Boys Before Flowers: Episode 3
by javabeans
There are some parts of Boys Before Flowers that are pretty good. And then there are parts that are really, really bad. Like, hilariously mockable, I’m-embarrassed-for-you bad..
That won’t stop me from enjoying the drama, but it does put the entertainment into a different category than what I was hoping for, which was sheer, heart-lifting, giddiness-inducing, shamelessly romantic fun and angst. Instead, I think this goes into the “check your brain at the door or you won’t be able to enjoy the ridiculosity” kind of fun.
SONG OF THE DAY
Sentimental Scenery – “Falling in Love” [ Download ]
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EPISODE 3 RECAP
At Seo-hyun’s prodding, Ji-hoo asks Jan-di to dance. Jan-di gets swept up in the romanticism of the moment, dancing with her pretty-boy crush, while he’s less enthused (she’s dancing on his feet). I suppose the entire sequence is supposed to be magical and dream-like, but when everyone on the dance floor is bumbling around in a stiff, bobbing box-step, it does kind of suck the elegance out of the moment.
Not keen to watch Jan-di dancing with his best friend, Jun-pyo leaves the ballroom and ends up by the pool, where he takes out his frustration on the poolside furniture. At least they can’t fight back. His anger turns to wussy-boy fear when he sees a bug, and freaks out when it flies toward him. He makes wild swatting motions and tries to ward off the bug, jerking around in a panic.
After her dance, Jan-di sits out and watches Ji-hoo dance next with Seo-hyun. I’m guessing she is supposed to feel wistful that Ji-hoo dances so much more wonderfully with Seo-hyun, but as that’s just not true, I’m making a guess here. Not keen to watch her crush dancing around with his lady-love, Jan-di wanders outside and hears a loud splash.
The next thing we know, a student bursts into the ballroom to announce that Jun-pyo has fallen into the pool. Dude, I’m sure announcing his humiliation is ever so much more helpful than actually, yunno, helping. Yi-jung notes that Jun-pyo cannot swim, and everyone stampedes outside.
When they arrive outside, Jan-di is dripping wet, having dragged Jun-pyo out of the pool, and shouts at him worriedly to wake up. He lies there, unmoving, so she starts performing CPR, pushing down on his chest and breathing into his mouth.
Only, well, he doesn’t exactly need the CPR. Not that he’s going to tell her that, of course. Why ruin a good thing?
Jan-di sees that that his eyes have opened and stops immediately — but he grabs her shoulder, puckers up, and tries to pull her back down toward him for a kiss. It’s hilarious, because it doesn’t work, and Jan-di punches him in the face, disgusted, thinking he was faking the entire thing. (I’m not sure how much he was faking, but I’m sure the part about him not being able to swim was real. So at least she did save him on that score.)
She storms off in a huff, but Jun-pyo is still exceedingly pleased with his one stolen “kiss.”
He remains in a fabulous mood the next morning, even surprising his butler with his eagerness to get to school early. Jun-pyo mangles the “early bird” adage by saying knowingly that there’s a proverb about “the early bug gets dead first.”
He’s feeling so cheerful that when a maid spills his tea — a previously fire-able offense — he barely notices. When his butler assures him that the maid will be fired, Jun-pyo tells him magnanimously that the household is run too strictly — loosen up!
He grins and walks off, announcing, “What great weather!” just as thunder rumbles in the distance.
Because, y’see, Jun-pyo has great things planned for today! He plays more practical jokes on Jan-di, first smearing the locker room door with what appears to be Vaseline, then filling the pool with ducks. He watches her irate reaction on his lounge television, chuckling to himself all the while. Yi-jung and Woo-bin marvel that this is the hardest they’ve ever seen him work at anything.
(In his mangled reasoning, Jun-pyo feels this is his way of expressing his “gratitude.” Well, I suppose if throwing trash in the pool is his way of tormenting her, then tossing cute live animals is a step up. Never mind the fact that she can’t swim in either scenario.)
Ji-hoo has been particularly withdrawn recently, spending more time than usual away from F4. Instead, he chooses to play his violin outside in the snow. (Who doesn’t love that?)
Jan-di comes upon him as his string breaks, cutting his finger. She senses he doesn’t want her there, so she tells him she’ll just attend to his hand, then go. She takes the handkerchief that Ji-hoo had previously lent her and wraps it around his finger, then takes out an umbrella and places it over the violin to protect it from the snow.
Little does she know that they’re being watched and taped on Ginger’s phone. Although her encounter with Ji-hoo isn’t very warm or friendly — mostly prolonged silence — it looks more suggestive from a distance, and the Bimbos Three are determined to bring Jan-di down.
Jun-pyo’s great mood lasts while he basks in the pool, anticipating Jan-di’s arrival.
When he hears someone approach, he automatically assumes it’s her, and starts to chide her for her late arrival and lax training (his equivalent to a little boy pulling a girl’s hair, or perhaps calling her “Carrots”).
But instead of Jan-di, it’s the mean girls, who eagerly show Jun-pyo the video clip. As his mood darkens, they fan the flames, adding that it looked like Ji-hoo and Jan-di have been dating for a while, calling her a gold-digger.
Coldly, he tells them to shut up, then throws the phone to the ground, breaking it. He stalks out.
Jun-pyo surprises Jan-di outside, where she has returned in hopes of talking to Ji-hoo (who has already left). Pride and feelings hurt, he lashes out mockingly: “Are you disappointed I’m not who you were hoping for?”
She starts to walk away, so he grabs her arm and demands to know, “Where are you going?” She retorts, “I have nothing to say to you so I’m going home.” Well, he has something to say to her, and sneers that she was playing around with him. He was going to make allowances for her and treat her nicely, but now he feels ridiculed.
Jun-pyo grabs her tightly and tries to force a kiss on her. Alarmed, Jan-di struggles against him, shaking her head back and forth so he can’t kiss her. She yells in a panicked voice, “No! I don’t want to! No!”
That stops him, and Jun-pyo slowly lets her go. He asks her, this time without anger, “Do you hate it that much?” He walks off.
This is easily the best scene of the episode. What could have been unintentionally funny or cheesy comes off instead with a lot of tension, a lot of conflicting emotions, great chemistry, and (for once!) a nice piece of score. Now, if only the rest of the series could be like this.
As a result, the next morning, Jan-di is mortified and refuses to go to school. Her parents are ready to force her to go anyway, but are distracted by the arrival of a fancy invitation: it’s for Seo-hyun’s birthday party.
Jan-di’s parents are immediately excited at this proof of their daughter’s social success, and look into “borrowing” a formal dress for the occasion. From their dry-cleaning service. I’m sure this is completely against their own rules, but it doesn’t matter because all the dresses suck.
Plot contrivance to the rescue! A special package saves the day: a lovely formal dress sent from Seo-hyun. (I suppose they do get points for making up reasons, however obvious, for dressing up the poor girl in rich clothes, instead of just glossing over that point as is so often the case.)
Jan-di arrives alone at the party, and is soon whisked off to the F4 table by Yi-jung, who uses her as an excuse to get away from a group of women he’d promised to call but never did.
She and Jun-pyo look at each other warily, a bit uncomfortable after their last encounter but managing to resume their bickering dynamic. To Jun-pyo’s surprise, Yi-jung and Woo-bin lavish praise on Jan-di, calling her “really pretty” and “the cutest in the room” (Jun-pyo scoffs his disagreement).
Seo-hyun arrives on the arm of Ji-hoo, and a cake is brought out. Seo-hyun thanks everyone for coming, then makes a startling announcement — she’s planning on leaving for Paris, for good. She wants to succeed on her own terms, without inheriting her parents’ law firm — she has goals for bigger and brighter things.
The F4 guys suddenly realize why Ji-hoo’s been so down lately, and Jan-di’s eyes fill in tears in empathy for his pain. She watches Ji-hoo leave the party early. Seo-hyun finishes her speech, then follows him up to a hotel room.
Ji-hoo fiddles with an old toy, a puppet she’d given to him when they were kids. “That was when you stopped calling me ‘noona,'” she reminds him (which was an indication that he had started to harbor feelings for her).
Ji-hoo angrily throws the toy in the trash and says, “I feel like I’m being abandoned.” Seo-hyun tries to tell him gently, “If there’s anything here I can’t leave, it’s you.”
Ji-hoo tells her not to lie; she responds that if it was a lie, she wouldn’t have been so bothered to see him looking at somebody else: Jan-di. She admits, “When you went running to her, I found my heart falling with a thump. Isn’t that funny?”
Ji-hoo accuses her of treating him as a toy, and argues that he’d spent the past fifteen years looking only at her, “And that’s not enough? I’m a man too.” Seo-hyun hugs him, and apologizes.
As they pull apart, Ji-hoo kisses her. (And Han Chae-young again proves she can’t kiss worth a damn onscreen. Oy, this scene is painfully awkward at points. If the earlier Jun-pyo & Jan-di argument was an example of great, intense chemistry, here we have an example of… well, uncomfortable non-chemistry.)
Jan-di arrives at the doorway to see the kiss. She retreats, closing the door quietly, then starts to beat her head into the wall. Jun-pyo calls from behind her, “If you collapse here, it’ll be really embarrassing.”
Hearing the others moving inside the room, Jan-di hurries away from the door, but not quickly enough to escape being seen. She pretends she just arrived to spare everyone the embarrassment of mentioning the kiss.
Seo-hyun mentions that she and Ji-hoo are on their way out for a drive, and invites Jan-di along. Not wanting to be the third wheel, Jan-di stutters no thanks, and Jun-pyo answers smoothly, “We’re on our way somewhere too.”
Relieved to be given an exit strategy, Jan-di jumps to agree. To make the “act” more convincing, Jun-pyo puts his arm around her, which Ji-hoo notices with… interest?
When they’re out of earshot, Jun-pyo tells Jan-di that this act of kindness makes them even; he has now paid her back for saving him from the pool. Jan-di protests that they are in no way comparable acts, and concedes that this is worth perhaps 10% of a payback. Jun-pyo: “Fifty percent.” Jan-di: “Twenty-five.”
Jun-pyo takes Jan-di to a fancy bar, which is empty of patrons because he bought the place for the night. It’s a romantic gesture, but Jun-pyo tells her in his typical (unsentimental) way that she can shout or cry or do whatever she wants.
Jan-di wonders why she would do any of that, and Jun-pyo reminds her of the kiss she witnessed. Morosely, Jan-di says she is no competition against Seo-hyun: “I’m not pretty, I’m not smart, my family is poor…” “Your figure’s not that great either,” Jun-pyo adds, “and your temper’s bad too.”
She retorts, “Fine. How can such a worthless person like me be jealous of her? I don’t even have a right to feel jealous.”
Jun-pyo says matter-of-factly that she’s right about not being that special, “But you’re not worthless. You have a right.” He continues, saying that if Ji-hoo had met her before Seo-hyun, he’d have liked her. Sure, her looks and her family circumstances suck, “But you’re the first girl the Almighty Jun-pyo has acknowledged.”
A heartbeat starts pounding loudly. It’s unclear whose it is, but I think it could be either of them — or, more probably, both. Suddenly feeling overheated, Jun-pyo excuses himself to the men’s room, where he fans his face. Outside, Jan-di does the same, then reaches for a class of clear liquid and gulps it down.
By the time Jun-pyo comes back, she’s totally wasted, her head lolling around like it’s too heavy for her neck. Impatiently, he prods her: “Hey, come on, woman!”
That word (woman) gets Jan-di’s attention, and she slurs back, “Yeah, I’m a woman. Can’t a commoner be a woman too? My family, my looks, and my brain suck, I know. Even if you didn’t point it out so clearly, I already know, got it, punk?”
Now Jun-pyo’s amused. Jan-di continues rambling about her woes — her family, money. Suddenly, she jerks up and starts laughing ruefully, saying, “I’m sad today.” She pats his face (slaps it, more like) affectionately, and concedes, “All right, let’s say you’ve paid me back fifty percent.”
She continues, “Thanks, Gu Jun-pyo, for saving me today. I can’t do anything for you, but instead…”
And she learns forward… grabs him by the lapels… and smacks her lips together.
Jun-pyo waits to see what she’ll do, and she smiles at him… and vomits all over his suit.
Jan-di awakens in the morning in a strange bed in a strange room.
Upon seeing Jun-pyo sitting nearby, she immediately jumps to conclusions and demands to know why she’s here. He reminds her of the night’s events, and the details start to flash back to her. He brought her home after the bar, and called her parents to let them know. She hangs her head, embarrassed, and mumbles her thanks.
Jan-di would leave if she could, but Jun-pyo is alerted to his mother’s return home. We get the sense that this is an unusual occurrence. Today, she’s here to host a charity auction that evening. Anticipating Jun-pyo’s reaction, Mom has ordered her men to watch over him to keep him from leaving the house — which now means that Jan-di can’t leave without being seen, either.
Jun-pyo panics and immediately calls F4 for help. The friends join Jan-di and Jun-pyo to try to brainstorm a way out of this, knowing that Mom’s reaction will be fearful to behold if she were to somehow find out the truth — not only is there a strange girl with Jun-pyo, but she’s a poor, nameless, insignificant commoner to boot.
Jan-di is dressed up in one of the fancy dresses to be auctioned off that night, and the F4 friends do their best to pass her off as a new friend. Naturally she’s from a rich and prestigious family.
Mom is coolly polite, and inquires about her family background, prompting the F4 guys to jump in and fill in the details, describing Jan-di’s father as a businessman in the fashion industry. Ji-hoo puts his arm on her shoulder and says Jan-di’s like their “F4 mascot.” (Yeah, I dare anybody to use that on a parent and see how well that works. “Mascot,” indeed!)
Thankfully, the questioning is kept short. Just as Mom seems ready to sharpen her interrogation, she is called away, and tells everyone to join her downstairs for the auction.
The first item for auction is a pair of Olympic gold medalist Park Tae-hwan‘s goggles. Jan-di’s mouth drops open as the bidding climbs up from an opening bid of 500,000 won (approximately $365) and skyrockets into the millions. Jun-pyo notices her reaction as a phone bid wins the goggles for 10 million won ($7,500).
The auction continues. Jun-pyo models his suit, followed by Jan-di modeling her dress (albeit reluctantly).
Mom eyes her with suspicion and asks her secretary, Mr. Jung, if he recognizes the girl. The man does remember her as the “Wonder Woman” who was given the Shinhwa scholarship. But unlike Mom, he’s got a heart and chooses, for now, to lie and say that all he knows is that she’s supposedly a student at Shinhwa High School. She orders him to look into the girl’s background.
After the auction, Jan-di thanks Jun-pyo again, somewhat grudgingly. Jun-pyo pretends not to hear, and forces her to repeat it twice.
It’s rather cute, actually, how he calls her “Jan-di baht,” which means “grassy lawn.” He tosses her a package and says, “Don’t drink when I’m not around.” (No doubt he wants to keep her from kissing other guys under the influence.)
After he leaves, Jan-di opens the bag to find the auctioned swimming goggles in the bag.
At home, her family oohs and ahhs over the acquisition, and urges her to sell them online since they’re worth a lot. Jan-di’s unwilling to part with them, though, and fumbles around for an excuse, saying that the goggles are worth “so much more than money” and shouldn’t be sold. She also distracts her parents so she can grab back the goggles, then runs off hoarding her prize.
Alone in her room, Jan-di opens her desk drawer. As though to show us how much this means, the space formerly used to hold Ji-hoo’s handkerchief is now given to the goggles. (Oh! The! Symbolism! Let me hit you with it.)
The next day, Jan-di has a visitor: It’s Seo-hyun (wearing a fur bib), here to say her last goodbyes, since she’s leaving the next day. Stunned to hear how suddenly she’s moving away, Jan-di tries to express her thanks.
Seo-hyun tells her, “I knew from the first time I saw you that you were the girl Ji-hoo always talked about with a smile.”
Speaking of whom, Ji-hoo spots Seo-hyun’s car outside and heads toward the pool, just in time to see Jan-di fall to her knees in front of Seo-hyun.
Jan-di explains that she’d been her fan for a long time, and understands her decision. “But let me ask a favor. Please don’t leave.”
Jan-di: “I know I don’t have a right to ask such a favor of you, but if I don’t ask…”
Seo-hyun: “Is it because of Ji-hoo?”
Jan-di: “I don’t know anything about him. But I know how special you are to him. He looks so sad to me, but there are times when he smiles, warmly enough to melt the heart of anyone who sees. You’re the only one who can make him smile. If you leave like this, he may not smile again.”
Seo-hyun explains that her decision is “like buying something in a foreign country. If you don’t buy it right then, there’s no next chance. I know too well how cruel that regret can be. Ji-hoo is dear to me, and I believe I am to him. That’s why I think he wouldn’t want me to face that regret.”
Subdued, Jan-di apologizes. Seo-hyun assures her, “No, I’m glad to hear you talk like that. Thank you.” She takes out a strappy set of heels and gives them to Jan-di: “I hope these shoes will take you to good places. I have something to ask you, too. Please make Ji-hoo smile again.”
When Jan-di walks out, Ji-hoo confronts her, asking angrily, “Who do you think you are to do that? Who asked you to make that kind of favor? It’s not even a favor, it’s begging. Don’t you have any pride?”
Jan-di: “It’s not because I have no pride. It’s because you looked so pained, like you’d die of sadness.”
Ji-hoo: “What is that to you? It has nothing to do with you. Get lost.”
COMMENTS
Like I said, some really nice moments — and then some really bad ones. It pains me to say this, but I think the weak link here is not actually the acting, but the directing. I had such great hopes because PD Jeon Ki-sang was a director I really liked after falling in love with his style in Delightful Girl Chun-hyang. I’d hoped Witch Amusement was a fluke in his resumé, but now I’m wondering if in fact Chun-hyang was the fluke, and the cheesy gimmickry of Witch Amusement is in fact his norm. Or perhaps he just had a really talented young assistant director working for him in the past, who isn’t with him now? The weird pacing of scenes, the horrible music (that grating electric guitar, for instance), the awkward framing of shots… It feels like this drama is being filmed by Garry Marshall (the later years).
On the other hand, more goodness from Lee Min-ho, and Gu Hye-sun! (Whenever she’s not being too cute.) They, more than anything else, are definitely going to carry this drama (which I suppose is the point).
RELATED POSTS
- Overnight star Lee Min-ho awash in CF offers
- Cast members featured on Boys Before Flowers OST
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 2
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 1
- Hana Yori Dango creator cheers on Boys Before Flowers
- Boys Before Flowers production press conference
- Boys Before Flowers has its Evil Mom, goes overseas
- Rounding out the Boys Before Flowers cast
- Meet your Korean F4
Tags: Boys Before Flowers, Gu Hye-sun, Han Chae-young, Kim Bum, Kim Hyun-joong, Kim Joon, Lee Min-ho
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51 anna
January 13, 2009 at 4:55 AM
Why is every drunken girl drama scene always so freakin' funny???? Usually it's the girl who's cute, but this time I can't help giggling over JP. He's so adorable, especially when she slaps him around. LOL
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52 kamee
January 13, 2009 at 5:01 AM
junpyo is definitely growing on me. I think lee minho fits his image to the tee!
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53 doris p
January 13, 2009 at 5:09 AM
to #48 sere, Boys Before Flowers is definitely (at least for me) A LOT better than the other two version. Have watched the TW Meteor Garden and just recently watch the Jap HYD coz got curious about it when others said it is better than the Korean version?? Definitely not! I don't watch Jap series coz I have yet to find a good Jap actor/actress, only take a peek before in HYD when it was shown in our country and I wasn't hook coz I find all their actors overacts plus the fact that they are not such eye candies LOL! HYD only has 9eps in Season1 and I almost fall asleep halfway of it, if not for my will power and my curiousity about others saying that HYD is better. But alas have finish the Season 1 and I have no intention of watching the season2 if I will see the same F4 there. Meh... Korea really has a better looking actors/actresses plus they act better compare to the Japs and TW.
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54 Jenny
January 13, 2009 at 5:13 AM
I wonder if the butler represents the role of Tama the main housekeeper in HYD, who was the only person that Doumyoji's mother was intimidated of.
After seing two eps I can say, it's nice to watch and entertaining but not as good as the jdorama version.
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55 Tammy
January 13, 2009 at 5:23 AM
OMG. I agree with you! There were some really nice moments (Most of them Jun Pyo and Jan Di's <3) but there were some moments wherein I laughed so hard because of the..awkwardness?
I don't want to judge too much but for now, I'm so not Kim Hyun Joong. Argh! And I feel so disappointed because his character is pretty important.
Thank God for Lee Min Ho! :)) Hehehe
NICE SUMMARIES BTW, I enjoy reading your summaries :D
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56 phiphi
January 13, 2009 at 5:25 AM
Thanks for the recap.
You were right on about the best (JP-JD) & worst (JH-SH) scenes of this episode.
The one thing it still bother me is the amount of yelling/screaming (specially Jandi to her family).
A 3% jump on the rating. Having a 21% rating for ep.3. must give a big boost to the cast & production team.
Looking forward to the next episode for the good & the bad!
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57 mimi
January 13, 2009 at 5:43 AM
actually KHJ acting so lack for me but i forgive since he is not actor Like 13-years-debut-but-still-mediocre like Song Seung Heun .. so far i still feel Good with this
Please Pass that " EOE: special song seungheon and LeeYeon hee "'s rating BOF!!!
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58 Toya
January 13, 2009 at 5:49 AM
Watch the anime first, then watch the dramas. You point out a lot of missing or changed scenarios. And I mean the anime series not the anime movie. The anime movie was just wrong...
As for my thoughts on the show, yes the KHJ and HCY kiss was awkward. Aside from the fact that I thought it was supposed to be awkward too, since in the past interpretations of their relationship she pretty much looks at him as a little brother for a good part of the series (in the anime I don't remember her reappearing after he comes back from following her), KHJ doesn't look like the type who is comfortable kissing if you watched WGM. I think they said on the WGM community that he called Hwang Bo after the scene. So awkward.... yea.
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59 Renee
January 13, 2009 at 6:07 AM
Before I saw the episode, I was all defensive & ready to say, "No, javabeans, you're wrong! BBF is perfect as is." Then I saw the episode.
Alas, you're right about the direction. And the music--it's enough that it's bad, why does it have to be so loud? *Silent fan girl tear*
It's so frustrating, because I love the cast (except for KHJ). As a fan of the original manga, I LOVE Jun Pyo & Jan Di--none of the other versions really got the main couple right, and here they're perfect. Plus, I like the way they've reworked the plot--the CPR kiss sequence, the ducks, the Shizuka-Rui kiss with the vomiting scene. They've managed to preserve most of my favorite scenes from the manga while keeping it fresh--pretty impressive.
I wish I could make a Franken-HYD with Oguri Shun, the Japanese drama's production values & direction, this script, this F4 (minus Rui) & this Makino (with 1/3 less screaming). Maybe episode 4 will be better?
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60 Right so
January 13, 2009 at 6:11 AM
Oguri Shun still makes the best Hanazawa Rui. He totally captured the character! It would be very hard for anyone to be up to his standard. The character Hanazawa Rui was like made for Oguri Shun.
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61 goldfish
January 13, 2009 at 6:27 AM
Yes, I agree! The scene in which Jun Pyo looks for Jandi and then tries to kiss her was a real standout. But then again, many scenes from this episode was sub-par, IMO. The music continues to be atrocious. Kim Hyun Joong's getting on my nerves - I know Ji-Hoo is supposed to be mellow, but he just looks downright spaced out. His eyes seem so hollow, devoid of any emotion, which makes it very hard for me to empathise with his character.
And what's with those fake ducks in the swimming pool? If they couldn't use real ducks, then they should have opted for something entirely different. It wouldn't have made any difference to the plot development anyway. These 'special effects' just serve to cheapen the overall feel of the drama.
I'm glad to see that GHS has toned down her performance somewhat. At times, she's still too OTT for me, but I think she really excels in the dramatic scenes. And she has great on-screen chemistry with LMH, which is fun to watch.
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62 hallyu_fan
January 13, 2009 at 6:28 AM
nice summary! thank u! i like this version better than japanese HYD. but i'm quite disappointed with Hyunjoong's acting. no hard feelings. cos i really like him in WGM.
thank God Lee Minho's character suits him really well. but i think it takes time for me to like the leading actress. ;p i dislike her ugly hairstyle and i'm yet feeling the chemistry between jandi and jungpyo.
hope this drama will get better and better!
btw, wth with the fake duck? ;p
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63 lalala
January 13, 2009 at 6:58 AM
who cares with the bad music and directing. as long as i get to see hottie lee min ho :)
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64 vrosemarie
January 13, 2009 at 7:02 AM
I had a really silly smile on my face when I was watching this and I haven't been doing that while watching a drama, for ages... Well, since Coffee Prince anyway, haha... Jun-pyo just brings out the giggles in me!
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65
January 13, 2009 at 7:08 AM
I agree with Right so, Oguri Shun is the best Rui. I can't get into this version...not liking the Jandi character.
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66 GJP fan
January 13, 2009 at 7:11 AM
totally agree with vrosemarie.
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67 aceyyy
January 13, 2009 at 7:23 AM
Hahaha I really really enjoyed watching the 2 leads now; if this keeps up the 3rd point of the triangle is going to be so weak as to put up not much resistance - and it won't be convincing if they force it. Actually it would be kind of nice if they just diverged at this point and gave up on conflict from this sector?
It is v.v.sad to have your heart represented by a desk drawer. Sigh
I can't help but compare this series to Gossip Girl which I'm also following at the moment, especially with the integration of the sms-news system thing, and it's kind of sad how they can really pull of the UES-posh thing, while the whole playing-posh thing still feels cheap in (i'm sorry to overgeneralise but) Korean productions in general (to go further, let's say Asian - cf Taiwan's Romantic Princess). I guess it's possibly because such backgrounds are just surreal? But 2 of the F4 boys (those with undyed hair) do a pretty good job of it, and I did like JoonPyo's smirk as he was modelling his suit. Nice.
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68 kirara
January 13, 2009 at 7:25 AM
I read in the news about how the viewers were commenting about the cg in this episode, I seriously did not think they were going to put a scene with a pool with a bunch of ducks.. what's with that??
And the scene where Ji-hoo was playing violin in the park and the snow just falling down, was just so fake.. it didn't look real at all..
And Javabeans, I think you mentioned this before, but Gu hye sun?(don't think I spelled her name right) at times needs to pull back a bit.. she overexaggerates some scenes and other scenes she's cute. The scene where she was at the bar and she got drunk and started acting wild, I thought maybe she didn't have to go so over the top.
Anyways.. Continue to watch to see how it goes..
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69 Toya
January 13, 2009 at 7:54 AM
Yea, the ducks were pretty lame. That scene bugged me. I remember thinking as I watched it, "Why are they still letting him prank her."
They should have just stuck with the original format, though as director plus I have to say that getting rid of the "I tripped and fell on his lips, OMG" part was a good choice. I'd rather believe he fell in the pool after seeing a bug.
That scene with the mom's arrival made me laugh. The way he sends out an SOS to all the guys.
As for the KHJ comments, give the kid some time, as he isn't even an actor to begin with and this is his first role. I realize too his acting is a sketchy at best but the guy is at least trying.
There were people who hated Yoon Eun Hye's acting when she started too, and then, after 3 series of so-so comments comes Coffee Prince.
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70 shu
January 13, 2009 at 8:15 AM
mans. jun pyo is growing on me
different feeling from before
jap i was into rui... and cause tsukasa isnt that... handsome
tw i actually liked neither. in the first place. den i felt sorry for lei.
korean? jun pyo is the new love
and i actually didn't start out liking ji hoo at first
he just kind of stands out like from the beginning. in a negative way.
he's just weird. after he flys off to france together with seo yeun gone.
thats where the fun comes in. i guess?
hopeful.
maybe turn off the music?
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71 reverie
January 13, 2009 at 8:28 AM
Le Min Ho really made this series worth watching.
Totally agree that they should sack the music director. In some scene, the BGM totally ruin the mood. Only one song (the one with the female voice) got the feel of the series.
And like you said, I wish JanDi could lower down her cute attitude, she already adorable if she's not trying too hard to be cute.
Did anyone notice the funny thing, when JiHoo run out to the pool, he grab his overcoat. Then in the side pool scene, he already wear it....^_^ does one really have a time to wear it when they rush to save a friend? ha...ha...
and to those who told javabeans not to write critics...... then don't read this blog. simple. most of us came here to read her opinion. If you don;t like it, just leave.
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72
January 13, 2009 at 8:28 AM
"As for the KHJ comments, give the kid some time, as he isn’t even an actor to begin with and this is his first role. I realize too his acting is a sketchy at best but the guy is at least trying.
There were people who hated Yoon Eun Hye’s acting when she started too, and then, after 3 series of so-so comments comes Coffee Prince"
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But YEH earned her criticism, and then earned her praise with CP. KHJ has not earned anything so far, he's fair game to be criticized. Come on, even you acknowledge he's doing poorly. "Trying" is admirable, but it doesn't mean we're supposed to cut him slack.
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73 djoching
January 13, 2009 at 8:35 AM
i am currently watching this drama and a star's lover . i'm in episode 3 also of a star's lover so i recognized right away that choi ji woo and han chae young wore the same dress .... CHY in the party in this episode and CJW in her presscon in Japan as Mari
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74 Toya
January 13, 2009 at 8:40 AM
All I am saying is wait till it's over to make up your mind, or at least half way, it's only 3 eps.
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75 dramafreak19
January 13, 2009 at 8:51 AM
I swear I thought the ducks were real!! Weren't they??
They totally looked real to me...omg, maybe my mind's been melted by the excessive amounts of CGI that I've been exposed to in Hollywood, I can't tell what's real and what's not anymore...loll.
Poor Kim Hyun Joong is taking such a beating for his lifeless portrayal of Rui, it honestly made my appreciation of Oguri Shun as Rui increase 1000 fold...
The ratings are so excellent! Hyun Bin and Song Hye Gyo must be like "WTF!?!"
Go Jun Pyo! And Kim Bum!!
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76 djoching
January 13, 2009 at 8:58 AM
i meant episode 2 of a star's lover
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77 Toya
January 13, 2009 at 9:05 AM
Oh BTW, yes I admit he is doing poorly, there was times I cringed at the late expression or where he was missing a bit out of an expression, but I'm not up on here saying I hate him 3 episodes in.
Like I said above, at least give it a couple more episodes before you completely make up your mind. Everyone starts off rocky. You said it yourself, YEH built up to it and KHJ hasn't done anything yet. So why not wait a little bit and see if he's improved or not before writing him off completely. That's all I am sayin'.
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78 backstage
January 13, 2009 at 9:23 AM
were all entitled to our own opinions and...
its all goin well for me!!!
am luuvin this episode!!its all happy and giddy~~
junpyos just amazing!!!
hJs acting is waaay better now!he luuks more relaxed..
theres even a scene where i thought:
'darn how could i just judge him like that!i shouldnt compare him to other ruis now~~'
heehee
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79 apple
January 13, 2009 at 9:35 AM
i think , they should put hwangbo as shizuka if they want ji hoo showing some love chemistry in the kiss scene...
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80 es
January 13, 2009 at 9:48 AM
ouu.. this episode sounds good
i cant wait until it comes out xD
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81 lily
January 13, 2009 at 10:10 AM
AWFUL AWFUL AWFUL DRAMA. Bad acting, off characterization, bad directing, boring storyline.........
(sorry sorry I know. But I couldn't help)HYD is defintely way way way better.
Jun Pyo is noooooooooo nice, so stupid, so in love he looks like Forrest Gump but not Domyoji because even in the Manga Domyoji is so mean that you hate him at first and love Rui. Don't you think something is wrong? It doesn't follow the manga at all.
And RUI.... What a wasted
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82 lily
January 13, 2009 at 10:22 AM
Jun pyo is loved because Lee min oh portraying is simply OFF CHARACTER!! He is sooo WEAK!!! It's everything but Domyoji. People read the manga Domyoji is not like that at all!!!!!!
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83 none
January 13, 2009 at 10:22 AM
I think KHJ is getting better....
i love this drama
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84 lily
January 13, 2009 at 10:26 AM
And Rebeca you are not the only one. I think they made a bad job with Jun forrest Gump Pyo
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85 anna
January 13, 2009 at 10:27 AM
i have to say that the way the characters and their relationships are being developed in the korean version is better than the japanese one (i guess the screenwriter's really good); maybe it's due to fewer episodes in HYD....episodes 1&2, i fell for hyunjoong's character, but in episode 3, i have to say minho is doing a great job in his portrayal (starting to love him)....the makino character, eh....overacting; her acting is a pain to see (for it's the facial expressions! there are moments that i really can;t stand it! but i'm hoping for the best & don't get me wrong, the korean version is pretty good, so far!); inoue mao i have to say is WAAAY BETTER...i hope the korean makino improves!
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86 eevee
January 13, 2009 at 10:42 AM
i miss more of ur funky analysis. please add more!! u kinda seem like ur just summarizing. even though i rely on u to read about what happened in each episode, i look forward more to ur sarcasm. :P
keep up the good work dramabeans!
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87 sonam
January 13, 2009 at 10:43 AM
I was underwhelmed by Ep 3. You are right....it's the director who's not delivering. The dance scenes were awful. I still remember the dance scene in What Star Do You Come From . It was shot so well and captured perfectly the magical moment for the girl dancing for the first time with the man of her dreams. It doesn't help the Korean Rui has turned out to be such a casting disaster. But a good director could have worked around it. The director should also stop making his leading ladies pout so much. Makino is supposed to be cute....not act cute! I remember I liked My Girl a lot but midway thru I got so tired of the girl's excessive cutesy antics i was wishing LDW would run away with his tall elegant serene looking assistant.
LMH continues to thrill. He is so good he's making everyone look bad. I want to give a shout out to Kim Joon who in a smaller role gets to the essence of being F4. Kim Bum is good but that adorable baby face is no player! I wanted to take the wine glass away from him.
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88 lily
January 13, 2009 at 10:53 AM
REBECA you are not the only one Jun forrest Gump Pyo in love with his Jenny Oups Jan-Di
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89 sonam
January 13, 2009 at 10:56 AM
lily.....you have got a point there. Domyoji is a little too normal and level headed in the Korean version. He is supposed to be a brat! Makino is supposed to be the grounded one. Well, it's just the 3rd episode so there's still hope.
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90 lily
January 13, 2009 at 10:57 AM
LMAO about "Kim Bum is good but that adorable baby face is no player! I wanted to take the wine glass away from him."
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91 lily
January 13, 2009 at 11:01 AM
OUF someone is agree with me
Because in the manga, the anime version, meteor garden and HYD are all different but Domyoji remains Domyoji!!!a Psyco despical mean with bad japanese man (Jun Pyo korean is not so bad) to slowly become the more mature, nice, supporting man we know
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92 haezi
January 13, 2009 at 11:04 AM
totally agree with sonam! thanks for the recap, javabeans.
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93 cassie
January 13, 2009 at 11:07 AM
for me the Jap version didn't have enough romantic scenes between Jun and Inoue but at least it made me laugh. Remember what he said about the rem sleep. With the Korean version, i noticed there is no the chemistry between the 3 leads or even between the F4. I don't feel anything when they are together whether it's Makino with Tsukasa or even with Rui. It is too bad. I'm really looking to this one.
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94 lily
January 13, 2009 at 11:22 AM
For instance BOF is a big big disappointment
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95 anotheranony
January 13, 2009 at 11:24 AM
Does anyone else find it ironic that Jun Pyo was reading the The Wall Street Journal in the scene after they went to the bar? I mean, I thought that Jun Pyo was suppose to be a little stupid and immature. :P I know the economy is distressing and all right now, but what immature highschool student picks up and reads The Wall Street Journal? Oops on the props? >_<"
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96 all4movies
January 13, 2009 at 11:26 AM
that dressing scene at her parent's drycleaners was so funny. too bad we didn't get to see more of the dress that Jan-di wore to the party because it looked pretty.
you're recaps are so fast. keep up the great job.
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97 Maddy
January 13, 2009 at 11:36 AM
I know this is kinda superficial...but does anyone think Lee Min-Ho's legs are really skinny/feminine in the scene right after the pool when he's talking to the mean girls? I seriously think they're even smaller than the girl's legs lol...and really perfectly tan too
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98 elmo
January 13, 2009 at 11:39 AM
actually out of all of the versions of hana yori danga dramas
i like the k one the best
i think it's b/c everyones better looking *cough matsujun *cough*
and they really spent a ton of money making them seem like gazillionaires
i really couldn't believe the "richness" in the tw version ahahahah
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99 lily
January 13, 2009 at 11:44 AM
That's true in MG they look cheap.
LMAO about Jun Pyo legs
@ anotheranony yes too Weird
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100 Rebeca
January 13, 2009 at 12:40 PM
I just noticed this...but Jan Di (i 4got the actress's real name) does a great job in the crying scenes. She does a great job in the "angst" scenes...She just reallllllllllly overacts the made and cute scenes.....
So i realllllllly hope (just like you stated in your recap) that they keep delivering more scenes like the Forest scene. Cuz thats when both Jan Di and Joon Pyo shine
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