Boys Before Flowers: Episode 2
by javabeans
I feel better about Boys Before Flowers after Episode 2. The drama is still very flawed, and I think I’m going pretty easy on it — I could snark much more if I wanted to — but I don’t want to be mean about this series. I have a lot of affection for it.
But the reason for my liking hinges mostly upon one character, and that is the tough-guy-masking-a-soft-heart, Gu Jun-pyo. Lee Min-ho, manseh!
SONG OF THE DAY
Loptimist – “갈증” (Thirst) [ Download ]
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EPISODE 2 RECAP
Jan-di fights off her trio of attackers, who grab her from the girls’ locker room and hold her down.
They stop at the arrival of Ji-hoo, who asks what they’re doing in his languid, casual manner. His presence flusters the guys, because they’re acting on Jun-pyo’s orders, and Ji-hoo is obviously Jun-pyo’s friend. As though oblivious to the scene going on in front of him, Ji-hoo peers down at Jan-di and asks if she’d left something out of her pancake recipe from before. Something went wrong when he tried it. Still held down by her attackers, bewildered at the non sequitur, Jan-di mentions baking powder. Rather an awkward way to discuss cooking techniques.
Ji-hoo addresses the three minions: “Why are you still here?” Faced with disobeying Ji-hoo to his face or Jun-pyo behind his back, they skedaddle.
Ji-hoo covers her in a towel, and as he turns to leave, Jan-di tells him, “Thank you.” In his even tone, he answers, “I wasn’t helping. These things just annoy me.”
In his mansion, Jun-pyo hears of Ji-hoo’s interference. To show us that Jun-pyo isn’t completely heartless, he criticizes his minions for their extreme measures — he’d merely instructed that they scare her (to show her a “bitter taste”).
Ji-hoo’s kindness lingers in Jan-di’s mind for the rest of the day. She happens to come across him when she bicycles past him fondling a poster of a famous model at a bus stop. Not so sure you want to be getting that intimate with anything at a bus stop, buddy.
Jan-di says as much, telling him that a bus stop poster is bound to blacken his hands with dirt. Still, she admires the poster of Min Seo-hyun, who is not only famous for her beauty but also for her charity donations and her brains; she recently passed the law exam in France. Ji-hoo asks, “Do you know her?” Jan-di answers, “Of course. She’s my idol.”
Ji-hoo enjoys her reaction, smiling at Jan-di’s wide-eyed adulation. But his smile fades when she says that Seo-hyun, who is bound for great things, could marry royalty, or a president, or something of that sort to become a “world’s princess” like Princess Di. At that, Ji-hoo says, “She’s just a model.”
Jan-di sticks to her fantasy of a foreign prince falling for her idol. Mood killed, Ji-hoo turns to leave with the parting shot, “What do you know?”
At home, Jan-di’s computer-obsessed brother finds scandalous news online about one of the students at Shinhwa High School, a second-year who’s supposedly pregnant. Identified merely as Miss “K,” the family tries to guess who it could be, like a Miss Kim or Kwon (or Keum — which I wrote as “geum” since it’s closer to the phonetic reading).
The next day, Jan-di notices the stares of the other students, but is busy wondering which of them is the notorious Miss K.
Jun-pyo is in a good mood, and when Yi-jung asks what’s up with “2,500 Won” (Jan-di) today, he says, “Just wait. She’ll come here soon.” (It’s too cute to see that this — her coming to see him — is his obvious goal, although he convinces himself that it’s all because Jan-di needs to be humbled.) Ji-hoo wonders, “What prank have you pulled this time?” Jun-pyo: “Why, so you can save her again?”
Yi-jung and Woo-bin wonder what that means, while Ji-hoo says that picking on one girl like this “is ridiculous and childish.” Jun-pyo retorts, “Do you see her as a girl?” because to him, she’s like a horse, or a dog. After all, she dared defy the Great Jun-pyo-nim (using the “nim” suffix on himself is, as one might guess, exceedingly arrogant).
Jan-di’s classmates identify her as the notorious Miss K, and news spreads fast. In class, both chalkboards have been covered in slurs like “filthy,” “get lost,” “who’s the daddy?” “crazy bitch,” etc.
The Tarty Trio leave a pile of dirty rags on her desk and taunt her. Pushed too far, Jan-di fumes, “I can’t take this anymore!” Ginger mocks, “So what are you going to do about it?”
Jan-di’s arrival at the F4 lounge brings Jun-pyo much satisfaction, but he covers it with disdain: “If you came to apologize, you’re too late.” She throws the dirty rags in his face and warns him that she won’t sit back and take his abuse anymore.
Jun-pyo’s arrogance turns to confusion when Jan-di clenches her fists and assumes a fighting stance. Puzzled, he asks what she’s doing, and she repeats: “I told you, I won’t sit back and take it anymore.” With a shriek, Jan-di jumps in the air, and whirls into a rather impressive spinning back kick — catching Jun-pyo right in the face.
The other F4 members look on in amazement as Jan-di clomps over to the fallen Jun-pyo, demanding, “Did you see me sleeping around with a man? Did you even see me holding hands? How dare you say all that about a chaste and pure girl who hasn’t even had her first kiss yet!”
She warns one last time, “If you keep up these filthy tricks, I’ll really kill you then!”
One might think that this show of defiance would piss off the Almighty Jun-pyo, but later that night, he sits alone, chuckling to himself. Woo-bin asks why he’s so amused. Jun-pyo: “Haven’t you guys caught on yet?”
With supreme satisfaction, he announces, “That chick’s totally into me.” That makes no sense to the other guys, but Jun-pyo elaborates:
Jun-pyo: “Think about it. She didn’t want the guy she likes to misunderstand, so she came herself to insist she was pure and innocent.”
Yi-jung: “Following that logic –”
Woo-bin: “– saying she hadn’t had her first kiss –”
Jun-pyo: “– is her way of saying she’s waiting for her first kiss from me.”
Yi-jung, clapping: “Bravo. Impressive, Gu Jun-pyo. You’re my friend, but that’s really something.”
Relieved at this gratifying revelation, Jun-pyo attributes Jan-di’s extreme hate of him to “thinking she could fool me by acting mad.” It is HILARIOUS, and Lee Min-ho is adorable.
The next day at school, Jan-di lies low, wanting to avoid more encounters with the Almighty Jun-pyo. Men in suits approach and ask her to accompany them, but won’t identify their boss.
She declines, and hides (in a painfully exaggerated sequence) as she sneaks her way across campus, only to be accosted at the last minute. She’s shoved into a waiting vehicle, then drugged.
She awakens on a massage table in a luxurious room, and is subjected to all sorts of painful beautifying processes like waxing.
Here, I wish they’d employed a bit more logic, because Jan-di goes along with the makeup, hair, and dressing sessions — confused, but not really protesting. Never mind that she still doesn’t know whose home she is in, or why she is there. Then again, I suppose if someone were lavishing clothes, jewels, and spa treatments on me, my guard would be down too.
The attendant (butler?) tells her that this is the first time that “the young master” has brought home a girl, although I suppose that requires a pretty loose definition of “bringing home.”
The butler can’t tell her why she’s here, because he doesn’t know, either. He deposits her at a door where someone is waiting for her; Jan-di enters cautiously and sees a tall figure standing at the window, and guesses, “Ji-hoo?”
Disappointedly realizing she’s at Jun-pyo’s family estate, Jan-di is immediately suspicious, and puts up her dukes: “What are you going to do this time?”
Jun-pyo turns her toward a mirror and tells her to look: “See, money can turn even an ugly duckling into a heron.” Jan-di: “Don’t you mean swan?”
Indignant, Jan-di retorts that she didn’t ask him for this, but he’s wrapped up in his own smug misconception, and tells her, “If you like me, just say so.” When she doesn’t respond, he recalls, “Right, you like to talk in opposites, don’t you?” (O, delusion, he is King of it.)
Jan-di accuses him of illegally kidnapping her. Jun-pyo assures her, “Nobody’s around, so you can be open about liking me here. From now on, I’ll be willing to make an exception and recognize you outside of school.”
Jan-di is completely speechless. He continues: “If you just do as I say, when nobody’s around I can treat you as the Almighty Jun-pyo’s girlfriend.”
Jan-di wonders if his brain has been addled by too much greasy food, and turns to leave.
Showing the first sign of anxiety, Jun-pyo blocks her from leaving. He tells her that she’s currently wearing 100 million won’s worth ($77,000), “But that’s nothing. If you’re with me, you can enjoy more than that every day. Are you saying you don’t want it? Are you crazy?”
Jan-di bristles: “The moment I see your face, it feels like bugs are crawling all over my body.” She takes off her jewelry and throws it on the ground, then reaches to unzip her dress (before remembering Jun-pyo’s watching — rather intently, I might add — and insists he return her uniform).
Jan-di: “You don’t seem to know this, but you can’t buy friends with money. Friends bond through feelings.” Jun-pyo replies, “There’s nothing you can’t buy,” and tells her to contradict him if she can. She can’t think of anything.
After Jan-di leaves, Jun-pyo rages against his employees, stomping on the discarded dress and telling his butler to throw away the dress and fire everyone who worked on Jan-di today.
Jan-di remembers too late that she’s still wearing the borrowed high heels, takes them off, and throws them over the gate — just as Ji-hoo finds her outside and wonders what she’s doing. He laughs: “You’re always in a dramatic situation.”
Jan-di asks Ji-hoo, “Is there anything in the world you can’t buy?” Dejected, she figures there isn’t, but perks up when Ji-hoo answers after a moment of thinking, “Air.”
Amused at her happy reaction to finding one unbuyable thing, Ji-hoo ruffles her hair and calls her “a really fun kid.” As he gets up to leave, he tosses her his sneakers, since she’s now barefoot. Jan-di watches him zoom off on his motorcycle with a smile.
She tries to return the shoes the next day by visiting the F4 lounge, but Yi-jung and Woo-bin inform her that Jun-pyo isn’t around. She grumbles that she doesn’t care about him, and asks them to give the shoes to Ji-hoo.
The guys know they owe their recent entertainment to Jan-di, and invite her to have some tea while she fills them in on her latest encounter with Jun-pyo. Seeing a commercial of Min Seo-hyun on TV, the guys mention that Ji-hoo ought to be happy that Seo-hyun is coming back to Korea soon.
She asks if Ji-hoo is acquainted with Seo-hyun, and learns that after his parents’ death, he’d retreated into autism (I remember hearing it was Asperger’s, which is a mild form of autism). Seo-hyun was the only one able to draw him out of himself, and became something of “a first love, girlfriend, and mother.” This information drags Jan-di into a funk, so much so that she even cuts dinner short, feeling inadequate next to the glamorous model.
In fact, she’s so distracted that in gym class, she fails to react swiftly when Ginger hurls a ball at her (in a game of dodgeball), and gets hit in the face. She leaves the group of laughing mean girls while the F4 guys watch, and Jun-pyo finds her washing up in the bathroom.
He tries to helpfully wipe the blood from her face, but Jan-di, fighting tears, doesn’t want his help. It’s clear (to us) that he wants to make her feel better but is woefully ill-equipped with the social skills; not knowing what to say, he chides her for being absent-minded enough to get hit in the face, and tells her not to cry. Jan-di counters, “Do I have to get your permission to cry now? And weren’t you the person who was happiest to see me crying and hurting?”
Jun-pyo: “Is that all you can say to the person who came to help?”
Jan-di: “Who asked for your help? If everyone died and you were the last person on earth, I still wouldn’t accept your help.”
It’s a bit cute — and sad — when Jun-pyo stops her from leaving and demands to know, uncertainly, “W-what is it you hate so much about me? I’m good-looking. I’m tall, I’m smart, I’m rich. How — how can you hate Gu Jun-pyo? Are you stupid?”
Jan-di shoots back that she dislikes the way he looks, the way he walks, his curly hair — “and picking on weak kids for fun with your red cards or whatever with your thoughtlessness — that’s the worst!”
Jun-pyo stutters in disbelief, but Jan-di’s not quite finished: “In short, I hate everything about you! Everything!”
Is the obligatory shower scene supposed to be moving? I don’t know; it was just so obvious that I had to laugh.
But shameless half-naked water shots aside, Lee Min-ho does a good job of showing Jun-pyo’s frustration, first as he engages in a particularly rough game of rugby, then as he stares in the mirror in self-loathing.
It’s only when Jun-pyo spies the notice for a class trip that he cheers up. All second- and third-years will have the chance to go on a month-long school trip to Europe.
It doesn’t even occur to Jun-pyo that 20 million won ($15,500) is a bit rich for a commoner like Jan-di. Thus on class trip day, he spends the whole time at the airport pacing anxiously, wondering where Jan-di is. Ji-hoo is similarly distracted, but for a different reason — today marks Min Seo-hyun’s return to Korea. Seo-hyun (Han Chae-young, looking gorgeous) greets Ji-hoo warmly.
With Jan-di nowhere to be seen, Jun-pyo is a fidgety ball of nerves until he receives a call, (ostensibly) informing him where Jan-di is.
Jan-di cannot afford to go on the trip, and to make things worse, her father has run afoul of some gambling debts (ah, it wouldn’t be a kdrama without gambling debts!).
Therefore, she and her friend Ga-eul decide to make this a working vacation, so they can enjoy themselves while earning some money. Through Ga-eul, they find a job on a fishing boat. They’re enjoying the experience, until one loud, obnoxious voice cuts in on their sleepytime.
To her shock, the entire class looks down on her from a Shinhwa cruiseliner, with Jun-pyo manning a loudspeaker. Now that he’s found her, he’s happily back to taunting her (like a little boy tormenting a little girl he likes, not knowing that chocolate and flowers FIX EVERYTHING. Oh, yeah, and also a little basic kindness.).
Jan-di can’t believe her vacation is to be ruined thusly. She asks why they aren’t on their class trip, and he replies that he’s been there before and wanted a new, interesting place. He’s here on “someone’s” recommendation: “What a total coincidence, huh? I had no idea you’d be here, Dry Cleaner.”
I don’t care if you think this is corny, it is TOO CUTE.
When Jan-di and Ga-eul dock for the night, they note with dismay that Jan-di’s classmates have arrived and seem to be waiting to check into a hotel (or something).
Jan-di’s spirits further sink when Ji-hoo arrives with the radiant Min Seo-hyun on his arm.
Jun-pyo addresses Jan-di, saying, “Dry Cleaner, be honest, aren’t you happy to run into me at a place like this?” Jan-di retorts that she was having a grand time before he came along.
Jun-pyo invites her (in his careless way) to join the rest of the class. While she’s quick to turn him down flat, she has an entirely different reception for Ji-hoo. Jun-pyo looks on in displeasure when Ji-hoo breezes past him, invites Jan-di to a welcome party for Seo-hyun, and sees Jan-di’s immediate acceptance: “Yes, I’ll go, absolutely.”
The Tarty Trio, however, seize the opportunity to have a little fun, and give Jan-di some “advice” for the dress code. It’s not too hard to predict that this goes awry, and that they must have told her it’s a costume party. The instant she walks in, she realizes she’s been tricked, and berates herself for falling for the lie.
Embarrassed, she tries to leave, but is forced to enter the room to escape Jun-pyo (who, by the way, spends all his time looking around for her). When the Mean Girls find her, they taunt her and try to pull her coat off her. The result is inevitable but still humiliating: They grab Jan-di’s jacket, she tries to escape, falls into a tray of hors d’oeuvres, and lands with a loud crash.
The girls laugh gleefully, calling her delusional — perhaps she started believing the hype that she truly was Wonder Woman? Others snort in amusement, but Jun-pyo looks angry (on her behalf). He’s about to move toward her, but once again is one-upped by Ji-hoo, who arrives at Jan-di’s side with Seo-hyun.
Seo-hyun sizes up the situation immediately, and faces the Mean Girls with disgust: “I know why you did this. But do you know that this proves how low you are, not her?”
With Ji-hoo and Seo-hyun by her side, Jan-di is ushered up to Seo-hyun’s room to clean up.
Seo-hyun takes an immediate liking to Jan-di as she dresses her up and helps her with her makeup, saying that any friend of Ji-hoo’s is a friend of hers.
Jan-di brushes off the compliments, saying Ji-hoo was just being nice, but Seo-hyun knows him better and assures her that he’s not that type. This is the first time she’s seen him step in to help someone else.
Jan-di doesn’t want to give herself too much credit, and answers, “But Ji-hoo’s just attentive by nature.” To Seo-hyun, this is just proof of the opposite, that Jan-di is an exception to the rule.
She also has heard of Jan-di’s vow not to let Jun-pyo beat her down. She voices her support and wishes Jan-di victory, but explains, “It’s because he’s lonely.” Being the child of a parents who are fixated solely on their business empire has made him lonely, and his outer demeanor is just a cover-up for it.
Seo-hyun finishes the look with a pair of shoes, telling her, “Good shoes take you to good places.”
When Jan-di is ushered back to the party, people look on in surprise, but no one’s more shocked than Jun-pyo — who drops his plate in his astonishment at the purty, purty girl.
And yet, he is beaten to the punch once more, because Seo-hyun pushes Ji-hoo toward Jan-di, saying that a gentleman doesn’t ignore such a beautiful lady. So Ji-hoo walks over to Jan-di and offers his arm.
COMMENTS
All through Episode 1, I was thinking Lee Min-ho reminded me of someone, and it kept niggling at the back of my mind. I finally put my finger on it, and it’s Lee Dong-wook (La Dolce Vita, My Girl — aka, this guy). Lee Min-ho isn’t nearly as good as Lee Dong-wook (yet?), but he shows a lot of promise, in addition to the fact that he delivers some of his lines in a similar way, and even has similar bone structure to boot.
Sorry to say, however, that while I was holding out hope for Kim Hyun-joong, I don’t think he is going to do much in this drama other than look pretty. In Episode 1, he was quiet and enigmatic. In Episode 2, the more lines he had, the more clear his inexperience became, which makes him seem stiff and unnatural. Let’s hope he’s given as few lines as possible, to let his quiet mystique carry him.
On the other hand, Kim Bum is doing all right playing Yi-jung (nothing to scream about, though), and I actually do like Kim Joon‘s Woo-bin — in the absence of his gangsta “Yo, yo, yo!” posturing (which was still present in Episode 2, though pulled back a little). Unfortunately, Kim Bum looks years younger than his castmates, as he’s the only one actually playing his age (19), other than Ga-eul, who’s also 19. Speaking of whom, Kim So-eun is pretty good for the newbie she is, and she also happens to be currently acting in the large-scale sageuk drama Empress Cheon-chu, playing Chae Shi-ra‘s childhood role.
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Tags: Boys Before Flowers, Gu Hye-sun, Kim Bum, Kim Hyun-joong, Kim Joon, Lee Min-ho
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1 missmanderley
January 6, 2009 at 8:39 PM
You're awesome, javabeans... you already recapped Episode 2... thank you so much!
be back to edit after reading ^^
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2 tlina069
January 6, 2009 at 8:40 PM
Lee Min-ho manseh!!!
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3 Orchid
January 6, 2009 at 8:41 PM
What does "manseh" mean??
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4 Leeli
January 6, 2009 at 8:43 PM
thank you so much! thank you so much! i always look forward to your caps!
you're the best!
thanks again! off to reading, hehehe :)
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5 peachys2sleep
January 6, 2009 at 8:45 PM
"I was thinking Lee Min-ho reminded me of someone, and it kept niggling at the back of my mind. I finally put my finger on it, and it’s Lee Dong-wook (La Dolce Vita, My Girl — aka, this guy). "
For the longest time in my mind, Lee Min Ho looked like someone to me and it kept bugging me because I couldn't put my finger on it but when you wrote out Lee Dong Wook, I was like "YEA!!!!!" ahahaha Now this won't bug me anymore.
Thanks dramabeans! =D
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6 Idabi
January 6, 2009 at 8:45 PM
Thank you so much for your hard work Javabeans :)
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7 Sharon
January 6, 2009 at 8:46 PM
ohh, this episode is different from the Japanese version
but it's the same as the episode from the Taiwanese version!
lol so for the korean hana yori dango, are they just combining the Japanese and Taiwanese version of hyd??
wow, so much for variety...
but i like it!!
i like Ji Hoo~<3
but i like the Japanese Hanazawa Rui moree :)
mkay, enough of my rant.
bye~
thanks for the summary!!!
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8 Miki
January 6, 2009 at 8:49 PM
From all the screenshots... I can't help but think I would be very annoyed Koo Hye Sun. The facial expressions all look entirely too exaggerated. If there's one thing I can't stand, it's a badly acted main character. Jan Di is a character that has to be played spotlessly, or it can divulge into whiny, annoying brat. Koo Hye Sun is trying too hard.
But they're doing scenes from the manga that the Jdrama didn't have time to do, which just FILLS my manga-loving heart.
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9 ayay
January 6, 2009 at 8:50 PM
thanks for all your recaps
i do feel sorry for JP when he's trying to wipe the noosebleed
and yeah LMH is kindda good at this drama (actually the best among them)
did you notice that the songs for the 2nd ep is getting better?
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10 christina
January 6, 2009 at 8:51 PM
lee min ho is so adorable. this is such a cheesy drama, but i'm loving every minute of it! can't wait for ep. 3! ahhhhhh.
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11 tarayqen
January 6, 2009 at 8:52 PM
i am patiently waiting for the subbed version of this drama.... having watched the taiwanese version (where i feel in love with jerry and vic) and the japanese version (which was highly entertaining with the acting and music) i am having a hard time not comparing it with the first two shows....some parts were just like "ahhh that the same one as ..." or "how come they did it this way and put everything in just one episode" jandi (i forgot her real name) still do not have that appeal of a 2nd year HS student (i hope it changes when i actually watch her acting)...."... i am hoping that as this show progress their will one (or two or three) defining moment/s that would make it stand out from the rest....
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12 angela
January 6, 2009 at 8:54 PM
i definitely agree with you that episode 2 was much more promising. lee min ho seems to be carrying this drama so far, casting him seems to have been the most perfect thing. goo hye sun still has to come into character, her facial expressions aren't helping much. however, i think you should cut kim hyun joong some slack. he was very nervous and stressed about this drama. let's hope there's a big improvement in the episodes to come.
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13 huatzelei79
January 6, 2009 at 8:55 PM
the drama is getting better.. i'm getting the excited..
for the first time.. i actually liked Jun Pyo than Ji Hoo
bcause in the taiwanese version i like obviously Hua Tze lei rather than Dao Ming Si.
thanks java beans..
it's been a while , since coffee prince, a k drama once again will make me an addict
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14 hopesofgreen
January 6, 2009 at 8:55 PM
Javabeans, thanks for the recap!
Yes! LMH is just too cute! He's doing quite well for the role. I can't say the same for the rest of the cast.
Aww, you didn't recap the bee scene. It was hilarious and again showed another adorable side of JP.
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15 ar
January 6, 2009 at 8:55 PM
thank you so much for the recaps! I probably won't be watching this drama in the near future since I already sort of know the story. and will save it for a day when I have nothing to watch. Just from the recaps, I love Lee MinHo's expression- he really embodies Doumyouji. And I had just realized what was bothering me about Gu Hye Sun's look- her hair is too neat and tidy. She looks so much better disheveled a bit. And from teh caps- it looks like she pushes her face into these expressions- maybe she acts better in video. and that dad from Witch Amusement and Delightful girl Chun-hyang and from My Girl (as an uncle)- is here again playing a dad! i love this dude!
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16 saraho
January 6, 2009 at 8:56 PM
i hope kim hyun joong can work something out!
lee min ho gets better and better.
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17 Airajuliafor
January 6, 2009 at 8:56 PM
AWESOME! Thank you so much for the recaps! I hope you continue on. I can't wait for more.
BTW, I'm curious, I haven't seen any Hana Yori Dango shows before (whether the Japanese or Taiwanese) nor read the manga... I'm curious if the plot is particularly close to any of which?
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18 me
January 6, 2009 at 9:04 PM
i think lee min ho looks like he could be kim rae won's younger brother. but yea, he also does remind me of lee dong wook. :]
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19 missmanderley
January 6, 2009 at 9:04 PM
Shoot.. Iono why but I couldn't edit my comment... So sorry for the double post >.>;;
Anyways, I watched a raw copy of episode 2 and while it was entertaining... reading your recap definitely made it more enjoyable... I agree with you, Lee Minho seems to be standing out so far (as i am sure Kim Bum will too, when the story moves forward to some of his back story ^^) due to portrayal of Joonpyo.
I can see why you likened LMH's acting style to Lee Dong Wook's, there is kind of that feel... Joonpyo's a bit similar to Gong Chan (My Girl) in the aspect that both have emotional scars from the past... GC from being left by his girlfriend for fame and career, while Joonpyo has that arrogance to mask his innocence, from being ignored by his parents during childhood. Both actors, with the right script and directing shine very well in their respective roles... both having the physical appearance, subtle mannerisms, and charismatic flair to bring justice to each character.
Some thoughts:
✿ I liked the nosebleed scene... and it kinda showed a contrast between how Jandi feels about Joonpyo as opposed to Jihoo (right now in the plot). In Episode 1, when Jihoo was wiping her face she was shy and embarassed... then in Episode 2, when Joopyo tries to wipe her bloody nose she super fierce and guarded. I love how this is Joonpyo's first sign of affection... he's starting to develop a little crush on Jandi... cuteness!
✿ Highkick scene was... golden, it was super funny when her kick threw Joonpyo over to his couch chair... he was totally shocked.
✿ I was kinda sad when Jandi accepted Jihoo's invitation to the party, after she totally rejected Joonpyo... Joonpyo totally had this pained betrayed look for like a millisecond, then it was gone. I love how Lee Minho does that, like switching back and forth between emotions/facial expressions without it being too overwhelming.
Thank you again, Javabeans! I hope you do continue recapping this series... us non-Korean speaking fans sincerely appreciate all your hard work!
--
omg, almost 20 comments already in less than an hour... i was surprised ^^ hehe
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20 Miki
January 6, 2009 at 9:06 PM
Sad how Kim Hyun-joong isn't really doing much. Quiet and enigmatic describes his character, all right, and his image just SELLS it to us. But I've always thought Ji-Hoo/Rui is a cold person, and only opens that side to a few, such as Jan Di. I think, had he gone into this side (considering Oguri Shun didn't) he could separate himself from the others and gain depth. But he's only being pretty, I guess.
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21 yayy
January 6, 2009 at 9:08 PM
OMGG *fangirl mode* !!!!! This episode was too cuteeeeeeeee. But I have to point out (can't help it!) that jandi's outfit when she had the makeover was soooo similar to the japanese version, with makino's fur thingy. Lolol. It's pretty.
And o yea, I hope they keep improving their songs, because episode one's songs were... eh. Anyway, when I saw lee min ho's permed hair on posters, I thought he was gonna be a matsumoto jun version 2. lmao thankfully, that's not the case. He's soooooooooo :)
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22 Jane
January 6, 2009 at 9:08 PM
^True, Lee Min-ho does seem to give off a Lee Dong Wook air... style and they kinda look alike. Althought Lee Dong Wook is more experienced acting wise.
And the shower scene ...so hot.
Also- i think that so far this drama is progressing well, hopefully it won't be silly in the episodes to come. I am just afraid of that.
Kim Bum is just a minor character in here, but hey he got to show his acting skills already in EOE-- so I am not really dissapointed with his character.
Will Stay tune for next week, and thanks for the recaps!!!!!!!!!
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23 Angela
January 6, 2009 at 9:22 PM
Thanks so much for the recap! The episodes are so much better when you finally get to understand the gist of what was being said.
One of my favorite scenes was actually the part where Jun-pyo started freaking out because of the bee in his room... and then, once his staff chased it out, he tried to cover it up by sitting in his chair, and acting all macho (or bossy). I have no idea what he said, but it was hilarious watching his tone change completely once he realized that the mighty, infallible Jun-pyo had just been caught crouching behind a chair, lol
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24 Gia
January 6, 2009 at 9:26 PM
Javabeans you forgot to mention the bee scene. I thought that was hilarious.
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25 lemon
January 6, 2009 at 9:27 PM
Thank you for recapping dramabeans! I liked this episode better than the first too.
I just wish GHS would tone it down a bit. I find her exaggerated facial expressions annoying and her outbursts too loud and frequent (not her fault, I know but annoying the same). She's cute enough already but it seems like she's trying too hard.
But I'm totally enjoying this series anyway. Definitely lots of fun and LMH is great!
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26 amy
January 6, 2009 at 9:30 PM
I loved LMH the most also. His character is kind of similar to one he played in I am Sam I think. The difference here is that he gets to be the lead in this drama hehe. I think that as long as the writer keeps his character alive, LMH will be able to continue to carry this drama.
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27 nixxochick
January 6, 2009 at 9:45 PM
I hate what I'm about to say but this episode did nothing for me...usually I know if I'm going to like the drama by the second or third episode and this so far has been a mixture of the Japanese and Taiwanese Hana Yori Dango.
I had told my friend I wouldn’t compare this drama to the ones already released but I'm finding it really hard not to do so.......regardless I am going to stick to this drama in hopes that it will get better
Oooh and I totally see the Lee Dong-wook resemblance now that you mentioned it.....it might just be me but I am really liking Kim Hyun-Joong (but I'll like him in anything de does...he's just so dreamy) :)
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28 Jay
January 6, 2009 at 9:47 PM
ok did anyone else notice that the theme song by shinee sounds alot like that rick astley song "never gonna give you up"? its really bothering me... but anyways i liked it better than the first but im tempted to leave it alone cuz im totally more than content w/ the japanese version the only things keeping me is kim hyun joong and well the boys period. hopefully kim hyun joong will become less awkward i have faith. lee minho is doing such a good job! im so glad he doesnt just look the part cuz imo he has the domyouji look perfected!
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29 sonam
January 6, 2009 at 9:48 PM
The 2nd ep was better so that's a good sign.
I am so disappointed with the two dresses they had Makino wear. They looked so cliched and 90's and the hair style that D's people gave her was horrendous. They made her look like a small town anjuma just out of her rollers. The second dress with the fur capelet made her look like an old lady. They should have picked a cutting edge dress like the fabulous black dress Moon Geum Young wore recently when she received her daesang award. Come on, it's 2009!
LMH's interpretation of Domyoji is wonderful. He single- handedly carries this show. Loved his dumbstruck look when she gave him a flying kick. He also does goofy really well. The shower scene seemed a little out character for Domyoji....I don't see him being reflective. Just adorably clueless. Those trendy dhoti pants he wore was to die for.
GHS is fine when she's not acting cutesy, pouty and doing this baby voice thingy (1st Ep) which is so out of character. Makino would never act ditsy. She looks very young for 25 so I don't get it when people say she's too old.
It's painful to watch Rui. I feel for KHJ and I hope he relaxes and gets better. Kim Joon should have been cast as the playboy. KB looks too innocent and pure.
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30 sneakypete
January 6, 2009 at 9:49 PM
I love your recaps!!
agree that Jun Pyo is the most shining part of the drama so far, this was a good casting choice. he looks abit like both matsumoto jun and jerry yan, but manages to fit the character better than both of them. his acting is still ablit awkward and raw sometimes but its not a big distraction -- good enough for this type of drama.
a little dissapointed at the casting choice for Rui though, this actor looks the part but i think he cannot tell the difference between aloofness and dullness, the actor does not exhibit any type of character spark whatsoever. he seems like he is sleep walking through the part. the other two flowers have not had enough scenes to really make an impression yet. i think its kind of hard to accomodate them because they dont really figure into the primary love line, but they have to feel like more than just sidekicks and have some character development of their own.
Jandi is the queen of overacting,its true. its obvious that this role is not hard for her, she should be able to tone it down a notch and it'll be fine.
still, the first two episodes were good enough, and not a dissapointment overall.
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31 deeta
January 6, 2009 at 9:53 PM
Whoa. I also associated LMH with LDW in the middle of watching episode 2. He doesn't look like LDW, for sure, but there's a quality in his acting that reminds me of LDW. I still think it has something to do with the subtleties he plays Junpyo with.
Lee Min Ho, let me reiterate, is LOVE! I know the show began with Hyunjoong leading the popularity trail, but I am pretty sure Minho's gonna steal his thunder, if he hasn't already done so.
I'm a fan of Hyunjoong but even I have to admit that instead of getting better, his acting was more uneven in ep2, which is a shame since he looks so much the part of Rui. And I don't really know where to put the blame. His eyes look empty and blank, well to my knowledge, that's how he usually looks anyway. He looks like he's sleepwalking, well, I wouldn't put it past him. He looks sickly, well, he dropped like 10lb for the drama. But anyways, I guess that's bias talking.
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32 grace
January 6, 2009 at 9:55 PM
omg omg. i pray pray pray that kim hyun joong will at least meet some of my expectations. please please!!!!!!!!! i beg you, be half the actor as oguri shun is!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASEEEEEEEEEEEEE
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33 c_gunawan541
January 6, 2009 at 9:59 PM
Yep!!!! You have the same thoughts as me. Junpyo makes my day. I keep giggling at that scene where he deliberately go to the island just to annoy Jandi just like a boy who annoy the girl he likes. Too adorable!!!!!
He really is the gem in this drama. *fangirling* i like him from mackerel run and so in this drama, making my love bigger for him.
I find Jandi overreacting alright... i always wonder why people think she's bad.
Hello! This is based on MANGA, she's supposed to be cartoonish and she has those kind of hilarious expressions.
Kim Joon without the yoyoyo- english is good. But Kim bum and him doesn't have much screen time so... can't comment much on them.
Kim Hyun Joong is alright but he's not as adorable as the mighty Junpyo. Meh.
My reason to watch this is because it's HYD, there's Lee Minho the major cutie, there's kibum and there's Goo hyesun<333
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34 sonam
January 6, 2009 at 10:09 PM
i don't see the LDW resemblance but as someone mentioned I feel the KRW earthiness. Also both KRW and LMH have this great skin tone....kind of healthy tanned bronze rugged look. I don't care for lily white skin on men like LDW and KSW.
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35 sq
January 6, 2009 at 10:09 PM
ohh man, i cannot wait for the subs to come out!!! this is going to good!!
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36 gphoenix
January 6, 2009 at 10:09 PM
Anyone know out there the song by Kim Yeon Woo. The music is the same as the Taiwan version, but the lyrics are in Korean. Does this song have anything to do with the Korean series? I think the soundtrack is very important to this series. One reason why I like the Taiwan version so much is because of the songs sung by Jerry, Van Ness and the other two F4's ( at least attempted to sing). I am surprise this series does not have an outstanding soundtrack. The producers did a real good job in My Girl and Witch Yee Hoo.
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37 koalabear
January 6, 2009 at 10:13 PM
thanks again for this one! I totally liked Episode 2..and you're right , Lee Min-ho is hot! and yeah I still hear the yoyos but at least I hope it will be removed in the next episode
and I like Han Chae-young's character, it really suits the actress
I still have hopes that Kim Hyun-joong will be comfortable with his acting, he's getting there..
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38 Rainey
January 6, 2009 at 10:14 PM
I also noticed the resemblance to Lee Dong Wook . I'm already a 100% fangirl over LDW and now it turns out that I am also getting a crush on v.2, talk about having a type.
Ep 2 was an improvement (thank God) Jan Di was slightly less annoying and Jun Pyo was even more adorable. Even with his sadistic side, it was sad to see him repeatedly rebuffed by the Jan Di.
Lee Min Ho is the true standout so far. I've only liked one Rui, and that was the wonderful Lei from MG, I can see that's not going to change here.
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39 RSzeto
January 6, 2009 at 10:15 PM
Thanks Javabeans, I was hoping to read your recap for epi 2 today and wallopped with glee when I saw it!! You are fast this time!! yeah.. this drama has it's flaws aplenty but I'm still enjoying it tremendously. Me in a happy mood after this!
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40 andy
January 6, 2009 at 10:18 PM
thanks for all your hard work
kumsamidah
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41 Alina
January 6, 2009 at 10:19 PM
Im a total khj fan but his acting isnt that great... its understandable however since hes still new at acting. he already has that blank expression and empty stare, even in we got married, his face is unreadable.. its always that blank look.. so maybe he just needs more experience. i really hope that he will carry his role better later on, but i really dun think thats going to happen. i agree about lee minho, i didnt care for him in the beginning, but he brings out more to his character. i find myself enjoying lee minho's scenes alot. but overall the cast is doing great and it would be an enjoyable show to watch.
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42 Grace
January 6, 2009 at 10:25 PM
Thanks for the recap, that was great! I'm still holding out on Hyun Joong, because so far I like his version of Rui much better. It also seems like many scenes from this episode [e.g. hug with Han Chae Yeong ] was one of the firsts they shot, so I can understand the stiffness. I'm highly anticipating the third episode!
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43 EUNWHUI
January 6, 2009 at 10:25 PM
i absolutely loved this episode! junpyo & his little crush towards jandi. oo lala :)
& as for hyunjoong, it's his first time so we should cut him some slack.
hyesun is so cute & she definetly pulls of the "makino" stalwart/brave look.
some scenes i liked:
- BEE SCENE! hilarious & adorable side of junpyo?yes.
- SHOWER SCENE! - every fangirl's fave scene. lee min ho's too hot.
- NOSEBLEED SCENE - this just teared my heart to pieces :(
junpyo's actually getting nicer and trying to help jandi, but jandi doesn't notice that yet. and it just was a sorta SAD scene but cute at the same time.
- BOAT SCENE: haha lee min ho, chasing ku hye sun like a little boy... too cute!
- BETRAYAL SCENE: when ku hye sun said she didnt wanna go to the dance to junpyo, but said yes to hyunjoong, my heart just kinda broke again :[
- DANCE SCENE : when hyesun falls on the ground, covered my food, and junpyo tries to go afterher but hyunjoong and chaeyoung are a step ahead. :[ sososo sad.
& the best.....
WHEN JUNPYO DROPS HIS PLATE. <33333333 ah!
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44 KTX
January 6, 2009 at 10:29 PM
I'm loving this drama too! Dialogue is funny, I love the cheesy-ness, and I laughed a lot while watching. definitely a feel-good drama, at least so far
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45 phiphi
January 6, 2009 at 10:43 PM
Lee Min Ho totally rocks this one so far. Not so refined but he puts life into his character. I don't see his resemblance to LDW but more to Jerry Yan, specially from the side & 2/3 views.
Yah, you forgot the bee scene. It was hilarious.
The tough Almighty Jun Pyo is afraid of the tiny little bee!
Vic Zhou (Rui) wins hands down for this Ji-Hoo character.
He was dreamy but not lifeless as Hyun-Joong.
Gu Hye Sun's acting is okay. She only overacts when she has to act cute/spunky.
I was hoping there're new sound tracks in Ep.2 but still nothing memorable. Too bad as the production crew seem to pay a lots of attention to beautiful setting but fail to deliver a good OST to compliment it.
All the rants aside, I'm loving it so far and looking forward to the next episode.
Judging by the huge responses to Javabeans' recap, looks like 2009 started off on a pretty good note!
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46 bethany
January 6, 2009 at 10:45 PM
i like lee min-ho, his character really reminds me of... gongyoo? in coffee prince? one of those kind of awkward but hard/soft guys. and kim hyunjoong... reminds me of prince yul in goong, equally blehhh... but quiet? kind?
and seriously the gangster talk gives me a laugh.
thanks for prompt recaps :) something to look forward toooo!
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47 yuu
January 6, 2009 at 10:47 PM
haven't even watch the first episode of this yet, but one thing I do know and keeps on running in my mind after your re-caps (with some pictures here and there) couldn't agree more that Lee Min Ho is definitely CUTE :P
I'm looking forward to him now although it was HJ that pulls me towards wanting to watch this one. (and along the way in your re-caps, I couldn't help thinking that HJ is being himself...pwahaha..i love that guy just because he's real witty in real life...poor guy looks a little tired though...excuse my OT..)
off to find the episodes!
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48 Jo
January 6, 2009 at 11:30 PM
man, lee hyun joong is stiff and sarcastic in real life. thats who he is. lol
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49 missmanderley
January 7, 2009 at 12:02 AM
^ its Kim Hyunjoong btw.
even though his character is close to his personality in real life... doesn't give him the excuse to not make an effort to do some acting...
don't get me wrong, I like him eversince WGM.. but he's a very stiff actor here.
Lee Min Ho, let me reiterate, is LOVE! I know the show began with Hyunjoong leading the popularity trail, but I am pretty sure Minho’s gonna steal his thunder, if he hasn’t already done so
deeta- sooo true. Even tho KHJ is an idol singer... LMH is definitely outshining him in the acting category.
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50 mari.
January 7, 2009 at 12:03 AM
i am going to love this show. even if it ends up sucking (fingers crossed that it won't) I'm going to love it. Reading the recaps alone makes me all ridiculous and fangirly and OMGthisisamaaaaazing.
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