming.

I enjoyed watching it, and I think it deserved my 2nd, 3rd and more rewatchings (err.. minus the drag episodes,OK?).

Cheers to the Korean version!

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248 vik

April 1, 2009 at 11:23 AM

Thank you =)
for all the time spent in this drama.

bff always up!

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249 srscassiopeia

April 1, 2009 at 11:25 AM

* on the superficial level, cute, hot actors
* really good Goo Jun Pyo version by Lee Min Ho
* really good Madam Kang version
* divergence from the Meteor Garden and Hana Yori Dango plots, especially the So-eul relationship and the deeper role that Ji hoo played in Jandi's life
* bits and pieces all throughout the series, including:
> the Jun-di first kiss on the swing
> the Jun-di second kiss on the road
> the Jun Pyo can't-help-but-love-Jandi moments
> the scenes where Jandi went out of her way to initiate anything with Jun Pyo (quite rare moments because she was unusually passive when it came to Jun Pyo -- understandable when all wasn't well between them; not so understandable after their reconciliation when all became well)
> the Ji hoo ever-patient expressions of love to Jandi (to the point where I grew dissatisfied with the Jun-di scenes because Ji hoo and Jandi had more precious moments together. In the real world, those two would have ended up together.)
> the pool scene conclusion to the amnesia arc
> and I'm sure and a lot more personal ones for each of us fans

Honestly, Kkotboda Namja could have been known as How Jun Pyo Matured as a Man.

What a great experience this series was! I loved anticipating and watching 2 episodes week after week and reading what other fans had to say about them. Thank you to all fan subbers and recappers!