Scripts uploaded; a closer look at Boys Before Flowers

by javabeans

I’ve uploaded a few more scripts on the kdrama scripts page, which is also where you can find instructions on how to read them if you’re new to the whole deal.

Here are the newly added files:

• Beethoven Virus
• Boys Before Flowers, Episodes 1-4
• General Hospital 2, Episodes 1-6
• Love & Marriage
• The World They Live In

 
As always, these are in Korean and no, there are no English translations available. I was eager to take a look at the Boys Before Flowers files because, as you know, I’ve found the drama promising but flawed, and I was curious to see how things read on the page.

(The Boys Before Flowers scripts are pretty close to the broadcast version, except they don’t end the episodes at the same points. Also, the fourth script goes long and includes a chunk of what was eventually shown in Episode 5.)

What I find most fun about scripts isn’t reading where the parts match what’s onscreen, but seeing where there are differences. Well, that and also seeing how my favorite scenes were expressed.

For instance, it’s bad enough onscreen but I admit to laughing when I read Woo-bin’s ghetto-fied English written into the script exactly as is, which you can see in Episode 1 (Scene #57):

우빈: 역시 ma bro! yo!!

But I think the single most interesting point comes in the script for Episode 4 (Scene #14), which is a scene that didn’t make it to air. This is after Jan-di and Jun-pyo’s photos of the “morning after” circulate and Jun-pyo announces that the rumors of their date are true. Jan-di is invited into the F4 lounge during lunch.

In the scene, we find perhaps a bit of a divergence from the Doumyouji character, who was lovably dunce-like at times — because Jun-pyo is smart. (Hey, this is a kdrama, so our chaebol must be competent somehow!)

Jan-di (serious): “Are you sure he’s not really an idiot?”
Yi-jung: “His IQ measures over 150, so you can’t call him an idiot. But his language and interpersonal skills are a bit…”
Woo-bin: “He’s particularly awful with proverbs and sayings, but he’s pretty good at foreign languages. In short, he’s impossible to figure out.”

Yi-jung and Woo-bin trade looks and chuckle.

잔디 (진지): 저 사람, 진짜루 바보 아니에요?
이정: 아이큐가 150은 넘으니까 일단 바보라고 하긴 좀 그런데, 언어영역이랑 대인관계분야에선 좀-
우빈: 특히 속담은 쥐약인데, 또 외국어는 꽤 해요. 한마디로 알 수 없는 놈이지.
이정과 우빈, 마주보며 킥킥대는

A few other scenes were cut from the script, and for good reason. For instance, I’m glad that we were spared the Mean Girl underwear parade in Episode 1 (Scene #60), where the Jin-Sun-Mi trio mocks Jan-di for her plain underclothes, since they’re sporting superfancy lingerie themselves.

Jun-pyo’s shower scene also made me laugh in Episode 2 (Scene #39), because I checked to see if there was any hidden meaning in those gratuitous half-naked water shots of Lee Min-ho — after all, Jun-pyo did seem to be going through some kind of mental turmoil — but nope! It’s as pointless as I thought it was. The entirety of that scene amounts to this:

#39 Shower stall – At school / Night

After the match, Jun-pyo showers, hit by streams of water.

#39 샤워실 – 교내 / 밤

훈련 끝내고 샤워하는 준표, 물을 맞고 있다.

Then there’s the scene in Episode 2 (Scene #54), which I read to see Jun-pyo’s reaction more closely at Jan-di being taunted in her Wonder Woman costume:

People whisper and gawk, and laughter bursts out here and there.
Yi-jung and Woo-bin chuckle and enjoy the scene.
Jun-pyo wears a dumbfounded expression, like he’s just bitten into a bug.
Ji-hoo watches with a blank face.

The Jin-Sun-Mi trio mock Jan-di’s outfit while Jan-di remains silent.

Covered in food, Wonder Woman Jan-di glares at the princesses, unable to say a word.
Jun-pyo scowls and, growing angry, he moves to rush to Jan-di, but Ji-hoo, who’s nearer to her, heads toward her and gets there a step ahead of him.

I’d wondered how much of the emergency CPR sequence Jun-pyo had been faking, and apparently he wasn’t faking much (only the last “kiss” part) — the script shows him falling into the pool and crying for help.

One scene I thought was cute that I’d like to have seen is Episode 3 (Scene #6), which occurs at school. This is the first day at school back after the CPR kiss, and Jun-pyo is anticipating the day with giddiness. Before Jan-di goes to the pool (to find it filled with ducks), Jan-di finds an unexpected present in her locker:

As soon as she opens the door, DING–! Something shoots out and touches Jan-di’s lips.
Surprised, she reflexively shuts the locker door, covers her lips and steps back.
Slowly, she reapproaches and opens the door, and again, out pops a springy doll.
Hung on a large spring is a doll with a face and curly hair that looks just like Jun-pyo.
Fireworks shooting from her eyes, Jan-di ruthlessly grabs the curly-haired doll in her fist and jerks it out, then shuts her locker forcefully.
Leaving the Jun-pyo doll behind, its head dangling gruesomely on its neck, Jan-di disappears.

I think this would have been TOO CUTE. C’mon, production folks, a Jun-pyo doll would’ve been a prime marketing opportunity! This scene is video’d by the Mean Girls, who then catch Jan-di tending to Ji-hoo’s cut finger out in the woods. Thus we can kinda feel more sorry for Jun-pyo’s reaction to seeing the video clip, I think.

Speaking of which, after Jun-pyo sees the clip, he finds Jan-di out in the forest in Episode 3 (Scene #18), which remains one of my favorite scenes:

Jan-di looks around for Ji-hoo, but doesn’t see him.
Disappointed, she sighs and turns.
!! In front of her stands Jun-pyo.

Jun-pyo: “Are you disappointed that I’m not who you were expecting?”
Jan-di: “!… Gu Jun-pyo, why are you…”
Jun-pyo: “Can’t I be here? Did you guys reserve this spot for just the two of you?”
Jan-di: (Turning)
Jun-pyo: “Where are you going?”
Jan-di: “I have nothing to say to you, so I’m going home, so what?”
Jun-pyo: (Grabbing Jan-di’s wrist, he pushes her against a wall) “Well, I do!”
Jan-di: “What do you think you’re doing?”
Jun-pyo: “I have something to say!”
Jan-di: “Let me go, then talk.”
Jun-pyo: “How dare you play around with the Almighty F4?”
Jan-di: “Who’s the one playing with whom? Let go.”
Jun-pyo: “Still, I was going to treat you nicely… Was it funny to you?”
Jan-di: “Let go, Gu Jun-pyo.”
Jun-pyo: “Maybe you don’t know this, but I’m not someone who pays you back the same way I was treated.”
Jan-di: ?
Jun-pyo: “Just getting even doesn’t satisfy my anger.”
Jan-di: “! What… what are you doing?”

With a cold laugh, Jun-pyo’s face nears hers.
Although she resists, she can’t move her hands at all.

Jan-di: “No! I don’t want to! Don’t—!”

With frightening energy, Jun-pyo’s lips near hers, but just before they touch Jan-di’s, he stops!
Tears are falling from Jan-di’s eyes.
She cries in sadness and despair. Jun-pyo lets go of her hand, and she slowly sinks down to the ground, tears falling silently, not even angry.

Jun-pyo (subdued): “You hate it that much?”

Jun-pyo strides away.
Alone, Jan-di’s crying grows stronger.

After this scene, something cut from the broadcast version is Jun-pyo snapping and losing his temper, beating up a group of students, even though he’s ten-to-one. I have to say I’m glad this scene got omitted.

The Almighty Jun-pyo’s Misquotes

Episode 1 (Scene #51)

Jun-pyo means: “Don’t touch the whiskers of a sleeping lion,” meaning, don’t play with fire.
(잠자는 사자 코털 건드렸네.)

Jun-pyo says: “Don’t touch the whiskers of a sleeping wolf.”
(누가 잠자는 늑대의 코털을 건드리래?)

Episode 2 (Scene #13)

Jun-pyo means: “If you speak of the tiger, it’ll appear,” meaning, Speak of the devil.
(호랑이도 제 말하면 온다.)

Jun-pyo says: “The tiger’s foot falls asleep.”
(호랑이도 제 발 저린다더니.)

Episode 2 (Scene #22)

Jun-pyo means: “With money, even an ugly duckling can turn into a swan.”
(돈을 칠하니까 미운 오리새끼도 백조로 둔갑을 하긴 하는구나.)

Jun-pyo says: “With money, even an ugly duckling can turn into a heron.”
(돈을 칠하니까 미운 오리새끼도 백로로 둔갑을 하긴 하는구나.)

Episode 3 (Scene #5)

Jun-pyo means: “The early bird catches the worm.” (일찍 일어나는 새가 벌레를 잡는다.)

Jun-pyo says: “The early bug dies faster.” (일찍 일어나는 벌레가 빨리 죽는다)

Episode 3 (Scene #26)

This is the rare occasion that Jun-pyo gets a saying right: “Does a pumpkin turn into a watermelon just because you draw lines on it?” (호박이 줄긋는다고 수박 되냐?)

Episode 4 (Scene #14)

I’m not sure if this counts since it was in a scene that wasn’t aired, but:

Jun-pyo means: “Pine caterpillars should only eat pine needles,” which means don’t bite off more than you can chew.
(송충이는 솔잎을 먹어야 한다.)

Jun-pyo says: “Pine caterpillars only eat pine cones.”
(송충이는 솔방울을 먹어야 한다.)

Episode 4 (Scene #54)

Jun-pyo means: “Did you swallow a train smokestack?” meaning she’s loud and shrill.
(기차 화통을 삶아먹었나)

Jun-pyo says: “Did you eat a train’s heart?”
(기차 염통을 삶아먹었나)

 
RELATED POSTS

• Boys Before Flowers: Episode 6
• Boys Before Flowers: Episode 5
• Boys Before Flowers: Episode 4
• Boys Before Flowers: Episode 3
• Boys Before Flowers: Episode 2
• Boys Before Flowers: Episode 1