Boys Before Flowers: Episode 4
by javabeans
Episode 4 was much better than Episode 3 — although really, like that was hard. Episode 3 was funnier, but 4 was more grounded in reality, which makes it much more watchable, imo. Is this going to be a pattern, with Tuesdays outshining Mondays? I suppose if we must have it one way or the other, I’d rather the good episode be on Tuesday to leave us with a better impression to last us till the next installment.
SONG OF THE DAY
1sagain – “사랑은 떠났어” (Love has left). There are a lot of really lame spellings/acronyms for kpop artists (Fin.K.L., H.O.T., 8eight, Buga Kingz (booger kings?), Pe2ny, Se7en — yeah, I said Se7en), but “1sagain” — pronounced “once again” — probably takes the cake. (It reminds me of how the Wonders, the band in That Thing You Do, originally spelled their name the “Oneders” to be clever and everyone mispronounced it the “oh-nee-ders.”) But I do like this song. [ Download ]
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EPISODE 4 RECAP
After Ji-hoo yells at Jan-di for interfering, she walks off with tears in her eyes. He looks upset with himself, but the next day, when everyone gathers at the airport to send Seo-hyun off, Ji-hoo is conspicuously absent.
Jan-di is in a mopey mood, thinking of Ji-hoo. She asks Jun-pyo in a dejected voice, “Can I ask you something?” Jun-pyo responds, “If I said no, are you going to not ask?” Referring to her (formerly assertive) attitude, he tells her, “Just act like you did before. This doesn’t suit you.” For what it’s worth, Jun-pyo has said this a couple times before, which I think is telling — he might complain about how she always talks back but that’s obviously why he likes her. He’s got no use for weak, defeated girls.
Jan-di asks if it’s a good idea to “push down your feelings and not show any emotion” when you like somebody a lot. He tells her that’s crap; it’s the same as ignoring them. If the earth caved in the next day, wouldn’t she die of regret?
A little surprised, Jan-di responds, “You know, you may not be an idiot in everything.” He acts as though that’s a compliment, and says he’d rather regret doing something than regret not doing something.
Seo-hyun says her goodbyes to F4 (I suppose it’s F3 right now), and it’s nice to see them acting like longtime friends. She hugs Jan-di and asks her to remember her request (to make Ji-hoo smile again).
As she walks to her gate, she looks around, hoping to see Ji-hoo and disappointed when he doesn’t appear.
Just as the guys sigh that Ji-hoo’s acting pretty cold by not coming, he appears. He’s actually been here for hours.
Jan-di thinks Ji-hoo’s being a coward, and takes him to task: “What are you doing? Is this all you can do? Follow her!”
At that, Ji-hoo produces his ticket and passport: “I’m taking the next flight.” Woo-bin wonders what made him change his mind; Ji-hoo says that Jan-di did.
Before leaving, Ji-hoo turns to Jan-di: “Thank you. It’s because of you that I realized I’d have to be honest. You taught me that sometimes you need the courage to hang on. I’m glad I got to know a girl like you.”
He leans forward and kisses her on the forehead — Jun-pyo watches, bothered — then leaves.
Afterward, Jun-pyo and Jan-di stand outside his car, watching airplanes take off. He breaks the silence by facing her, leaning over her to say something. Unlike the last time he tried (and failed) to kiss her, this time her heart starts pounding.
Jun-pyo: “I’m only going to say this once, so listen up.” She nods nervously, and he continues: “Geum Jan-di, ___ with me.”
And just when he says that bit, a plane flies above and drowns out his words. BWAHAHA. (I think he says, “Go out with me,” but we can’t be sure.)
Jan-di blinks uncomprehendingly, not having heard those crucial words. But Jun-pyo straightens and smiles in satisfaction to himself.
So while it’s no surprise to us, it is to her when Jun-pyo walks up to her in the lunchroom and says, without preamble: “Saturday, 4 pm, in front of Namsan Tower.”
He starts to leave, then turns back: “If you’re even one minute late, you’re dead.”
Jan-di looks after him, a little confused but mostly unimpressed with his high-handedness. She doesn’t notice that Min-ji is looking on with a stricken expression on her face.
Since Jun-pyo doesn’t give Jan-di any chance to respond, she dismisses it from her mind, going shopping with her mother instead on a bargain-sale hunt. And I do mean hunt. They grapple with other thrift-loving ajummas for the massive discounts, and by the time they leave, it’s evening. It’s also snowing.
Feeling guilty pangs for ignoring Jun-pyo, Jan-di asks her mother if anyone would wait in the snow for four hours for a promise that was never made. Her mom says that’s crazy, but Jan-di isn’t reassured. Making a sudden decision, she tells her mother she has to go somewhere and runs off, heading toward Namsan Tower.
Jan-di looks almost disappointed to find the courtyard empty, until she spots Jun-pyo huddled on the side, shivering in the cold.
She holds her umbrella over his head; he asks where the hell she’s been: “Didn’t I tell you not to be late?” He isn’t outright angry — irritated might be a better word. Jan-di returns, “When did I say I would come?” He replies, “You’re here.”
She protests, because she wasn’t intending to come. He persists, “But you did.”
Feeling bad, she offers to buy him a hot drink and helps him up. He staggers to his feet and leans heavily into her. Misinterpreting his intentions, she kicks him to get him off.
Indoors, she buys him coffee from a vending machine and calls it “thirty thousand won coffee” (about twenty bucks). By way of explanation, she tells him to follow along.
On top of the building, they look at the cityscape from the observation deck — this is just like watching from the expensive Sky Lounge.
She marvels at all the stars. Jun-pyo laughs at her, “Those aren’t stars, those are satellites, you stupid girl!” Jan-di retorts, “Aren’t you the idiot? You think there are that many satellites?”
The watchman comes up to the doors to lock up for the night. He only gives the deck a cursory look and is distracted by a phone call, so he misses the two of them.
The lights shut off, alerting Jan-di and Jun-pyo, and they hurry to the doors. The handles have been chained together, and there’s no way to get out.
Jun-pyo doesn’t panic, since they can always call for help. Unfortunately, he left his phone behind, and Jan-di doesn’t own one.
Now worried, he blames her; she says it’s his fault for waiting foolishly for hours. He protests, “This is the first time I’ve ever waited for anyone.”
They wander into an enclosed area, which offers a little shelter but is still freezing cold. Jan-di tries to keep her distance while Jun-pyo starts to cough, and says, “Sorry.” When she asks where his driver is, Jun-pyo answers that he sent him home — he wanted to try things commoner-style.
Shivering, Jun-pyo asks, “Can I be honest?” She eyes him warily as Jun-pyo leans in her direction, then collapses on top of her.
Thinking he’s trying to get fresh, Jan-di shoves him aside, then realizes he’s burning up with fever.
She takes out some of her new purchases — a woman’s scarf and shawl — and wraps him with them. They fall asleep like that until morning, when they are let out.
Fearing her parents’ reaction, Jan-di declines Jun-pyo’s offer of a ride home; she’ll use the bus ride to think of an excuse to tell her mother.
Jun-pyo moves closer to tell her the excuse he’d make: “Since we spent the night together, I’ll take responsibility.” (That phrase, used in that context, is misleading and suggests that something actually DID happen between them. Jan-di kicks him in response.)
Unbeknownst to them, they are seen, and photos are taken.
When she gets home, Jan-di falls on her knees and begs forgiveness, but her family is in fantastic spirits. The guy she saved is the heir to Shinhwa Group! Of all the people to help!
Furthermore, they’ve received a whole slew of gifts in gratitude. Jan-di is bewildered — how did they know? Where did this come from?
Her parents rave about Jun-pyo, who dropped by — taking advantage of her slow bus ride home, no doubt — to ask them not to scold Jan-di because she’d been helping him all night.
News spreads quickly, labeling Jan-di as Jun-pyo’s new girlfriend. Suddenly, everyone is eager to befriend Jan-di (except the mean girls, that is), and the unexplained attention creeps her out.
Jan-di discovers the reason when she comes to the TV screen in the lobby. Displayed onscreen are the pictures of her and Jun-pyo that morning, making them look a lot chummier than they are. When the F4 guys arrive, Yi-jung asks Jun-pyo if the rumors are true.
Jan-di hurriedly insists, “No, it’s not! It’s not what you think at all!”
Jun-pyo ruins that by interrupting, “Yes, it’s true.” Everyone gasps in amazement, and Jun-pyo slings an arm around her shoulders and steers her (unwillingly) down the hall. The students gossip in excitement, with one notable exception: Min-ji, who watches tearily.
Min-ji goes home early that day, so Jan-di drops by with the same consolatory stuffed sheep that Min-ji had previously given her. Withdrawn and depressed, Min-ji asks cautiously if the gossip is true.
Jan-di hesitates, then answers that it’s all a coincidence and an accident. Min-ji says, “But it looked like he liked you.” Jan-di says no way — even the idea is absurd. Jun-pyo was just playing around. At the denial, Min-ji laughs in relief, suddenly much cheerier. She hops out of bed and announces that she’s all better now. She wants to go out and have some fun.
While Jan-di waits for Min-ji to get ready, she looks around and spots a Shinhwa Kindergarten yearbook. Curious, she pulls it from the shelf just as Min-ji walks in. Panicking, she grabs it from Jan-di, yelling at her not to go through other people’s things.
Taken aback to see this side of the normally demure Min-ji, Jan-di apologizes. Min-ji recovers, saying more calmly that she’d written weird comments in the book, so she doesn’t want anyone to read them. She apologizes.
Whereas Woo-bin and Yi-jung took a lot of amusement in Jun-pyo’s clashes with Jan-di, now they ask more seriously if he’s “for real” about her. Yi-jung reminds him that where they’re concerned, their parents have final say in their relationships.
Jun-pyo scoffs, as this is a bit weak coming from two supposed players:
Jun-pyo: “Were you just calling yourselves men in name? Were you acting all cocky without being real men?”
Yi-jung: “What’s a real man to you?”
Jun-pyo: “A man takes responsibility from the beginning to the end.”
Woo-bin: “To the end?”
Jun-pyo: “Yeah. To the end.”
Min-ji takes Jan-di to a club featuring live performers and suggests they dance. Jan-di declines, so she sits out while Min-ji goes out on the floor. When Min-ji looks back, she sees Jan-di wandering around, and is bumped by another woman.
Unexpectedly, Min-ji slaps the girl. Suddenly she’s no longer sweet and shy, but a stone-cold bitch. She sneers, “If you’re ugly, you should at least dance well.”
Worried about Jun-pyo’s latest comments, Yi-jung drops by the restaurant looking for Jan-di. Ga-eul tells him Jan-di’s not working today, so he asks if she’s her friend, and how long they’ve known each other.
At her answer (“Since kindergarten”), he smiles and figures that’s good enough: “So you’re best friends. Then let’s go.”
At his pottery studio, Yi-jung explains that he’s afraid that Jan-di will get hurt, and asks Ga-eul to advise her friend. Initially dazzled by the tall, handsome, rich guy, Ga-eul’s opinion drops once she gets his drift: “What kind of advice? That she can’t climb that tree, so don’t bother trying?”
Yi-jung ups the charisma, smiling at her and saying that cute girls like her are scary when angry. She sees through the charm and tells him that he must have thought he could fool everyone with his pretty face, but he misjudged her. She’ll pretend this conversation never happened.
Ga-eul gets up to leave, but stops and comes back for one last word, temper flaring. After all, Jun-pyo’s the one who likes Jan-di, not the other way around: “Jan-di doesn’t care to climb that tree.”
As she’s exiting, she runs into Woo-bin, who wonders what that’s all about. Yi-jung says it’s nothing, and that she’s exactly the type of girl he dislikes (backwards and unfashionable). And yet, his eyes say otherwise…
Jan-di roams the club, feeling bored and out of place. She encounters one of the performers, who senses her discomfort and suggests they head outside, where he plays her a song on his guitar. (I don’t think she really cares for the stranger, but appreciates the reprieve from the club.)
Seeing that her water bottle is empty, the guy hands her his. She sips the water, her vision goes blurry, and she blacks out.
In the morning, Jan-di awakens in an unfamiliar hotel room with no recollection of the night before. On the mirror, written in lipstick are the words, “Thanks for last night.”
She frets all morning about those words, trying to convince herself that nothing happened, wondering why she can’t remember anything.
Of course, this is also the day that Jun-pyo decides to make a little change in his appearance. He remembers Jan-di’s rant against him, when she said she hated “everything about him” from his curly hair to the fact that F4 always dresses in normal clothes when the rest of them are required to wear uniforms.
So that morning, he takes an extra two hours to get ready, wearing his uniform for once and having his hair straightened.
Jan-di is accosted by students, but whereas her reception the day before was sycophantic, today the Bimbo Threesome are furious at her for insulting Jun-pyo and therefore, by extension, everyone at the school.
Jan-di is totally baffled at their attitude until they drag her to the television. On it, photos are splashed of herself and the strange guy from the night before — in bed, half-clothed.
F4 arrives to see Jan-di surrounded by hostile faces, and Jun-pyo steps forward to defend her. Ginger tells him, “Don’t be fooled! Look at this and come to your senses!” And she points at the TV.
Jun-pyo glances over. Jan-di jumps in front of the screen, trying to block it and insist that it’s all a misunderstanding. He pushes her away and stares grimly at the photos, then turns to her: “What kind of mistake could lead to these pictures?”
Jan-di shakes her head, confused, and says, “I think someone set up a trap for me.” In a hard voice, he asks, “Was this all you were?”
Hurt that he’s so quick to condemn her, Jan-di fires back with tears in her eyes, “I don’t care whether you believe me or not. I don’t even know why I have to explain such an absurd situation to you. But this isn’t the truth.”
Jun-pyo grabs her shirt and clenches his jaw. He says in a low voice, “I’ll just ask one thing. Is the girl in that picture you?” Jan-di can’t say no, and a tear falls.
He shoves her back and glowers, “You said you didn’t care whether I believe you or not. You’re right. Geum Jan-di, from here on, I don’t know who you are.”
After he leaves, the mob descends on Jan-di, but you get the sense she doesn’t really care — the damage has been done with Jun-pyo’s dismissal of her.
Jun-pyo’s fury is so extreme that his friends worry about him, never having seen him so upset about anything before. They decide that they’d better get to the bottom of this before someone winds up seriously hurt, and head over to solve the mystery.
Woo-bin, Yi-jung, Ga-eul, and Jan-di look closely at the photos and ask if Jan-di can remember anything odd about the night before. Jan-di recalls the message scrawled in lipstick, which is odd, since it wasn’t hers. Why would a guy be carrying lipstick around?
Furthermore, the way the pictures are shot requires a third person to have taken them, which means there was somebody else involved. The guys take note of the mystery man’s tattoo, and use a combination of their brains and lots of money to get information.
The music club owner isn’t as helpful as they’d like, so the guys use a form of polite blackmail. If they aren’t pleased with the guy’s cooperation, they might as well run him out of business. Yi-jung: “Two weeks should do it.” Woo-bin: “We’ve got our reputation. We’ll have to make it a week.”
Woo-bin owns the neighboring building, which would make a nice venue to set up a competitor to drive this guy bankrupt.
What follows is some of the most ridiculous tomfoolery I ever did saw. To prove their point, Yi-jung displays some of his saxophone skills (to prove they’d be willing and able to make good on their threat). So now the pottery genius is also Kenny G? Look, I ignored the atrocity that is Ji-hoo’s violin-playing, but here I cannot remain silent. THAT’S NOT EVEN THE RIGHT KIND OF SAXOPHONE.
Woo-bin does his part by dancing… is that the Charleston? To cha-cha music?
Naturally, the two guys are successful. (Oh, the power of elevator jazz and ballroom dance!) They track down the guy in no time.
On the other hand, Jun-pyo is still working out his aggression. First it was guns, now it’s a sword.
Min-ji shows up unannounced to hand him a hotel key, which leads him to the room where Jan-di’s photos were taken.
The photos are piled in the center of the bed. Jun-pyo recognizes the familiar setting in the pictures, and his temper erupts. He throws things around the room — pillows, bedcovers, sheets — and after his tantrum, Min-ji steps into the room and tells him, “Please don’t be hurt. It’s ridiculous for you to be like this over a bitch like her.”
Min-ji appeals to Jun-pyo to calm down, saying this is too unfair for him to be so hurt over Jan-di.
Glaring at her with contempt, Jun-pyo grabs her and asks, “Weren’t you her friend? Can a friend talk like that?”
Min-ji whispers, “She stole you from me.”
Jun-pyo shoves her to the ground and heads to the door. Min-ji grabs him from behind and begs him not to go. He breaks free of her grasp and she cries, “Why her, but not me?”
He walks away, remembering Jan-di’s insistence that she was set up and that this is all a misunderstanding.
At school, it’s a free-for-all as Jan-di is knocked from her bike and jeered at. It’s like she’s come full circle, back to how she was tormented as a result of the red card, only this time the harassment is more malicious because she dared make a fool of the Great Jun-pyo.
Jan-di yells back at them, “Is this all you can do? Do more! Go on!” So they do, pelting her with water balloons shooting a fire hydrant at her, till she collapses on the ground.
COMMENTS
I think it’s obvious that the characters show some differences from previous versions. Do you think we could maybe get past that now, since we’re four episodes in?
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not decrying comparison-making — I think comparisons are fair. But if half of the comments are purely “This is different from the Japanese/Taiwanese version!” I think the discussion starts becoming irrelevant to this drama itself, which is what I’m more interested in. Gu Jun-pyo is based on Doumyouji, but it’s clear his character diverges in some key points. He is a little thick-headed, but he’s not as blatantly stupid as Matsumoto Jun’s portrayal. He’s not as violent or hot-headed, either. This Jun-pyo is cold, hard, and can be cruel, but he’s not a cartoon character.
Kim Joon is doing really well as a Casanova, but Kim Bum, I think, is hampered by his baby face, which makes it odd to see him hitting on women who are clearly much, much older than him. It’s not the acting that is his problem, just the contrast between his appearance and his behavior. That’s why I was happy to see that he has good chemistry with Kim So-eun (Ga-eul), because she’s age-appropriate and was cast (most likely) with him in mind. She’s also a pretty good actor, and their scenes hold up well. Phew!
Also, he does much better in scenes that have no romantic overtones, such as when he coerced the club owner into giving up information. Nice to see a flash of the Kim Bum I’d been excited to see, because he hasn’t really shown much of his actual acting ability so far.
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- 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
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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 Tired and Hungry
January 13, 2009 at 7:09 PM
first again!
Right now the eng subtitles aren't up yet on viikii! but thanks javabeans for the recap! Your recaps gives me a better understanding even without the english subs! Although, from the scenes i've watched episode 4 was much better than ep.3! And jun pyo
again is acting is amazing! I'm so happy that Ji-hoo was not there for the whole episode! He seriously needs to work on his acting! He has no facial expression and NO EMOTION at all! I tell ya no emotion at all!
But the scenes with Jandi and Jun Pyo! I love! I seriously need to live in Seoul,SK and get me a korean boyfriend! Lee Min Ho or Daniel Henney? lol! Too many good choices! lol!
p.s who was that guy Jandi slept with? hum I wonder!
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2 Micah96
January 13, 2009 at 7:22 PM
i've been refreshing...thanks a lot... now i'm off to reading your summary
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3 rochester
January 13, 2009 at 7:24 PM
This episode may have been better due to the lack of Ji Hoo. The others were pretty good.
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4 Anonymous
January 13, 2009 at 7:27 PM
been refreshing constantly for this recap, thanks!
i am a total yi jung/ga eul shipper; can't wait for more of their scenes together! i think they're ridiculously cute...and i have a lot of hopes that their arc in this version will be more fleshed out. i almost cried at the end of the hyd final movie when soujirou ran away from yuuki at his book signing. *tear*
anyways, goo hye sun's acting has, imho, improved over the past few eps. it's less exaggerated by a fair amount; lee min ho is also holding up well. i love his interpretation of domyouji! i'm also relieved that he's not trying to cop matsujun's style.
i think the only character i'm not as enamored about is jihoo. kim hyun-joong is doing alright for his first drama, but still seems overly awkward. which to me will render the whole love triangle between jun pyo, jan di and ji hoo insignificant because the third wheel is thus far weaker than the other two. but i believe that it'll all progress nicely over the next 20 eps.
speaking of which, the plot in the kdrama version is moving quite fast. not too much of a complaint; i still find it believable that junpyo could start to like jandi already because he's never really encountered anyone like her before. hope the pace doesn't drag towards the end of the series; i doubt it will because there are 30+ volumes of manga as a source of reference.
can't wait for next week and thanks javabeans!
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5 Maddy
January 13, 2009 at 7:28 PM
So exciting...Ahhhh I wanted to see what JP would do after he found out it was all a set up...but I guess we'll have to wait until next week :(
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6 eb
January 13, 2009 at 7:31 PM
thanks for the caps. despite its many shortcomings, i think i'm addicted.
one thing i'm confused about was when jun-pyo wakes up and takes the marker from jandi...what did he write if he wrote anything with it?
i love the changes, so far and agree this episode was better. i am completely guessing (and maybe projecting what i want), but i think jun-pyo was mouthing "sa-gwi-ja" (let's go steady) but it's hard to tell...hilarious, however. plus, it reminded me of the famous coffee prince line with a funnier spin...it totally redeemed my faith in the writer...at least for now.
i like the korean sourjiro/yuki interaction more than the other dramas (though the actors in the japanese version and rainie yang were beautiful, look-wise) because yuki has more personality and spunk. previous yuki's were too demure and thankful for soujiro's attentions that the relationship didn't seem deeper than a brief fling. this version, however, looks like we might actually believe their relationship could be something special.
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7 Rebeca
January 13, 2009 at 7:34 PM
You know what? I think the episodes are going to start getting better and better because of the content......
As we dig deeper into Joon Pyo's unanswered love for Jan Di, and Jan Di's unanswered love for Ji Hoo....there isn't going to be much screen time for the cutesy, corny, cheesiness that the later episodes showed.....and which was what was killing it for me in episodes 1 and 2 and somewhat of 3
Then, of course...once Jan Di answers Joon Pyo's feelings and the problem becomes fighting the mother...i think the episodes are probably going to go back to the cheesiness..but i HOPE not :D
But anyways.....as seen from the "Forest scene"in the last episode...the episodes usually take a positive (and by positive, i mean good to watch) turn when the focus is solely on Joon Pyo and Jan Di's relationship......so lets all cross our fingers.....
This series is going to last for about 20 episodes, and so far although the first episodes were bad, they just keep improving. Who knows? Maybe towards the middle of the series and (hopefully) all the way up to end, we will get THE boys over flowers that we were all hoping for!
P.S. I like Joon Pyo as Doumyoji now. He just may be the best (meaning: Most manga-like) Doumyoji around...i still think he lacks that "passion"...but its getting better and better
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8 annie
January 13, 2009 at 7:37 PM
Hi! Thanks for the summary!! I was just wondering if you could in the future, summarize the preview for the next episode also?
Thank you!
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9 Rebeca
January 13, 2009 at 7:40 PM
omgosh and I can't believe that we have to wait almost a wholllee week before seeing the next part of the series ..... Ughhh I don't want to write spoilers here...but for those of you that knows the series (read the manga, etc)...you know what I'm talking about when I say that it's going to be a grueling week!!!!!!
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10 kodoque
January 13, 2009 at 7:41 PM
ooh man !! THANK YOU SO MUCH for the QUICK QUICK recaps.
I loveee you ! =D
I cant imagine how much work it is though to be recapping 2 of my favorite series at once ! HYD and Star's Lovers ! But I am grateful nonetheless.
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11 Anonymous
January 13, 2009 at 7:41 PM
purely superficial note...but as much as i love love loved! ga eul's spunk and [somewhat] defiance after being initially awestruck during her scene with yi jung, i was initially really distracted when they were in the restaurant because what was up with kim bum and his skinny neck tie that was tucked into a hole in his sweater? heh heh...
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12 Rebeca
January 13, 2009 at 7:44 PM
oh...and another comment...hahaha....
Korean Sakurako is DEFINETLY the best and prettiest......the Japanese one was just weird and overacted tooo much........and the TW was forgettable and not even pretty.
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13 GG
January 13, 2009 at 7:45 PM
I agree, this episode is waaaaayyy better simply put because of the lack of Ji Hoo. I can't believe he is so wooden, but the rest of the cast is keeping me very entertained. I love the chemistry between JunPyo and JanDi and Kim Bum is cute with Ga eul
I agree with you Javabeans, Epi 4 was better than epi.3.
Overall, I know I'm going to be watching this every week, I am really enjoying it.
Thx for the recaps.
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14 Eisa
January 13, 2009 at 7:46 PM
Thanks again for the recap
I am enjoying this drama a lot. Maybe it will be a pattern of having the Tuesday episode more solid than the Monday one, although I agree its better since it makes the viewers, me, want to want to watch the next episode, well thanks again for the recaps :P
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15 Pauline
January 13, 2009 at 7:48 PM
there's a lot of goofs in this drama, especially their hair. jandi's hair is short in one scene, and then long in another. Same goes for Jihoo and Yi Jung.
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16 Luv
January 13, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Thank you so much Sarah...It was exciting reading this recap.
Jun-pyo is the star...hehe...I love all his scenes..
While reading...These lines just jump out...my favorites...
"When she asks where his driver is, Jun-pyo answers that he sent him home — he wanted to try things commoner-style.
So that morning, he takes an extra two hours to get ready, wearing his uniform for once and having his hair straightened.
On it, photos are splashed of herself and the strange guy from the night before — in bed, half-clothed. "
I love the "half-clothed" part...hehe...
It was really fun watching the episode & reading your wonderful recap..
Thank you so much.
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17 feli
January 13, 2009 at 7:50 PM
i think kim hyun joong is doing a decent job as ji hoo. maybe it's because i dont understand korean so when he says his dialogue i cant tell at all if he's saying them kinda emotionlessly or otherwise.
on the other hand, i understand mandarin chinese and i thought vic chou as taiwanese rui was horrible. his mandarin was so off that my taiwanese friends cringe and laughed at him in meteor garden. it's impressive that now off all the taiwanese F4, he is the one who is the best actor, IMO.
i still cant believe this is the same kim hyun joong as the one i saw in "we got married". it's like he undergone plastic surgery or something for this role. could losing weight really change one's facial feature THAT much? or maybe they put THAT much make up on him. LOL. his skin is like porcelain here.
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18 sonam
January 13, 2009 at 7:50 PM
i liked the 4th Ep. better too. LMH doing the sword practice was so cheesy like Tom Cruise in Last Samurai. I was sad to see his glorious insane waves flat ironed. It make his face look flat. Also I like that Jandi has started wearing black tights. It looks better with the very short skirt. I wish she didn't wear so much color and dress so girly and cute. If you going to do a lot of cutesy faces maybe keep the clothes low key. Makino is supposed to be a tomboy. I notice her bangs got razored and so her hair is looking a little edgier. My fav moment in HYD is when they get locked in but I am a little disappointed with the Korean take. It was a little tepid. The airport scene was nicely done especially the interactions between Jun Pyo and Jandi. Kind of reminded me of one of my fav scenes in On Air.
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19 Rose
January 13, 2009 at 7:51 PM
Omg.. I think I'm gonna love junpyoo's character even I like the more stupid domyouji because of his all wrong words which makes it funnier. I agree it the comment above, jihoo really needs to put his acts together, I hope he improves a bit more with emtions put into it. So far, other than jihoo's lack of emotions, I find no other complain about the f4 and Jian Di.
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20 CC
January 13, 2009 at 7:51 PM
why is that poor woo bin has so many cringe-worthy scenes?!? first the ghetto fabulousness (which was NOT fabulous at all) and now, he's dancing the charleston to cha cha music. AHAHAHAHAAH. javabeans, that comment made my night.
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21 amydem
January 13, 2009 at 7:52 PM
Thanks for the recap! I've watched the Japanese version and knows what happens next but it was so funny how you summarized Woo-Bin and Yi-jung getting information about the sleeping incident. Haha! LOL!
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22 MishLovesBeingOdd
January 13, 2009 at 7:53 PM
I definitely agree with Eb, i like the yijung/gaeun pair a lot more than the yuuki/sojiroh pair, i feel like they're characters might actually connect although i think it's funny that they start off "disliking" eachother because the yuuki in the manga was definitely not like that but i still love it! It's just an amazing series and gu hye sun's acting has really gotten a lot better, i've started being able to connect with her character a little bit. Thanks so much for the recap!
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23 Gallivanter
January 13, 2009 at 7:53 PM
I'm SO excited it seems they're taking the Yi-Jung/Ga-Eul romance route. While I enjoyed the Japanese adaptation, it always felt like they ignored the other characters. It's not until episode 6 or 7 that Soujirou gets this story line, and then it's dropped until almost the end of the series. Akira never did anything at all, so I hope he's thrown a bone here.
And I have to say...I like Jun-Pyo more than Domyouji. Maybe it's that Jun's played Domyouji before (and better) in Gokusen, or that Domyouji took FOREVER to like like Tsukushi. I LIKE that Jun-Pyo's cold and lonely and angry. Not as violent. And while he's still impulsive, he clearly plans things out (like the ducks). He doesn't mind waiting a bit to get a good reaction from Jan-Di.
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24 Dramaworld
January 13, 2009 at 7:56 PM
Mm! It's actually starting to sound good! I haven't had time to watch this so far, and was a bit wary since I've seen both the other versions and really, what new is there to say? But it looks like they've actually done a good job of reinterpreting the story, and I'm super relieved to hear Jun-pyo is not as stupid as Matsumoto(because really. Matsumoto took the cake in that arena. Not that I didn't like the J-drama).
Thanks for the recap :)
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25 Stace
January 13, 2009 at 7:57 PM
Lee Minho is doing an amazing job, I agree with you on how he has chosen to portray Doumyouji compared to Masumoto Jun's, slightly more introverted perhaps, a more anguished and cold demeanor, which has really carried well thus far in this drama. And because for me I've always been frustrated seeing how Makino's character begins to develop towards really falling in love with Doumyouji, I'm really enjoying the chemistry between the two leads. Really looking forward to next week's episode with the preview of Jun-pyo's kiss on Jandi's temple. And once again thanks for the recap!
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26
January 13, 2009 at 8:04 PM
omgosh i can't wait another week!! :( this is so addictingggg. the scene where jun pyo offers to drop jandi home was especially cute. he was LEANING :P i watched that like five times already eheheh..
im really curious how they're going to handle the ga eul/ yi jung story. ga eul is pretty :]
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27 Marzy
January 13, 2009 at 8:05 PM
thanks!! hmm.. weighing in, a lot happenned in episode 4. wow.
i knew that min ji girl was trouble. ugh. and to be called jd's friend.
hmm the sax playing portion wasnt yeah great but i loved watching kim bum. lol. fangirling here. and yes, im a yi jung/ga eul shipper too. i hope for more scenes but if this anything like the magnga yi jung(soujiro) runs away from her. lol.
i enjoy it though.
i love how they made JP's character here.. as much as i liked jun's tsukasa.. enjoyable.. and i didnt quite care for the tw version.. he was too much i felt.
i really like LMH's charisma and he carries himself well and puts a lot into the role. so it's overall a good choice on their part.
GHS is improving too i think. but her makino is kinda of a cuter version so to speak. they are trying to make her cute in the way even if she isnt pretty she is appealing and stuff.
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28 Gia
January 13, 2009 at 8:07 PM
I love that series until now.
That great to begining the year with a solf subjet drama.
Viva korean drama.
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29 ayay
January 13, 2009 at 8:10 PM
me too,,
i agree with your comment,,
finally kim bum has his own destiny,,
I think it's pretty weird when someone like him dating older woman
and yeah the scene where he and ga eul was pretty intense (something that I couldn't get from JPand JD at first)
i hope the story between them turns out well
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30 Airajuliafor
January 13, 2009 at 8:14 PM
AWESOME!! I hope what really happened will be revealed soon. Although if I was Jan-di, it wouldn't really matter to me that people didn't believe. I'm more irritated towards the fact that Jun-pyo didn't trust me. =P
Hope u continue the recaps and thanks again. I can't wait for ep 5.
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31 nileey
January 13, 2009 at 8:19 PM
Lovely recaps!
Thanks for the reminder on the comparison. I love Meteor Garden and i think my mind was sort of set on some level of comparison in terms of storyline and characters. Haven't watched the Jap version so nothing to compare :p
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32 Jane
January 13, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Javabeans-
thanks for the recap of ep 4. Your recaps always makes me think of little things that I don't normally notice- which is a very good thing.
You are so spot on with your thoughts on Kim Bum and the saxaphone.
When I first saw this- I was like- are they all geniuses?- do they know how to do everything?
As I watch this- I also agree- KB seems so young. At time- is just looks weird to see him flirting with girls older than him. Hopefully KB's story with the best friend will not be too over shadowed.
Also- I thought that Joon Pyo was silly at times- but I agree with you that in this korean version- Joon Pyo's character seem more connected to reality. His counter part in the J- version was so weird at times and over reacting too much- pushing girls on the floor and calling them stupid.
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33 kimi_chan
January 13, 2009 at 8:23 PM
I think the Korean vers. is moving quite fast atm. i dunno if, in the middle, it starts dragging itself... but so far i'm enjoying this adaptation.
Javabeans, i'm sorry but i have to disagree with u over the portrayal of Domyouji. i still believe MatsuJun did a better job than the Lee Min-ho now... it was the craziness, the weird mood swings and the violence of Domyouji and the way Tsukushi changes him really made me love hanadan... bt i dunno- this could change as the drama progresses....
as always, thankyou for the recaps...
^_^
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34 deeta
January 13, 2009 at 8:23 PM
Personally, this is my favourite Domyouji out of the 3 versions. There, I said it. Matsujun was, like you said, very caricatured, often goes towards the extreme. Jerry Yan had awesome emotional acting, but he too had a tendency to veer towards the extreme. But Minho does a lot of stuff much more subtly. He's still the same Domyouji, but one that is more believable.
I'm so glad you commented on that lame ass scene of Woobin supposedly dancing and Yijung getting all sax-y. I mean dude, seriously.
I think Kim Joon is 'doing well' mainly because his role isn't exactly hard. His role basically has no storyline (except for that one in MG2), so far that I know of. At least Yijung would have something with Gaeul (OMG, I am so EXCITED!!, they had great chemistry in that one scene) and I'm hoping this something would be more resolved by the previous two versions. In short, I hope they'd hook up.
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35 miss-xo
January 13, 2009 at 8:34 PM
I prefer Jun-pyo with the wavy hair! I'm really enjoying this series so far...
Thanks for recapping!
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36 Miki
January 13, 2009 at 8:38 PM
Stop stuffing food into your mouth.
And Jun Pyo and Jandi are becoming too close too quickly. Where is the hatred? He's not really that violent either. and I can't see why he would really need Jandi in his life. In fact, he's too cute to have such a brat as Jandi in his life.
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37 bebo
January 13, 2009 at 8:41 PM
i think i'm the only one who's not really into this drama. i was really looking forward to it but i just can't get into the over-acting and annoying silliness of Gu Hye Seon and her family and the non-chemistry between her and Lee Min Ho. i guess i'm just not a big fan of Gu Hye Sun and don't think she fits the Makino role at all.
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38 youchakuih
January 13, 2009 at 8:43 PM
thanks for the recaps....i just looked into coolsmurfs domain....n he mentioned that Kim Bum & So Eun's first encounter made deep impression to the viewers...yeah for that......haha....
wow....can't wait to see more of them together....it's really nice to see Kim Bum pairing up with So Eun....
i first like Kim Bum's acting is the drama called "Rude Women". he was the son of the main character, Mi Joo. he's cute, kind, funny sometimes. i love his character in that coz he always so protective to his mum n never ask who his father is bcuz she might be sad to hear it.
in the first part of the last epi, that's when i fell in love with his acting. he finally realize who his father is n breaks down. he hasd a heart that forgives ppl even they hurt him so badly....aw...if any of u would like to see Kim Bum's previous acting, this would be the drama that i recommend, even that's not that much of him in it....
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39 KOK
January 13, 2009 at 8:46 PM
Domyouji was pretty moronic in the manga but I guess MatsuJun took it to another level, with some of the most cutest scenes ever I might add, Im really liking Lee Min Ho but I wish he was a little more agressive, thats when the sparks between him and Makino really flew, even in the manga.
Anyway I'll wait for subs, im pretty excited.
I would love this version so much more if only Jan Di actually played Tsukishi rather than some obnoxious whiny 10 year old.
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40 Annie
January 13, 2009 at 8:47 PM
Nice recap. LIKE ALWAYS.
However, you left out the part where Jan di got drunk and that guy start playing guitar thingy. but still awesome. I too agree with you about Kb. His face is way too cute and innocent. there's a part where everyone look at Jandi with a question mark or furios expression, there Kb still have his gentle sweet boyish smile. lol..
I LOVE Kim Hj because of Hwangbuin. love to see them together and I was very excited for this Series because of him. but now, My eyes stuck on Joon Pyo. He's just the package for good, bad silly guy. Yeah.. I like Joon Pyo character soo much!!!!
Can't wait for next week!!
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41 bjharm
January 13, 2009 at 8:48 PM
One of the troubles with things like this, is well there no real surprise, as you either read the manga or seen one of the other versions. So everyone knows who and why she was set her up. Its really as many are saying the scenes with the two main characters that attract you to the series, rather then the events happening around them.
I can not help but thinking that school like something out of lord of the flies, all vicious little animals waiting for the sign of weakness before they attack. And they are suppose to be the future leaders of the country..lol
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42 Maddy
January 13, 2009 at 8:54 PM
@bjharm #42: Isn't that just highschool though...taken to the extreme? Which is why the manga and all the versions are so popular, because of all the twists and turns, lies and deceit, and of course some lovey dovey stuff too.
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43 anotheranony
January 13, 2009 at 8:56 PM
Thanks for the recaps!! I love reading your take on it Javabeans after watching it for myself! I completely agree that Kim Bum's looks hampers his character's seduction antics, but he's charming all the other times. Glad he's finally getting more interaction with Ga-eul!!! I've been anticipating this relationship since episode 1. *fangirl squeal* :P For some reason LMH's curls have grown on me.... when he straightened them out it made him a little "flat" for lack of better word. One more thing... am I the only one who was green with jealousy that the F3 are driving those ridiculously expensive looking, colorful, I-wanna-have-one-too sportscars???
Anyone know who sings the ending song for this episode?
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44 aya
January 13, 2009 at 8:57 PM
abt the storyline, its like a combination of the taiwan version and japanese version to me.. and they do stick a lot to the manga script, unlike the japanese version.. I love the korean domyouji the best so far :).. its makino that made me tune to the japanese hanadan but for the korean/taiwan version its the domyouji character..
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45 elmo
January 13, 2009 at 9:04 PM
kim bum is hot :D.. i like baby face!!!
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46 shu
January 13, 2009 at 9:18 PM
i dun know. but i feel so much better without ji hoo. its like so nice.
somehow in this rendition, i dun see how come jun py likes jan di as well
i mean she's just like this screaming girl with not a lot of brain.
character comes with brain.
and the short instance for yi jung and ga eul. totally love it.
awesome. i hope something good comes out of it.
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47 thisiswhyi'mbehindonmymastersthesis
January 13, 2009 at 9:26 PM
Thank you for the recap. I have honestly been waiting all day! I hoped to like this version and by golly I do! I won't compare because to me there is none. I see this as a fresh take on a story that I just love. I think that we all should see it that way. There is something fresh in Minho that can't be denied. I love his interpretation. I'm not sure if its him, the script or what but its making for wonderful TV. Can't wait to see how the rest of the story veers and evolves. Having loads of fun! Thank you again.
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48 sonam
January 13, 2009 at 9:28 PM
Tho I like LMH's interpretation of Domyouji I like Jun's too (over the top maybe but remember .....it's a manga/anime adaption after all. And Jerry's. They were all different but good in their own way. I thought the Japanese Rui was excellent consistently (acting wise) like LMH and tho' Vic Z wasn't as consistent he was gorgeous looking like LMH. I didn't find the Japanese F4 so compelling in the looks department but they more than made up for it by their all round fantastic performances. And the direction and production values were top notch. I found the soundtrack and score a little too heavy veering on cheesy sometimes. The song Flavor of Life was so un Makino like. I can't imagine Makino indulging in such emotional wallowing and getting all breathy. I think that's just me because I know the song was huge in Japan.
I think it's better to stop expecting the Korean adaptation to be like the Japanese and Taiwanese. It would be actually very boring. But I must say I was expecting it to be better than what we have seen so far. LMH is the only reason I am watching this. Otherwise I'd quite happy just reading Dramabeans' recaps and analysis. I am hoping Rui will come back from Paris looking all healthy and relaxed and be Domyoji's worthy rival for Jandi's heart.
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49 Sue
January 13, 2009 at 9:31 PM
i thought the scene transitions and pacing in this episode were really.. really.. off. a third of the time i was like huh?
and kimbum's sax-faking >>>>> hyunjoong's violin-faking.
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50 c_gunawan541
January 13, 2009 at 9:36 PM
UGH... i gotta say the pacing is really really fast.
I watched this live without subs and i was actually thinking it wasn't as good as previous episodes maybe because... i don't really understand what are they talking about but after i finished watching the chinese subbed, i like it better.
It's just that i feel pity for Jandi to endure so much torments...
Sigh.. The part where Junpyo left her being bullied by others is really really cruel.
Lee Minho took Tsukasa's character to another different level.
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