Boys Before Flowers: Episode 25 (Final)

671 March 31, 2009January 24, 2016

by javabeans

Last episode!

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

(First) SONG OF THE DAY

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

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

EPISODE 25 RECAP (FINAL)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

He clutches her to him and obliges.

(Yumi walks off, petulant. Good riddance!)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ji-hoo’s last:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And now, we’re four years later.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

THE END (finally)

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

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

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

WEAKNESSES (aka, Stuff I Just Let Slide):

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

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

This leads me to:

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

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

On the other hand:

STUFF I LIKED:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

OVERALL THOUGHTS

Was Boys Before Flowers a GOOD drama?

Well, no.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Truer words, y’all.

Okay, okay, I’m done! Finally!

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

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

THANKS FOR ALL THE FUN TIMES!

671

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351 deulhee

April 2, 2009 at 6:58 PM

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

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352 yoonah

April 2, 2009 at 7:21 PM

#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!

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353 Liza Yusof

April 2, 2009 at 8:39 PM

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 ; )

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354 daizukun

April 2, 2009 at 9:32 PM

@ #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!! :D

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355 HanaDan

April 2, 2009 at 9:38 PM

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

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356 llama

April 2, 2009 at 10:22 PM

ur reviews were far more entertaining than the actual drama for me.

thanks for putting the time and effort into doing this for us!

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357 mya

April 2, 2009 at 10:25 PM

Hi, :)
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 :) 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
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 !

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358 Liza Yusof

April 2, 2009 at 11:05 PM

@#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

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359 HanaDan

April 2, 2009 at 11:35 PM

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

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360

April 2, 2009 at 11:51 PM

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

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361 ally

April 2, 2009 at 11:53 PM

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

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362 bbffan

April 3, 2009 at 2:51 AM

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

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363 maria

April 3, 2009 at 8:00 AM

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!!! :D :D :D

thank you thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :) :) :)

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364 lostshoop

April 3, 2009 at 9:03 AM

thank YOU for sharing this amazing roller-coaster ride with us. ♥
i'm sorry this is so late

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365 IloveBOF

April 3, 2009 at 9:23 AM

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.

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366 sbop

April 3, 2009 at 10:19 AM

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...

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367 (o.O)''

April 3, 2009 at 10:33 AM

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.

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368 Imee

April 3, 2009 at 10:50 AM

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.

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369 Saru

April 3, 2009 at 12:07 PM

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. :D

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370 annie

April 3, 2009 at 1:51 PM

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

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371 hajung

April 3, 2009 at 3:17 PM

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.

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Sakshi3631

August 8, 2023 at 6:27 AM

The office in which Jun Hee is sitting is Madam Kang's office. She became president of Shinwha not the school

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372 Javabeans

April 3, 2009 at 3:19 PM

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.)

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373 rachelp7121

April 3, 2009 at 4:54 PM

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......................

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374 PILK

April 3, 2009 at 5:49 PM

Hi Javabeans,
No further insight, just adding one pebble into the count.
Hope you reach 400 comments on this post...
have a great weekend!

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375 foxymama123

April 4, 2009 at 12:12 AM

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*

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376 asianfanatic

April 4, 2009 at 2:44 AM

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!

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377 cheonsa

April 4, 2009 at 7:15 AM

#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!

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378 gellybeans

April 4, 2009 at 8:13 AM

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!

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379 wooms

April 4, 2009 at 12:41 PM

#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.

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380 Jelli

April 4, 2009 at 1:12 PM

r they makin a second season???

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381 Gloria

April 4, 2009 at 1:49 PM

LOVED the ending (:

Ahh thanks for giving great recaps every week, javabeans! :D 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! :D

(the elevator scene was the cutest <3 * w *)

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382 wonder yen

April 4, 2009 at 3:46 PM

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

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383 Mandy

April 4, 2009 at 7:57 PM

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! :)

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384 Kaila

April 4, 2009 at 8:11 PM

I love the scene where Jandi fell into the water, stiff. That scene had the most impact on me..

I love your recaps, dramabeans!

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385 epyc

April 4, 2009 at 10:57 PM

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??

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386 leo

April 5, 2009 at 1:15 AM

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

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387 gellybeans

April 5, 2009 at 2:39 AM

to 386

Agree so much w/ you.....I do miss LMH acting with such energy....what a blessed gent....

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388 Diane

April 5, 2009 at 1:28 PM

Thanks SOOOOO much.
BBF was AHHHHMAZING[: x3

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389 Liv

April 5, 2009 at 1:40 PM

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)

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390 AshleyL

April 5, 2009 at 7:39 PM

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!

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391 2Late2Say

April 6, 2009 at 1:18 AM

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...

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Sakshi3631

August 8, 2023 at 6:37 AM

I agree with some points not all. Jun hee's involvement was weakest in this version. In other versions the sister actively distracted the bodyguards and everything to make the main couple spend time together. Also I didn't think JK made a better pair with JP neither was she similar to him except in the ways the writers forced to make it look like that. JK was as manipulative and underhanded as Madam Kang. She enjoyed trapping JP to make him marry her. While JP was often possessive, it was never as bad as that of JK who was simply obsessed with no consideration for others' feelings
And also, in NO way was HYD was the weaker plot or easier to handle. It had character and plot depth which were largely absent in the K version

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392 cheonsa

April 6, 2009 at 7:29 AM

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!

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393 Kimmijoon

April 6, 2009 at 3:06 PM

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.

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394 AshleyL

April 6, 2009 at 4:11 PM

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! :-)

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395 BOForever

April 6, 2009 at 5:48 PM

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....

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396 sunnysummersuns

April 7, 2009 at 2:12 PM

My god.
this series ended perfectly.

THANK YOU EVERYONE!

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397 ANNA

April 7, 2009 at 2:59 PM

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!

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398 Novita

April 7, 2009 at 7:21 PM

I think Ji hoo more and more like young Bae Yong Joon in winter sonata, am I right???? Thank You 4 the recap.

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399 Kimmijoon

April 8, 2009 at 5:40 PM

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 :P

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400 Imee

April 8, 2009 at 9:43 PM

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.

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