well....please don't get me wrong....on most of your drama recaps n comments, i notice that u always give more negative opinions more than u give the good ones....i'm not saying it's a bad thing of u or any of it coz u did mention good things too.....coz it did helps me to sort of relate more to the drama with other's opinions....let's say when u say there's good or a bad scene, i will definitely have a look into it n see how good or bad it is....

it is just me anyway standing into between giving good or bad comments....coz i like to look to the good side of things even if they turn out to be uhmm....let's just unwatchable....hehe...just a little advice for u, please just lay off the bad comments, i mean less than usual perhaps....n once again, i don't mean anything bad or harm to u....it's nothing wrong to sound your opinions so it wouldn't be any wrong if i said mine....different ppl have different point of views...

well, as for the songs, i think i'm liking the song by ss501....i dunno about u but i do....so yeah, maybe the soundtracks is not that good, but just give it a chance like u did...to the drama itself....aren't u? i mean i always appreciate good OST coz it's mainly draw me into the drama itself like the ones from Surgeon Bong Dal Hee's ( which btw, is also featured 2 songs by SS501....it's really nice to listen to....have a try! )....
n i will try not to compare too much from the Taiwan or the Japan ones coz it will just ruin my anticipation of the Korean one...i mean i gotta admit, the koreans are cute....maybe it's not fancy like Japan's but it sure does has its humour like u always mention Jun Pyo aka Lee Min Ho's acting...n i do find out he's quite funny himself....n yeah, maybe Hyun Joong's acting skills r not good enough, maybe his emotionless face is the point....aren't u think? i'm sure his acting skills will sooner develop along the drama....i notice he does a quite good job in delivering short quotes like "Get Lost" at the end of the trailer and the baking powder part....haha....
well, anyway, just like u said, it's only 2 episodes, let's just see where it goes....try not to judge too much....otherwise it will just ruin my interest in it....

p.s: sorry for the long comments n lastly, (once again, pls don be offended by my words but i do like to see ur opinions again....=)....)

Yeah, the OST is not exactly stellar compared to other kdramas... I knew you and much of the other readers here were fans of more indie featuring (such as Coffee Prince OST), so I guess this one would sound lackluster perhaps? Just IMO.

But I found Paradise by T-MAX to be catchy though... matches the opening sequence quite well.

I say, let javabeans write whatever she wants! The snarkier, the better! ;) How boring if someone blogged about dramas and always loved or agreed with all aspects of it...or even worse, tip-toed around what they wanted to say to simply appease their sensitive readers. lol

wah. T-Max is really in?! gotta rush to get it then!
n by the way......yeah Kimjoon is a rapper....n people tend to generally relate that to 'gangsta wannabe' or whatever you call it....as most Korean boyband rappers do...
but pls don't make judgment before you really listen to him. to me, he has style in delivering rap, n not the typical 'yo i'mma badass rappah' like [just name any famous boyband rapper].....n gangsta wannabe? if that's about speaking engrish....T-Max's rap so far, hasn't had much English/Engrish rap anyway...
i just hav to stand up for Kimjoon n T-Max cuz i really adore the quality they have, n i know ppl tend to easily look down on them juz cuz they're not popular. bleh.
anyway. thanks for the good news. i'm interested to hear SS501's song...cuz from their past ost works......they always manage to show a new side of 'em other than the popdance boyband they are. but must say i'm more excited for T-Max, whose songs never quite disappoint me, esp their first single.

SHINee is in here? I wonder what the song is, does any one know? But, I am looking forward to the OST. From the looks of it, it seem alright...

There isn't one song we can identify with any of the characters. There was lovely piano interlude in Meteor Garden which captured Makino's ups and downs and it was very effective.
I was thinking FT Island songs would be great for F4...for a few episodes at least. They sound very fun and carefree. I liked the couple of songs they did for On Air. On Air had a great soundtrack and score except for one cheesy R&B number by Park Yong Ha.

@ youchakuih:
To each their own, I suppose. I do have to beg to differ with you. Have you ever been to allkpop.com? If you think javabeans pours more negative opinions, at least she does it in a funny sarcastic and quite intelectual way unless some of the writers at allkpop.com.

I could not agree more with baj in that we should absolutely let javabeans write the way she wants. This is after all her blog and she does not have to make apologies or adjustments to how she writes.

This is not to attack anyone, so don't misunderstand my comments. I just feel that javabeans does a great job and I very much enjoy her writing style. If you are one of the people who likes a calmer tone, you can always visit coolsmurf.wordpress.com. He just doesn't posts recaps and summaries like javabeans does.

i'm glad they're making use of their actors/singers - why not use 'em if you got 'em, right?
i'm ashamed to admit it, but the music is kind of growing on me. although there are still some parts where i lol b/c the music is bad.

didn't they remake that Meteor Garden theme song into Korean? has anyone heard of it? sounds cool in the Korean language. I heard the Super Junior members sang the song, i just don't know who sang it "officially". they could make use of it. or at least produced something as likeable as it is.

I must also agree....the OST so far hasn't been stellar. It lacks charming music from others series like Coffee Prince, Goong, Dal Ja's Spring, Que Sera Sera. It seems the PD recycled his music directors from his past work. Some of the songs I have heard so far on the show sound similiar to works from My Girl and Delightful Girl Chun-Hyang. Although, I did like the OST for My Girl but it suited that show perfectly. So far with Boys Over Flowers, I feel like all things just haven't fallen into place. The music in the Japanese version of Boys Over Flowers was a little better. For example, the background music they played when you first see the F4 Boys entering the school seemed to fit the mood better than in this current version.

We shall see.....along with the acting, I too hope the music will get better.

@youchakuih: Are you serious? This blog isn't mean for the sake of being mean, unlike say allkpop or popseoul. There's always a reason for a snarky comment and they're delivered in a snappy way. I can understand being a fan of something and wanting everyone to be super nice about it, but we're not in a position to tell the writer to change the way she writes, especially when the way she writes is why people like this blog so much. I could see where you're coming from if she was mean about BBF, but actually she's been fairly positive about it so I really don't understand your comment. This is the internet, so let people write what they want and try not to take something personally when someone disagrees with you on your favorite drama or idol star.

I think we've just seen a few shows with such amazing soundtracks that we're all jaded now lol. The ost for this one isn't really that bad, it's just very average, which is hugely disappointing.
...although I have to say I liked the soundtrack for my girl, it was fun.

javabeans, i agree with you wholeheartedly,
im a big fan of shinee, but when listening to their song (in the makeover scene, i assume?) i feel the urge to roll my eyes, its so 90s,
come on, did the music director did this on purpose? to match the real 92 manga?
the music here ruins the mood,
even their main theme is so japanese 90s, (but maybe it's t-max's characteristic? i read somewhere that they're known as korean w-inds)
im surprised since i always thought korean drama have the most perfect ost to build the mood, compared to japanese or taiwanese
like queserasera, i dont like the drama and character but willing to stay for the fluxus music,
just my opinion tho', and forgive my bad english

The music of the drama is very pop, and bubbly, and easy, which is something I've noticed from Jun Kisang dramas. The music isn't superb ( I was expecting non kpop, but that was too much to ask with 2 of the prominent casts are kpopstars), but it's actually okay in a sense that after watching 2 eps I could bob along when the songs come on.

i have to say i adore javabean's writing, and most importantly what she says i more than likely agree with!! and its up to her what she wants to write on her blog, whether its negative or positive its up to her!! she should write according to how she feels and her opinion!! yeah u can comment on that and give 'advice' but i just hope that she ignores you completely which she has the right to do so!!!

i mean if it bothers you too much youchakuih you can always go on another site!!

on another note- i do think this series have a good sound track like thesongs are good= i like SS501's 'im stupid' and also i think we heard Shinee's song in there too im not 100% sure, they sound good!! i just think they r not using the songs correctly it doesnt seem to connect with the drama

Oh you put it waaaay too lightly. It is horrendous.

I don't think it's the music itself that really sucks, but rather when and where they're using it. When the mood should be more mysterious, there's happy music playing. The music director isn't able to reflect the mood of the scenes with music.

You're right!

One of the reason why the Japanese version was big in Japan itself was because of their soundtrack. On their first season, they have Planetarium by Ai Otsuka as their insert song and hell-a it's amazing. It topped the Japanese music chart and people fell in love with that song. Then they have Flavor of Life by Utada Hikaru which by the way is also a great song. So, I was a bit anticipating that the Korean one would at least have the same greatness but they don't.

For some reason, I'm actually finding myself amused by the horribly silly gangster-rap language too. At first, I thought it was cringe-inducingly awful, but for some reason it's started to grow on me. When I watched the episodes subbed, I actually laughed rather than rolled my eyes. And I've been finding myself saying Yo, Yo, Yo for fun at random times. And I don't even like rap. ^_^

I think the OST is ok, it's not good, but it isn't that bad either.
When you listen to the OST, it isn't that compelling, and it doesn't have its own Boys before flowers OST kind of thing... like the Coffee Prince OST, Goong OST, or even My Girl OST with some annoying songs in it.
On the other hand, I'd say that the songs do not connect with the scenes very well, they come off really odd. I especially dislike how the Stand by Me song is over-used. Since i'm judging based on 2 episodes out of 24, I still keep my hopes for a better sound sequence in the future episodes...

Just a comment: I happen to love Javabean's snarky comments, especially when much if it veers on amusing, and not outright mean, and are very very thoughtful and valid. She's one of the few bloggers who know when to draw the line.

And she's honest. Mostly unbias, but she admits it when she isn't totally so. I appreciate that. And just because you critique does not mean you don't overall enjoy it. What she doesn't critique means that it's onpar with what the series has to offer already.

@youchakuih

Are you vivir111 at soompi?

Because what you wrote gave me such a headache...at least this time you left out the lols every two words

wow, so i'm not the only one who felt that the ost was sorely lacking. usually there's a song or two that i love in a trendy korean drama but all of the songs in this drama sound so generic. some of you mentioned coffee prince and i have to admit that cp definitely trumps korea's boys before flowers in this regard (well, in many regards, but i'm still enjoying boys before flowers as a long time fan).

i hope the makers of korea's hyd will take a hint from cp and add something worthy for future episodes.

I wasn't going to write anything in regards to the first comment, but I just can't help it...

I gotta agree with the others, Javabeans does a great job in her recaps and news commentaries. I love her wit and intellectual writing and analysis. When her comments are snarky, they're done in a light, funny manner...that even if I happen not to agree with them, I still find myself amused and chuckling to myself. I don't think she's ever been mean in her comments, or harshly bashed a drama/movie or actor/performer, or wrote anything in a vulgar or disrespectful manner. She's honest, and has every right to express her thoughts, both good & bad. Moreover, I've never felt as though she's tried to sway anyone in any one direction or tried to influence people's opinions.

Of course people don't have to always agree with her and/or like what she writes; I don't think she expects anyone to. But I don't think it's right for people to be telling her how to express herself. She shouldn't have to cut back on her humor or snarky comments, and she certainly shouldn't hold herself back from writing what's on her mind and just write positive comments to appease readers who are fans of a particular drama/actor. She doesn't owe anyone anything; this is her blog and she can do with it as she pleases. If you don't like what she writes, then don't read it; it's as simple as that.

Ooh, SHINee's on the soundtrack? I wonder if it's a new song.

i look forward to my lunchbreaks to catch up with k-drama news and reviews and have never left any comments, but youchakuih's note really compelled me to say something.

youchakuih, you seem to contradict yourself a little...by being critical about javabeans' reviews, and at the same time being over-apologetic" "once again, pls don be offended by my words but i do like to see ur opinions again.." what type of opinions exactly are you looking to read?

sure you have the right to state your views, but as to your request for javabeans to "not judge too much", i think its entirely up to us as readers to take in what we will and filter, if need be anything she writes. after all, at this media and digital age, we're pretty much well-informed readers.

i'm pretty sure javabeans won't be offended by your comments and that she'll continue to write in her own style, opinion and pace.

youchakuih's just one of those butthurt fan... rofl.

I've noticed that BBF has really affected alot of people... theres that group of fans that are just appalled at the first two episode (with of course citing how the japanese version is much more superior etc.)... then there are those like youchakuih, tad bit delusional (ohhh, Joonpyo pun ^^) that BBF is super perfect in every sense.

I'm just hoping that before the series, people start grasping that BBF is a kdrama, it has its flaws (and its gems)... and that this isn't Coffee Prince/Goong/*insert other trendy drama here*... the OST is just alright, a little lackluster, and how they insert songs kinda falls short sometimes... so what? Just deal with it.

Like they say, different strokes for different folks. I didn't particular enjoy other previous trendy dramas... both Coffee Prince and Goong bored me, but BBF for some reason is interesting to me.

No need to be all crazy about it... if you enjoy the series, then do so... if not, then no one's forcing you to nitpick every flaw that you see, or watch it for that matter.

--

javabeans - i hope u don't let commenter #1 affect you... your writing is engaging and honest, without being unnecessarily brutal about it :)

hi lolz abt the 1st comment. was kinda taken aback when I read it, cos the comments on Dramabeans are far more objective and not mean-just-to-be-mean unlike some other blogs (won't mention names, I'm sure we know who they are =)

anyws, just wanted to say that I was pretty surprised to find out that Kim Joon's real name is actually Kim Hyung Joon too! plus he's actually the oldest (in real life) of the Korean F4 cos Lee Min Ho & KHJ look older! haha pretty random but yeah =)

wow....that's really something....it's actually my 1st comment on this site....i really never thought of ppl might getting such negative view towards my comment coz i believe i did say " i didn't mean any bad or harm to u " ( well, maybe i should mention earlier , " I come in peace"....hehe)
n now everyone seems to say that i'm such a criticism when i only meant less negative words (not prohibited her from giving her own opinions) from javabeans....

so i really feel a little bit weird and sad with me having some other ppl misunderstood my words. ( i dun normally use the word "hate" cuz i'm a christian )

ok...so i maybe used the wrong words like "just a little advice for u " which i apologizes once again. so pls forgive my words being so directly n my poor grammar....

i noticed that after i gave my #1 comment, ppl keep saying that if i hate javabean's comment or recaps, i should just go to the other sites.....ok now, for those (oh...may i say there's one who called me "delusional" )who gave me that kind of comments, i would like to ask u....

"When and how did i mention that i hate or dislike javabeans' comment???

i only say that maybe javabeans can change a bit of her perspective towards the drama when she do the comments....i only address my comments to her n i didn't mean to offend her, knowing that she would just continue her writings as usual....i never said it was a bad thing for her coz she did mention some good points there....did i sound very wrong or offensive in any way? cuz if i do, i would like know how is it possible until ppl will left such awful comments about me....

oh....and for those who think i'm fan of the trendy drama/movie, i would like to say u're not exactly correct about me....i dun really compare which is good or better...
i mostly enjoy watching drama that would really moved me to tears or have me laughed my head off....i don't do fantasy about meeting prince charming cuz i would like to admit i already being hurt before i can even start my first real relationship...n pls dun try say i deserved it cuz u dunno me well enough to say

so...i mentioned comments on Jun Pyo....i only saying that i'm agreeing with javabeans,ok?....

and btw, i'm sorry to add that when i wrote,
"well, anyway, just like u said, it’s only 2 episodes, let’s just see where it goes….try not to judge too much….otherwise it will just ruin my interest in it…."

i'm actually meant for myself, which i hope everyone else will do the same....i mean if we judge too much based on other ppl's comment n just 2 episodes of the drama itself, how can we enjoy the drama itself when we already starting to dislike it?

for javabeans, i believe i do mention that i would like to see ur opinions again...i meant on the dramas or any of work again...=) n i do apologize to u if i sounded offensive to u...i do like ur work too on the drama recaps cuz there's some drama i didn't get to watch n i ended up having a quick look on ur recaps n comments...=)

oh...before i forget, note to @ rochester
i'm not vivir111 at soompi....n i dunno why i gave u so much headache...

p.s: once again, another long comments but this time i hope i would see some good ones other than the ones who misunderstood my words again...

Sheesh...people get exited too soon. I never had a feeling that youchakuih said anything wrong in her comment. Let her just express her feeling/thoughts about this. She said it like 100 times that she didn't mean to offend javabeans with her comments.

Well the OST won't be the 'greatest' thing about BOF but it's still nice they featured the actors in it. I've just seen 10 minutes of the first episode though but the bad use of music was there already. Let's just make a good use of the mute button!

Btw. thanks for the recaps javabeans. I will read them after watching the drama to compare different thoughts about it! I've never analyzed a drama that much...my head just goes blank and I try to enjoy the ride, but it's fun to read the things I'd never would have noticed.

"But I don’t think it’s right for people to be telling her how to express herself. "

On principle, I disagree with that. Anytime somebody publishes a "proper" blog, it's like reading a column in a newspaper. They are open to criticism as long as the criticism itself is onpoint (i.e. not personal.) And that includes writing style, tone, and all that other good stuff. Of course, the reader is open to criticism from other readers. So there ya go. :)

"i mean if we judge too much based on other ppl’s comment n just 2 episodes of the drama itself, how can we enjoy the drama itself when we already starting to dislike it?"

Mmmm . . . the truth is, with the way the Internet (and human discourse) works, the longer a thread goes, the more critical (and often negative) it becomes.

Each additional opinion becomes not only a reaction to the original post, but all the other opinions before it. As a result, in order to differentiate itself, the opinions become more detailed-oriented (i.e. "yes but . . .") and therefore critical. Boys over Flowers generates lots of interest and opinions. Therefore, much more nitpicky. Terroir hasn't generated much interest. Much fewer opinions and more general.

The above also gets reflected in project management. When you plan a business meeting, you want to only invite as few people as needed to do the business best, and you generally want to make the meeting shorter and not longer.

i guess what 'youchakuih' 1st post said is not complaining.. she/he just said it generally.

whatever it is, i agree the ost for bbf is bad. and the background music and all just dont bring the right feeling.

I don't think the first poster was being offensive, but I also bristled reading it. She (he?) wasn't insulting the blog, but she did sound like she wanted javabeans to change her writing style to suit her own preferences. She wasn't demanding it, but the fact that someone would say that the writer should tone down her writing style to be nicer sounded insolent to me.

"Anytime somebody publishes a “proper” blog, it’s like reading a column in a newspaper. They are open to criticism as long as the criticism itself is onpoint (i.e. not personal.) And that includes writing style, tone, and all that other good stuff. Of course, the reader is open to criticism from other readers."

On the above point, I disagree with belleza. A blog isn't a newspaper because there are standards of objectivity and professionalism expected in a news or magazine article. A blog, no matter how well run, is still understood to be more opinionated because it's a more immediate forum with less of a filter between the writer and reader. I'm sure javabeans welcomes suggestions but I find it presumptuous for readers to actually ask for her to tweak her writing style. Not substance, but style. A blog owner opens herself to criticism but the first post went beyond normal criticism, although I'm sure she didn't mean to be insulting.

How can you guys even understand what the first poster is saying?

And I think, besides the atrociousness of the writing, the first poster sounds like vivir111 at soompi because she/he never likes any bad comments about Korean Boys over Flowers, and always tries to stop making people say bad stuff about it, when these are just opinions.

Any drama is going to have flaws. Just accept it. Why should she not have one line about how the music sucks when it does, in fact, suck?

the ending song of BOF is sung by SS501, but i'm pretty sure kim hyun joong doesn't sing in it. it's sung by three of the other members while KHJ and another member are busy with their current projects. but yea, i agree with u javabeans. the soundtrack does kinda suck, especially compared to the jp version. it's quite forgettable.

"A blog, no matter how well run, is still understood to be more opinionated because it’s a more immediate forum with less of a filter between the writer and reader."

By the more immediate nature of the medium, that also means that the feedback will also be more immediate. A blog is still a product that is "published", and insofar as there is an available comments section, it's fair game.

"Not substance, but style."

Half of an opinion piece (and this includes politics) IS style. If Ann Coulter's blog offensive calls somebody a nazi, that's style. If a blog take cheap shots at Korean celebrities, that's also style. Usually if somebody complains about how you present the opinion, then you're doing a good job.

"If Ann Coulter’s blog offensive calls somebody a nazi, that’s style."

whoa, you did not just call libel "style," did you? maybe you have a different idea of "style." to me, it's literary flair (or lack of), not slurs and gossip.

"insofar as there is an available comments section, it’s fair game."

yup, absolutely. if the commenter makes rambling and nonsensical criticisms of the main post, that's fair game too. no need for the OP to get bent out of shape for being taken to task for the same thing she was complaining about.

"if the commenter makes rambling and nonsensical criticisms of the main post, that’s fair game too. "

Yup. It takes of itself. Unless if it's about East of Eden. :D

"whoa, you did not just call libel “style,” did you? maybe you have a different idea of “style.” to me, it’s literary flair (or lack of), not slurs and gossip."

Libel is only when a false claim is being made. Calling everybody who disagrees with you a nazi, that's just being a conservative. ;) :D But, point being, fans of Ann Coulter (or its K-pop equivalent, Popseoul) would also say her brand of agitprop is "style" too.

Javabeans, I love your blog and I think you should continue writing the way you've been writing. Your comments on things and recaps of things aren't insulting, unlike other blogs like mentioned before (AllKPop and PopSeoul...although I do like to read PopSeoul). I think your writing is easy to understand, your grammar is practically perfect, and you have wit and you're funny.

The first commenter might not have "meant" to be insulting, but she is. Telling Javabeans that she should be more positive is like me saying "Why don't you check and reread your comments before posting them? I mean, I don't mean to be rude and I hope you're not going to take this offensively but your grammar sucks and you write too much." It's rude and it's unnecessary. You might not have directly said word for word that you hate this blog, just like I didn't say directly that I HATE the way you write...but by constantly repeating that you don't mean to be insulting, you're actually just trying to play off how rude you are. You know what you said and you know what you meant to say, but you keep insisting that you're not being mean just so people can't chastise you for it.

Love reading your stuff Javabeans, keep it up!

You know what you said and you know what you meant to say, but you keep insisting that you’re not being mean just so people can’t chastise you for it.

exactly... commenter #1 may not have "meant" to be rude... but the way she wrote her comment does come off as rudeness... very much like what you said, she keeps on insisting that she isn't being mean just so she doesn't get pummelled by other commenters...

but ironically here we are... more than half of the 40+ comments are about commenter #1 @.@;;

Tho' I liked the drama My Girl I didn't like the soundtrack at all. I found it very cheesy. The drama could have been so much better without the crudely manipulative second rate songs. The Korean HYD may not have a great soundtrack but at least it is not cheesy. It's bubble gum pop...light and fun. Having said that it could be better but I hope they don't go for schmaltzy like the breathy....flavor of love.

I dunno Javabeans... the SS501 song is starting to play as the background music for my more cliched romantic dreams at night.

It's slightly irritating while at the same time, quite lovely.

That said, I can't wait for the third/fourth episode. I've heard good things.

Sonam Korean HYD is one of the cheesiest asian Dram

i don't know but the OST is kinda growing on me. It must be the scenes associated with the songs...

Wow. I don't understand why everyone is attacking youchakuih.

I agree with her in away. People who bog about a daily basis on kpop news shouldn't have such a biased tone... it ruins the credibility. Having opinion is good, but that general statement wasn't.

I think how you said "to put it lightly-- sucks" was a bit too harsh. The drama just came out Jan 05 (this date being Jan 08 and I think making such a statement like that was unnecessary. Perhaps after listening to all the songs played in the drama would change your opinion.... ?

actually, i thought that Shinee's cover song "Stand By Me" suited the scene very nicely. It's such a pretty sounding song too~ :]