Boys Before Flowers: Episode 25 (Final)
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 ]
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 ]
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!
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- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 23
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 22
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- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 20
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 19
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 18
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- Boys Before Flowers: F4 Talk Show Special
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 16
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 15
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 14
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- A day behind the scenes of Boys Before Flowers
- Boys Before Parodies
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 10
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- A closer look at Boys Before Flowers scripts
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 6
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 5
- Behind the scenes with Kim Bum in New Caledonia
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 4
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 3
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- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 1
Tags: Boys Before Flowers, episode recaps, Gu Hye-sun, Kim Bum, Kim Hyun-joong, Kim Joon, Lee Min-ho
thank you thank you thank youuuuuuuu~
i was planning to be first =[
THANK YOU
thank you for doing this. thank you for your commentary. THANK YOU.
to all of us crazy BoF fans…it’s been a long haul, and i’m not exactly glad it’s over, but…
thank you dramabeans, thank you fans for being crazy people addicted to a kdrama.
and i liked the ending. liked.
wow. top 5. amazing. ok now time to read haha
AH THANK YOU!
Yay! Thanks much for the recaps! ^__^
Oh, and I just have to mention, I literally ROFL when I saw Ji Hoo run towards Jun Pyo while Jan Di was doing that drown in the pool act. What is it up with his legs?
)
OMG! Last episode D:
I think that the last episode tried to tie up too many loose ends in the story and thus I feel kind of cheated. Kind of like everything was jam-packed into one hour. Maybe it’s because I’m still in denial that the series ended. LoL It was still enjoyable. It had it’s moments. So I’m assuming that GJP’s sister took over the company while Madame Kang stepped down is enjoying life with her conscious husband. I thought that was interesting. Wonder what that would be like if the world finds out (Madame Kang:: “Oops… I was just trying to teach my son a lesson….”)
And everyone leaves for 4-5 years??? How ridiculous is that???
So-Eul relationship started out great but ended not so great. It’s as if the writer got bored of their relationship and just continued writing because he/she already made So-eul part of the storyt and they have to finish it.
And I thought that Jandi should have appeared a little more mature (Wardrobe change would be nice in a grown-up way that would fit Jandi. Still cutesy but not like she’s still sixteen. The long hair didn’t cut it for me) when she wore the doctor’s coat but it seemed like she was playing dress up.
And the part where Jandi goes into the swimming pool? Hahaha. That was hilarious. People just stand around while GJP has his flashbacks. Like a tennis match, one look at the Jandi drowning and one look at GJP. I liked what he said to Jandi right after he rescued her (I’m going to kill you if you make me worry about you like that => Very GJP-ish)
I enjoyed watching Boys over Flowers and will miss anticipating what was going to unfold for the last three months. Out of all the dramas (remakes of BOF), I think the k-version cast fit the original manga well. The story plot? Hmm…. I liked the Japanese version better. It didn’t drag as much as the k-version. *Sigh* I wish an F4 actually existed and that I was Jandi. Man… I don’t have a good drama fix now. Hopefully “Six Months” with Kim Ah Joong will be my next drama to watch.
I <3 Lee Min Ho
I<3 Kim Hyun Joong
I<3 Kim Bum
I <3 Kim Joon
P.S. I had a hunch that “Allmoosssstt ParRrRRAaAAaaDddDiiiSE!” was going to played at least once during the last paradise. Funny thing is I wanted to hear it. LoLoLoLoLoL!
Thanks for all the time and effort you put in to recapping this drama!!!
Loved the ending.. couldn’t of ended any better…
Completely satisfied, but what to do now… can’t believe the fun is really over.
Thanks for recapping the series! It was such a fun series, bad points and good, and I’ve really enjoyed your insights into things like Jun-pyo’s character and the like
i haven’t kept up with this drama except reading recaps here in dramabeans so i’m glad someone else explained clearly what i don’t like about this drama.
http://film-enthusiast.blogspot.com/2009/04/boys-over-flowers.html
i didn’t know some other people feel the same as i do as it’s mostly BOF is great and i don’t understand why they think this is so…
This is the first time I’ve been refreshing over and over to see your commentary. Perhaps because I’m really curious to see what you would say at the end of it all.
Thanks for all your hard work in recapping this drama we hate to love.
Looking forward to continuing to check in on your blog!
Thank you!!!! i’ve been refreshing ALL DAY!! i am sad it’s over though despite the pain that was the fiance arc! Thank you so much for recapping though! I enjoyed your recaps way more than some of the episodes!
Thank you so much for the recaps! I always read them even after I watch the episodes! I love your writing…looking forward to more to come!
thanks for making boys over flowers even greater !
Lots of thank you for your wonderful recaps…
Finally, it’s over! Thank you^^
Boys Before Flowers was kind of a glorious mess — I agree!
Puahahaha, it WAS a long recap and man, I enjoyed every second of it. I’ve got pretty much nothing to add because I fully agree with your assessments. Perhaps one thing I wish they had added was more Woobin, or at least what became of Woobin after the time jump. It seems like he just suddenly popped out of nowhere.
thanks javabeans for all the recaps of this drama…
i will definitely miss this one…
Thank you for the last recap!
I’m going to miss BBF. I never watched it though, just waited for your recaps. xD
I’ll miss Kim Hyun Joong, but he’s turning into an UGLY Jihoo. o.O I mean, WHAT’S with the glasses? He looks old in this last doctor scene. xP
Thanks again love!
<3
Again, Thank you very much!!! I’ll forever LOVE BBF!!! See you all again for the next best thing!!!
Hey, Javabeans! Thanks so much for the recaps. A lot of people are grateful for them. I enjoy reading them and your commentaries! I just moved, so I’m using my cell phone to post this comment. I am, and will continue to be, an avid reader! (That sounds cheesy, but it’s true…)
I liked the ending so much!
thank you javabeans for the recaps!
kbites said theres gonna be a special episode a week from the final (today)
wonder what that will be about
thank you so much! i love your recaps if not for your recaps i wouldn’t even bother watching the show!
The ending was a disappointment for me. I wanted, i don’t know.. something more? We’ve had two remakes of this story already, can’t you change the ending?!?! Atleast make it more interesting.
THANK YOU JAVABEANS! (:
This is probably the first time that I’ve followed your recaps for a drama from start to end, and I’ve really enjoyed the insights you’ve given – and the fangirling too. kekeke. Thank you for the hard work put in!
YAAAAAAAAAAAAY finally *____________________*
My brain was literally DEAD today… I was just waiting for the clock pass by I couldn’t even do anything!
I feel so happy, sad, and grateful for your recapps ^^
I love you TT____________TT
….
But really, without you I wouldn’t have finished this series ^^
Complete Dramabeans Supporter forever :O
thanks for the recaps!!! don’t know what i would of done without them as they were the only real informative (includ your comments) about the series!!!
can’t wait to watch it as well when it’s subbed!
glad that Korea did their own version in a way and can’t wait for the next BIG thing!
it was overall an entertaining series that’s for sure and the HYPE that went along with it as well! LOL
i cried more in the taiwan version. i didn’t even cry in this version. but i still love it anyway
can’t wait to get the dvd set! xoxo
dearest javabeans,
i have not read you recap yet, but i wanna thank you so much for ALL the recaps you’ve given us.
[i've been reloading dramabeans since morning, with hopt to read the final recap..lol]
it’s only ep 14 in malaysia, but i read your recaps like how i read a book.
[i hate surprises so i tend to want to know what will happen next].
in short, you have made my days so colorful with your fun recaps.
i like your writing so much, and at times you always cracked me up with your opinions.
감사합니다, 사라애유!!
take care!
Aaah! I’ve had so much fun! Thank you javabeans, commenters, everyone for making this such an enjoyable experience! I feel like we all really connected with this drama.. We hated it, we loved it, we talked about it, we obsessed over it… *sigh* I’m sad it’s all over.
Until the next one, then? =P
thank u!
i’m glad to say that i liked the ending! very much. sure, the series as a whole has flaws, but pretty much i’m happy with how they ended it. there were things i wanted to see though, kind of like an epilogue that shows what happened to junpyo’s family, and what they did to yumi-biyotch (LOL), and ga eul-yi jung. it would have been more complete if they really managed to tie up the loose ends. but ahhhh, it’s okay. it could’ve been worse, i suppose.
but yay, free tuesdays and wednesdays for me! LOL. i think i’m one of the few who feel happy to see the series ending. sad too, but i’m glad it’s over so i can move to other dramas. hahah
I am so sad that it has ended!
I really do like this ending because I feel like it gives the audience enough conclusion so that we are not left hanging but at the same it leaves room for either imagination or …dare I save it….a sequel?
*Both the taiwan and japanese version had sequels and I think with the popularity of BBF, it is HIGH possibility of it happening.*
I agree. It wasn’t a perfect drama nor was it a well directed or written (and some bad acting) but i think the fairy tale plot is is something everyone enjoys. I have 2 favorite above all story lines in this drama. First Jun Pyo and Jandi. While they may not always seem like they are meant for each other. They are adorable. It makes me wish there was a Jun pyo in my life.
Jandi and Ji Hoo. I actually really wanted them to be together. It was a torn decision for me. I wanted Ji hoo to be happy but not at the cost of his friendship to both JP and JD.
I loved all three of them. Best triangle love plot EVER!
BBF 4ever.
It’s been a long time since I was able to follow a drama week by week like with BBF and I really enjoyed that. It was the highlight of my week sometimes and it almost always put a smile on my face; even when Jan Di was overly passive and Gu Jun Pyo was all amnesiatic (is that a word??).
What I really liked about the korean version as opposed to HYD was that they allowed Jan Di to do more than just be married to Jun Pyo. In HYD, it gave off the impression that Makino never did anything other than marry Domyouji, even though she had wanted to be a lawyer previously. I always thought that Jan Di/Makino’s personality was one that had big dreams and work towards achieving them, so it was nice to see Jan Di in med school, even though she was a little clumsy.
Overall, this was my TV crack for 3 months and I will miss that mon-tues slot, though I am glad to send the drama off into the vault.
Thanks for all the recap.
You are so right – BBF is a “glorious mess”!
Javabeans,
Thank you for the good times here. I have never had so much fun being a part of a community of fans. It was a blast. Thank you for your hard work putting these summaries together and for the love for BBF/HYD.
I thought the ending was as good as it could get considering the really bad 2nd half of the series. I have fond memories of the first 12 episodes, and I am happy to have that.
I don’t know what to watch next!
(Infinite Jest FTW. I haven’t read Wallace’s Lobster book yet–I still cannot wrap my brain around the fact that he is gone. I was in shock for days and days after his death. There is a great New Yorker piece (or was it NYTimes) on his last days–unbearably sad).
Thanks for your wonderful recaps throughout this entire series! It’s been fun.
This has totally been a wild ride, but it sure was a really fun one despite some of the fail going on XD
Am also doubly glad you were along for this ride – its always stimulating and entertaining following your recaps!!
Was very satisfied with the ending (although in my secret dreamworld, there was a wedding and curly haired JunDi babies running around XD)
I loved the pool scene also and am so glad that JD didn’t sacrifice her dream of becoming a doctor – she truly wants to be on even ground with JP and I love the maturity they exude when discussing their future together.
Thank you so much! Truly, it was a drama worth watching.
The ending could tie into possibly another season? Who knows. x]
But one thing I was a tad disappointed was the development of Madam Kang and her comatose husband. I expected her husband to wake up and be a factor to jandi/ junpyo’s relationship. He’d be rooting for them unlike madam kang. And just a simple acknowledgement from madam kang of acceptance to jan di would do as well. I guess they couldn’t fit everything but it worked out for the most part. LOVED IT.
Thanks so much for all of your wonderful recaps. This is my first time actually writing a comment (I’m usually a silent stalker, hehehe), but I’m always waiting to read your insightful and often hilarious comments. I’m so glad you loved that pool scene because I thought it was beautiful. For once, I also thought the music fit really well with that scene. I loved the song that was played. I actually teared up, lol. And about the final return of “Almost Paradise”… how could this drama not end without the song that will forever be linked with Boys Before Flowers? Lol, but I too was happy to hear it and it helped with the closure. Now I’m looking forward to the next series you decide to recap and I’m sooo excited for the Spring drama season, yay!
It seems im not the only one who thinks Jihoo runs weird.
BOF was certainly entertaining, and in my opinion, a success. Given the popularity of the show way before it started, and how everyone was holding their breathes if the show failed or not, the show survived. Never (in my experience) was a drama more controversial, anticipated and watched by women all over the world.
Java beans, your right to say it delivered, thats more than we could all ask for.
I’m gonna miss BBF on Mondays and Tuesdays, which became part of my weekly routine. I wonder if there will be a 2nd season or movie. But who will be the villain now that Mama Kang showed a change of heart? And, if there is 2nd season or movie, I look forward to see more scenes of Kim Bum and Kim Joon. I hope to see more on Gae Yul and Yi Jung… and Woo Bin finding his one love. And, will Ji Hoo always remain a lifesaver for Jan Di? … I hope he will find someone deserving of his love too, but I guess that’s not how the story goes…? (He’s the kind of man I wanted my daughter to have for a husband..LOL) Oh, Joon Pyo, you’re such a cool guy. Jandi, risking your life so your beloved will regain memory of you … way to go! I wished the script gave you more lines to express yourself, but just showing your emotions through body language shows you can act.
There may be some lapses on some episodes, but in general, I commend all the actors…the F4 (oh I just love them!), Jandi, Gaeul, and including those who played supporting roles: Goo Jun Hee, Kang Hee Soo, Jundi’s family (Kang San is very cute), Jae Kyung, Mr. Jung, grandma, grandpa…etc., etc., etc. The director, scriptwriter (I wished there were more details, then there will be longer episodes too), and the entire production crew … Kudos! Chukahamnida! (did I say it right for congratulations?)
Oh well, all’s well that goes well…a happy ending!
I can hardly wait for the DVD to come out to complete my collection of the Hana Yori Dango series/versions.
Javabeans, Maraming salamat… Muchas gracias…. Domo arigatoo gozaimasu… Kamsahapnida… Thank you very much!
- From ajima in California.
loved the ending.. but i wished we could have at least seen jandi in a wedding dress with junpyo. she would have been such a beautiful bride. and i wish i saw more about what happened to junpyo’s father. since jandi took care of him for awhile i though they would wrap that up nicely.
i wonder if they are going to make a movie like a finale with a wedding like hana yori dango.. but thats probably just going to be wishful thinking on my part.
thank you so much for posting this blog on bof. i really appreciate it.
the pool scene did it for me…i completely loved how it played out.
overall this drama was okay…at times it annoyed me and at others i was completely hooked and waiting anxiously to see what would happen next…its not the best ive seen and its not the worst either, but i enjoyed (for the most part) the time i spend watching it.
thanks for all your hard work!
kind of sad its over
i was watching the cpr scene and goodness gracious! have they never taken cpr 101? i know its a drama so i dont expect it to be real but how he was breathing into her CLOSED mouth and not holding her the right way at all made me laugh
I have had so much fun following along on your recaps on this series. As I am not of Korean heritage, your recaps really explained to me what subtitles have either muddled or failed to clarify, you were really helpful with the confusion. I’ll admit, I even enjoyed reading them more than watching the show itself especially when it dragged in the middle.
I am so relieved that they ended the So-eul ship not too heavily. Subtlety embodied. I had tired of the Jan-di-Jun-pyo relationship more than I can admit, but I was totally rooting for So-eul all the way! The time difference really did them some good, I could clearly see the maturity Yi-jung has exhibited throughout the show — may be he did need that emo phase.
Although clearly, there was more to be desired in terms of closure, my one true regret is that Woo-bin never really got his storyline. I wish they had at least developed that a bit more. If he was the one looking out for everyone, can’t we at least see a bit of how he got there?
Thank you for your recaps! I thought that at 22 I’d be done with my fangirling!
With that, I’ll be looking forward to your recommendations in the future!
I really enjoyed the ending. I think a wedding scene would have been too cliche and pure fan service. Do we really need that to feel satisfied? I also believe they’re leaving things slightly open for a movie. I can’t imagine them not wanting to milk this for all its worth.
That pool scene! Oh man, I absolutely loved it and it brought tears to my eyes.
I’m going to miss the discussions and the show itself but it was time to put it to rest.
Thank you java for all the recaps. You made watching even more enjoyable
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE RECAPS!!!!
Despite the lack of high quality, this drama is addictive and lovable. (seriously, who could hate the F4?)
Some people say they’re sad they’ll miss the series, and though I will miss seeing the F4, I’m glad to say good-bye to the drama that not-at-all-horribly took away considerable sleeping hours.
Thank you so much, Javabeans. For the recaps, for the wonderful and helpful insights. Javabeans = Awesomeness.
I just wanted to thank you for recapping this drama!! I enjoyed reading what you had to say and I look forward to whatever new drama you decide to write about!!
Great recaps! Thanks Javabeans for sharing your thoughts with us.
Does anyone know how this episode did in terms of ratings?
Thanks for ALL the recaps. Dramabeans you are SOLID!!!
Anyway just want to say good bye to all the fans after weeks and weeks of bonding over BoF. This drama and your recaps literally woke me up after 3 years of hiatus from Korean dramas. And now I am doing catch up.
BOF is a glorious mess as you have put it. So many ways to make it a better drama but who cares! The fluff that kept me sane for the past months despite everything at work and life.
I am glad that this show ended properly and somewhat nicely.
Me so loving Coffee Prince now. Reading your recaps from 2007….hahahhaa..
Adiós and look forward to another drama like this in due time.
Thank you too! It was fun reading your recaps and comments. They gave me something to think about and I learned a bit about how to look at dramas critically.
Bye bye F4!
just wanted to say thanks again for your insight! you’ve been a great companion along this ride. =)
Thank you!!! I just had to wait to finish reading your recap before heading to bed~~~
I am really happy to have found your blog while crazily searching online for BBF info months back. Even though BB is now over, I will continue to check your site for Kdrama info!! Your efforts and insights are much appreciated!!! THANK YOU!
wait. i think i just missed a few scenes! LOL i didn’t get to watch the epilogue part with yi jung and ga eul.
i agree with you javabeans… wouldn’t say this one is a good drama but it was for sure very entertaining and i’ll miss all the characters…but the thing i will miss the most is your recap and how you always make sense of this drama for me..hehe thanks a lot for your efforts and hopefully we’ll find a new drama that we’ll all like and have this awesome discussions again…i will miss you guys….see yah around…Fighting!!!
I’ll miss Boys Before Flowers!
Love the ending! It is one of the best Kdrama endings I’ve seen and I’m very, very satisfied. I still love Ga-eul and Yi Jung – their story is so cute, I really love that little girl giving away her teacher’s secret, that was adorable and both my Seoulmates reactions are adorable….. I’m still on there ship
I really enjoyed this ending, except Yumi’s part, I wanted to pull all her hairs out (just kidding).
Mama Kang I will miss you! Good thing I downloaded all the BBF episodes, I can watch them over and over if I want too
——- THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH WITHS2 Funsubbers, you people are GREAT! ! ! with all the things you have done to make us non-Korean speaking Kdrama fans happy for sharing your talents and hard work! Love you all 
I can’t thank you enough!!! Looking forward to all your projects and to those you’re done with.
Thank you Sarah for the recaps. I will still be here looking forward everyday to all the news and recaps that you share. Now I can start on Return of Iljimae
This is a good day to end one of my favorite Kdrama, Boys Before Flowers.
Abby920
Wow… even though its been crazy… I still can’t believe its actually over…!
*tears*
But major props for the amazing recaps… I especially luved ur comments on this one…!
(reading them was way more entertaining than watching the actual show…!)
Awesome. Thanks for all your hard work! I’m glad it’s over. =D
thanks for all the recaps!!! i enjoyed reading them =]
hi…finally its end…i’m just stop watching this drama in epi 15 but continue reading with your recap…and now i will start to watch the all episode….i’m really love the ending…what a surprise and sweet ending for the souelmate….this is really difference with all the previous version and manga….i’m also like the jandi and jun pyo ending…..well i will miss all the fun of craziness from this drama…this is the same feeling when meteor garden and hana yori dango had ended…..truthfully i love all the 3 version from the 3 countries…both had their own strong and weak point……hope to find another watchfull drama in the future. and ALL THE BEST FOR THE KOREAN F4 AND MAKINO!!!!!
javabeans….thank you too…I’ve enjoyed all your recaps, comments and other stuff that you shared. Like you, I’ve enjoyed this series..even if I’m a bit “old” for it..hehe But really thank you very very much for all the time you’ve spent sharing. It’s been really fun. until the next drama we all will enjoy..^_^
my favorite scene in this episode was the pool scene. I love how jandi took the initiative to make junpyo remember her instead of waiting for him to come around like makino did. i know jandi wasnt the kick ass type of girl that everyone expected her to be, but i think she was pretty strong and balanced in that area. i think jandi, as well as the f4 really matured in in their roles throughout the drama. it makes it more realistic.
Thanks for the awesome recaps again! I’m terribly sad that this show is over…! At the same time, I’m glad that it ended on a (good) happy note! I’m going to miss my F4 boys…Jun Pyo’s dorky, boyish smile; Ji Hoo coming to the rescue; Yi Jung’s make-me-melt smile (!!!!); and Woo Bin’s gangsta English! I haven’t enjoyed nor looked forward to a show like this in such a long time! I know that, technically and anachronistically, this show is flawed, but after the first episode, I figure this show should be watched more for pleasure and entertainment. I don’t have too many qualms with Koo Hye Sun’s acting…I think its more of a character issue than the actress’ problems. Lee Min Ho is a phenomenal actor and I think he did his character justice. For Kim Hyun Joong, it took me the longest time to warm-up to his character, but thankfully he improved in the end (Better late than never!) Kim Bum played So Yi Jung quite well…I wasn’t digging his emo-ness when he was using Ga Eul’s feelings for him, but he recovered. Kim Joon, the underrated F4, he was the person I looked forward to, hoping he would have more of a storyline.
Oh, there are so memories from this show! Like I have said before, thanks again Javabeans!
that Yumi girl looks a little like Han ChaeYong.
thanks again for the amazing review!
I was so happy to hear Paradise at the end! But I still miss something (e.g. We don’t know what Woo Bin did during the 4 years)~
I totally loved the pool scene. I literally screamed at the screen!
Check these out – Kim Bum, Kim Joon and Kim Hyun Joong’s “Goodbye Jihoo” fan meeting
It’s cute! LOL
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMUrcdnBMMo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bbBKeXAcUGY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjvPTmGS9hA
Thank you, Sarah!!!
I have to agree with you on every single thing you said in your commentary section. I too do not think that BOF is a good drama because it lacks good consistent acting, music, writing and directing. HOWEVER, I think that it is a great drama because it’s so damn entertaining. I don’t think I have fangirled a korean drama as much as I have for BOF… and Lee Min Ho!!! haha Anyway, thank you so much for all that you have done. Throughout the BOF run, You always provided thought-provoking, funny, entertaining, and detailed summary of each episode. That is really appreciated.
Quick questions… what do you think happened to Ji Hoo’s grandpa? Did he die or did he retire? Also, I too agree that the abrupt change in attitude of Jun Pyo’s mom was a little disconcerning. Does this mean she approves of Jan Di now? Do you think they will do a movie (like what the Japanese did)?
I heard that there would be a BOF special next Tuesday. Did you hear anything about that? It could just be an April Fools joke. Anyway, now that BOF is over, I don’t know what to do with myself on Mondays and Tuesdays!
What is the next drama that you will be covering? I highly anticipate your recaps!
Thank you for your recaps for BBF, Javabeans! I simply loved reading your comments every time, and I LOVED this last recap! Thank you so much for all the hard work you put in! I’m aleady looking forward to the next series you recap (aside from Return of Iljimae, of course…).
Once again, thank you so much!
Thanks for awesome recaps javabeans. While I might not always agree, I appreciate the perspective you bring. You are the queen of awesome recaps!
And I definitely agree with you about the pool scene. That ended up (well from the point that Jan-di starts to talk to Jun-pyo anyway) being my favorite scene in the whole drama. Beautiful stage, excellent acting, drama and… the result I wanted. Ha ha.
For me, I will miss this drama. No I don’t want it to go on forever and ever, but for the things I was going through in my own life, BOF was a welcome and sometimes slightly strange escape/release from reality. I loved getting lost in this drama Mondays and Tuesdays. I’m going to have to find a new obsession. Any suggestions???
Anyway – thanks BOF Korea! Excellent, satisfactory ending. Thanks for 25 hours of laughter-giddy-exciting-fangirly-yelling-angry-teary-depressed-warm-and-fuzzy-happiness-and-other-completely-random-logical-illogical induced feeelings of insanity. For all of those emotions… for this crazy korean drama obsessed fangirl… it truly was…
Alllllmost paaaaaaradiiiiiiiiiiiise.
Thanks for this and all of your other recaps! I am especially glad for it because I was in a tizzy about what happened with JP and his family and the business, as a huge chunk of the 4 years later part was missing from the site where I watched it.
It was weird, but the only part of this whole drama where I actually cried was when JP got his memory back. I started to tear up when JD started talking to him by the pool, and by the time he had rescued her, I was smiling and crying, And my husband officially thinks I have lost my mind, because I rarely cry at ANY tv shows or movies. I mean, the last time I cried was at the end of Titanic.
I don’t care what anyone says, I loved this drama. If I were looking for great, Oscar level acting, writing and directing, I wouldn’t be watching a teen drama anyway. This one was just great enough to make me a happy girl, thank you very much. I loved what you called it, “kind of a glorious mess”. I will miss it.
I truly enjoyed your recaps from episode 1-25. Every time i finished an episode, I was so excited to read your summary and comments so that I could agree with many of the things you said. And when I was a week behind on my BOF episodes, I could take a sneak peek at what I missed by skimming your recaps.
You were so insightful with your criticism and praise!
I agree that BOF may not have been the best drama, but it was one of the most entertaining ones I have seen yet. And I’m glad that I took this journey with you
Can’t wait for the next drama that will make you and I this giddy!
peace out BBF <3!
hey javabeans-
i’m not one to post comments on these blogs, but i couldnt help myself. i actually waited to read what you had to say about the finale before i headed off to bed. As much as I thoroughly enjoyed watching the boys before flowers series, i was even more entertained by your analysis and dissection of the episodes. Thank you for your in depth synopsis. It entertained me during its airing for the last few months. Now that its over, I have no idea what I’m going to do this coming Monday! and Tuesday!! hahaha!!
My sincere thanks to your dedication to this drama!
keep blogging…i may not comment again, but I do love reading it!
you are 짱!!!
And not to forget, they did a nice wrap up of the F4. We all complained in the beginning that no real friendship existed between the boys but as illustrated by the swimming pool scene, they all had faith in Junpyo. They all stand there so long that at first it was a bit of a shocker when someone’s drowning out there but then if any of them had jumped in, it would really signify them as “giving up” on JP coming back.
One criticism, definitely it all kinda felt crammed into one episode, though i really did like how they all grew up…. The only person that didn’t seem to was Woobin, and I would have really like that part added in. Maybe he could have started his reign over his dad’s business, or something to that extent, illustrated by showing him in a business suit?
As for Jihoo being a doctor, I think if you think back, he really grew to love his grandfather’s clinic….even earlier in the episode he returns there as his place of refuge (when he has that perfectly tranquil house of his). And after his getting back together with grandpa, it just made sense to me that he would want to take over. I didn’t really associate this new pursuit with Jandi but with his grandfather, though he does hint that she was part of the reason why. But then that’s the role he’s satisfied with assuming in her life, as her guardian, and esp since JP is away. Also I think we were to assume his grandpa had passed away at that point??
that last picture of Jaekyung! I was thinking during the finale that I missed Jaekyung….. Unlike the Yumi character who was really just annoying and pointless (pretty disappointed with her acting) Jaekyung made you like her and really, all of the characters in this drama had good sides except for yumi….
oh, and one more criticism, what was the point of Jandi taking care of JP’s father?? seriously it seemed like later that would play a factor in helping Jandi become a part of Junpyo’s family….. Or maybe it was a foreshadow to later? ….b/c I’m not sure if we can interpret Madame Kang’s acceptance of their relationship quite yet just from that one scene of her smiling. She’s happy b/c JP’s manning up and taking over the business….
ugh…anyway, i blame it on the poor directing, scriptwriting, etc…. I’ve never had so many questions after watching a drama!!! But probably that’s one of the reason’s I kept watching….to see if the things that didnt’ make sense at first would make sense later…..haha….
anyway, cheers! I’m glad for its happy ending and glad that its over!
thanks so much javabeans! i’m really going to miss the insanity/ funamania that went into my mondays and tuesdays. i’m partially glad that it’s over because i just wanted to see the main couple be together at the end (cheers to the happy ending!). but i’m a little sad because bbf has been my source of entertainment for the past three months….now what am i going to occupy my mind with?!
just finished watching the episode. i am cringing at the ending. it was sooo cheesy and 90s/80sish. i am not a fan. love the pool scene though
ohh my… it really ended…. it makes me felt empty… i get into this drama so much… and now..it is done… i will miss Goo Jun Phyo a lot… well i will watch the whole episode once again i am sure… and i will still be a fan of Lee Min Ho… i hope he will act in another drama soon… very soon… after he got some rest and of course his surgery and recovery and all…
First of all,
THANK YOU javabeans for recapping this series periodically, every monday and tuesday.
So, we finally reach the end of the third (fourth?) adaptation of hana yori dango…
For me, it was fun while it lasted, not necessarily what you’d call “brain food” but hey, sometimes we don’t need to think…^^
Thanks for 25 episodes of pure fun, laughter and utter baka-ness – I will miss the korean F4 and JanDi!
Congratulations on re-capping Boys Before Flowers from start to finish! I know that’s hard work… But this drama is indeed so much fun!!!
A glorious mess! Agreed!
Thanks very much javabeans!
Next on the menu?
Thanks for the 25-episode recap! I thoroughly enjoyed reading your commentaries!
For me, BOF is not an excellent drama, but a feel good drama. It’s entertaining, and I do not need to use my brain to analyze things too much. This is the only HYD version I’ve watched completely, as I dropped the other 2 versions after 1 episode.
I’m a little sad that it’s over, since watching it had bring me so much fun and more importantly, new online friends from different HYD communities.
thanks 4 all recaps u hav done 4 us… appreciate it soooo much…
thanx javabeans…
i’v waited long time 2 see ur last recap for this drama…
although i dont like the ending…cz they just let us think ourself about what happen with the characther…
^^v
Thanks for all the recaps Javabeans….I look forward to the next one in addition to Return of Iljimae. Your recaps of it made me decide to watch it!!
Sarah,
Do not ever be concern about the length of your reviews/summaries. Well-written prose is always a joy to read. Besides being well-written, your summaries are also entertaining and insightful.
Narcotic certainly describes this drama. Since the start of the so-called season 2, I haven’t felt compelled to immediately watch each episode. Yet, when I do finally watch the episode, I find a smile on my face and an enervating high during the giddy and cute moments.
For me, the best part of the final episode was the re-emergence of the stalwart JD. Just as JP needed to be awaken from his amnesia, I think Yumi’s announcement jolted JD out of her stupor. There was a flash of defiance in accepting the fait accompli, in JD’s face, as JH led her away from the party. And, I think that’s when she decided to make a final effort with JP. But, it was totally brilliant of her to select memories that are known only to the two of them to stir his subconscious. Lastly, I think she put her life on the line for their love, by deliberately falling into the pool and not surfacing.
There is such a divergence in the quality of the directing, I wonder if a lot of the scenes that we found troublesome had been assigned to a second tier director.
As always, thank you for making this wonderful blog. See you at the next drama.
I’ve been lurking around here for a while, reading your recaps of BBF and Return of Iljimae – they’re really awesome by the way.
Anyway, I liked this ending, sweet and fluffy as it should be. Sure this series have had it’s flaws (.. okay, pretty many flaws) but I think overall it was quite enjoyable anyway. Though, I’m still confused over WHY Yi-jung traveled to Sweden of all places? I mean.. Sweden isn’t known for pottery, at least what I know of.. But hey, I’m happy anyway, since this makes my country get a little more wellknown, lol
this feels like when i finished the last harry potter book. so. sad.
you didnt mention in your recap, but i was really confused as to whether the grandpa died? since jandi did say that the clinic was closed…
i didn’t like the very last ending where they stare into the ocean..way too cheesy, but then again this is bof we are talking about lol. and was i the only one that laughed out loud when jihoo suddenly became a med student … and the four years later.. lol.. in drama world, its all magic ^_^
thanks alot! i was skeptical about recaps in general, but i loved yours.. i shared your sarcasm and fan girl moments!
Thank you Sarah.
I went straight to last part of the recap first…hehe…always looking forward to read your comments.
BBF was not the best drama but I had so much fun watching.
Thank you for everything…love you.
Dramabeans, my sincerest thanks for all the recaps and commentaries. i had such a blast checking in your blogs and reading other peoples’s passion (and disgust) about this drama. will have to agree to a most fans that i will be missing F4 more than the series itself. FANGIRLING….hahahaha, i had to laugh when you wrote this because i haven’t done that for a realy long time, but this series made me act that way again. i guess, that’s midlife crisis for me.
beautiful ending. pool dialogue was sublime. wished that it was this consistent throughout the series.
last note on fangirling…when the little girl hugged Jihoo, i wanted to push her away and say “Doctor Prince, i am a doctor…you should forget that girl and marry me now instead…” such a Jihoo fan. Now THAT’S FANGIRLING at PREMENOPAUSE….am so pathetic.
Great run…till next time. THANKS SO MUCH!!!
forever your fan and probably the oldest in the bunch too…elisa
Once more, javabeans, thak you for all the recaps you took the time to write during this BOF frenzy ! BOF has been the experience it was for me in good part thanks to your blog entries, yours insights and your humour !
I must say, at times, that while watching an episode, I would wonder ‘what will javabeans say about that?’…
All in all, I think this has been the drama I was the most hooked up on, and that I loved the most since I entered the realm of k-dramas, 3 years ago (I think). After begining to watch K-dramas, I decided to learn Korean, but, as you may imagine, it’s not always easy for someone who is of French descent and lives in France… Even while learning, I’d always continued to wait for subs (mostly by WITHS2, so thank you also for that ;o) ) to watch a series…
However, this time, BOF got me baaad, for several reasons, and after episode 6, I stopped waiting for subs, and couldn’t wait mondays and tuesdays to watch the episodes of BOF streaming (at work, which is bad, I know, but well, BOF frenzy could only last a time… ;o) )… At first, it was really thanks to the pictures and some random words and sentences (and reading your recaps the day after) that I would get what was going on before the subs came out, but I must say that by the last episode (from yesterday night), I’m amazed at everything I understood (from your recap, I actually understood 90% of the dialogs)… So I’ll be even more nostalgic of BOF, because BOF accelerated my learning of Korean !
I really loved this finale, I agree it wrapped up the series pretty well, and, as you mentionned, I loved that they put several references to past episodes in this one, including the pool speech for Jandi, which was the highlight of this episode for me – how we see and he understands, that , at this point, she knows him better than he does…
Anyhow, I’m now officially going to fall in withdrawal – how am I going to fill all those moments of spoiler searching on soompi, of recap reading here at dramabeans, of preview hunting on week-ends, and of episode watching at work? It’s kind of pathtic, isn’t it? ;o)
So, again, thanks so much for sharing with us, Javabeans, and I hope another fun drama will soon come out to prolong the frenzy ! Bye bye BOF, but dramabeans forever ! ;o)
In this episode, I love the pool scene. It wasn’t overdramatic but still poignant and believable to jog Jun Pyo’s memory back.
Overall, I like this version of BOF. The F4 was really F4 not just F2 or F3…LOL…if u guyz get wut I mean. I am not talking about screentime. More on how their friendship is about them as group and not as pair like in the other version. We know who is closer to who but this version showed why they are F4.
Again and again, thanks for your awesome recaps.
I just want to add that a huge part in Madam Kang’s personality change (though it was skipped over, presumably to be assumed) is the father aspect. I imagine he woke up from his coma and one of the first things he said (after asking about his family) was “Where’s that nice girl who would read to me?” And then applied his daddy influence.
And as for the Ji-hoo being Jan-di’s soulmate thing, I feel resolved. When I thought about Jan-di ultimately choosing Jun-pyo despite Ji-hoo being her soulmate, I couldn’t, well, cheer happily for the Jun-pyo/Jan-di couple. But I think when you set that romantic definition of soulmate aside (after all, they do have “matching” souls, in a sense), it worked out well and the crew did a great job in showing that Jan-di and Ji-hoo were on a different (not better or worse, just different) level from Jan-di and Jun-pyo. They definitely portrayed the Rui character better, I feel, than in HYD.
Thanks for the great weekly updates. I enjoyed them immensely, sometimes more than the episode itself. ^^
Reply to #53 BBFan
according to KBites, the rating for this final episode was 33.7%
High! =)
A big THANK YOU for all your hard work!! You were there for me when the quality of the video was poor…when the subtitles were missing…when I couldn’t bear to watch to whole episode and when I needed to know that someone else was thinking exactly what I was thinking!!
…aaaaand…I will never look at pancakes the same way again!!
So, what are we watching next??!
Wow ! Thank you, Javabeans !
It’s been so much fun following the drama through your insightful and entertaining recaps.
I, too, reacted ??? at Ji-hoo being a doctor…
. But, it’s a neat and sweet ending to the madness that’s BBF.
thank you so much… ’til next exciting drama series.
I really enjoyed this episode, especially the pool scene when Jan Di chose to fall in. I was so happy that she was finally willing to fight for Jun Pyo and come out openly about her love.
Several points I liked about the scene:
First, the speech was awesome. I felt mostly what you said, about how she reminds him of the parts of himself that has been suppressed by memory-loss and how he cannot deny how true her words are and it scares him she knows so much about his deeper, true self, all his goals, aspirations and weaknesses. I loved that Jan Di finally confronts him about her feelings and what she loves about him. All season I didn’t feel much of Jan Di’s love for Jun Pyo but this speech was awesome because we get to see him through her eyes.
Second, I loved that she threw the necklace in the pool and then went down to get it, emphasizing what she’s been telling Ji Hoo all along, that she cannot give up or forget Jun Pyo even if she tried. Also, the way she did it. I LOVED that she threw off Ji Hoo’s jacket before she jumped in the pool, as though she no longer needs his protection and will take things into her own hands. Jan Di’s been getting a lot of help from Ji Hoo all season and he helps her cope with all the drama, but her throwing the jacket to the ground before she falls into the pool shows that finally Jan Di is willing to step forward and fight.
Third, I loved that she forced herself to remain inside the pool almost to the point of danger. It shows that she’s willing to die for her love, willing to go to any extent to get him back and this was what I felt was missing the entire drama, Jan Di’s confirmation to Jun Pyo’s feelings and her reciprocation. We see all throughout the lengths Jun Pyo goes to for Jan Di’s safety, and it’s nice to see she loves him just as deeply as he does her.
Overall, it was an entertaining drama and definitely one that’s easily addictive. Lots of flaws but if you don’t mind the logical inconsistency it was very enjoyable. All the absurdly good looking people help, of course. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many hot boys in one drama, ever. Male harem, much? Also, the setting and scenery were absolutely gorgeous.
Thank you, dramabeans!! (I like this sitename ^^~hehe)
Well, It’s over.
It makes me felt vacuum. ㅜㅜ
I’ll miss it. well, i have to find another drama…
Maybe ‘wifequeen’?
I heard it’s gorgeous!!
The best part of the ending for me was the come back of “ALMOST PARADISE ”
yeah the song that previously almost made me bang my head on any hard surface that I see, the one that penetrate deep inside my holly hole (ear drum ^^ ). The moment I heard the song, I seriously start clapping and just satisfied.
I’m content. okey with the ending and all of the drama. It’s time for the drama to wrapped up.However, I don’t mind if “they” decided to do the Movie seqquel than that will be super awesome. ^^
Thank’s Javabean another nicely done recapped for a sweet drama. Good Job ^_^
Awww!! I feel so weird now that everything has ended.
Every week I’d always look forward to visiting your site and checking up on BBF summaries. And now it’s all finished!
It was a really nice ending. I agree with what you said, Javabeans. I especially loved the pool too! Whenever I get the chance I’m going to watch this episode.
I was really satisfied with the SoEulmate ending as well!!
The ending was great, overall.
Thank you SO MUCH JAVABEANS for recapping this series!!
I don’t know how I found your awesome site. But I’m sure GLAD I DID!
Can’t wait for your next recaps, whatever drama it may be.
Thank you so much for writing the summaries for this drama all the way through. I wait every monday and tuesday for them to come out and they are a life saver as I don’t have the time to watch the drama at this time. (I stopped around episode 12) But even as I watched the drama I like reading the things you noticed and your thoughts.
I agree that this drama was not a good drama, but yet somehow satisfying. From your summaries, I would say this will probably be a favorite drama ending for me. I admit that when I was watching it, it was painful because of the acting and PD decisions, but I like to think of a few good scenes that I will always remember. The reason I will keep this drama is the ideas behind the storyline that were not necessarily scripted or carried out well, but I am still able to appreciate.
Also another thank you for your Coffee Prince summaries which helped get through not being able to watch them when they were airing over a year ago. I think I thanked you for them before, but I can’t remember.
“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.”
You’re such an entertaining writer, Dramabeans!
Journalism, by any chance?
Hail javabeans for another well-written recap of the drama!
Another question would be “is it a unique interpretation of the manga?” Yes, the Koreans definitely nailed it. I’ll miss the boys and Jan Di but I am excited on watching them in a another drama with a different story. This drama has definitely zoomed them to stardom, which definitely expanded the options available to them. Would we see them in a comedy again?
Wondering which next drama would tickle your fancy, thus, encouraging you to write its recap.
@101
Wow u touch on why that scene was very poignant to me. From taking the coat off to standing at the very edge of the pool and finally falling and clutching the necklace. My thoughts were the same
Seriously, THANK YOU!!! Your recaps were amazing and I love your writing! I’m sad and happy that this drama is over and I will miss reading about it on your website.
ALMOST PARADIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE!
thank you very much for recapping this series. i thoroughly enjoyed reading your recaps at the beginning of the past weeks.
Thank you so much! I have been waiting all night to say goodbye to this drama with you. I am going to miss “this” the talks, the summaries, the laughs, but not the drama. I wave goodbye happily and very pleased.
There are many scenes that made me love this last ep but by far, the one that I will always remember, rave about and watch again, has to be the pool scene! I have a tendency to give out random awards and Gu Hye Sun received the Best Captured Essence Award in this ep. That scene to me was the third best scene she’s done(her best scene overall). I liked her throughout the drama, but I loved her in that scene. I believed every word, every expression, her motivation and reasoning. Most of all, I respected her character’s daring and decisiveness. She was marvelous.
As I was thinking what I thought of the show overall, I concluded that first and foremost I want to be entertained. I am pretty easygoing so I try to go where the drama takes me. If you want me to suspend reality, I will, but if you demand reality, I insist upon it. Ultimately, I have to love the characters, and I will say that each of the main characters and even some of the minors, had a moment or moments that made me love them up until the very end.
Concerning this show, every week, I watched. Whether it was lips pressed against a bong or teeth tickling a grenade pin, I showed up each time ready and prepared to love or hate each episode. This drama made me high, for never have I laughed, giggled, chuckled, cheered, howled, sobbed, cursed or threatened for 13 weeks straight! That to me catapults this drama to “Good” status.
Thank you to everyone who has made this drama a pleasure to view and this blog a refuge. Its been more than fun, its been a blessing!
Hope we do it all again sometime.
thank you .. thank you.. dramabeans..
what a a great.. great.. recaps.. love you..
and can not wait to read your other drama recaps…
ah , finally , it is done
I think it’s gonna be a long time before I can really bid this drama goodbye. All those times I watched even though there was critical exam or presentation that was going to happen the next day, I’m gonna missed those. Anyway, I can’t say I’m disappointed with the ending. I think it handled all those loose ends just fine, not perfectly, but enough to make me say, “okay, that was nice.” Of course deep inside I was clamoring for a big ending like a wedding perhaps or just something big with flourish (did that sound right? haha I can’t think of the right description right now) BUT perhaps to handle this drama’s ending in such a simple, (for me) and somewhat a lackluster way is I guess a good enough way to end something that brought plenty of shock, oohs and aahs (by this I’m talking about the major emotional frustration that we, the viewers, and the characters had to deal with as the story progressed) in its run.
Hmm… I also especially loved the as-you-say-it callbacks. I liked that they reworked/revisited past scenarios into the ending, it really made me feel nostalgic about how far this dramas had already gone. I especially liked the beach scene when Jan Di was walking towards Jun Pyo then Jun Pyo turns around to face her. It kind of reminded me of the scene in the earlier episodes, where Jan Di was kidnapped and “pretty-fied” to be presented to Jun Pyo. I think this is the first official scene where Jun Pyo made his intentions to her known and as we all know, as loyal viewers, Jan Di refuses Jun Pyo. It’s just nice that at this last scene, Jun Pyo offers himself again to her, but this time a changed person different from the person in that episode who blurted out that there isn’t anything that can be bought by money. I would have wanted for that scene to have been stretched out a bit, and it would have been nice to see Jan Di accepting to his proposal as a resolution to that earlier scene and of course to the whole series. As a side note, didn’t Jan Di have long curly hair also in that scene? Hmm… parallelisms, I love it more and more. Though honestly, I didn’t dig Jan Di’s hair all that much.
Wow, this was a fun ride! I kind of regret that I didn’t discover this site sooner. Haha, but anyways, love the recaps and the comments you put up for this series, plus the screen captures. Got to love that of course. Thank you for such a great site, hopefully, you’ll also be recapping my next drama obsession, whatever that is!
Thank you Javabeans for your great recaps. Without it, I wouldn’t have been as entertained as I have been, and also really enjoyed reading everyone’s comments (minus a few annoying ones). It was a glorious mess indeed, but still.. glorious. I really enjoyed the scene with Jandi dancing with each member of F4. As she described each F3 member so succinctly, it really showed how she came to know and appreciate each one of them and how they all had grown from enemies to friends. I don’t know why, but it made me almost teary eyed. It was also nice to see Chairwoman Kang in a warm light. For once, she didn’t look like the evil witch and showed the possibility that she had a change of heart regarding Jandi. Of course, even though I love JiHoo, I was happy to see JunPyo proposing to Jandi. Now, I will be going through Boys Before Flowers withdrawal.
dramabeans,
what a ride it was, full of ups and downs, but mostly filled with your delightful, thoughtful and always entertaining commentaries.
now, that it’s over, i won’t know what to do with myself on Mondays and Tuesdays for awhile, until I can get my hands on the dvds, that is.
what’s next? I think it’ll be awhile before another crazy drama comes along and gets everyone so worked up again.
see ya until the next drama “sensation”.
@ #6 AnGel and #42 jo_ajero: I was DYING every time they showed Ji Hoo running (the first time being when Jun Pyo fell into the pool and the last time when Jan Di fell into the pool). I think his run alone is the reason I could never get on the Ji Hoo-Jan Di bandwagon.
@ Javabeans: Seriously, your recaps are the ONLY reason I started watching this drama. The last drama I watched was Coffee Prince, which I LOVED. I stopped watching dramas after that and revisited your site for the first time in awhile 3 weeks ago. I came across a little blurb you wrote about BBF (after half the episodes had already aired) and clicked on your Episode 1 recap. The show seemed decent, but I wasn’t entirely sold, so I clicked the Episode 2 recap. Okay, getting better, clicked Episode 3, Episode 4, and then I was totally hooked and started downloading the series from Episode 1. I think I watched 18 episodes in like 3 days. So THANK YOU for introducing me to the crazy and totally addicting BBF world. You’re like the Frank Rich of KDramas – you totally can make or break a series for me. I’m so glad I started watching BBF…Gu Jun Pyo…*Sigh* Thank you for all your hard work. I loved watching an episode and then coming to the site to read your recap and review. Keep up all the amazing work. It is SOOO appreciated and you are bringing KDramas to people who would never otherwise watch!
Thank you javabeans for this nice long round-up recap!
Your description “weird brand of narcotic magic” is just perfect! I never got into these high-school stories. It is indeed magic cos somehow I get hooked up around epi 5 when Jun Pyo the knight came to save his princess. After that all the fangirlling, anticiapting mondays and tuesdays, made me feel like a 15year old girl all again. And I say that’s not too bad a feeling.
#94 – Bérénice, you’re french?! Me too, I’m so sad that Kpop culture is still so unknown here, don’t have much people to chat with and share this craiziness.
Thank you for your wonderful BOF recaps and reviews! If it wasn’t for your blog, I would have given up on BOF a long time ago!
um… whatever happened to JOONPYO’S DAD?
the pool scene seems beautiful in your words and how you described it, but when i watched it, it was such a lame scene, because the writer copied it right out of Lovers in Paris when Tae Young falls into the pool to get Ki Joo to admit his feelings for her. Like everything about it was the same.
this is my second comment after coffee price . thank you for your review , every tuesday and wednesday morning i can’t wait to read you review same like coffee prince.. hope next time i wil read your review again.sayonara(sory broken english)
THANKS FOR THE RECAPS!!!!
And this was one awesome finale recap to sum it all up! When you forewarned about its length, I was actually hoping it would be much longer while reading it. Alas, all good things must come to an end.
It was really great fun chasing this drama with your recaps, other BOF bloggers and fanatics. My first time having so much fun with a drama too. It was a heady mix. I’ll be nursing a bad hangover, for sure. My mons and tues will now be so empty…sigh.
I hope there will be a future show soon to get all of us back together here and our adrenaline pumping again.
“Now, I’m going to check into rehab for BBF addiction!!!” Who’s going with me?!
FINALLY!
I am glad that it is over! What will I miss?
the re-caps and comments hahahha
Thank you for making my Tuesday and Wednesday something to look forward to.
Thanks, Javabeans. Your re-caps were fantastic and very entertaining.
i love the ending!!! so cute and so sweet!!!
thanks javabeans for all the effort/recap youve post !!!
you did a very good job!!!
thanks again javabeans, eventhough im not updated watching (its because ive waited for the sub) im always updated because of Y-O-U!!!
thank you and thank a lot….
im looking forward for the new drama that you will recap….
THANK YOU SO MUCH Javabeans! Thank you for all your awesome Boys Before Flowers recaps… They are even better than the drama itself!
What an exhilarating ride it has been… Thank you so much once again! =)
i thought the ending was good enough. not WOW, but enjoyable
ps.
i love ur geniousness with the whole rumblefish movie ending credits thing. lol
Thanks so much for the recaps! Javabeans. All were fabs!
Finally we bid farewell to BBF. It’s relief a happy ending one! though I was expecting the characters would have been more stronger and mature.
Wholly, the story was ok and nice ending! but it’s dissapointed me ;
- when in the pool scene, JP took time too long to recall his memory, that it should have cost JD’s life! before he realised and drag out JD from the pool.
-Another thing is, it ws not JP personality that he was easily fall for a girl, how come he was just agreed to go abroad with a girl he barely knew despite few days staying in the hospital?
-JD was not a bright student, as what we gather from her performance at school and she admitted as well, but how come she took Medical school?” it was not an easy subject!
-JP should have asked his F4 gang who Jandi was to him? before the accident…despite been so rude…to JD in time of his partial lost memory…
I tried to gather all the episode into a complete story , sorry to tell that there’s none any strong message rather than just an entertaining drama! (Compared with F COffee Prince, it was perfect all have strong growing characters, ,,,ex : understanding mom,a prejudish grand ma turned to be supportive and kind after seeing the change of her grandson habit into mature and more serious into persuing his future,rekindling dad-son relationship after all tense and distance,etc), and also have all sad,happy,funny scene! And on top of all the plot were tailed sensibly and consistent one to another episode.
YEs, Lee Min Ho cs has done their great role,perfect acting, All I can say that it looks like the producers of BBF were just too rush to finish the story that could not even make more sensible plots,(cos some episode was wierd and doesnt make sense to me)..
But still I love the F4 though!! I Will miss JD’s cute smile, JD&JP fights,kissing and romantic moments, Ga-eul and Yijung sights for each others, JiHo ( I felt sorry for him, i though at the end his sunbae from Paris would be home for him!)and Wo Bin! the nicest and calming personality sorry for him that such a waste and plain character!!
thnx for the recap!!!
i thought the way it ended was PERFECT! they tied everything up without being too vague or too mushy/sweet/romantic and it was entertaining! You could also see that the acting had improved significantly. what am i going to do now with my monday and tuesday nights?!?!?
Such a brilliant recap, as always.
Thank you so much, Javabean.
I haven’t watched the final episode, but read some spoilers at Soompi. Many were disappointed with ending, I said, wait until I read Javabean’s recaps. And oh, totally enjoy this episode. I’ve skipped many episodes coz they were mess, but this episode was surprisingly well-done.
Just reading your writing about the pool scene was enough to evoke the emotion, it was beautiful and poignant. And the time-skip epilogue is essential here, they need time to grow-up, in a positive way.
I so love the way you define a “GOOD” drama. Agree that BOF was a “glorious mess” but it was entertaining. I had so much fun every Tuesday and Wednesday morning refreshing your blog, eager to see hundreds of users online and loads of comments. Thanks again Javabean, and all the commenters
See you all again in another drama fever. I really hope for 2009 drama season as successful as 2007.
I’m afraid my comment could reach your recap length so I’ll make it short and sweet:
Thank you so much! The recapping, the thoughts, the sharing….thanks for everything!
(If this drama were a drug, consider me high right now!)
Hey Dramabeans, I just wanted to thank you so much for making my experience with BOF even greater! It is the first time I had so much fun watching (and reading, most of the time) episode by episode of BOF with you and the rest of this community!
I just wanna say I loved all your comments and insight on the story.
Although I am totallaye on the Jihoo-Jandi ship
But who cares now? hahaha
I completely loved this episode. One thing I diddnt like though: Yi Jung’s new style. It looked bad when he came back, haha.
LOVE YOU GUYS ALWAYS!!!
thank javabeans!!
and goodbye you all!!
Javabeans, I completely agree with you when you say it wasn’t a good drama overall, but I guess that didn’t stop me from coming back every week to watch it lol.
I liked the way the drama ended it makes me feel like ‘why did they not have this great acting and directing from the beginning’………….in any case….woot woot, bbf is oficialy over and I have my monday and tuesday nights back;)
THANK YOU Javabeans, for all things about BBF!
BBF is indeed not a flawless drama, but I do enjoy it, and like u said, the insanity.
BBF has made me getting closer again with my old friend who lives abroad, we chat and ranting about it via email and messenger.
I love the ending. I mean, of course we want more, we want wedding, little curly Jundi, etc, but I just satisfied how this wrapped up.
Anyway, I’m looking forward for your next drama recaps!
THanks for that long recap of the final episode of BOF. I loved the way it ended … it wrapped up mostly everything nicely without being too overdramatic. The pool scene was the best and very unpredictable. Goo Hye Sun and Lee Min Ho did such an awesome job portraying their characters until the very end.
This is one of the rarest Korean dramas that gets a satisfying ending (comparing to another addiction of Coffee Prince ending where I got sort of bored) .. this drama’s ending had me at the edge of my seat the whole way.
All the characters got their closures and each one was given importance for the entire drama. More awesomeness is that Ga-eul and Yi Jung got together unlike the previous adaptations.
Good thing you continued watching BOF and judged it fairly for what it is and avoided comparing it to the previous versions. Sure this version had so many logical flaws, yet it’s addiction is apparent.
Will be reading more of your comments for future dramas and hopefully another one like BOF or Coffee Prince that entertains its viewers and will even drive some to insanity for the weekly waiting time.
The pool scene will always be playing in my mind from now on. And may be whenever I see a swimming pool, I’ll remember BOF definitely. No other version can top that! Its an originally breathtaking scene. From the way she fell stiffly to the way she was like waiting for him to come and save her was shot beautifully and with that music playing in the background.. She really believed in him. I really don’t know how to describe this feeling… Shiver down to my spine. I kept playing that scene over and over again… and yes I still get that shiver feeling… GOOD JOB! Excellent! BRAVO! What an awesome way to bring those couple back together. And to me I’ve reach my satisfaction already… even that crappy CPR thing won’t draw the awesomeness of this pool scene… Just amazing.
That was some DEEP insights, JAVABEANS!!!
Thanks alot for all the recaps for this drama.
I really enjoyed reading it all. Especially your thoughts on each episodes.
And you were right, I haven’t been entertained following a drama in a while.
And I’m glad this is the drama that gave me the emotional insanity.
Thank you, thank you, and thank you again!!
God bless!! ^_^
WEH!!!!!!!!!! WEH WEH WEH WEH WEH!!!!!! *SOB!* *SOB!* *SNIFF* *SNIFF* *COUGH* *COUGH* *COUGH* *sniff* *sniff*…. WEH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I’m sorry *cough* for the overcrying…* sniff* But that’s how I really felt *gasp* *cough* after I read finish the last *cough cough cough* *sniff* word in your recap…*sob* *sob* *sob*
Bye BBF… *SOB!!*
I feel so emotional…
I was really frustrated about the ending after having spending one hour watching it live that I just didn t want to watch it again (in HD format
)
But your comments made me realize that I was overly angry about some aspect and I just might give it another chance ….so yeah I am going to watch it again.
The conclusion of these 3 months of BOF :
-At my age (adult and mature) I can still enjoy and fangirling over this flowers’s Boys
-The drama could have been better filmed but well everything is over. Still give me a taste of bitterness that all the potential of actors, story haven t been fully used and have been wasted cos of products markketing obviously it was a big field of stuff promotion: mobile, hollydays places, food, sports, clothes, shoes…
-I really dislike how PD and the scriptwriter made me hate JH! the other version, i fully respected and was charmed by JH/rui character but here I cringed my teeth when I watched him! Stalker and Soulmates begins with a S so I really pity JH for not having his own life while he was so skillfull and instead stalking at JD.
….
I have tons to say ..;
OVERALL I want to THANK YOU. Your blog kept and will keep me entertained.
Ahhhhh, the rollercoaster ride is finally over! I’m pretty sad that this drama is over actually, I think I need to check into a BBF anonymous or something. It’ll take me a while to get over it lol. I thought the ending was satisfying if not fantastic. I thought it tied all the loose ends together well, but I would loved to have seen how the whole GJP’s dad and Madam Kang situation was resolved. Still, very satisfying and it wasn’t a cliched ending which is even better (although in my head I wished they did get married and have little curly haired GJP kids running around!) Perhaps if they had just extended it for one more episode I would’ve been completely happy.
Also, I KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO PLAY ALMOST PARADIIIIIIIISE IN THE FINAL EPISODE! I was hoping for it actually because I was kind of missing it myself! I’m glad they did because in a way the song just completes the ending. Argh, what am I going to do on Mondays and Tuesdays now? Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou dramabeans for your wonderfully insightful and entertaining recaps and thankyou to all the people who have written here as well. I have truly enjoyed reading all your comments and will miss fangirling and complaining with all of you. I just can’t believe it’s over!!!!!!!!!! You’ve been one HELL of a rollercoaster ride BBF and despite your many flaws, i’ve enjoyed every minute of you and will definitely add you to my DVD collection. Until next time!
Thank you, Javabeans, for all of your recaps and BBF related posts. Thank you for entertaining me these last 3 months. Thank you for your sarcasm. Thank you for all your insights. Thank you for making me laugh. Thank you for your songs. Thank you. Thank you. And thank you x 100. You will forever be the best blogger I will ever know.
(And I’ll still come back your your Iljimae recaps.)
All in all, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Thank you so much!
Kamsahamnida, Unnie!
Oh, and the pool scene was BLOODY FANTASTIC.
I felt a swirl of emotions just watching it and I think it must be the best scene throughout the entire series. GHS and LMH performed wonderfully and beautifully. It was just so damn acted and I cried a bucket when GJD was telling GJP about the man he was when they were together. One of my favourite scenes EVER. Just beautiful.
I have been one of the silent followers of your blog. But I am really thankful for all your digressions and insights. I took a class in Cinematic Arts in college under Humanities 101. Aside from dissecting, critiquing, watching film after film and making reports, the thing that stuck to me is our professor’s instruction that the first time you watch a film, just enjoy it for what it is. Next time, watch it and dissect it. I’ve done the first part – enjoying it. Now, I dunno if I still want to dissect it. But who knows, maybe after a month or two…after the BBF withdrawal syndrome has subsided. Maybe not, when there’s another fun film to enjoy. And BBF is a fun film with a very big plus – ogling those hot F4 boys and discovering (new) talents to watch out for!
Oh, and the pool scene was BLOODY FANTASTIC.
I felt a swirl of emotions just watching it and I think it must be the best scene throughout the entire series. GHS and LMH performed wonderfully and beautifully. It was just so damn acted and I cried a bucket when GJD was telling GJP about the man he was when they were together. One of my favourite scenes EVER. Just beautiful. *Goes back and re-watches it again*
Thank you so very much for your brillant reviews.
I’ve looked forward to them just as much as I anticipated the episodes. In contrast to some of the eps, however, you never failed to impress. Kudos!
I’m aready looking forward to your next project
i’m so so so disappointed in the end of this drama!
)
i thought reAlly really big things gonna happen
but,
actually NOTHING happened
same with other NORMAL dramas.
so, i recon that this was not that good drama as i thought.
okok
anyway,
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!
just so difficult to say goodbye…
after watching the finale for the third time, I must say that your recaps always add more depth to the scenes than could ever have been hoped for by the PD or writer. such as the pool scene – when I first watched it last night, the scene simply tugged at my heartstrings. but after reading your thoughts about what moved Jandi to risk her life like that – her faith in Jun Pyo, and her belief in their love – made the scene so much more poignant. and it made me love that scene so much more.
and I simply loved the callbacks. It brought back all the wonderful lost memories and it reminded me of why I fell in love with this show.
what a glorious mess indeed! makes it all the more endearing, warts and all. gonna miss F4 and Jandi so much.
well it over and made a lot of money but yes the acting is never going to win any awards..then again it just may as korean awards seem more related to how much money they make rather than actual acting skills.
A word on Ji-hoo, I do not think he ever really thought Jan-di would every take him on as a lover, it was enough for him to be by her side…thus the doctor bit, I believe he mentions more than once that his grandfather was not the only reason for changing his major to medicine ie to be close to Jan-di and if needed protect her, but as always she isn’t really taking much notice and then of course Jun-pyo turns up.
THANKS FOR THE RECAPS @>—
It was very entertaining for me. I will really miss this drama. Nice ending:)
THANK YOU FOR ALL THE RECAPS!
i totally agree with you. the music and everything was nice BUT the arrangement
was a mess.
hmm. but it’s kinda addictive,no?
maybe the thought of being an average girl and having 4 handsome and rich guys by your side give it appeal?
haha.
btw. i toally love the pool scene. the acting was great. but it kinda reminded me of the taiwan drama wang zi bian qing wa
i have a lot of frustrations, i’ll just list a few that could be pointed out.
ABOUT SOEUL THAT IS.
- why on earth did they not kiss? haha XD they could do it in front of the children and tell them not to peep (but cannot not peep). or OPTION 2 Yi Jung, why not pull her out of the classroom and then make out? puahaha . I am the greediest now?
- why wasn’t the best friend at the graduation at least.
- why wasn’t the best friend at the beach scene and then hold hands with your ahjussi (ehem! Yi Jung).
I KNOW! I am very greedy~
Thank YOU for all your wonderful thoughts and analysis. You never disappoint me. We all have our individual thoughts on this wonderful and entertaining series but I find your analytical style is more objective, down to earth and somewhat pleasant. I read the Economist for the latest insights on politics and business for K-Drama insights I read DramaBeans! I hope you’ll share your thoughts on Kim Sun Ah’s City Hall.
Sent my mom in law of to the airport not being able to focus on her leaving town but of how i thought the ending sucks at certain point. However the swimming pool scene and how Junpyo got back his loving memory of Jan-di, to me was an painkiller. I got refreshed of that scene that I repeatedly watch it from the net. Jan-di is faithful despite the denial. Ahhh! The Horror of denial! But It is a freaking good scene. The Flashbacks was also sweet to me!
Had a discussion with my sister & my mother and they sent their frustration over the “Glorious Mess” the ending had been. Agreed! But sadly, BOF is over and done. Nothing to look forward too on Monday & Tuesday but Javabean, I will always be here to read more of your episode recaps (for other dramas).
Honestly, I will miss Lee Minho, Kim Hyun Joong, Kim Bum, Kim Joon & Hye-Sun. I will miss being dizzy and smiling crazily @ work, making foolish mistakes just thinking of what will happen next.
Goodbye… Jun-pyo, Jan-di, Ji-hoo, Woo-Bin, Yi-jung & the rest!
Thank you sooo much! I always came here right after i watched the episode to read your recaps ‘CUZ THEY’RE JUST AWESOME. 너무너무 수고 많이하셨습니다!!!
AHHH! Finally, this comes to an end.
I’m satisfied with the ending, but i think it could be better,
i was hoping for a wedding or sumthing..(hahahha).Anyways,
I LOVE THIS DRAMA, despite the horrible acting, it is very entertaining.
thanks a lot for the update.. i can sleep well tonight..
I’m surprised you didn’t mention Ji Hoo in the pool scene. I thought it was great how his scene played out. Even though he knew Jan Di was in danger, he stopped the crowd from jumping into the pool to help her; including himself. This shows that his faith in Jun Pyo’s love for Jan Di were not just words & it probably took a lot of restraint on his part to keep from saving her himself. Just wanted to point that out. =]
Thanks for the awesome recaps! Can’t wait till your next drama recaps! =D
Javabeans, what do you mean when you say that the taste thing deviated from the manga?
I didn’t read the manga so I wouldn’t know how it deviated from there.
But in Hana yori Dango 2, when Domyouji had selective ammesia, he did not remember Makino just by tasting her cookies. He felt there was something wrong but he didn’t remember,
What I liked there is that Domyouji was bothered with Makino’s presence although he can’t understand why. And when he found out that Makino was in danger, he went to rescue Makino although he couldn’t remember her because they had a special connection.
Here, Jun Pyo cannot remember Jan Di and he did not save Jan Di, although he was closest to her, until he actually remembered her. That’s a little sad considering he can’t forget Jan DI’s sad face.
Or when you say that BOF deviated from the manga, you mean he had to remember her first before he can save her?
thanks for recapping this series.
javabeans–thank you times a bzillion for your recaps! i started grad school this spring, and it has KILLED my time…so you don’t even realize how much i looked forward to your recaps mondays and tuesdays. i have thoroughly enjoyed every part of this series due in part to your wonderful recaps. BBF was certainly a glorious mess, but it was also as you said: entertaining, emotionally provocative, excitement-inducing, enjoyable to watch and rewatch and participate in fan culture. i look forward to rewatching it on dramafever with WithS2’s excellent subs! thanks so much–your hard work has definitely NOT gone unnoticed and is so dearly appreciated by me and your many loyal readers!
Me too, loving the pool scenes. Wow…. I even cried…… so touching….it different from japan series. Love the drama……. Thank U for the recap.
Thanks dramabeans!!! I agree – I was completely and totally entertained for the bad, worst, and best of this series. Watching dramas is supposed to be entertaining – sometimes the PTB forget that. I can only hope the rest of this years dramas will be as entertaining.
i was wondering, you know all the bbf instrumental songs played in the last few episodes, do you know where we could download or buy it from ?
THankss a heap!
x
eh, I know its a bit in advance, but are you going to do the review/summaries for the drama ‘IRIS’ later this year??? Please?????
I’m already missing Jun-pyo and his smile.
Hope BOF has season 2 like its Japanese and Taiwanese counterparts.
Thanks for the wonderful recaps Javabeans!
I’ll admit… this drama kind of lost me around episode 18-22. At one point, I really REALLY wanted to strangle the writer. They dragged the angst on for far too long, and focused too long on the relationships that were doomed for failure (JH/JD and JK/JP). And like you said, I never got drawn into the JH/JD “romance” like so many other fans did… so although KHJ’s acting did improve, I never felt the chemistry that the two supposedly shared, nor did I want to. (And never once did I buy the whole “Ji Hoo is Jan Di’s “soulmate” thing). So, for me, all of the scenes they shared together, doing things that normal K-drama couples usually do, just dragged on and on and on… while making me want to throw something at the screen.
At times, I felt like the writer was a huge Makino/Rui shipper, and tended to focus too much on them… or make Ji Hoo much more important than he should have been. I felt like a strong part of Jan-di was missing. She stopped being able to take care of herself (one of the characteristics of her personality I always loved) and got too used to having Ji Hoo to lean on. In the beginning I can understand. But to keep doing it, over and over again… it gets old, really fast. It really tipped the scale in an unfair way… especially since Makino (in any version) is usually more than capable of taking care of herself, and not weeping every time she’s upset or hurt.
I think the writer forgot that this is a love story between Jun Pyo and Jan Di… not Jan Di and Ji Hoo. I can’t help but wonder how amazing this drama would have been had a competent writer and director been at its helm.
Luckily, I was very satisfied with the ending (especially, since I had so many nightmares over how horribly they had the potential to screw it up). And finally, after 6 or 7 episodes, it felt like an important part of the original characters I had started to love (and miss) had come back. The Jan Di at the pool was the Jan Di I wanted to cheer for. It’s just too bad they hadn’t kept her personality consistent throughout the whole drama.
As always, thank you so much for your recaps. I enjoyed a majority of this drama, even though I wouldn’t exactly call it a good adaptation, or a great drama in general, it was fun. Reading your insights always made it more entertaining and enjoyable. So thanks for adding something to the Boys Before Flowers experience. I can’t wait to see what you recap next. ^_^
Ohhh oh oh, the void.. I miss BBF =(
Thanks A lot once again JB/DB for making this experience a lot better and fun.. Hope to see your recaps for another series soon!
[P.S. I miss my previous comment here O_o]
Ahh, tear! It’s over! Thanks for bringing the drama (even more) to life.
‘glorious mess’ – I could not agree more.
hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii! i know this is annying but i really want to know!!!
I was wondering, you know all the bbf instrumental songs played in the last few episodes, do you know where we could download or buy it from ?
THankss a heap!
x
yayyy! thanks a lot javabeans!!!!
thank goodness it’s over! i was also really satisfied with the last episode.
thanks for your hard work! and LOVED your commentaries, even when your opinions diverged from mine. but hey, that’s the beauty of opinions and minds, right? THANKS AGAIN! haha and i actually liked that they brought back Almost Paradise in the end. heehee
Thank you Javabeans.I will miss BBF but mostly your recaps/comments and the fan’s reactions after each episode.I guess its difficult to go back to reality with nothing to look forward for each week.Hopefully,there will be another Kdrama that will find as addictive and exciting as BBF. Just hope that they make a movie that will show the wedding of JP and JD. Just wondering if Madame Kang had accepted JD already. The pool scene kind of remind me of a pool scene in LOVERS IN PARIS.Both (LIP and BBF) scenes were beautifully executed. I was also wondering if Grandpa is still alive as JD mentioned something like about re opening the clinic to JH. About JH, Kim Hyun Joong’s acting had greatly improved and can be attested by a lot of shippers to JD/JH boat. The writers did a good job of showing JH character at peace with JP/JD relationship, so we did not feel so bad for him towards the end. I still have a feeling that his character will still be waiting for JD forever
. To go back to our BBF memory lane, Defroster9 had a series of BBF videos at you tube that will make us reminisce of our addiction to this drama.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YL1DbYwlO-0
it WAS a wonderful glorious mess, but still a mess that i loved.
thank you javabeans… for allowing us to convene and share our thoughts about this drama together here…
@73
“Anyway – thanks BOF Korea! Excellent, satisfactory ending. Thanks for 25 hours of laughter-giddy-exciting-fangirly-yelling-angry-teary-depressed-warm-and-fuzzy-happiness-and-other-completely-random-logical-illogical induced feeelings of insanity.…”
you forgot about the drinking game that was abandoned halfway through the series…..
that last picture of JaeKyung is the perfect way to say goodbye to the BBF phenomenon….. with a satisfied and happy smile….
I’m sure a bunch of people already mentioned it, but they sooo left it open for a movie. I wouldn’t be surprised at all to hear about it in the next few months.
Thanks for recapping the whole series Javabeans! ^^ Although we didn’t really have the same opinions on some parts, I still loved your reviews!
Hmmm. I’m kinda “disappointed” [not in a really negative way] with the SoEul pairing…. I just feel that the ending could’ve been more giggly with a little more elaboration and sweetness. Ehehe.
Anyhoots, I think this drama was satisfactory. It’s a feel good one, and satisfies most of your fangirling tendencies… Gah~ I love fanservice!!
I totally agree with you that BOF is not a good drama. It is pity because it has a high potential to be the best version but didn’t make it due to the “wrong” turn in the second half: long finacee arc, unnecessary scenes of Ji Hoo and Jan Di, no transitions between scenes, .etc.
Honestly, the only thing that kept me following this drama to the end is its unique Seoulmates loveline even though their screentime is not that much. I’m quite happy that they have a very different ending compared to other versions.
Thanks a zillion dramabeans! Was always on the lookout for your recaps first before watching the video. It really really helps me to understand the drama better. Your interpretation of the script and commentary have always been insightful. Although I may not agree in totality but I truly appreciate your hardwork. Many people, my boss included felt that BOF is for teenagers but during such gloomy times, BOF with the eye candies help to take our mind away. Thanks Again.
I’m relieved, I loved the ending ! That would have been such a pity if BOF ended badly… Glad it didn’t happen. Anyway, thank you so much for your recaps ! I love reading you, and my BOF experience was so great thanks to you >w< This drama was really entertaining, and the past few months have been awesome with all this BOF insanity. I’ll miss it…
And from what I recall, in My Girl, they actually used Brahms’ Hungarian Dance n°5. While in this harp performance, they’re playing Mozart’s 40th symphony. Well, perhaps I’m completely wrong, sorry if that’s the case ^^”
Anyway, thank you once again !
Thank you Dramabeans!
And as for the length of you posts; the longer the better! Hehehe
What you said about BBF being a “glorious mess” is the perfect way to describe it. So flawed yet so entertaining. There was always a voice inside my head that kept protesting at each and every illogical plot contrivance. The voice would say; but this doesn’t make any sense! Stop watching! Then, my inner fangirl would slowly sneak up behind the logical little voice inside my head, and beat it senseless.
I am going to miss this drama. I really hope we get to see cast in other roles.
The PD overplaying of JiHoo and Jandi relationship is a bad smokescreen. Somehow, we can guess or rather hope that it would be Junyo-Jandi ending. Jihoo’s acting has matured over the series but the choice of KHJ is brilliant as his warm smile is so comforting and melts away all the sorrow. But, Of all the characters, there was no storyline for WooBin. Such a pity.
Thank you so much for the past three months! I eagerly await your recaps each morning and I am so thankful for them because I love it. I will sure miss this thread because I did enjoy BOF. Hope to see more future recaps on other series Javabeans. You rock!
I thank you as well for as always giving insightful reviews and letting me see what my untrained eyes cannot see as a drama enthusiast. hehehehe I really enjoyed reading your blog posts.
Just have to add my thanks for all the fantastic recaps – they made the whole insanity of the BBF experience so much more enjoyable, and I think by the end here I’ve been looking forward to the recaps almost as much as the episodes!
I did love the last episode. I had a lot of fear that it would take the horribly predictable course of so many other dramas but I really felt like they did a great job with it.
This show has been like crack (and nearly as unhealthy for the brain!), and now I have a feeling I’m going to be having withdrawal symptoms soon!
thanks for all the summaries… really enjoyed it very much… hope to read your summaries for another drama… thanks again…
Thanks Javabeans for your recaps. I waited faithfullly every Monday and Tuesday nights for them, the last time I did it was last year’s Hong Gil Dong. Yes, I definitely agree with you. It wasn’t the best drama, but it makes me sad that it is over, albeit that it was time for it to end. It is the madness and craziness, but above all, it takes me away from all the daily stresses temporarily and just enjoy it, I mean really enjoy it, for the heck of it, without dissecting it into little pieces the reasons why. Yes, I am a die hard Hana Yori Dango fan and will probably be one until the day I die. But I love this drama (no comparison to the JP or Taiwanese ones because each has its own merits and I am a fan of all 3) because it brings together fans of all age and make us laugh and cry with it weekly. People also complain that it’s not logical here and there, and all I can say is, well, it’s not supposed to be completely logical, and that’s why we are so addicted to it. But I still find myself question from time to time what it is about this manga that brings out the addiction in me, in all 3 adaptations, regardless of how much I have aged since the first one. I guess sometimes it just IS.
I was reading at the Soompi forums about how people hate the ending, and I didn’t watch because I was waiting for WITH S2 subs. But after reading your recaps, there are bits and pieces that fit together and it makes more sense to me now. So I am looking forward to the subtitles so I can watch the last 4 episodes all at once. I watch enough Korean dramas to know that there’s no such thing as ‘explicit endings’ therefore these nuances and hints are good enough for me to be a happy camper. Of course it’s always a Jun Pyo and Jan Di’s ending, and with a “Yi Jung and Ga Eul” topping on top is a great bonus.
And last but not least, of course the F4 boys are so easy on the eyes too so what more can you ask for?
And I can’t leave off the OST. As cheesy as it is, I love it. Love the cheesiness of some songs, love the beat, but most of all, love the feelings I have while driving and listening to it. And I don’t even understand a word of it, except for the ‘almost paradise’, and ‘making your smile’ and ‘crying for you’, ‘missing for you’ and ‘waiting for you’, and even these sometimes make no sense but who cares. Just love it, love the OST in spite of it.
Again, thank you Javabeans for the ‘annual’ addiction. I wonder what next year’s drama will be and I look forward to the recaps, as always.
It was a great run no matter how flawed it was. And I’m happy for the SeoEulmate couple because the ending of the show seems to be just the beginning for them. Aieee!
Thanks, Dramabeans! I always looked forward to your recaps, I love the way you write, it always stirs one’s emotions.
Now, I’m moving on. Per your recommendation, I’m watching Soulmate. =)
i was afraid to read this episode recap cause it would be a spoiler…but i’m glad after all. i think it ended pretty well and it would drive me to watch it.
thank you javabeans for your dedication! i had much fun reading ur recaps. at first i was hesitant to watch bof, but with ur writings, u have convinced me otherwise. haha…it’s been a good ride! thanks!
now to watch all of it!
p/s: i think BOF has one of the best drama resolutions ever!
I’m not usualy like…actually..I’m never like that…but..
I’m feeling really touched right now.
THANK YOU FOR RECAPS!
THANK YOU BBF!!!
Loved being part of this den of BOF addicts. I don’t want to go into rehab! THANK YOU for the recaps that was part of my weekly fix. Hope it’s not too long for all us to get together again.
I’m will miss the drama, the casts… and everything about Boys Over Flower… bye2 BOF…
BTW, thanks dramabeans…
i really enjoyed reading your posts…
the pool scene reminded me of (sorry, had to use the Philippine names…mianhae) Vivian’s pool scene in Lovers in Paris…
(I could almost see it now…)
JD: Do you know how to swim? ‘Coz you know, I don’t
(which by the way, contradicted itself since JD is a swimmer with the bad shoulder…but I like her question if she were Vivian…)
oh, reminds me, the Philippines is currently in production for the “Lovers in Paris” remake…
and I hope BBF will be nice here in teh Philippines…
love love LOVE the pool scene exhange between JanDi and JunPyo! I just loved it! HKS did an great job in excuting the whole scene.
Overall, this series was good but not great. I like the plot of HYD better but BFF hung in there.
Best scenes throughout series
1 pool scene with Jandi
2 Macau bridge with JunPyo and Jandi
3 kidnapped and rescuing scene between JD and JP
thanks javabeans for all your delightful recapps! not to mention hardwork! Until the next one.
Now I’m just waiting for your drama rating of bbf
Thanks for recap. I have downloaded all recap and will print it out and as keep it as scrap book on BBF. Wished you could have done the same for Coffee Prince.
Knowing the end was near (and amnesia in the plotline), I waited 2 agonising days to watch eps 24-25 in one go. Surprisingly, I found this easier to endure than NOT reading your ep 24 recap, Javabeans! LOL
Anyway, Javabeans, gazillion thanks for your swift updates, insights, sarcasm and the BBF drinking game! The past 3 months were absolutely giddy fun!
In the words of the Mousekeeters: “Now’s the time to say good bye, to all our company…”
Until the Chinese Hanadan, perhaps, or the BBF special(s)!
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
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.
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…
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!
WHY THE HELL DID HE HAVE TO GO STUDY IN AMERICA??!!!!!
Just study in Korea god damn it!!!!!!!! Argghhhhh.
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!
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!
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!
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!
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!
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.
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!”
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 ~~
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.
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
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??!)
#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?
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.
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.
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)
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.
@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!
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)
Oh, and why no What Woo Bin’s Been Up To scene 4 years later?
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
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…
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..
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
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!
This blog is the best Korean entertainment blog ever. Thanks for the recaps.You made my BBF experience all the more enjoyable!
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!
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…
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)
>>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
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
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 !
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!
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
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.
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!
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
thank you!
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!
oh shoot! now am 239th-240th!!!
jeez!!!!
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!
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!
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:
* 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 Ji hoo ever-patient expressions of love to Jandi, the pool scene conclusion to the amnesia arc and a lot more personal ones
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!
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!
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!
Thank you =)
for all the time spent in this drama.
^^
bff always up!
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:
* 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!
you are AMAZING. thank you so much. and you have a real knack for writing commentaries – they’re very insightful and interesting.
YOU ARE AMAZING
Goodnight Sweet Prince ;___;
It was goofy and cheesy but fun and hell and I loved it. Now I’m gonna have to wait like another year or more before we can all squee at the next big thing
Wait, wasn’t someone planning on turning Bride of the Water God into a drama or is that just a rumour?
Sigh, I miss BBF already
thanks for the recap javabeans…i had as much fun reading your recaps as i did watching this drama
BTW…. I DIDNT LIKE THE CPR SCENE AT THE POOL!!!!!! THAT WAS A QUICK CLOSED MOUTH TO MOUTH CPR! LOL!
AM GLAD JIHOO WILL BE A DOCTOR, HE WILL KNOW THE PROPER CPR!!!
(hehe…just me again missing jihoo…)
i miss f4 and jandi already.
OH MY BABIES
JUNPYO JANDY JIHOO YIJUNG WOOBIN MADAM KANG MR JUNG
BYEBYE
sigh ; ;
My mondays and tuesdays will now be so empty.
I really enjoyed watching it.
THANKS A LOT
Throughout this whole series I never once cried but the pool scene was pretty darn good that I was getting a bit teary eyed. Agree that the part when Jan-di fell in the water was beautifully done. Overall I was satisfied with this ending. For a show that has frustrated me a bit, I was pleased about this final episode. As far the the change of heart of Mama Kang, it would have been nice to see her lose her cold exterior in front of her children and even a moment with Jan-di showing that she was somewhat pleased or finally accepting of her. I think that’s what I liked in the Japanese version of this show when Domuji’s mother finally made an effort (season 2) to be cordial with Makino at the end even though she barely spoke a word.
Thanks for all the wonderful recaps for this show Javabeans. Now that this show is over I can finally have a normal Monday and Tuesday night without having to be hunched over my computer waiting for the new episodes of BBF to come out.
WHAT WILL I DO NOW? NO MORE BBF !!! MONDAY & TUESDAY WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. I WOULD ALWAYS LOOK FORWARD TO READING YOUR RECAPS. THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK.
I WANTED TO SEE MORE OF JUNPYO’S DAD & HOW HE WAS RECOVERING. BUT I WONDER WHAT MADE MAMA KANG CHANGE? MAYBE A COMBINATION OF JUNPYO’S ACCIDENT & HER CHILDREN FINDING OUT THAT THEIR FATHER WAS STILL ALIVE?
JIHOO BEING A DOCTOR? WHERE DO I HAVE TO GO TO GET MY CHECKUP? I’M GLAD HE WILL BE A DOCTOR SO HE CAN TAKE OVER HIS GRANDPA’S CLINIC. THE MUSIC PART……I HOPE HE DOESN’T GIVE UP ON THAT. GOOD TO SEE THAT EVEN THOUGH HE KNOWS HE AND JANDI WILL NEVER HAVE A ROMANTIC RELATIONSHIP, HE STILL REMAINS A GOOD FRIEND TO HER.
TRUE TO HIS WORD, YIJUNG DID SEEK OUT GAEUL FIRST. I AM GLAD THAT THE TWO OF THEM WILL HAVE A CHANCE TO BE TOGETHER.
I WONDER WHAT WOOBIN WAS UP TO DURING THOSE 4 YEARS????
I DO LOVE THE FACT THAT F3 SHOWS UP AT THE END TO SEE JUNPYO PROPOSING TO JANDI. IT SHOWS THAT THEY ARE ALL STILL BEST FRIENDS EVEN THOUGH 4 YEARS HAVE GONE BY. I GUESS THAT NO MATTER WHAT….GOOD TIMES AND BAD….THEY WILL BE THERE FOR EACH OTHER FOR SUPPORT.
I LOVE THAT PICTURE OF F4 AND JANDI AT THE BEACH LOOKING AT THE OCEAN.
I AM HAPPY WITH THE ENDING BUT SAD AS TO WHAT I WILL WATCH ON MONDAY’S AND TUESDAY’S.
THANKS AGAIN JAVABEANS !!!
The highlight for me was “ALLLLLLMOOOOSSST PARAAAADISEEEEEE!” Cause there ain’t nothing to sweeter to know that it’s over.
I’ll admit i had fun bitching at the TV for allowing BOF to air.
But I’m glad for the eye candy.
Wait but what the hell happened to the Woo Bin epilogue? I want to know if my sexy wanksta ended up with a girl or two, or became like super gangster like they ddi with Akira in HYD. -_-
I’m excited for Triple bby!
AND “ALMOST PARADISE” SONG CAME BACK TOO…. LMAO!!!
IT WAS ALMOST SAYING, “HELL NO!I WONT BE LEFT FORGOTTEN… YOU WILL HEAR ME NOW!!!”
OH MY GOD… THAT. WAS. AH-MAZING!!!
I’m so saddd that it’s over. :’(…. You’re so awesome. THANK YOU SOO MUCH.
Ugh. Yumi’s behavior annoyed the fuck out of me the entire time. She’s…. so clingy! But sweet ending. <3
thank you so muchhhhh!
wow… what an end to the drama.
Only complaint (to add to your and the comments): Why does Hyun Joong look like Yon-sama by the end of the drama XD
aigoo! I think this girl on Misuda said it best when she said that people mostly watch the drama for the boys…
…I’m going to miss seeing all of these pretty faces in one place XD
THANK YOU!
i lovv this drama and i will miss it
but i wil stil read ur recaps
Thank u for ur faithful posting that had reaally kept me entertained for the past few months!
I feel sad coz the drama ends.. But No matter what,
No Matter where they may be.. I will Alwaya support the F4..
Ik Ben trots of de F4 en Jan Di..
With all the LoVe from Amsterdam..
Louise..
the pool scene totally reminded me of lovers in paris…
haha she falls back into the pool on purpose to see if he’ll save her.
XD
beautiful review javabeans!!!
i just wished you would have cursed off that little ungrateful bitchy Yumi or whatever. seriously, i wanted to beat the bitch crap out of her!
OMG!!!!
I was gone for the past week, with no access to my computer. I was going crazy.
But I finally got to see the last few episodes and the final. I loved it.
I love the fact that they didn’t go all out and have Jandi and Junpyo in wedding attire. Their promises to each other was enough.
Also, loved the part when Jandi was dancing with F3 and her thoughts on them. Mostly, I adored the part when Jan di & Jun pyo are on the (”elevator”?). I didn’t see what the writing on the wall was at first, but the whole scene was cute and charming.
SO SAD that it is over T_T
But happy that they finally got a break, poor actors.
Can’t wait till I can get it on DVD.
Thank You for posting the reviews.
kim hyun joong was acting wierd on purpose through the course of the drama.
Boys over flowers first filmed scene was actually the macau scenes 0because usually they do abroad scenes first
kim hyun joong was suppose to act stiff at first because he was still recovering from when he was previously *sick* from what happened to his parents and it was suppose to show how geum jandi was helping him get over it finally.
I think BOF production team should consider making BOF season two – with story highlighting Ee Jung & Ga Eul, plus Ji Hoo’s journey to find love, and more of Woo Bin… There’s a lot of potentials for good stories
Thanks for all you’ve done, Javabeans! love the way you write and present things.
Hmm, I gave up on this drama somewhere around episode 3 and despite the hype surrounding it, never picked it up again BUT I did make sure to come check out your reviews of the episodes and I have to say that this was the best one yet. You really write beautifully and it’s funny how you manage to mix eloquence with cute, fangirl-y prose. You choose nice caps too. So good job on recapping everything. It’s good to know you enjoyed the series so – and thanks to your comments, I might actually decide to finish the series someday. ^_^
you are amazing!!!!!!
i agree, this wasnt the best drama ever with a truly original plot and scripts
but it was so much fun anyways! so cute~
i loved all the actors and actresses even though some were bad
everybody just grew on you… like kim joon : )
hope they can all relax now ㅋㅋㅋ
first, thank you so much for making our viewing experience of bbf so much more enjoyable with your recaps! seriously, i check every mondays and tuesdays, no matter how late it is here on the east coast.
i personally felt the ending was kind of rushed, because everything flashes by so quickly after jp’s memory is jolted back to full gear. in addition, mama kang seemed to have agreed to their union too easily. however, i loved how multiple scenes played out, like the pool scene (so friggin touching!), the cable car convo, and jandi’s narration as she danced with f3. i was also very satisified with the soeul ending, because it was open-ended, but we knew they were gonna be together. although i was anticipating myself hating the amnesia arc, i was pleasantly surprised like dramabeans. for some reason, it just worked out beautifully. i also lovedddd the final shot. its got such an awesome feel to it.
about the drama overall, i have to agree with dramabean’s points. there were significantly more nice moments in the latter episodes, which is good i guess, since we’re left with a better impression. but i felt the drama really lacked quality in several fields, including music, pacing/storytelling, and characterization, esp. of jandi. everyone acted well, esp. our mighty junpyo, so im looking forward to seeing more of everyone in other works.
its been such a long journey, and ive had sooooo much fun getting emotionally invested into this drama. the quality isnt there, but i must say it is HELLA entertaining. esp. with the large number of viewers discussing it from all over the world. i seriously am having withdrawal symptoms. i miss all the characters sooo much. its been a helluva emotional rollercoaster, and ill be looking forward to my next batch of kdrama viewing!
Wow so I can honestly say I don’t have any real complaints about that episode. I think they did a great job of resolving things without once making me think, “Say what?” Nothing too far fetched and a few surprises.
I didn’t expect Jun-Hee to take over the company but I can see her and Jun-Pyo teaming up to creat a kinder, gentler Shinwa.
I didn’t expect to see Mama Kang retired and taking care of her invalid husband but I like the way they did it. They didn’t do a total character shift and turn her into Mrs Butterworth like a lot of dramas do. You just get the feeling that she’s rethought her priorities.
I didn’t expect Ji-Hoo to be a doctor (when they first showed him on the bus I thought he was just along for the ride) but it makes sense that, now that Jan-Di and Grandpa have drawn him out of his lifelong pity party, he’s found a purpose.
I did expect Jan-Di to be a little more put together after 4 years of maturing but I’m glad they didn’t make her super sophisticated .
I loved the way they did the amnesia fix. When I heard there was going to be a memory loss (I’ve never seen any other version) I was not thrilled because I’ve rarely seen this work well anywhere. But I actually like the way they did it here. It seemed almost plausible.
My only point of criticism would be this: Jun-Pyo get’s the girl, Yi-Jung and Ga-Eul get each other, Jan-Di gets the rich boyfriend and fulfills her dreams, Ji-Hoo gets his family back and a purpose in life, Jun-Hee gets the business, Mam kang gets her humanity, and Woo-Bin gets… what, a shoulder bag? The last image we get of our favorite gangsta talking F4-er is him watching the sunset holding a random man purse????? Not cool…
Lastly, I’m really going to miss F4. And not just because they are rich and hot (but, come on, they are rich and hot). Their dynamic when they were all together (or even F2 and F3) was just sooooo awesome that I really fell in love with them.
So long F4… ALMOST PAAAARIDISE… for the road.
I really enjoyed the insightful and entertaining writing our hostess in regard to this series. Having luckily stumbled upon Dramabeans during the days of Coffee Prince, I consider myself fortunate, in a world where many thing end up being less than satisfactory, to find something that is purely the work of a person’s heart that can be expressed so miraculously well, and yet it doesn’t cost me a plug nickel to partake of. So kudos to you and yours, Javabeans!
As for BOF, I originally tuned in (as was the case with Yoon Eun Hye in Coffee Prince) to seeing the sparkly, spunky, infinitely talented 90 pound human bucket of sunshine that is Goo Hye Sun. As I have become accustomed to receiving from her, I was a moved to smiles, tears, laughter, and poignancy in truckloads through the same sort of infectious sincerity that defines constantly both the actress and her character. I’d been down this road with Miss Goo during my original (and instant) infatuation with her character (”Yang Gukwha”) and it’s player a couple of years back during the heart-warming daily drama Pure in Heart and was only too happy to join her while she won the hearts of a new, uninitiated bevy of fans, many of whom were converted following their own initial ambivalence to both her and her portrayal of Guem Jandi. As with Pure in Heart, the unrelenting pluckiness and resolve of both the actress and her character was eventually fully capable of wearing down all but most obstinate of viewers. Boys Over Flowers was a nightmare of behind the scenes stressors, tragedies, and impossible obstacles, yet it ultimately succeeded because of two reasons; Its fans needed it to, and its players would not allow it not to. Boys Over Flowers is a bit like its main character, herself. No sacrifice was too much to make until the world around it was wearing the same grin that ultimately feels every bit coming as is does going. Happiness, warmth and compassion are gifts that should be initiated and shared with unrelenting enthusiasm. To settle for anything less is to commit treason to mankind itself.
The craze and devotion to this type of life-reaffirming fluff with resonance should never be taken too lightly. It has the same positive effects upon us as it does on the characters that we attach ourselves to. Good fantasy has its place as both and instructor and as a measuring stick which may be used for future and present reference. Belittle not the warmth that comes from losing one’s self in these stories and their players. Dance like no one’s watching…only those who can’t hear the music will think the dancers insane…
Thank you very much for the recaps dramabeans!
I really enjoy following them.
As for me, I LOVE this boys before flowers version compared to all the others asian version. I think that the actors were great…even tho sometimes the acting was not to the PRO point…but I really really LOVED it. I’m quite sad that it ended….BUT this ending…personnally…is actually pretty decent. It was REALLY well done. I cannot criticize it. Usually, i would just fast foward the end cause it long lasting recaps or just boring. But THIS ending just made me feel….GOOD!
LOVE IT!
imma gonna buy the DVD!!!!
THANK YOU BBF!!
P.S. I agree…WHY my girl sound?? tsk tsk tsk!
Although they didn’t mention anything about Jun-pyo’s parents agreeing to their marriage, I really wanted PD Jun Ki-sang to include something about it. I had a different take on it than you. I thought Jun-pyo and Jan-di were able to get married because of Jun-pyo’s recovering father. He showed in small gestures (finger movements) to let us know that he could hear and was listening to Jan-di talk to him. From those scenes, we can deduce that Jun-pyo’s father got to know Jan-di enough and could believe her to be a kind-hearted person. I thought it logical that if this genuine and good person is the love of your son’s life, then wouldn’t you agree to their marriage after you’ve recovered from a coma? And once he gives it the OK, then I don’ think there’s anything Madamn Kang can do to prevent it. I just wish they’d include this little bit though. You’ve mentioned a couple times in your recaps about the belief of the makers of BBF that we, devoted viewers, are stupid creatures. However, for once here, they didn’t show the actual scene and expected the viewers to be intelligent enough to understand that. But to me, it was an important closure that was needed to be shown on screen.
ANYWAY, the best things about BBF are Lee Min-ho and you, Javabeans! I couldn’t let go of a BBF episode without reading your recap on it every Monday and Tuesday nights. Thank you for being a great writer and I look forward to all of us falling in love with another drama and going crazy once again!
the community aspect of this drama is what caught me by surprise the most. it was nice to watch a show in a language i did not know with others to help me get a better understanding of culture and language. i will miss that the most.
as for the drama itself, the thing that stands out the most for me is JiHoo. don’t know if it my crush on KHJ or if it was the sweetness of the character. although i knew it was impossible for them to be together, i was rooting hard for Jandi and Jihoo, even though i didn’t think she deserved him. there was just that pining for a JiHoo in real life when you know you have a geninue character. he had his flaws, but he had his heroism.
maybe it’s the standpoint of not fully understanding the popular female lead characters in Kdramas, and being used to American television, that occasionally made me go “huh”. honestly if it wasn’t for Dramabean’s comments and recaps i would have missed how she usually stands up for others but not herself. it still doesn’t make much sense to me in how a girl with so much moxie in the beginning will tend to wait for someone to save her. it’s like there is an oxymoron within the character herself. this doesn’t include the Jandi after GJP dissed her after Macau. you can see a beaten down, tired emotionally and physically Jandi. my point, i just didn’t fully understand Jandi. she was more likeable in the beginning.
i guess that only adds to my lack of understanding, for most of the drama, of the love between Jandi and GJP. they came across as mostly adversaries who tolerated each other, than a potential relationship. it wasn’t until after the wedding where they spent the night together i really saw a connection. even when Jandi was kidnapped and GJP went after her it felt more like he went after her because it was his duty. the second time i felt that maybe there was something special between these two was at the end of the drama when he regained his memory. maybe part of my lack of understanding of this couple was also put on GJP. after she became his personal maid it was a slightly softer GJP, which was nice to see.
whomever gave the nickname Darth Mama, was right on! she was my favorite female character in the whole series. the woman who played her is amazing. i loved in Episode 24 where you can visually she her changing back to a human with a heart. after her daughter puts her in her place, then the accident GYP makes her see where she was wrong in how she was so cold, and Jandi’s warmth in opening the door to know her son’s secrets that you can’t have a PI find out. it was nice in the end with her sitting with her husband feeding him.
i’m sad that the drama has ended. and i thank those who gave me a lot of good recommendations to check out to continue my Kdrama addiction. i was satisfied with the ending (of course i didn’t read the manga and i only saw the ending of HYD and the movie).
it was nice that JiHoo got a happy ending in a way by carrying on Grandpa’s practice and remaining close to Jandi. I got a good feeling he wasn’t pining after Jandi anymore, but was more of a good best friend.
Gaeul and Yi Jung. at first didn’t like how they wrapped them up. but after reading Dramabeans thought that they both needed to grow up, all i could do is agree with that. Yi Jung still had his issues with women and family that he had to work out. and Gaeul had to just grow up and find who she was as a person. seeing Yi Jung come back and visit preschool teacher Gaeul was fitting.
poor Woo Bin. again he gets no love in this drama. he was a character who i seriously felt ashamed of in the beginning. (but i always feel a little embarrassed when i hear anyone speak American street slang/ebonics.) when kick butt WooBin came out it made me take notice. i loved the juxtaposition of the character being this future prince of the mob, yet being the peacemaker of the four. i was not happy with his ending. there was nothing. i know the drama wasn’t about WooBin, but it would have been nice to know what happened to him after four years (unless i totally missed something).
the pool scene was epic even if Jandi made herself a willing victim, i think i’ll overlook that because it made sense to help pull GJP out of his amnesia. i will admit i had to rewatch that scene several times because it was overshadowed by JiHoo’s running. haha. i watched WGM with KHJ and loved watching him run when he did the “Olympics” with Hwanbo (?). this time there was just something so goofy about it, especially when he stops and then holds everyone else back. i laughed. i laughed hard.
on that note. thanks for the nice introduction to Kdrama and Kpop.
True, this was one hell of a ride. BoF/BbF will forever be in my heart despite its flaws.
Javabeans, have you read the article (I read it on soompi and a media critic wrote it) on how the PD admitted that they didn’t have enough time to make the quality better. And also, he admitted that they made the visuals and settings better because he thinks that the audience will overlook the illogical plot lines as long as they like what they were seeing. Just what the heck is up with that?!
And so, the media critic also said that the production company should have invested more on the quality of the drama, not just the aesthetics part. I’m gonna try to look for the article again in soompi and post the link later so could read it too.
#273 Z
“Woo-Bin gets… what, a shoulder bag? The last image we get of our favorite gangsta talking F4-er is him watching the sunset holding a random man purse????? Not cool…”
LOL i totally agree!!!!
thanks for the recap!! : )
i really really enjoyed reading all of your bof recaps from episode 1 to episode 25!! : )
I’m really glad that the Ga-eul and Yi-Jung ending was changed a little in this drama ^.^ In all of the other works, it’s never really hinted that those two characters would end up together
Is it me or were all the pool scenes filmed in a 2 foot deep pool?
I loved your recaps! You said everything I thought & More. Will keep visiting to see what other series your are summarizing.
“Was Boys Before Flowers a GOOD drama?
Well, no” – ’nuff said, I agree 100%.
Found it, Javabeans. The link on the article. I just wanted to share this with you because I was really appalled when I read it, that the PDs admitted their own shortcomings.
http://www.soompi.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=226918&st=22760&p=12939141&#entry12939141
I’ll also post some bits that I found really astounding for telling the truth.
This is the title of the article, TV drama ends amid lingering popularity, controversy (posted by deka_if from Shin Hae_in of Yonhap News in BoF thread in soompi)
“We could do better if we were to make the drama all over again,” said Bae Jong-byung, the drama’s planning director, in a recent interview. “But we are quite satisfied with what we achieved the first time. We managed to create a brand new type of drama.”
The weak story was largely a product of the drama’s tight shooting schedule, producers said. “With the actors and actresses becoming so popular and busy, we had a hard time mapping out schedules that work for everyone,” the drama’s main producer Jun Ki-sang said. “While the plot might not have been dense enough, we did our best to create visually impressive scenes. Being a fantasy, I think audiences were ready to overlook some of the logical flaws as long as they liked what they were seeing.”
“I regret the fact we did not have more time to spend on the scenario and the overall story,” producer Jun said. “Everything was new to us as it was to viewers and we panicked. We hope we can manage to create something of a better quality next time.”
Dubbing the drama “an unexpected jackpot,” media critic Kang Myung-suk said producers should learn to be more patient in creating high-quality products. “‘Boys…’ could pull it off because it was the first of its kind, but viewers may not be so easily fooled next time,” he said. “Instead of focusing on short-term profits, producers should really think about spending more time, money and effort in creating something better.”
Need I say much?
I absolutely love the way Jun Pyo regained his memory. When Jan Di was at the pool, I was already predicting her throwing her necklace and falling in herself. But the whole speech.. I LOVED it. So good (: I admit to crying.. But my friend was crying and I can’t NOT cry when someone’s crying! But yeah. I also agree with the emphasis on Ji Hoo and Jan Di and the whole “soulmate” concept.. Their moments never really connected with me as well. But good wrap up (: Boys Before Flowers, you will be missed.
Thank u JAvabeans for your hard work through out all the craziness that was BBF every week, I had so much fun reading your recaps every week it was the highlight after watching every episode……THANK YOU…..please tell us what dramas should we watch out for in the future????????????
I loved loved this finale it was great for me they did a great job….eventhough I wanted Jundi wedding….I still love the ending…….hands down the best scene
“the pool” it was wonderfully done and acted by GHS and LMH they did a awsome job here… I got kind of teary when JD was talking to GJP ……and how GJP junp to save her ….totally love it…..I have watch the other versions but BBF did an oustanding job with this part of the plot……
Overall, the drama was great in my opinion it was very different from the other versions and had its unique moments. I would miss the show it was my addiction for the past 3 months….hope we have a BBF Wedding special it would be great…..so long BBF……”PARADISE”….indeed……..
thank you! great job! always love reading your blog!
Though i already watched Ep. 25..I really have good time reading your comments and i really like it. I too feel that there is a lot of shortcomings in the drama but still it is enjoyable. I guess it really made me hook in this drama is the first 12 episodes, it’s fast paced story made you looking forward to the next episode. If only the scriptwriter didn’t messed up with the characterization of the leads it would have been the best among the three versions. I feel that Scriptwriter is so conscious about the fans and it did somehow messed it up to please us. Story wise-JP version seems the most logical but Korean version sure is shows the life of rich and famous. The looks of the F4, dress and of course the places is a lot better that the other two. I also think that one big factor that it was successful is that LMH did a very good job in portraying GJP and i think the good working relationship of LMH and GHS somehow shows surprisingly chemistry on the screen. For sure I will miss it. Again..thank you for all your recaps.
Thanks so much for your great recaps!!! you are so incredibly thorough, it’s almost as good as rewatching the ep, and for some episodes, your recaps spare me the pain of actually having to watch
For such a fluffy, though very entertaining show, i think they did best overall job in the last couple episodes! I love the actress who plays Mama Kang (my hubbie has a cougar-crush on her as well). I think she’s like an asian Alexis Carrington-Colby! She also played Yul’s mom in “I’m Sorry I love you”, starring So Ji-Sub.
The only thing that i really bugged me was when Jun Pyo was giving Jandi mouth-to-mouth—-he didn’t even plug her nose! At least Jandi had done it correctly on him, on the flashback, which would have been a huge joke if she’s trying to be a doctor
Anyways, it’s always a pleasure reading your recaps. Thanks again!
btw, dramafever.com currently isn’t accepting any new registrants–boohoo, I had hoped to watch one of my old faves “Soulmate” again!
BOF has been a blast!
thank you Javabeans! i love reading your recaps that are always awesome and shed alot of light. it made watching BOF all that more special.
i truly enjoyed your recap…much to my astounishment that i get to finish my coffee beforehand, darn…sorry for the french.
i totally agree with you on most aspects.
im looking forward for more recaps on other kdramas….
for now, ill be back on my theatre addictions until the next drama unfolds…
toodleloo !!!!
in my opinion (sorry for my poor english)
i feel pity for some korean netizens and some website members related to kdrama.
(not yours~i love this website! javabeans~)
of course they coudn’t enjoy this show at all.
they already knew everything before airing(because of tons of spoilers)
every important lines, scenes, they knew everything and watched it.
THINK ABOUT IT.
how can it be good? how can it be better than those has beautifully imagined in thier brain. thier anger at PDs and writer was not fair. i felt pity for them, too.
i’m not saying this drama was good enough, but not as bad as netizens insisted. it was fun.
i realized this. in my opinion
if you really want enjoying some famous shows, just avoid famous drama websites.
i recommand you.
i usually enjoyed some websites. but this time for this drama.
i was exhausted with them.seriously. i know they help you a lot with some imfomation. but i think netizens are apt to exaggerate everything. you can be biased by them .
i started enjoying this show after avoiding important spoilers.
=( But waah.! I SO wanted Yi Jung and Ga Eul to kiss. T^T ~
Ty for your drama recaps. =) You put in so much effort and I commend you for that! -hugs-
So this is the end @_@ Must…find…other…things…to…watch…on…Mondays…and…Tuesdays…
o_o ;;
Thanks once again for the recaps!
This drama was so addictive it was crazy. Just like I KNOW junk good is not good for me but I still eat it cause it’s so yummy. This drama was flawed yet I still came back for more.
It was interesting to read the comment from ‘rora’ (@283) regarding the PD acknowledging the shortcomings. It is/was crazy to have such tight schedules. While perhaps they did not expect how the huge frenzy that resulted, but c’mon when you are adapting a much beloved Manga such as Hana Yori Dango (which has already had a proven ‘hit’ track record in the other drama adaptations) were they crazy to be so ignorant? If anything they should have wanted to ‘protect’ their investment with more appropriate scheduling. Perhaps PD = Perpetually Dumbass?
OK back to this episode. Loved how it was all tied up. Was a bit worried how they were going to cram so much in. Loved also how they deviated slighting from the ‘canon’ with Soeulmates. That was probably credit to the chemistry between the two actors – which was very sweet and cute.
Major thing that irked me was the JD falling into the pool. Sure it brought about the resolution to the amnesia storyline! Great! But WTF? To me it was indictive of how irritated I found this ver. of JD was at times. One minute she is gutsy, stands up for herself – next she was weak damsel in distress? Hello? Perhaps she needs to get a knock on her head too! Stick with gutsy JD! (OK sorry for rant but when I saw where that scene was leading to I was like ‘ No…No F……way!’)
Overall loved this drama – it was fun, crazy, cute (while it was sometimes annoying). Damn enjoyable. Shame they under utlizised Kim Joon – but looking forward to what the cast does in the future. Esp Lee Min Ho!
Thank you so much for your recaps/commentaries for this series!
I was hoping that you would talk about Ji-Hoo in the pool scene and the medical trip. In the pool scene, when Jandi fell into the pool, it looked like Yi-jung and Woo-bin were holding Ji-Hoo back? and that Ji-Hoo wanted to jump into the pool but was waiting for Junpyo to do it..
and the medical trip, when Jihoo and Jandi were talking, he said that his grandpa wasn’t the only reason why he was in med school, but they got interrupted by the little girl. I think Jandi was definitely the other reason why he wanted to be a doctor!
hehe thanks for all the good times
I LOVE HANA YORI DANGO..I LOVE BOYS BEFORE FLOWER….It’s fun for me to watch them both….that two drama have their characteristic…tx for the recap javabeans
thank you so much
i missed it already.
i really enjoyed this drama.
Thank you!! =)
thank you so much for the recap. This episode looks awesome! Though I won’t go through the turmoil of watching the entire series and watch Jandi and Junpyo struggle to the tune of cheesy music, I’m planning to watch this episode. It sounds like a great wrap-up. I like Jandi’s thoughts about the other F4 guys as she danced with them-emphasizing that yijung and woobin aren’t just wallpaper to the story of jandi x junpyo- but that they were truly cared for and loved by jandi through all this drama.
I also liked how they didn’t conclude right after Junpyo and Jandi were together at namsam tower but had them wait out 4 years so that they each can pursue their own dreams. so much more believable this way and a good message to the audience- don’t have your entire life revolve around your s.o.- follow your own dreams too.
@rora- i think the PD also faced a lot of trouble when so many loud, obtrusive crazy fans are there to make production really difficult. What would have taken 4 hours when left alone could take up to twice as long with the fan disruption. And if the episode didn’t get in on time, then the production could have faced a lot of trouble. a lot of potentially good dramas are ruined by time constraints, but if they filmed it before showing and the whole thing became immensely popular (as it did), then they would have to deal with people posting up illegal copies of future episodes and spoilers. I hope he keeps to his word and produce something in amazing quality next time!
thank u dramabean for the recape,really cant wait to see the final ep. at kbs world..i thought the ending will be jan di married with joo pyo but he only prupose at jan di..hahahaha but i think BOF korea version is more exciting then other,,hahaha go HANGUK BOF
Argh.. i can’t believe that it’s over!! haha.. Im glad tt KHJ’s acting improved in the end! Hope I can see him again acting in some other drama.. I hope Korea will follow suit in doing an adaptation for shows like Hana Kimi or It started With a Kiss… hahahaha… All these will be a nice change for the korean romance drama scene, where its always about contracts with an exception of a handful. I’ve always liked manga’s storylines!! they are like fantasies for any girl!! hahaha… Hope I’ll get swept away by such a craze again!! In e end, I love all 3 versions of Hana Yori.. and am glad that each has its own flavour… sigh.. Love loves… Thanks Javabeans!!
i completely agree with everything you said about the ending and about it being a “good” drama. It was a fun drama to watch but as for artistically good, not really. acting was pretty good but plat fluidity, not really. Because I never watched the Japanese or Taiwanese version, I didn’t know what some parts were about when they would suddenly change scenes which happened in some episodes. I think the director could have thought about those who didn’t know about the plot, although I know most people have watch either the Japanese or the Taiwanese one.
Overall though, I thought it was pretty good. and boys are HOT!!<33 kim bum<333
It’s so sad to see this BBF series ended! I’ll surely miss watching these cute/handsome F4 Korean version guys! Thnx a bunch javabeans for your excellent recaps that you’ve shared with all of us. Reading your recaps sometimes made me feel I’ve watched that particular episode already — really great! As for the overall BBF series, it was really entertaining although sometimes a lot of us may have noticed some flaws here & there but it’s just one of Kdramas that I wouldn’t get tired watching! I can’t wait for the DVD to come out ! Bogoshiposo BBF guys! Hope to see each one of you doing another project!
Thank you, Javabeans. Watching BBF wouldn’t have been anywhere near as enjoyable without your invaluable contribution–the episode recaps, comments, news bytes, everything… and the wit, oh, THE WIT! Really, THANK YOU! I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; when the DVD of the series comes out, it HAS to have a Javabeans commentary option in the extra features. Just to, y’ know, keep it real
This whole experience–following each episode obsessively, the insane fan discussions and ebates, mad fan culture–it’s really been something… a big learning experience. BBF is the first k-drama I’ve followed beggining-to-end, and i’ve learnt heaps about Korean dramas and pop culture in general… not to mention a phew choice words and phrases (bless you fan-subbing!). I really am going to miss this whole BBF vaccuum…
Though I wonder what this site will bring up next… I’m definitely going to stick around and see if I can get an addictive fix from the next-big-(k-drama) thing…
Guess you could call me a k-drama convert, now. BBF really became my guilty pleasure, which only my Korean friend knew about, and I even made her promise not to let on to anyone that I’m following it and seriously compromise my ‘macho coolness’ (pffft… bah!… snicker…
) I don’t care anymore: “yes, I watched a girly, trashy, romantic k-drama. Yes, I enjoyed it. Got a problem with that, man?” 
Thanks again, Javabeans, and all you fellow mad BBF addicts
I really liked this episode, and was rather impressed with how well they managed to wrap things up. I was actually surprised that, even though I’ve always been a dedicated Ji-hoo shipper (probably due to my total absence of knowledge about k-drama formulas, trends, characteristics) I almost immediately warmed to Jun-di this episode (after like 24 eps. of “meh… I just don’t see why…”), and was really happy with the way things turned out for them. The pool scene, I think, was (along with the bridge scene in Macao) one of the best, if not the highpoint, of the series. Superb.
Ah, Ji-hoo… poor, poor Ji-hoo. You didn’t get the girl you loved… You still love her, don’t you? Yeah, I know, man… but that’s life… But at least you’re not “sad Ji-hoo” anymore…
I’m happy with Ji-hoo and Jandi as soulmates. It makes total sense. Of course, there is no place for sense, rationality, and reason in love–they’re all overridden by chemistry, impulse, inexplicable gut instinct. And that JH and JD did not have, at least on screen. The idea of the couple felt more right than the actual reality of the couple. So, I totally agree with what you said, Javabeans, that all their closeness and friendship, all the really sweet, intimate moments between them, meant that a romantic connection between them would make more sense, that it’s right on an intellectual level, but not ona gut level.
As for Mama Kang’s sudden, mystical conversion into a warm, compassionate human being? Hey, if it can happen in Bible stories, why not on a k-drama? She actually does have a nice smile…
First, thank you, for wonderful, satisfying, critical recaps and commentary. I started reading your recaps in the “2nd Season” of BBF, and I have to say, without them, I would not have been able to get through that agonizingly overlong fiance narrative arc. This is the first time I’ve ever watched a Korean drama in ‘real time’ and I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your comments and the responses from the many, many other English language viewers/recap-readers following your blog.
I agree completely, this was a “glorious mess”. i would even go so far as to call it an “epic mess”. So much potential, so much wasted. But addictive and enjoyable nonetheless.
A few comments (and apologies to those who don’t want comparisons, but sorry, this was not an original script but already a well-loved story deserving of respect in its own right):
1. It’s really a shame that BBF didn’t live up to its potential (a few truly impressive actors–mainly Lee Minho and ?Evil Mama Kang–and clearly a really generous budget) and surpass HYD, but in many instances I felt the writer/s didn’t really ‘get’ the characters. Jandi was no Makino. I have to ask why. Is it really lack of understanding? or some sense that Jandi as portrayed in BBF was more believably Korean than Makino in HYD would have been? Even if so, why go for believable when this is clearly fantasy? Given how well developed and clearly developed Makino’s character is in the original manga, I felt that somehow the writer/s just simply didn’t like her and weren’t willing to give her the respect she deserved and the strength she owned. And frankly, Gu Jun Pyo was no Domyouji. Someone commented the other day that BBF lacked HYD’s joyfulness and energy (or words to that effect). Precisely. Lee Minho is a wonderful actor and could easily have matched the Domyouji guy, but was given little of his charm, boyishness, and unwavering (apart from HYD’s short NYC/fiance interlude) devotion to Makino. Lee Minho’s success in the part came more from what he added than what he was given—the depth he brought to simple interactions, the angst he conveyed (non-verbally) in his conflict between sacrifice and personal fulfillment.
2. The ending was both better and flatter than I’d expected. I liked the pool scene much more for your analysis, dramabeans. First go, I was swayed by Jandi’s dialogue but not by the drowning tactic and certainly not by the way everyone else just agreed to let her drown until JP woke up. The final finish needed much more oomph than it got, and much more explicit admission from both JP and JD about their feelings for each other. JP got some way, but where Domyouji was heart-wrenching honest, JP was just okay. Jandi needed some help which she didn’t get from the writers (all the way through the series, and most especially after the ‘first’ part).
3. The few places where BBF successfully deviated—the pool scene and retrospectively the whole (otherwise incomprehensible) swimming narrative; the ‘happy’ ending for Ga-Eul and Ee-Jung (? Spelling?); the unrelenting viciousness of Mama Kang; … made me wonder why it failed so miserably in so many other really quite basic ways:
-the wan and vapid Jandi (so many times I was tempted to smack her right through my laptop screen) (and why, in this last episode, when she can’t hear what Jun Pyo is saying so very intently to her, doesn’t she JUST DAMN WELL ASK HIM TO REPEAT HIMSELF???? Why didn’t she ask him the first time it happened?);
-the overplaying of the Jandi-Jihoo relationship;
-the overplaying of the Jun Pyo-fiance storyline;
-the unused coma-Daddy-Gu (whom I assumed was taking the place of the computer genius inventor who saves the company in the J’ese TV version, thanks to Makino stopping him from committing suicide, but in the BBF end came to nothing);
-and the waste of Domyouji’s conviction, which Jun Pyo rarely demonstrated— Domyouji was willing to renounce the arranged marriage unilaterally and Domyouji was willing, repeatedly, to give up his family and his fortune for Makino, and he did so before coming to see her in the fishing village (and getting amnesia)– and Domyouji’s patience in waiting for a definitive answer from Makino despite repeatedly and unmistakeably declaring himself. In the end, I appreciated Domyouji so much more than Gu Jun Pyo, in spite of the fact that I think overall Lee Minho is a better actor. They both grew, which is the joy of the episode drama format over the film format (16-20+ hours vs 1.5), but Domyouji, looks or no looks, corrected teeth vs corrected nose, ended up much the better, more expressive, man. And they included the poignant “Have you ever thought of me as just a man” line, but left out one of the loveliest, most romantic dialogue interactions in HYD (TV and manga) over the question Makino poses to Domyouji: “What is your dream?”. Where was that in BBF?
Oh, I’ve spent much way too much time thinking about this.
Things I’ve learned about Korean culture/society from BBF:
1. No one knows how to do mouth-to-mouth.
2. There’s little awareness of the dangers of spinal cord injury (someone pointed this out a couple of days ago and I meant to comment I’d thought exactly the same thing, even without any medical training!)
3. Koreans have very acute hearing. They can converse on their mobile phones right through their motorcycle helmets (dramabeans, I wish I’d been drinking with you while watching this).
4. Koreans take a lot of naps. Anywhere, anytime. Most of the time it was Jihoo demonstrating this characteristic, but in the last episode I was impressed that in the time it took Jandi to descend and go charging back up one short flight of stairs (dragged by Jihoo), Jun Pyo and Yumi went from animated conversation to sleep deep enough they didn’t hear Jihoo and Jandi barge in.
Random question:
When Jandi sees on TV a drama showing exactly the scene she had played out with Jihoo at the airport, urging him to go after (I can’t remember her name) to Paris, what was that supposed to be? How was that supposed to have come about? She wrote a screenplay in her spare time?
OK, I should have stopped with this commentary a long time ago. All this to say, thanks for providing such great analysis of the episodes and for encouraging others to do so too. I’ve really enjoyed this experience.
Now, time to watch HYD, before the serious drug withdrawel starts kicking in…
OMG. so cute.
you’re right–the show was a “glorious mess” and drove so many people crazy, but it was pretty epic. hahaha.
Mucho thanks for th recap and reviews. I love reading them. Hehe. Im gonna miss th insanity of this drama too. Finally, th fangirl inside of me can rest.
PS; I was kinda disappointed when th costume director decides to recycle some outfits in th last episode. If you notice, th white and black stripes top Jun Pyo wore with black cardigan in the scene where he and Yumi was in his room, ahhh, tt top, he wore tt before in th ep where he gave Jan Di th necklace! Sigh! But all in all, I guess th costume director did a great job, except th part where he decided tt Marc Jacobs bag was appropriate for Jan Di. Tsk!
BBF was really something,
no matter what
it seems that Even those critical of the drama, watched it till the end.
thank a lot~
I can’t wait for the DVD to come out
Thanks for the recaps which I preferred to read over actually watching the drama which I gave an honest try, but couldn’t take without your insightful filter. XD
javabeans thanks for your wonderful recaps on this drama though as you said it’s not a “good” drama as i loved coffee prince (hiding for the possible things thrown my way by the angry mob of bbf fans ^__^v) but hey you also said it depends on how one defines “good” right?!
though this drama didn’t give me the feelings i felt while watching coffee prince. ooohhh.. the perfect music, great/convincing acting by the actors esp. gong yoo and the awesome directing by the pd (i think that’s what they call the director in korea)…
yeah it had some flaws, bad acting/directing and annoying music sometimes but bbf still gave me the feeling of a giddy fangirl. so in all, i want to say is i liked it despite all its flaws.
so here’s a toast for javabeans for her wonderful/ insightful recaps(handsdown to you javabeans m^__^m) that keeps us coming back and refreshing like crazy… (certified javabeans/dramabeans junkie here!!!^__^)
another toast for bbf despite its imperfections it keep our week (well, for me) entertaining which a good drama should do to its audience…
and lastly…
toast for us the fans… for all our crazy antics, comments, etc..
toast everyone!!!!! till next time!!!!
reluctantbutaddicted— i completely agree with you and couldn’t have said it any better!
toast for us the fans… for all our crazy antics, comments, etc..
toast everyone!!!!! till next time!!!!
yeah~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
@90
this feels like when i finished the last harry potter book. so. sad.
ME TOO.
I’m so sad that it’s over
because IT has been my entertainment for the past three months
Thanks for the fun times BBF AND JAVABEANS
hi.. thanks a lot for the update all this time.. I really like reading your review.. :p
I’m sure gonna miss jun pyo and jan di.. also ji hoo.. but i’m glad that jun pyo and jan di end up being together forever and ever.. ^__^v
finally it’s over…
thank you soo much javabeans for the prompt recap of all episodes…
i won’t comment on the finale coz i haven’t watched it yet…
it’s like you said, i’m not sad because the drama had to end, but because i won’t get to see Lee Min Ho any time soon (or maybe he already had future projects ahead, please come!!)… it’s my fangirling that’s going to end, sniff sniff…
well, see you next time folks…
I read the translation for the song “One More Time” which was in BBF and can see how fitting the song was for Jandi and JunPyo.
“I will love all of you and only you, forever.”
I will miss JunPyo’s intense looks, his longing stares he gave JanDi, his yelling which for some reason made him more hot, and his sweet love he had for JD which sometimes came out in clumsy ways.
… Ahh, the beach/proposal scene — if only JanDi had given him a stroke on his cheek, a hug, or even a happy “Yes!” it would have made my day…
i watched the show before reading this.. i didnt know Junhee took over president’s kang position! haha!
i like how the ended the show… showing all the characters what they are doing. except i was wondering.. why wasnt there a family reunion scene for JD & her whole family? it’ll be better if JD’s dad was back from his fishing boat thing & had a job which he could stay with the family..
& also, (although i understand they probably wanna keep things short & simple), Yumi going overseas with JP was a total ‘huh?’ moment for me. why didnt more people tell him about JD?? wheres junhee?
Also, i thought they will show a scene where JP mom shows that she sccepts JD. Plus i thought JP dad would say that during his coma, he could hear JD & knew she was around.. i mean, if not why did they have JD take care of him when he was in a coma right? whats the point of those scenes?
Anyway, anyone noticed the same blanket kept appearing? the one with squares which JP dad was using.. it was also used in 2/3 other scenes of JP/JD right?
Just sharing some questions i thought of while watching the show..
thanks for the recaps! i’m glad i found this website.
Thanks for all the recaps though it sort like a spoiler for me coz in Malaysia, we are now at Episode 15 and becoz of your recaps, it make me impatient to wait to get hold of the DVD soon….
Love and agreed with most of your comments and also for the songs…
KAM SA MIDA
in addition will miss all the characters and my Monday and Tuesday nite will be so dull n boring once BFF or BOF ends….
BTW i loved the actor who played Ji-hoo (forgot his name) hehehehe…does he have an official fan website whereby i could correspond with him…JJ – Ji-hoo n Jandi forever…but i love Lee Minho too (junpyo)….i loved all of them!!!!!!
Im such a romantic at heart…that’s why i absolutely loved with this kind of story no matter what….
Thanks for all the awesome recaps….I may have not agreed with all your comments but they were still very amusing and insightful perspectives. I had almost as much fun reading your recaps as I did watching the actual drama. HOORAY it’s over!
Really sorry but I’m gonna rant. Thanks for the space and such great recap review as usual. So happy you said this is not a good drama. All along i thought you thought it was.
- – - -
OK. Damn pissed off. This drama was a freaking waste of my time and a waste of people and a possible excellent story.
What the hell the quality of this drama is SO BAD. It’s TOO BS and TOO unrealistic to a point it pisses me off. Talk about overrated, damn EOE was SO MUCH better no matter how overrated and bad it was. at least it teaches morals. I need things to make sense like it’s Forensic science and in this storyline, BS just happens EVERY minute. I know kdrama will NEVER ever make sense but this is BS even for a kdrama. It’s like a torture watching it. At first I was kept excited by the pretty people and the hype by audience like all of us but there is just NO substance to sustain me. After a while, after a few many episodes of keeping the faith, i was like, “er…. this is BS.”
This drama is SO SHALLOW, superficial, serves as eyecandy as if for shallow audience. I don’t know how it pleases people and satisfy them but it pisses me the hell off I dont even have patience to type proper english now. I’m so pissed off that all the hype is about a stupid drama like this. Why are people crazy for this stupid show??? I also got into the hype along with the flow of others but by the 10th episode at the latest, people should realize what a BS drama this is.
Plus, it’s TOO RUSHED. It doesn’t build the feelings or audience up properly. And when I thought it did, it crumbles with nothing. I also think everything is too fake as if things really happened in 3 months. Can they make it not so obvious that the entire drama was filmed in a matter of weeks? Everything is same. Even though they went macau and that beautiful island, the places are so boring, so same. Even after 4 years, jihoo still blonde and same jaejoong hairstyle just with glasses? please.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, the LOVE relationships in this drama is the MOST pissing-me-off item. SO unsatifying. Even after being dragged for so many shiiitty episodes, the reunion or love was sooooo unsatisfying. You are waiting for the height … wait wait. wait. and damn, none. SUCH A TURN OFF. you suppose to reward the audience after BS-ing much. IDK it’s because Jandi and Joonpyo were not so… great? They’re just BLAH. It’s not like I feel i will die if they don’t end up together. A good lead couple is supposed to make us slave followers. Even in other lousy dramas, at least I will defend the lead couple in my heart with such a fire and passion. but joonpyo is so dispensible to me.
which leads me to jihoo. I so feel that Jihoo is so much better suited for JAndi. In NO REALISTIC sense, would a girl choose joonpyo over jihoo. At least not me. the freaking joonpyo is a COWARD, hurting jandi SO many times in such a jerk way. He could have salvaged it like a man MANY times MANY ways like I would expect my man to do but he failure. While jihoo NEVER fails. in fact, he always prevailed. i thought you’re supposed to choose a good man? Plus, this drama just naturally builds up the relationship and atmosphere for jihoo x jandi BUT it’s soooooo apparent to me that they were just forced to separate because of the original storyline. I’m such an original supporter of the real domyouji and tsukasa or daomingsi and shancai. But this korean version just make it IMPOSSIBLE… to not NOT support jihoo x jandi. it’s so obvious and they are so meant to be but just because they’re not supposed to be, they were not.
like, wth??? ok fine.
TOO bs. period. The whole drama. it’s like you aroused to death but cannot come. it’s like blue balls. that’s so crude but best describes.
thanks javabeans or i learned your name is sarah. many thanks.
@ #208 – StarryNight:
YES!!! I agree a thousand times with you about Ji-hoo and Jan-di. Damn my romantic side, but it’s true… all those moments, all the dynamics of their relationship, their deep friendship, their understanding and compassion and caring for one another so much, all the little day-to-day details… THAT is what makes true love… those characters, in my imagination and not in the BBF world, should be together… and it just wouldn’t be a true romantic story without a little bit of tragedy, sadness, and letting go… In a perfect world and an ideal reality, I’d liek to think they would be together… and in my mind and heart-of-hearts, they are
I had a feeling… right from the New Caledonia episode and the fortune teller’s prediction, that Ji-hoo will not be Jan-di’s husband, but her soulmate – the one soul in the world destined to walk by her side in life, but couldn’t be with in any ‘official’ way… why kill true love and romance with marriage, right? hehe… The BIG ONE, the REL DEAL, when it hits, when the reality of what such a love means to each of their lives and how it will affect the people in them… it’s often scary, frightening, and more often than not, impossible to make happen ‘out there’ in their real lives. Privately, we know Ji-hoo will always have romantic feelings for Jan-di, even if she can’t return that aspect of his love. But see, this is why I like Ji-hoo: where he could’ve easily just totally screwed Jun-yo, and been really nasty and calculating and done everything possible to keep Jan-di for himself, he remained Jun-pyo’s best friend all the way and in every way–acting like a best friend should: “You’re in love with your best friend’s girl? Deal with it, man. It’s your best friend, after all.” i can’t help but wonder, if this situation began while they were all in their mid twenties, and more mature, more worldly, would the romantic relationships have worked out differently and JH and JD be together? Possibly, but then again…
Oh gawd, listen to me… Damn you BBF for bringing out my idealistic, romantic side!!! Okay. This post never happened… shhh… teehee…
JH x JD: TRUE LOVE SOULMATES FOREVER!!!
thank you for all the fun times, indeed. i’ve always enjoyed epilogues (though time-jump ones are hit and miss). this one hit the spot. although, the “TV interview” section and the light show reminded me so much of Kimutaku’s “Pride” (which I love to death). i dunno, it kinda took something away from my enjoyment. but “the awesomeness of the pool” made me forget about all the other dramas i’ve seen. that entire scene sets this korean version apart. *sigh* the thrill of the Hanadan.
thank you for the wonderfully wordy recaps, Javabeans. I loved them!
@ #323 – Pammy:
“this drama just naturally builds up the relationship and atmosphere for jihoo x jandi BUT it’s soooooo apparent to me that they were just forced to separate because of the original storyline. ”
YES! You siad it perfectly!
I’m kinda glad in a way that I’m a Ji-hoo shipper, then. The drama was more of a roller-coaster ride, with twists and turns and will-they-won’t-they, and allll those moments between them just totally pointing to their destined romance… rather than the the JP and JD arc reaaally dragging. I really didn’t feel anything for that couple until the last episode, because, well, it was the last episode and it was more a sense of relief rather than joy at their reunion.
Ufff, the angst and tension of it all–giving us JH x JD fans more and more last lingering rays of hope right to the very end! When JD threw the necklace into the pool, I immediately connected it to the Ji-hoo moment with the ring-necklance and thought “HA! YES! Now go to Ji-hoo! Go to him!!! Get the ring back! GO!!!” but like two seconds later, they show it at the bottom of the pool and I knew she or JP would get it back and they’d be together. Dammit! Grrr… Then, while JH and JD are there, four years later, talking about their futures… just when Ji-hoo started to say that Grandpa Yoon wasn’t the only reason he chose to study medicine… and I thought, “here it comes, he’s FINALLY gonna tell her how he feels about her, after all those other interruptions and just bad timing, FINALLY! WOO-HOO!”. One second later, Jun-pyo in a helicopter with another grand gesture! GODDAMMIT! Interrupted AGAIN! How could there be hints and signs and moments and just plain SENSE that JH x JD makes perfect sense with like ten minutes of the series left?!!! ARGH!
Ok, stopping now. I need a drink and a smoke…
I agree with your comment that the third version is not GOOD but it is NICE. I like how they started this version but because this based on something very popularly watched here in Asia. It will definitely be compared with the 1st two versions.
Just like what I said before I wish that a sequel will be made to develop Ji-hoo’s part of the story and even Woo-Bin’s. Since Yi-jung and Jun-pyo’s stories have their proper ending, the other half of the F4 should be given one too. Hello, creator…. are you listening?
Or maybe, Ji-hoo will forever be a mystery for the fans of Hana Yori Dango, because we may become disappointed with the fact that the girl he (the author) may create (in our eyes) may not be good enough for him.
I like the Korean F4, Jan di is okay. Ga-eul is refreshing. So much loop holes which could have been wrapped up but were not. BUT still love it. I’m sorry, I’m a FAN. Thanks for the recaps.
# what happened to grandpa? n who’s at the clinic?
# jun pyo just accepted jandi after regaining his memory? n jandi just threw away her previous desicion to leave forever? as just she’s absolutely sure mama kang had stopped opposing to them
# why must woo bin carry a bag at the ending? is he running away fom home or what? LOL
# but jandi didn’t say yes did she?
the pool scene was A—mazing!!
it wraps up everything i love about this show!! gaadd.. i ultimately love the fact that all my misconceptions in terms of the story was proven to be a killer in the end..
i really hate the fact on the first few epi that jun pyo doesn’t know how to swim.. i mean that was lame.. jun pyo should be invincible!!
but the way they put the swimming thing to the essence on the pool scene really really was an amazing thing that BOF has done.. gaad again it made me cry..
but the ending.. naaahh nothing fancy.. but it was adequate..
and i agree with you that jihoo being a doctor was lame.. i mean come on!! stick with what you do best right??
gaeul and yi jeung’s story was amazing because it doesn’t conclude that they will have a relationship at the end (most dramas do for the sake of a “happy ending”) but they did offer some promise.. and something that will leave us fans thinking.. at least we could let our imaginations roll that is..
ahh its done.. yeah.. it will be a very very long withdrawal.. but yeah!! I can still watch it at KBS world and ABSCBN.. by the way i am a Filipino.. and get ready beacuse Filipino fans will definitely rock BOF!! woohooo..
its been a nice journey with you guys..
329 (now 330) comments?! Wow! Is that a record? The last time there was this many it was for Coffee Prince.
Hi, you’re now in my favorites list…thank you so much for your recaps, you’re so objective and take us to see from other sides as well not only the fun sides. Dramabeans…fighting!!!
Hey there! Thanks a million for your recaps! I have always looked forward to them every Monday and Tuesday. We don’t have it in Singapore and I think It’ll take ages before the DVD comes out. All I have are your recaps because the Videos on Youtube are either poorly subbed or takes a long time before it gets subbed. So YUP, once again, Kudoes to you! I will miss BOF but your daily updates will certainly satiate my thirst for Kdramas! Keep up the excellent job! =)
thanks! looking 4ward to new drama recaps…
WAIT
I just noticed something!
Jandi is wearing sandals before throwing herself in the water, and right before she is about to fall there are no shoes on her feet. Same when Jun Pyo takes her out from the water.. doh >_<
AMEN is all I can say to your post-recap comments.
I love the journey that F4 and GJD have taken. There are flaws, and which drama does not, but it is addicting and entertaining and stirs up one’s emotions and makes one remember the giddiness of young love. Oh, to be young and to love…
A million thanks to your comprehensive and insightful recaps. You clarified some of the confusing sub-titles on the video uploads.
More power to you and looking forward to your future Kdrama recaps.
Cheers!
To: 334 Asmaa
I saw her wearing a pair of green satin high heels while backing her way to the edge of the pool. Of course, this is one of the flaws in the production.
Javabeans: You are so influential. I have been your daily visitor since the Coffee Prince era. It is my habit to click your site after checking my email every day.
Thanks for your commentaries. Without your recaps, I would not have interest in watching those dramas. Please, keep up with your good work.
I guess my next drama will be “the Return of Iljimae.” I did not continue with this drama after the first episode. But reading your recap, I think I will give it a second look.
BBF is by and large the most entertaining show, on screen and off screen. It is rude to say that. But what other shows would give you so much parodies, so much car accidents off screen, one suicidal scandal and award winning half way through the show. One comment writer said it is the 9th adaptation of the original manga. Still the Kdrama gurus could pull things together to arouse new interest from the audience. What a great effort.
Of course, it is full of flaws and irresponsible job-handling from the PD and scriptwriters. But who cares. It has enriched my life for the past three months with all the “glorious mess”. However, I would not go out to buy its DVD.
I have a good collection of “Goong” drama, so why bother to get another one which uses the same string background music as Goong ( as in the second season ). I don’t like the noise generated from “Almost Paradise”. But I am more than delighted to hear it again for the ending. When I hear that music, my mind is conditioned to address it as BBF.
I will miss all the beautiful faces in the drama, and of course Madame Kang for her impression image. She is the best evil mother amongst all the adaptations.
I like the pool scene and the lines that JanDi delivered to recall JP’s memory. It proves that the scriptwriter has good writing capability, if he/she permitted to do so. For the past episodes, we saw all the lovely moments of JiHoo and JanDi. We even debated if we should jump to the JD / JH ship instead. There is nothing done to convince us that JD does have love bondage to JP.
How powerful can words be when she brought up all the “flash back” moments and saying between she and JP . All of a sudden, we audience realize that, YES, she really really knows him well and we have been the witness of all that happened. This love chemistry has never been established between JH and JD.
Best recaps as always.Thanks for your hardwork
Hey… someone said that there’s gonna be a second BBF…
http://boys-before-flowers.blogspot.com/2009/04/boys-over-flowers-season-2-on-february_02.html
Before my heart breaks into a thousand pieces, I’m here to ask you, javabeans, to please, PLEASE check it up for me. I trust no one except you…
Girls, stop screaming!
Peeps (338), I call bullshit.
ok!! i thought so too. it was a cruel april fool’s joke.
#324 Mo108
Yes, the script writers have crafted JH’s character well – he could have been selfish yet he was not – and that makes his feelings for JD all the more special and points to the strength of JH&JP’s friendship. He was always there to keep JD’s faith in JP, urging her not to give up and doing all he can to bring them together.
But just as he didn’t allow JD to become a mermaid, he wouldn’t too. That’s why the ending for JH feels appropriate, him becoming a doc, with a purpose in life. As to hinting at his other reason for going to med school, it ties in well. Throughout the show, the audience is left without doubt how much JD means to him, so he will always be devoted to JD even if she can’t return his feelings.
JH will remain JD’s bonus from heaven…a decent enough ending for the honorable firefighter.
i loved the last episode I totally loved the pool scene
i had fun so thank you
it was a drama worth watching.
sigh ; ;
Once again, thank you for your very accurate review of this consistently flawed yet entertaining drama. I did enjoy it but I can’t say I will miss the since I really didn’t feel Jandi’s love, or the intensity of her love for GYP. You were right about her not deserving him. I would have wanted her to be more excited, thrilled, passionate and displaying some PDA when they met for the first time after 4 years. GYP made a dramatic return via helicopter and she couldn’t even give him a spontaneous embrace – wasn’t she happy to see him, at last?
In real life, a one-way relationship like that is bound to go kaput in a few years, or maybe months.
It’s been a pleasure to follow another Kdrama from Javabean. I have been addicted to Javabean since Coffee Prince. Another great job from you. I thought the ending of BOF was ok; very idealistic, very Kdrama. Like other readers, I noticed that Jandi never gave Jun Pyo an answer, and poor Ji Hoo, why are you still yearning for Jandi( “Grandpa is not the only reason …went to med school…will repeat med school…to keep you (Jandi) company). Ji hoo, you are tooo romantic; I think Jandi will also treasure you, but I think she loves GJP. Thank you Javabean for all your great work…til another good Kdrama.
Re Peeps @338-
I think that is probably just rumor at this point, but I really, really, really got the sense from episode 25 that they set things up in a way to make it ripe for a follow-up sequel. I would not be surprised if they decide to do a Kkotboda Namja movie just like they did with Hanadan. It just seems to be set up that way because they left so many things unexplained and hanging. Netizens out there, it would not surprise me at all if we either get an official announcement of a BBF movie or at least follow-up special at some point. And no one would be the happier but me.
I do have to say though, that I am so very much relieved this thing is finally over. Hopefully now my life can go back to being functional again. Talk about BBF additiction.
Thank you Javabeans for your great recaps. I particularly liked your insights into the last episode and the quote- so true. And thank you to the Netizens and commenters- BBF has been that much more special and fun sharing it with you all. And it has given me much comfort to know that I am not the only BBF obsessed fan whose life has been disrupted by this crazy but utterly enjoyable drama. BBF will be a hard act to follow in terms of the addiction factor.
THANK YOU SO SO SO MUCH Javabeans~ I will surely miss the craziness, love and chemistry between J♥J♥J♥J
:D:D Your efforts for doing these recaps are just priceless and thanking you wouldn’t be enough…
Fighting java java javabeans!ÜÜ
Thank You!!!! Dramabeans, you are the depiction of sheer awsomeness! Thanks!!!!
oooohhh the end!!! I agree that this wasn’t a good drama, but was entertaining. cute guys, all the luxury displayed and beautifull scenaries…It was pretty ejoyable.
kind of broke my heart Ji-hoo when he said he was in school med not because of his grandfather…letting us know that obviously he was there because if Jan-di…soooo sweet and sad at the same time.
I found absolutely stupid the fact that Jun-pyo and Jan-di didn’t see each other during all those years…I mean, wasn’t he multimillionaire? didn’t them have time to see them not even during holidays? that was stupid….makes NO SENSE AT ALL!!!
I TOTALLY LOVED when Yi-jung showed up to see Ga-eul!
The pool scene? THE BEST OF THE WHOLE DRAMA!!!! loved how she talked to him and when she let her drop to the water…WOW it was beautifull! when he remembered all…love it!
I’d like to thank you for your great recaps…they make me laugh a lot! lets see what we see next! I’ll be reading you! bye
Thank you dear Javabeans.
Javabeans, I would like to give you a round of applause.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TylvUGJIi_w
You are awesome, I can’t wait to see what drama you dive into next.
Oh… and what was the book you were reading? You’ve intrigued me.
javabeans,
I watched all the episodes, but i absolutely love reading your reviews – they give a completely different outlook on some of the aspects of the drama
i loved the pool scene… the speech given by geum jandi was so beautiful and like… she really knew goo joon pyo… i feel like it’s another one of those speeches that should be remembered like… the 10 things about her from my sassy girl… or that quote that’s found in my name is kim sam soon
#328 Nuur
“jun pyo just accepted jandi after regaining his memory? n jandi just threw away her previous desicion to leave forever? as just she’s absolutely sure mama kang had stopped opposing to them”
That is EXACTLY why we needed a Papa Gu Wakes Up / Mama Kang Eats Crow scene. He sticks up for Jan Di and coupled with that hospital conversation about fishcakes, Madam Kang orders Chief Jung to reinstate Ga Eul’s dad and rescinds her takeover of Ji Hoo’s foundation. That would’ve rendered the Bus Breakup void (and finally laid the parental objection arc to rest), essentially signalling her tacit acceptance of Jan Di.
After all their battles throughout the drama, there really should have been a Madam Kang-Jan Di scene at the end for closure (not just some abrupt Nice Domestic Mama Kang scene 4 years later which only addressed her pride at Jun Pyo’s achievements but NOT her presumably altered feelings towards her former nemesis and future daugher-in-law. [plus totally disregarding the societal and legal ramifications of Papa Gu's status as dead lol]). I’m kinda pissed that the PD/writer would rather bore us with Yumi’s endless harp-playing than tie up that loose end.
“why must woo bin carry a bag at the ending? is he running away fom home or what?”
LMAO!
to think of it , im for JH & JD coupling that’s becoz of my romantic sense ….. not sure if anyone here saw Taiwan version on this drama – METEOR GARDEN I & II but the character that played JH m JD actor n actress end up dating for real for 5 years together….fingercrossed might the JD n JH actors do the same…..who’s wishing for this to happen?…sort of making up for their inability to declare or be together in BOF….
again it’s just the romantic side of me talking, writing n wishing….hehehhe ; )
@ #353 ladyM
no way!!! JH (kim hyun joong) has to go back to Hwang Buin!!! XDD lol sorry my ‘We Got Married’ love for the Ssangchu couple is kicking in! XD if you haven’t watched Kim Hyun Joong in WGM with HwangBo yet I HIGHLY recommend the show! he comes out at ep. 9 from the program. he’s HILARIOUS and ADORABLE!! he’ll have you laughing the whole entire time with his witty 4D personality!!
353
correction for Barbie Xu and Vic Zhou
I got a resource that they were dating since July of 2005 but broke up on January 15, 2008.
Most prob they hook up while/after Mars not because of MG
ur reviews were far more entertaining than the actual drama for me.
thanks for putting the time and effort into doing this for us!
Hi,
It has a good storyline, it;s not just like two lovers – childhood friends, seperate, find eachother and die at the end. So basically thats what got me to watch it in the first place. Also the cast are very goodlooking, haha F4 <3 Dont forget the OST ! thats how i heard of SS501 ; kim hyun joon <3
I just finished boys before flowers x)
i heard there was 26 episodes? hm?
i thought there was suppose to be a wedding for Ji Hoo’s noona from like the 7th episode ; etc and wedding for GJP and GJD ? But anyways, i loved boys before flowers ; it kept me entertained all the way though some episodes were kind of dragging, i still loved it
haha very nice songs to listen to – i looked forward to the end of the episodes just to listen to because i am stupid. Very good drama – i recommend a lot of people to watch it. I wonder if they’ll make like MORE different versions of it? haha x)
like a viet one, laos, filipino ?! haha even hmong x)
love boys before flowers !
@#354 thanks for the recommendation, mayb i just might look out for tht story
@#355 Thanks for the correction but arent they the cutest couple….love Barbie Xu n Vic Zhou together (thts my hopeless romantic self butting in again..hehe) Do u knw any new dramas tht this 2 are working on….miss them too
358
For Vic Zhou the latest would be;
Movie – Tea Fight (2008) & Linger (2008)
Drama
- Ai Shang Zhe Ge Shi Jie, Sweet Relationship (2007)
- Shou Xi De Wen Rou, Familiar Gentleness, Silence (2006)
And for Barbie
Movie
- Kung Fu Chefs (2009)
- My So Called Love & Connected (2008)
Drama
- Summer’s Bubble (in production)
- Corner with Love (2007)
I don’t know any other movie/drama after MARS. And I don’t think there would be any since, well, their history… but who knows.. may be
Quick trivia
Jerry Yan (Dau Ming Si) acted in Happy Campus before MG
While LMH acted in Secret Campus before BBF…
Where is this campus? I want to go hahahaha
Thank you so much for all your efforts and great recaps.. you’re the best !!
great recommendations on both songs of the day !
it’s been a pleasure reading your wonderful reviews
Pls keep up your good work, looking forward to another drama like this ..haha
that pool scene was A-M-A-Z-I-NG
i watch it 4 times a day since it aired
it gives me chillies
i love jandi and jun pyo
when i like something, i like to gloss over the parts that may not be so good. i like to enojy something purely, not by picking it apart
i love this show so much
i’ve been urkingly and forcibly MIA, and i’m probably the last person to say this, but
THAAAANK YOOOOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
holy GAHD, I <3 YOU!!!
thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
thank YOU for sharing this amazing roller-coaster ride with us. ♥
i’m sorry this is so late
Thank you Javabean for the past few months.
Enjoyed the dynamic sharing of thoughts and feelings around one totally addicting drama in a wonderful cyber community. Yes, BOF may not have been a masterpiece, but it was still perfect somehow. I would not mind seeing it again and again. BOF has so many wonderful lessons and insights into love, relationships, about following your dreams, being true to yourself and so much more. These are good lessons for young and old. These are lessons that I want my son to get as he enters puberty.
I hope this community meets again around another wonderful drama story.
Thank you to Javanbean and to everyone.
Take care.
i died laughing upon hearing ALMOST PARADISE~
—- nice way to end it with outrageous laughter.
thank you so much for all the recaps.
im gonna watch everything all over again, go back to this site, read criticisms, and consume myself into this never-ending addiction…
ooooh. what’s in Woobin’s bag? guns? chains? ammunition?
.. or maybe its food for a nice picnic by the beach..
but why would a mafia leader be the one to do such things?
.. and did anyone else recognize that YiJung and Junpyo have the same hairstyle in the end?.. where’s the curly hair?? >.<;;
(I’m such an addict. I wonder if I’ll ever recover..)
thank you so much javabeans for the wonderful recaps and commentaries.
Boys Before Flowers may not be what you call a GOOD drama, but whatever..
this is pure entertainment.
<3
It was a wonderful ride with you Javabeans and all the BBF fans (including detractors) for the last 3 months. I will surely miss JD and the Boys but in a way, I am relieve to return to my normal pre BBF life. The timing of the ending was perfect for me as I can prepare now my Federal/State tax in time for the April 15 deadline filing.Till then, I will surely visit as often as I can to check if there is another addictive drama that we can all bond with and to my BBF classmates NICE meeting you here in JAVABEAN’s classroom. Here is a video to reminisce about BBF especially about JUN DI couple. Thanks Javabeans,our great Teacher in the BBF class
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LQl0TntG3ic.
It’s funny how Hana Yori Dango opened for me the door to japanese dramas some years ago and how Boys Before Flowers just did it for korean dramas. While waiting for new episodes, I watched Coffee Prince, My Girl, Dal Ja’s Spring and the first episodes of Soulmate.
BBFwas not the most perfect drama but it did make me want to discover more about korean entertainment.
And I wanted to thank you for your “drama ratings” : all the kdramas I watched, I watched them because of your advices.
Hi, are you able to give a quick summary of what happened in the cf? It seems like a closure for Soeul couple
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZhV3LSE6FY
WAIT!
Goo Junhee isn’t chair of Shinhwa, she’s the principal of Shinhwa SCHOOL.
do you recognize the office? and the word for principal and chair is the same. besides, she mentioned previously that she could be the next president.
hajung, Jun-hee is in Madam Kang’s former office. Her nametag reads 회장 구준희. (The word for principal is 교장; you can recheck the scene in Ep 7.)
a true love…man like Jun Pyo….I hope their is still someone like him in our real world, although I doubt it.
But in this stressfull world surely this series made us laugh, cry and hope..that maybe our soulmate is somewhere out there………………….
Hi Javabeans,
No further insight, just adding one pebble into the count.
Hope you reach 400 comments on this post…
have a great weekend!
i just re-watched episode 24 & 25 today and I think i bawled more this time than the first time I watched it. not because of the actual story plot or whatnot.
But that I have already started to miss F4. I mean with all those scenes where F3 show up at school and all the girls still scream and how they are best friends. how they are still all so incredibly good looking and at the same time so quirky cute with their little ideas to get Jun Pyo to remember Jan Di. At the grad. party where they ignore the other girls because they value Jan Di as a friend and when Jan Di describes each of them it was so bittersweet esp. for Ji Hoo.
my heart reaches out for Ji Hoo. Life has handed him some pretty bad cards but he has always just sucked it up and went on with life. It must be so heartbreaking to see the women you love, not only love someone else, but your best friend because there is nothing you can do about it. they are both people you care about.
I MISS F4 SOOOO MUCH!!!!!
*sniff sniff*
For the past 3 months, i practically altered my schedule so I could watch the latest BBF episodes and of course, the dramabeans episode recap. That meant having shorter sleeping hours, missing office lunch outs with friends and practically having lesser time for everything else (esp on weekends when I did reruns). For 3 whole months since BBF started, my life was literally a mess BUT to borrow dramabeans’ words, what a glorious and wonderful mess it was! I guess this is the narcotic magic that dramabeans was referring to in her comments. How else can I explain the craziness I felt — read: im-back-in-high school-meeting-my-first-love feeling — each time I watched an episode?? Nothing will beat that feeling except perhaps, seeing Lee Min Ho in person and…possibly half-naked???! Awww. That would be H.E.A.V.E.N!!!
So, am I glad that its over?
Part of me says yes because I can now have my old ife back —
I can now work without any distractions i.e. constantly checking the internet for spoilers on JP and JD’s first date, first kiss, reunion etc. or rushing back to the ofc to read the episode recap, giddily talking to other friends who are closet fans of the drama. I can now also focus on doing my other interests — things that I temporarily put on hold just to satisfy all my fangirling needs read: internet surfing for BBF & lee min ho news and vids.
However, a part of me says no for the very same reason that I will now have my old life back. At the end of the day, I think that I have come to love this crazy fanatic person that I have come to be. The drama wasn’t the best Ive watched; in fact, there were times when I would just cringe at the embarrassing scenes the characters found themselves in (LMH included) and there were A LOT! BUT, as far as im concerned, it still served its purpose and that is to entertain and make us feel giddy inside like a teenager in love for the first time. So, never mind that it sucked at times and was illogical at others. I dont think it was meant to be realistic and logical anyway. Otherwise, it would have lost its escapism appeal which is the whole point of kdramas right?!
Anyways, it has been a fun ride! thanks dramabeans for indulging our fangirl needs every week for the past 3 months. You are truly heaven sent! Kumawo! Til next time!
#376 asianfanatic
“How else can I explain the craziness I felt — read: im-back-in-high school-meeting-my-first-love feeling — each time I watched an episode??”
that’s exactly how I felt watching the show – esp the first few episodes – the Jundi courtship got me all giddy and tingling inside just like those heady school days of crushes and first loves.
To help get over my BBF hangover, I’ve been watching LMH shows such as School ET and Secret Campus and also a GHS show, Pure 19. Didn’t quite make it through the LMH shows – it’s really GJP I miss. Watching GHS’s Pure 19, however, it felt like dejavu. I mean Pure 19’s GHS is staying in the exact same rooftop apartment as JD and there is even the same ice skating scene, the put hands together in pocket to keep warm moment, the same Jeju hotel room balcony with the view, a similar last happy date before parting…but well, these moments just didn’t work the same magic without GJP. How I miss Jundi!
GJP’s steadfast LOVE for his first Love is the best storyline of this drama. I hope it will touch all youngsters who view this drama…
We need more GJPs love and Jh’s friendship type in this world.
TY LMH for such a wonderful potrayal of first love , enduring so many and much pain, to get the girl.you have fought consistently for…and
HOPE that the SESSION BBF is just sweet and GLD gets her pig tails off, smiles like in her CF and wears those wedding dresses she modelled for Kim??
And a Korean dress wedding gown….blow the other HYD versions out of the water………………
Writer and PD need to plan ahead of time now….Double wedding dresses…………
SHow GJD off now…
GJP pays for all the expenses…..ofcourse
Then comes the children………….hoots!
#376 asianfanatic
“How else can I explain the craziness I felt — read: im-back-in-high school-meeting-my-first-love feeling — each time I watched an episode??”
that’s exactly what i felt watching the 1st half of the drama!!! This series had me fangirling in a way that belies my age, but i loved every minute of it! It’s been the first time in a long time that a drama has had me hooked and as giddy as a teenager.
As for the ending, doesn’t it remind you of the ending in coffee prince?
This is my first post ever on a blog, and i just have to thank dramabeans for all of her recaps, insightful and in-depth analysis, and especially her entertaining comments, including the time she pointed out each flaw in an episode, and then wrote after each one, “I DON’T CARE” – choosing to suspend disbelief b/c she was enjoying it so much. I found this blog while i was halfway through watching BBF, and now it’s a must-read after every episode i watch.
Looking forward to the next big drama, and reading what you have to say.
r they makin a second season???
LOVED the ending (:
Ahh thanks for giving great recaps every week, javabeans!
It was fun, and I’m glad they wrapped everything up nicely.
It had its great moments and its low moments, but yep, I thoroughly enjoyed it.
GO LEEMINHO!
(the elevator scene was the cutest <3 * w *)
well am i the only one that didn’t really like the drama?
i thought the actors were really handsome, the places were nice, the story was good, i mean it changed from the japanese version and in a good way, but please, the acting …. i’m sorry but there were times when the actors were really bad. so my only regret is that they choose actors who couldn’t act, principaly the F4 actors
i just wanted to share my opinion, i have watched many dramas and each time i discovered some new actors with great acting, but this time i was really disappointed
It’s only been a few days since bbf ended and I miss it SO much already ):
I miss f4 and now I don’t know what to do on Monday & Tues evenings.
Thanks for the recaps javabeans!
I love the scene where Jandi fell into the water, stiff. That scene had the most impact on me..
I love your recaps, dramabeans!
BOF is an opportunity missed. It has the best casting and budget that could make it the best HYD version but the script and direction screw it up. In the end, it is “joined” by separate sets of great scenes, not so good scenes, and bad scenes. I use the word “joined” because there isn’t a smooth flow throughout the whole drama. Having said that, it is a fun and exciting journey that we have all shared. It is certainly a ‘glorious mess’ as Javabean so aptly calls it!
The best thing about BOF, to me, is Gu Jun Pyo the character and Lee Min Ho the actor. This GJP is definitely different from the TW and JP versions. In those two versions, we do have a more bold male lead who is defiant in front of the evil mom in his love pursuit. While one could argue that GJP is a weaker or hesitant version, it is utterly true to echo Jun Hee’s word to her brother that becoming a nobody from the Shinwa’s heir takes more courage than one can imagine. What’s important though is the gradual change in him from that arrogant and cold brat to a real man who cares, loves and takes responsibility – with Jandi and her family as the catalysts. Lee Min Ho delivers his star-making role perfectly. Let’s wish this be the beginning of a brilliant acting career.
We can now all reclaim our life, albeit a bit empty before the next big thing …. Triple??
am in the BOF withdrawal mode….used to be so excited on Sunday these past three months knowing there will be a new eps of BOF on Monday….haven’t been this giddy about a drama for a long time…feels sad and relieved at the same time as I will get my time and life back….
even with all the flaws and what might have been if BOF get a better script writer and PD for sure this drama is absolutely entertaining….one great outcome is knowing a great actor named Lee Min Ho
to 386
Agree so much w/ you…..I do miss LMH acting with such energy….what a blessed gent….
Thanks SOOOOO much.
BBF was AHHHHMAZING[: x3
Phew – finally caught up (with the drama AND the recaps AND the comments). I watched the last 4 episodes yesterday in a haze of booze (finally got around to that drinking game with a friend of mine) so admittedly, I woke up today with little recollection of what I watched. However, thanks to the fantastic recaps, my bout with selective amnesia is also at an end. Thank you for all your hard work Javabeans – I can imagine at times it must have been hard work (heck – sometimes watching the drama was hard work) but you stuck through it and we are all grateful. It was as interesting to read the commentary from the rabid fans (and anti-fans) as it was to watch the show – so thank you guys for making this show more entertaining for me. I look forward to the next show that will bring out the crowds (TRIPLEEEEEEE)
As I wrote before, I loved the pool scene.
But call me a BBF NERD for rewriting JP and JD’s dialogue in the Namsan cable car. I don’t know – I just wasn’t satisfied with JanDi’s response after JunPyo said he knew he would regret it until the day he died if he ever lost her. She responds:
“You’re not completely an idiot.”
Hmm. Nice way to reaffirm your man. Well, here’s how I would have liked her to respond:
—————————
JP: “I know I would regret it til the day I died if I ever lost you. You’ve gone through a lot because of me…”
JD: “You know, when I saw you lying in the hospital bed and after when you lost part of your memory, I regretted not telling you some things I thought I would never have a chance to say. Although I’ve gone through a lot since I met you and F4… like not being able to swim again, I want you to know that I would take the blow from the chair again if it meant having you here by my side like you are now.”
Then they kiss!
To sum up…
I’m huge fan of the manga, 1st watched MG then HYD… so I highlighedt the character/scenes/plot that I like in BOF… Just to share some views on why I think BOF stands out more than the original and previous adaptations.
1. How Jandi enters ShinHwa (good twist that differs from all 3)
2. The kick that JD gave to JP (the best out of 3. No question!)
3. The first JP-JD kiss (good twist that project JP’s childish character)
4. JP’s fear of insect/bee/roach (good twist that shows JP is just like a normal person and has his weaknesses)
5. JD’s family (best out of 2 versions. Why? MG is damn annoying!!! HYD is so boring/forgettable)
6. JP’s family as a whole (totally portrays a dysfunctional rich family. Differs from MG and HYD)
7. JunHee, the big sis (best out of MG and HYD. Her involvement in the story is consistent and really stands out in so many ways)
8. Madam Kang, the witch (great manipulative thinker and her character development is the best of the bunch)
9. JP’s fear of swimming (great twist to the character. He has fear that he needs to overcome)
10. JD’s swimming ability (Great additional too. Shows the contra between JP)
11. JD & JP first date (Funny and memorable from the way he asked her at the airport till when he said he’ll take full responsible. Great writing)
12. Jihoo & JD first date (great twist coz in here JD actually have a great time with Jihoo. Where the 2 versions shows that M is comparing between D & Rui. HYD has different plot so couldn’t compare. So weak actually, easy plot to handle)
13. The graffiti of JP<3JD (Great additional twist. There’s none in all 3 versions so BRAVO!)
14. JP sleeping over at JD house (Much better from the bunch and has lots of family value)
15. The kissing at the swing (Very memorable and touching too)
16. The kissing at the traffic (Literally stop the traffic and fantastic)
17. JP saving JD from kidnappers (It’s more realistic than MG and way better than HYD. Great twist to have JD as the one is unconscious instead of JP)
18. JJ (How meaningful and thoughtful it is. A great addition to have their initials)
19. JD snowman! (Funny as hell. Great addition)
20. The kissing at the lodge (Steaming!)
21. The lunch box (The best of the bunch. Just GREAT!)
22. JP dumping JD in Macau (this is by far most risky twist that they took but it actually work. Shows JP can be evil and heartless too but JD can’t easily be fooled)
23. Yijung defending JD in Macau (Good additional twist to boost up Yijung’s character)
24. JP confronting Mama in Macau (Great acting and really show his true feeling to JD)
25. JP chasing JD then hit Jihoo (Great twist from the manga. His longing for JD is just too hard to resist)
26. JD meltdown with Junhee (JD confessed her feelings despite JP rejection and change of heart)
27. JD singing to JP (good twist and strengthen her soft side)
28. Jaekyung similarities with JP (Great twist coz we have someone who is actually better suitor than JD)
29. JP Doll present (another great touch)
30. JD & JP spying day (good to have both of them reminiscing the old moments)
31. Madam Kang slapping JP (Memorable scene)
32. JP learned to swim and saving JD from drowning (Great twist altogether and just show how far JP could do to protect JD. Differs from the bunch)
33. JD and JP eating ramen & roach killing (cute, funny and memorable)
34. Madam Kang confronting JD & F3 (Shows that Madam Kang is not evil but somehow like a mother protecting what she thinks is important. Also shows that all along JD actually has her own pride and know where she stands.
35. JD being JP personal maid (Risky twist but again it work and the two struggles to keep their feelings to themselves.
36. JP begging JK to help him to stop the wedding (Memorable and really shows just how much JP wanted out. JP change of attitude really speaks volume in here as he tries not to upset the other party hence recklessly harming their business deal)
37. JP stargazing with JD (Memorable and great addition to have JP as a devoted son and hope to be a devoted father as well)
38. Zoo date (great twist coz JP& JD really look like a married couple. It’s like a combined zoo and baseball scene from manga)
39. JD confronting Madam Kang (shows how JD is such a bigger person than Madam Kang)
40. JD confession to JP and her farewell (Great twist! JD has no choice but to let JP go. As painful it is, JD couldn’t bear to see others to suffer)
41. Coma dad (Really great twist! A good turning point for JP to accept the hard truth and accepting his breakup with JD and for Madam Kang to realize how important family value is)
42. JP accident (Great twist too coz it include Jihoo and its believable like MG. Unlike HYD just fall of the cliff. What an easy plot! BLAH!)
43. JD & F3 reviving JP’s memory. (similar to HYD but better. Unlike in MG)
44. The pool scene/ JP recovering from amnesia. (This is the best scene in BOF and of the bunch. In MG and HYD were ok but not as superb as this one. BOF did it way better. Even in manga, it didn’t show at all. So good writing altogether)
45. JP’s development to be this great/cool businessman (Shown brilliantly in here. MG and HYD didn’t hit me strongly, sorry)
46. Yijung & Gaeul (great twist out of the bunch. A promising ending)
47. BOF ending (great to have all 5 of them together looking at the sun. A promising future and just let us fantasize on our own)
Wah sorry for the length…
Sigh, this is just about the time that I’ll be hunting for raw uploads on Youtube…thought I’ll check in here to share my sadness now that it’s no more. Was asking my hubby what I should do now that BOF is over and his answer was – “Get a life!”…haha, true, true.
Well, not so soon, gonna start catching the next wave of BOF madness when it airs here in Japan this Sunday….wonder how the Japanese – this is afterall where it all began – would respond to BOF? Comparing HYD and BOF, I – a non-Korean and Non-Japanese – must say I love BOF so much more (minus the awful fiancée arc). Yeah, not only am I biased toward LMH’s JP, I’m also totally sold on K-romance. Given the same storyline, somehow, the Koreans are able to tug at my heartstrings more. Looking back though, I wish there was better depiction of how Mama Kang came to accept JD (felt like the earlier scenes of coma dad were wasted) – it would have been more gratifying and provided better closure than her just feeding ex-coma dad and smiling at successful JP. Of course, there was little time left after precious screen time was wasted on whiny yumi and her harp playing. Ok, I’ll stop the grouses since it’s over and nothing can be done about the wasted opportunities.
My last comment here in this thread – so, thanks to all for this very very enjoyable ride! Thanks to Javabeans for your awesome recaps and gracious provision of this platform for us BOF fanatics to rant and rave. Thanks to all the fabulous BOF fanatics in this community for fueling the frenzy with your great insights and heartfelt comments! Never thought I’ll be guilty of being part of BOF fandom frenzy at this grand old age when I totally rejected MG fandom frenzy for being uncool in my youth! It has really been a blast!
I don’t think it’s fair to say it wasn’t good….or anything like that. Ok some bits were a little O.T.T. and we saw far more ji-hoo jan-di then we actually needed too, but i think BOF hit the spot. It came, it saw, it conquered.
If it wasn’t the amazing soundtrack (even the cheesy PARADISE), it was lee min-ho’s perma, or the quick one liners and sharp arguments. It gave us excitement for a little bit.
I don’t think BOF was just about the rich and gorgeous boys, or the nice scenery…In a cliche way i think it went a little deeper than that. For me anyway!
It gave me a chance to loose myself, and i ended up wishing for a relationship like jan-di and jun-pyo. Who wouldn’t want someone to chase after a bus for them, to wait out in the freezing cold for them…to discover new things and become a better person WITH them…
BOF…even with it’s slight flaws, delievered just what it needed to. All the drama’s before it, and the ones that will come after it, won’t hit the spot as much as this one.
We all loved it for different reasons, but even when we wanted to fast forward, we just couldn’t…It kept us glued because we were hoping the world would end up that way. That your own personal F4 would come racing to your side whenever there was an emergency…that you never had to be lonely because you’d always have someone who’d be reaching out to catch you;…
…and further more….That no matter what obstacle came in your way, or no matter how evil a person could be….love rang through.
It sounds mussy and silly and over the top romantic…But atleast it felt real. We all fight, we all break-up and we all have dreams. I doubt i’m the only one who would be ok going through so much…in the end proving it was all worth it.
The only sad thing about the drama was the kisses…So lacklustre and un-dynamic…But then i guess maybe that’s them.
To Kimmijoon:
… About the kisses… I saw clips where the director said to “just touch lips”. And their scene at the lodge, Hye Sun said it ended up being more passionate than the director wanted and so it was edited.
I haven’t seen a whole lot of Kdrama, but the ones I have seen always seem to do the same. That is, just a touch of the lips.
I don’t know. Is there a taboo in the culture about showing more than a lip-touching kiss??
… But I agree with you… I think we all wanted more!
the hype of this show will not be reached ever again this year.
triple? puh-leez. none of the leads are half as attractive as the ones here, YKS is over 30 (read: AHJUSSI). the only hype around this is that it comes from the writers of coffee prince, but for me, coffee prince was successful in large part from YEH and GY. no stars in triple have had amazing hype surrounding them…..ever….
My god.
this series ended perfectly.
THANK YOU EVERYONE!
I do have to admit, I also thought the drama ended with the kiss in the cable car. All of a sudden, I thought they started showing us behind-the-scenes stuff with applying makeup to MinHo and the cameras and everything. I thought – NO WAY! And then comes the “4 years later” and I stopped screaming. IT WAS SUCH A SCARE!
I think Ji hoo more and more like young Bae Yong Joon in winter sonata, am I right???? Thank You 4 the recap.
To Novita…
…yeah, everytime I looked at Ji Hoo, all i thought was Bae Yong Joon too…Especially at the end with the glasses…It irritated me so much.
I wanted so much more Jan-di, Jun-pyo time…Even if it was of them fighting etc…But all we got was Ji-hoo, Ji-hoo, Ji-hoo….If I wanted to see so much Bae Yong Joon, I would watch “The Face Shop” CF’s on replay… *sigh*
To Ashley L…
…I saw that part too…Silly director, it would have made things so much better. The only drama that gave a little bit more effort in the kissing stakes was “World’s Within”…But even then they didn’t have the F4 chemistry.
Someone mentioned before about the bed, with the hearts…and if anything happened between Jun-Pyo and Jan-di…It would have been interesting to see more…Not in a yucky way, just maybe them taking a nap together or something….Ahseesh, they could have developed it a lot more, but at the same time…I would still watch it again. I’m hooked
Can’t resist the urge of stopping by to read new postings of BBF.Really miss them.I can’t believe it’s been a week already.Hope to see them together in a new project.
Goo Hye Sun’s leading man in Heart of 19 ( Suh Ji Suk) is coming back from his 2 year stint in the army next month. I wish that he, Lee Min Ho and Goo Hye Sun will appear together in a love triangle romantic comedy story.
Checkout the wedding pixels of GJD and GJP….
leideeluck.wordpress.com
thank you good drama boys before flowers good drama ibnida
^-^ love the drama
you sound like you’re gonna 은퇴 from the kdrama world! LOL.
DramaBean, thank you so much for recap-ing. I’ve never enjoyed reading recaps so much
I’m sort of having a mix of an anxiety attack and being in denial. I can’t believe it’s really over! I’m not sure of what to do now. Oh, well :d
I have on rant, other than that I’m totally satisfied with the ending, except for it being over;
1. How did Jan Di spending time with Jun Pyos father help consequently? Maybe it helped his recovery, but still. I thought it would’ve shown something in the end. Hard to explain xD
Originally I had more rants but they suddenly disappeared! I don’t want it to end!
((( Wow..
* OOH! It sucks that Woo Bin didn’t end up with someone XD
**To Woo-Bin Fan**
Yeah I had a few rants too. It didn’t spoil my over-all enjoyment of BOF….It just left me feeling slightly empty…or atleast wanting more.
I wish Woo-Bin had more air time…even in interviews, they don’t pay enough attention to him.
They should have tied up the Jun-pyo, father & mother thing. eg: how did president kang come to like jandi and did the father recall her coming to visit etc…
and the wedding…or atleast some time together after the proposal…Seeing them on another picnic, or another walk….or something eg: full house ending.
I don’t know if they left us wanting more un-purpose….But I have a sad feeling they won’t make another season…. We’ll have to just imagine the best bits ourselves.
&& yes I’m having that anxiety thing too…Before I started watching, I wasn’t really interested, and didn’t understand they hype behind it. But now I can’t stop watching the behind the scenes, or all my favourite episodes again….
If only things like that happened in real life…
1. yeah.. woo bin should have more air-time…
2. jandi should have ended up with jihoo.. like someone said earlier, no one (girl) would really pick junpyo.. LOL (unless they are gold-digger)
3. yes, i laugh at the KHJ’s running at the pool as well.. i dont know, i guess its the way he walks.. too skinny perhaps?
4. the possibilities of these actors acting together again, never really happen in other K-dramas.. sigh.. ah well..
5. still having BBF withdrawal syndrome.. hehehe
**To Bored**
2- I must be the one strange girl in the world, but I would pick Jun-Pyo! Seriously!! Not because he’s gorgeous, not even cause he’s rich….I just find that self-obsessed charm quite hot… I’m attracted to guys like that in real life. Sad to say I didn’t have an affect on them, like jandi did with junpyo….but yeah, if I was her i’d pick him everytime…It’s the excitement and thrill of never knowing what you’re gonna get I guess. LOL <3
Thanks for your recaps/reviews. I’ve been having fun watching the drama then pausing to see what you had to say about certain parts. I’ve really enjoyed your commentary.
I loved this episode, I loved the time jump at the end (which normally I hate and loathe – Harry Potter anyone?) . I really adored the pool scene. I knew something would happen with it, but I must say I’m thrilled that Jan Di didn’t fall in accidentally or anything of that nature. I thought it was perfect how she deliberately stayed under. I dooo sort of wish that she’d pulled what Jun Pyo had pulled on her after she saved him with the kiss, but I can’t complain too much. The me that likes happy endings regardless of all the flaws is hopelessly squee-ing right now.
Help…!! BBF withdrawal syndrome on the attack. Truly the best k drama since Coffee Prince. Flawed, bt definitely enjoyable.
Loved the epilogue; more believable and grown up than HYD & MG, bt fashion wise, something that jumps literally out of GQ (not complaining tho)
Shoud put some screen time on dad waking up and asking to meet Jandi for instance, which can perhaps hint of Witch Mom’s reluctance acceptance of Jandi, instead of that silly Yumi scenes.
4/5 years is a long time, bt with ample access to private jets, am sure JP & SYJ flew back to visit often. Jandi & GE surprise may be due to the unannounced arrival, not due to 4/5 years of separation – I aint buying that, nosiree.
Was pretty sad for JH & WB, bt then like someone mentioned, fingers crossed for a sequel.
Did comparative analysis (final eps) of the J, T & K versions, & K version came out tops for me, MG in second place. Just couldnt see Doumyouji leading a huge conglomerate, can you? Even the k JP chocolates are better (not mention the JP rice, lol).
End note – Star of the Show for me? LMH !!!! He came a close second to Gong Yoo/Coffee Prince. Or mebbe its a tie. Love them, love them, love them. Hope LMH dont take GY lead & join the national service.
Lastly……………..almost paraaaadise…….here I come…..!!!
Tx, Beans! Till your next recaps, rest well.
I just saw BOF all at once over a weekend. It was better the second time without all the anxiety of waiting for the next episodes.I have to say I loved GHS’s acting. She is a natural comedic and dramatic actress. I do not understand people’s criticisms of her at her. She was the best thing! If time allows, down the road I may see it again. I hope people see the talent in GHS. I really do not see the validity of the criticisms about her. Perhaps we were all blinded by the beauty of F4 too much. So long.
I am not blinded by any “beauty” thing but GHS was simply TERRIBLE as Jandi especially at comedic thing.
Hold on. I just watched the last episode again.
Doesnt it strike you odd, that Jihoo joked that he wanted to repeat a year with Jandi in medical school? When Jandi asked if he was joking, he replied “It is not a joke” And then he went on to say that managing his granddad’s clinic isn’t the only reason why he came back to study.”
YOU MEAN JIHOO STILL HAS ROMANTIC FEELINGS FOR JANDI?
THAT IS SO SADDDD. DRAMABEANS//SOMEONE PLEASE ANSWER ME.
I viewed your recaps to see what your opinions were and if they agreed with mine, most times they did XD.
So thank you, domo arigatio !!! (even though this is a Korean Drama XD)
I just finished watching the series (with eng subs), it was awesome for me (based on entertainment), it made me cry (yesh, i really did cry, like 20 times xD), it made me laugh, and made me say “WTF ?!”
BBF <3
Min Lee Ho <3 (he did the best acting in my opinion)
)
Kim Bum <3 (he seemed SOOOOOO CUTE to be a badass)
Kim Hyun Joong <3 (his crying was horrible acting XD, but I loved him anyway
Kim Joon <3 (I liked his character a lot for some reason, always caring, such and such )
Anyone have recommendations on a new drama fix ?
siut punya bez cite nie…..memang lawak and penuh dengan debaran , jalan cerita memeng saya puji….saya sanggup tengok sampai tak tidur malam…tapi asaya belum tengok episod 24 and 25 coz x dapat nak download lagi tapi memang rugi sapa yang x tengok..
Yes, a “glorious mess” indeed! Will miss it so… (Even the viewers comments were a “glorious mess!” And I’m #416?! Yikes!)
As always, thanks so much for the recaps and comments, Dramabeans. Always a delight to read.
THE END
i personally thought this show was absolutely AMAZING
much better than the overrated coffee prince, in my opinion.
i had so much fun.. i actually started watching the show after it finished on tv, and i finished it in one weekend. it was so incredibly addicting.. its worse than any kind of drug.. i’ve watched the entire series again since.
sure, there were some cheesy moments here and there, but its a romantic comedy drama, its EXPECTED. people just think too much..
jandi grew on me. the first few episodes, i thought GHS’s acting was.. ew.. haha. but she got better, she really grew on me. and as for LMH, im speechless, literally. words cannot describe him, i’ve totally fallen in love with him. kimbum: adorable, of course. its a shame we didn’t see much of the fourth F4 woobin..
it was a great show, and it’ll definitely stay my favorite show for a long time to come.. i wish the whole cast the best of luck in their future projects. and i would love to see GHS and LMH work together again
Yeahh, thanks a bunch for doing this. there were times when i was just too lazy to load the drama online or it would have technical issues and just plain refused to work for me, the recaps did wonderfully.
thankss.
i love this movie and i love goo gun pyo you are very beautiful love love jandi kim bum jihoo i love all them
i love it…wowwwww…
Love the drama!
Love the actors/actresses!
Love the scenery!
Love the OST!
Omg I cant believe its over! To be honest I didnt really like the cast at first ….but they kind of grow on u …u know
especially Jun pyo….I watched Hana Yori Dango as well and I love both but there was something that the korean one had that the Japanese version didnt …it was the relationship between one of the F4 and Jandi’s or Makino’s (in the japanese version) best friend…i liked that part of the korean version 
and the soundtrack !
Hope that is a part where by goo jun pyo and geum jandi married… haha…. somehow it’s not bad… but there’s something more they can show lol… haha…
THIS SHOW IS SO NICE!
Wishes for Movie!
i just wanna say that i really enjoy your reviews …..
it’s almost like you are having a conversation!!
the logic, rationale on what you feel about the episodes, the flow of the plot, the acting is so well and clearly written, it is really a joy to read!
i love you wit and humour as well!!!
watching ‘on air’ now and was just thinking you would fit the part of a producer/ script writer perfectly!!!
keep up the good work!
Being a late starter, and I mean really late, to this series, I only watched the last ep but I think it is good enough for me.
When the series started, I told myself I will not get addicted to it, it’s so predictable, lame, etc but I stole peeks now and then. And every time I watched like 5 or 10 mins snippets here and there, it was always the orange haired guy (didnt know then his name was Ji-hu coming to Jandi’s rescue). Why does he ALWAYS seem to be around when she is bullied? He gives new meaning to the phrase ” waiting in the wings” and his character is so perfect that it is flawed. I mean, how can a person be that perfect??
The BBF enterprise is humungous. Every other blog is talking abt it, Gu Hye-sun, Lee Min-ho and the other F’3ers. Sorry I still dont know their names. Maybe, because of it, I never bought into it because I’ve never been a big believer of HYPE., and I dont like to buy into things that are heavily hyped
Ppl interviewed said it offered escapism, at a time when work is hard, life is stressful (tell me about it, the KR economy is still in the doldrums)
I finally sat down and watched the last ep last nite and I am glad i did. It gave me
It had its cringeworthy moments, and I am sure the earlier eps I didnt catch had even more. It was a good enough concise summary for me
Dont even get me started on Gu Jun-pyo. Having come back from a week in Seoul, I have seen for myself how big of a commodity Lee Min-ho is. I mean, his face is like plastered in every conceivable ad, from pharmacy stores, to donuts and cosmetics. Frankly, he looks so much better if he loses the bombastic hair-do.
Maybe this warrants a DVD marathon when the DVD is released. Until then, I have other dramas to keep me entertained. It will be fun to watch, but I won’t die while waiting for it : )
Overall, a great ” fantasy ” drama.
Is it just me or did they make Jandi’s character wear hideous clothes thru out?
And her acting is a little over the top, but her cuteness makes up for it .
do you think they’ll get married? i really can’t wait for the next boys over flowers. email me, okay?
i like your recap..
this is what i think,the best version must be the japanese..
but the korean is also as interesting..
reasons why i like the japanese version is because,
1) the time slot is really perfect..the first season,the after a year comes the 2nd season and about a year later the movie came out..i really love the way they sort things out..
2)this must be my personal thought but i really would like to see jun pyo and jan di get married like tsukasa and tsukushi did,,but the fact that they didnt,kinda disappoint me..huhu=)
3)isnt f4 should be brothers?their relationship should be beyond anything or anyone..i think the bond in the korean version doesnt really shows..i like the bond that japanese f4 have..
4)im just too pity of song woo bin here..he doesnt really stands up in this version..
5)not forgetting,the background music..when i first saw this was at ep 20++..i cant help to figure out,what is lacking with this drama..even though the plot is interesting.then it hit me,the background was too quiet..at first i even thought of it as a serious drama..they really should improve it..
6)this one is typical,their acting.at some point they look really great acting their part in this series but sometime they are just bad till it doesnt feel real..
7)i seriously does not agree about ji hoo likes jan di..in my opinion it brings bad impression towards the f4 relationship.does he supposed to be in love with his best friend girlfriend?it is just so wrong
besides it flaws,there are also many great thing about this series..
1)this would be the most handsome f4 version ever!!!all of them!!!=D
2)i really love the jan di in here.very determined and she also have other things to do besides f4..it really is interesting..
3)the ost is the best!!all the songs are great!!i love them all!!=)
4)i really love the relationship between jun pyo and jan di..they are really cute and they looked natural throughout this drama..
5)the set was the best!!new caledonia!macau!ji hoo house!jun pyo house!even the school are great!
6)the plot that is differ in japanese version is what i like the most..very interesting..
well,,these are my comment..everyone have their one point of view right?
but,,i really love this drama..im still repeating it whenever i have some free time..huhu=D
I have watched this twice and is still waxing lyrical about it. The show as in any Cinderella story gives the possibility for true love and friendship ( and getting out of life’s ghetto ) which is the dream of most people .
And yes, taste is an indelible memory. Remember the memory of the madeleine in Marcel Proust’s Swann’s Way. The memory of taste was the first step towards remembering things past for Jun-Pyo, which I find very probable and convincing. What I would like the show to explore is the possibility of love in the sharing of experiences ( more so Jihu with the protagonist than Junpyo ) which seems a tad less with the latter character.
The story is not exactly watertight but remembering its adaption from a comic, it is forgivable. Staying true to the spirit of the original story , I consider the placement of Hye Sun ( height wise and lack of sophistication ) in this story to be most appropriate.
I am familiar with the synopsis but I find your personal analysis most interesting and insightful. I am in total agreement that BOF is a “glorious mess” , which makes the show so enjoyable, carefree and addictive without the burden of too much accountability as a viewer.
thanks for recapping! I miss BOF!.. I watched all of the episodes 2 times! cause the ending is not enough for me! the ending is a little bit boring, but a one tear dropped on my face when Jun Pyo remembers Jan Di and saved him on the pool. Yumi is so annoying!! I didn’t watched that episode because it is so annoying!! yumi is the same as my enemy of my best friend I REALLY REALLY MISS BOF!! I wish there’s part.2
JHAE KYUNG UR THE BEST!!!!!!!!
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BOF is so addictive!! <3
wow!! im really a fan of boys over flowers! i hope they come in philippines!
every moment i watch!! its really great…. i wish theres a part 2…
So cute for Soeul to be like that. But actually I am bit disappointed because it ended up just like that. Keep us hanging not even kinship or just a hug perhaps. Oh goodness I just watch BOF because of this couple. But anyway its good to see them together till end….
tsk2. a very lobely story. one of my favorite! x) but i hate d ending! no wedding + no kiss? waaaaaaaaaaaaaaahuhuhuhu T.T
i am addict to this series i wish they have part 2, 3, 4………100 or more.lol
i love this show thank you for doing this ! well i’m from the Big Island but i think girl like me .love this kind a show ! i need to know about the eps 25-26 …do you thing they still continue on this show or what !!! yes /no…
well thank you so much i love those guyz there a really good actor..
Well done guyz .. F4 and the star of star Jan -Di,
i need the 25-26 please !!!! please !!!
..why is your video doesnt working on the last ep..??? will you do something about it.. of course with an english version(youtube).. hehehehhehee.. thank you…
hey..where’s Ji Hoo’s girl then?wasn’t it supposed to end with seo hyun unni will come back for Ji Hoo sunbae?ahaha..LOL
I think the drama Meteor Garden ended like that.
anyway..many thanks..
i wasn’t able to watch the final episode with english sub that’s why i just searched for its summary story..and finally i found this very admirable site.
thanks for posting!
bof is really addicting with its “feel good” effect on people… especially for me who enjoys movies/ shows for entertainment and inspiration. thus, i appreciate the spurt scenes and the songs. however, my inquisitive and rational mind tends to question the connection at times and seeks closure for the impact of scenes such as jandi’s effort for the gu-jun pyo’s father’s recovery vis-a-vis the mom’s change, ji-hoo’s moving forward, mafia’s life, development of the relationship with ga-eul etc. i’d like to mention that jan di’s character could have been a little less turn-off-y (even for a female like me) with the “over” eating with mouth all full versus a show of extreme enjoyment, “over” stooping when she is kinda disappointed, sneezing without covering her mouth… a little dignity wouldn’t have hurt the jandi character. mafia’s background could have been explored more equal to yi-jung’s role. overall, the story served its purpose for me. congratulations to the actors and actress, cast and crew. thank you for the bits of closure in the end, for widening ji-hoo’s character, role, and background.
I just finished watching BOF last night and to be fair, this is not really the best KDrama ever. There are a lot KDramas out there that can top this one. For one reason, I expected something big from BOF. The fact that the Taiwanese version (Meteor Garden) is the first Asian Drama that I fell in love with made me expected a lot from BOF. But then, BOF had a lot of weak points. It’s good but not that good to top Meteor Garden (I haven’t watched the Japanese version).
One of the weak points of the story:
Koo Hye Soon (JanDi). Correct me if I’m wrong but I personally think that Koo Hye Soon is not the perfect match for JanDi’s character. I’ve been watching KDramas and KFilms for quite a while and I think, there are a lot of better actresses that could have matched JanDi’s character. Koo Hye Soon looks old to play a character of a HS student. She looks older (well, she’s older in reality) than the F4 guys that’s why the JanDi-JunPyo team up didn’t really work for me. How I wish they could’ve gotten Yoon Eue Hye since she played the HS student character in Goong really well.
totally awesome . :]
i am one of those who watched it here in the philippines.
LEE MiN HO is so adorable .
yeeeaaa.
i can’t get myself out of my chair when i was watching the wole series.
KUDOS to all.
you did a very good job .
we, the avid fans of boys before flowers here in the philippines ..
are waiting for the F4 to visit our country . :]
may god make our wish be true . :]
sayonara !
LHEi ♥
yeah its really awesome.
wish they could visit the phillipines..
and got famouse at other countries..
hellow!, alam niyo ba na bitin ako sa kanilang story kasi dapat meron pa yung F4 five years after story nila ni: Ji hoo, Jun Pyo, Yi jung, Woo BIn! LOve the story love love love love love it! San anga pumunta sila ng pilipinas
wish there’s still some episode left.. Im a bit uncontented esp. by the ending that just happen like that…. so so shortcutted, I never expected that kind of ending perhaps the writer got tired..hehehe lol o.O if Iwas the writer/director I will continue this up cause Im gonna get lot of money for doin this!….
I really wish for another season, Im actually not fond of watching this kind of drama but Mom dragged me and watch one eppisode with her then there it goes, I keep comin’ back just to see BOF over and over again, its so entertaining, BOF make makes you laugh, cry and go crazy!……..
I was starting to like Jan di more as the drama ends cause she’s different!…. fighting!<3…
I will miss you BOF, F4 and Geum Jand Di!… I wish I cud see u again!….
mmMwaaaaah
-hugs-
PS:
pls go to phillipines!.. a lot of ppl wantd to see u guys here…. =)
i’ts rily wonderful to read though i havent watch it yet i know the real scensario will be as great as the written one. im looking 4ward to watch it!!!!! great done guys!!!!
whoo. it’s really done. but it doesn’t leave me sad because i am actually satisfied, contented and happy about this drama and how it ended. regarding Mama Kang, i think the transition was quite subtle, well, compared to HYD where she was so fierce but then right then and there before Makino’s Grad party Mom met up with Makino and suddenly routed for her and Domyouji. I thought Mama Kang in this version as, quietly backing down. and i SUPER KADUPER LOVED THE POOL SCENE. WAY TO STEP UP YOUR GAME JAN DI! it’s good to see her “spunk” and “fight” again. yeah it’s good that Jun Pyo didn’t get all of his memory back just by the egg roll (unlike in HYD when Domyouji tasted the cookie).
javabeans, what you said about some details all coming together making this whole drama work is true. the last few episodes were great and fun.
overall, i enjoyed watching this even though yes, some if not most of the scenes were questionable, plot-wise. but maybe that’s because, i’ve accepted and overlooked that being questionable of the drama. there were some scenes which i preferred they retained from the original, and some i’m glad they didn’t. I ACTUALLY APPRECIATED THE JUMBLING OF THE SCENES, particularly the snow trip scene, which was supposed to be how Jun Pyo would save Jan Di after he recovers from his amnesia. I had no idea how they would resolve that problem out now that they’ve used that scene. which leads us now to the POOL SCENE.
Hooray!
i wasn’t at all snobby with this one, which is great and what made it enjoyable.
this was so much fun, thanks for the recaps and subs you’re doing a great job.
)
i wish gu hye sun and lee minho. together again in their new offer project specially in love story………….! i