Boys Before Flowers: Episode 13

240 February 16, 2009January 24, 2016

by javabeans

First, thanks to the overseas location shoots in this episode (filmed in December), the cast was given the weekend off. So at least they got a bit of sleepytime, which has been in short supply recently. (Lee Min-ho dropped by his fan café to post a weekend greeting and explained that he was stunned at the volume of Valentine’s gifts he received from fans, making this his best V-Day to date.)

Second, they should just call this episode “How Many Times Can Jan-di Be a Complete Idiot in One Hour? Go!” (Episode 13 was nowhere near as bad as, say, Episode 11 — but it was still a typical Monday episode. Meaning: silliness, holes in logic, and absurd misuse of paaaaraadiiiiiiise…)

SONG OF THE DAY

Rocket Diary – “On My Way” [ Download ]

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EPISODE 13 RECAP

Jun-pyo’s father passes away after collapsing in China, and Jun-pyo is named the managing director of Shinhwa Group. The big news (aside from Daddy Gu’s passing), is that Shinhwa is now entering plans for a “global project” — an international resort.

Episode 12 left off near the end of the school year; we pick up nearly half a year later. The F4 guys have graduated and moved on to university (not yet sure about Jun-pyo), while Jan-di has entered her final year of high school.

She has not heard from Jun-pyo since his departure, nor have the rest of F4 kept in steady contact. Ga-eul gripes that the guys (plural, but she means one in particular) must be busy having fun at college: “They’ve probably forgotten all about so-called friends and gone girl-crazy.”

The cranky old man comes back to the porridge shop; he’s been back several times since we last saw him, each time ordering something unusual. He eats with gusto, but refuses to give out compliments; instead, he gruffly says he only cleaned his plate to avoid wasting food.

Cranky Gramps treats Jan-di affectionately, saying that the more he looks, the more she resembles a lotus flower: “Do you know why the lotus flower blooms in mud?” He assigns that question as “homework” for his next visit. Her boss advises her to listen carefully, because Gramps isn’t the type to say something without reason.

I think it’s safe to say that Crankypants is indeed Ji-hoo’s grandfather (I was hesitant to believe it, because shouldn’t the girls have recognized their former president?) who has a long-standing connection to the restaurant boss, whom the girls call Master.

An old newspaper clipping shows the old man with ~~Master~~ Master’s father, the former lauded head chef at the Blue House (the presidential residence). (Is his name — Bom Sung-chan — a reference to Kim Rae-won’s genius chef in Gourmet, perhaps?)

Jan-di tries to keep a happy face in the face of Jun-pyo’s lack of contact, with little success. Whenever his name crops up, Jan-di’s expression grows more glum. Her blues are not helped by the fact that her shoulder has been troubling her, although she shrugs it off as minor.

To make money, the family have taken to decorating dolls as a side job, but they soon rejoice when Dad succeeds in getting a job.

And then, Ji-hoo conducts an orchestra. I DON’T KNOW WHY. Must we have a Beethoven Virus reference to go with the Gourmet one? You, sir, are no Kang-mae. (Or Kim Myung-min.)

Perhaps this is to show Ji-hoo’s university pursuits, but a little explanation — or even context — would be nice. As he leaves rehearsal, he walks down the staircase as the cleaning lady stumbles. He catches her; it’s Jan-di’s mom, who is immediately awed at Ji-hoo’s beautiful face. As for this scene’s purpose? WHO KNOWS.

Ji-hoo finds Jan-di in the swimming pool, struggling with her bum shoulder. This isn’t the first time he’s noticed the pains, because he chides her for not going to the hospital. Jan-di she says that doctors told her everything was fine, but he doesn’t seem to believe her, and Jan-di looks worried.

Ji-hoo takes Jan-di to the auditorium, where he’s set up a videocamera. He sits her down to record a message to Jun-pyo, saying that although F4 has had a hard time getting in touch with Jun-pyo following his father’s funeral, he intends to get this message to him.

Ji-hoo presses “record” and steps aside. Jan-di starts hesitantly, but about halfway through she warms up and starts smiling.

Jan-di: “Gu Jun-pyo. Can you hear me? While you’ve been away, I’ve thought of you every day — but why do I only remember us fighting? Still, isn’t it odd? I only remember us fighting and getting mad all the time, but when I think about you, I laugh. Gu Jun-pyo, you’re okay, right? When are you going to come back and fight with me?”

Nearing the end, a tear falls, which she wipes away quickly as she wraps up her message.

I think Ji-hoo senses Jan-di’s sadness, so he relieves some of the tension by playing a tune on the piano. Jan-di joins him in playing the melody.

The tune is an old trot song by Shim Soo-bong, called “사랑밖에 난 몰라” (“I Only Know Love”).
[ Download ]

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But you may prefer a remake, such as this one sung by Joo Ji-hoon in The Naked Kitchen. This “chanson version” was featured in one of the movie previews. [ Download ]

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Ga-eul drops by to talk to Yi-jung, and while she has a legitimate reason — Jan-di and Jun-pyo’s relationship — I think she’s happy to have any excuse to see him. She admires Yi-jung as he works intently, and there are a LOT of slow-motion glamour shots — lordy, I love Kim Bum and all, but even I was like enough already.

Yi-jung, aware of her presence all along, teases her by asking, “Am I that cool?” He guesses her reason for coming and refers to Ga-eul’s belief that there’s one love out there for everyone: “Do you think Jun-pyo is the one love for Jan-di? Is he really her soulmate?” He thinks she’s just transferring her own beliefs onto Jan-di and says dismissively, “If it were me, I’d spend the time looking for my soulmate — although I’m not even sure stuff like that exists.”

Feeling insulted, Ga-eul starts to leave, thinking it was a mistake to come by. But she thinks twice and turns back, then points out that he believes in soulmates, too.

For the first time, Yi-jung’s unshakable calm is disturbed as she continues, “They say a strong denial is like an affirmation. I think I understand now. You do believe they exist — you’re afraid that they do. Why is that?”

This gets to him. He warns, “Don’t act like you know me so easily.” Ga-eul, however, has regained some of her confidence: “Today’s the first time I feel like you’re a real person. I’m glad I came after all.”

Ji-hoo drops by Jan-di’s work to take her somewhere. Cranky Gramps, who is inside, therefore spots Ji-hoo as they leave together, which I’m sure will be important later.

Ji-hoo knows that Jan-di hasn’t been to the doctor for her shoulder, and takes her to the hospital. The injury, which arose after she was hit with the chair to protect Jun-pyo, would have been more treatable had she come earlier (which she probably didn’t because of hospital fees). The doctor assures her that she’ll be able to recover and live a normal life — but her swimming days are over.

That’s pretty devastating news, and sends her into a (deeper) funk. Jan-di heads to the pool and explains to Ji-hoo, fighting tears:

Jan-di: “I know that I’m not pretty, I’m not smart, I’m not rich. But there was one thing I liked, that I could do better than other people. They say I have to quit — I can’t swim anymore. What do I do now?”

It’s not just that she’s lost her favorite sport, but in the midst of all her relationship uncertainty, this is the last thing that she had faith in, and now it’s like Jan-di’s been set adrift. She points out that Ji-hoo has his music, Yi-jung has his pottery, and Jun-pyo and Woo-bin will inherit their family’s companies. They all have their futures carved out for them, but she doesn’t know what to do now.

Ji-hoo promises to help: “Let’s figure it out together.”

At Ji-hoo’s place, Jan-di looks at photographs of his family, and Ji-hoo explains matter-of-factly that the car accident that killed his parents had been his fault. He had been playing in the backseat while his father drove. He was found in his parents’ arms; everyone said it was a miracle he survived. However, his grandfather never returned after that: “He must have hated the grandson who killed his own son.”

It was then that Seo-hyun had held his hand and told him to start over. He tells Jan-di, “This time I think it’s my turn” — to hold her hand and be her support, that is.

And so, Jan-di packs away her swimming things into a box. Bye-bye, Park Tae-hwan posters! You are now symbolically meaningless! Jan-di hesitates when she pulls out Jun-pyo’s gift from the auction (Park Tae-hwan’s goggles), but packs that in the box, too.

That doesn’t mean she’s giving up on Jun-pyo, though. Because the producers can’t think of a cleverer way to give Jan-di her moment of clarity, she happens to catch a television drama that her family is watching. The scene mirrors exactly her conversation with Ji-hoo at the airport (WTF?), when she urged him to not be cowardly and go after Seo-hyun. Hearing her own words spoken by someone else, Jan-di is reminded of her own advice not to give up, and to fight for love.

Well, if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain. She asks Master for an advance in salary to buy a plane ticket. Trouble is, he doesn’t have 2 million won to give her. On the other hand, they might be able to earn the amount by selling porridge lunchboxes.

Ga-eul and Jan-di are doing pretty miserably, but what would an episode of Boys Before Flowers be without F3 magically swooping to save the day? (I am getting very tired of this, by the way.)

Hearing of Jan-di’s intention to earn money to visit Jun-pyo, who’s overseeing the new project in Macau, F3 pitches in. Their mere presence brings droves of screaming girls. Day saved, plot device resolved.

Afterward, F3 present the girls with a little ceremony they’ve planned at the swimming pool — sending Jan-di off for one last swim.

They watch Jan-di take a lap in the pool, appropriately moved at the solemnity of the moment. Yi-jung sees Ga-eul crying and offers his handkerchief.

After her lap, the guys present Jan-di with a certificate and enact a short “retirement ceremony.” It’s really sweet, actually. I haven’t felt much kinship between F4 and Jan-di thus far, but this episode finally conveys a sense of affection between them, for which I’m grateful.

Yi-jung reminds her, “You know that an end signals a new beginning, right?” Woo-bin wishes her well in finding Jun-pyo in Macau and giving him what-for.

So Jan-di arrives in Macau, and heads to Jun-pyo’s resort hotel.

Unfortunately, she can’t actually get to him; he’s busy with work and surrounded by his entourage at all times. Jan-di (rather cutely) tries to explain in broken English and Korean that she’s here to see Jun-pyo, making hilarious hand gestures to depict his curly hair.

She fails. Kicked out of the hotel, Jan-di waits outside, trying to figure out her next move.

When a girl rushes out of the hotel to catch a tour bus and drops her tourist pamphlet, Jan-di picks it up and happily peruses it for sightseeing tips. (Stupid girl didn’t even research before her trip, or bring her own map?)

Note: I’m trying to keep my recaps generally spoiler-free, so I’ll just identify this girl as Ha Jae-kyung, which we learn soon enough anyway.

While Jan-di buys food from a vendor, a shifty-looking guy slips her wallet out of her bag. She doesn’t notice, but the thief is immediately stopped by another tourist — Jae-kyung — who twists his arm back and demands he return the wallet.

Breaking free, the pickpocket wildly brandishes a switchblade, then grabs Jan-di and holds the blade to her neck. Several black-suited bodyguards run in to provide backup — they’re obviously protecting Jae-kyung — but she tells them to stand back. A proficient fighter herself, she is confident in her ability to handle this.

The pickpocket proves belligerent, and since he doesn’t speak Korean, Jae-kyung addresses Jan-di in Korean and instructs her to bite the man on the count of three. Jan-di does and runs free, so the man attacks Jae-kyung, who counters with a swift kick.

The bodyguards take over, and the sound of approaching policemen sends everyone scattering.

Together, they walk along and chat; Jae-kyung talks in a very friendly way, using banmal like an old friend. She asks why Jan-di’s in Macau alone. Hearing her response (“To find somebody”), Jae-kyung guesses that it’s a boyfriend, saying, “I’m envious.”

As they split up, Jan-di asks for Jae-kyung’s name, but the girl doesn’t wait to get Jan-di’s.

Next, Jan-di figures out a way to sneak past the guards inside the hotel by joining a group of tourists. Inside, she marvels at the grandeur, wandering the hotel, the casino, and finally arriving at a bar.

It’s there that she spots Jun-pyo, but her cheeriness immediately takes a nosedive. For one thing, he’s laughing and smiling, looking totally happy. Two, he seems awfully cozy with the beautiful woman on his arm.

Third — and worst of all — when Jan-di bumps into another guest, Jun-pyo looks up and spots her. His smile fades and he stares for a moment — and then he turns away coldly, walking away without any hint of recognizing her.

Jan-di hurries to the bathroom to clean up the drink that spilled on her, trying to convince herself that he didn’t see her — and even if he did, she’s the odd one for showing up suddenly in Macau.

When Mr. Jung asks Jun-pyo about Jan-di, Jun-pyo disregards the question and turns the topic to business, making it clear that he’s not going to talk about her.

Now that Jan-di has no reason to be at Jun-pyo’s luxurious hotel, she heads to a seedier part of town, where a small boy offers to take her to a nice, cheap hotel. She’s hesitant to trust him, but he assures her in broken Korean that it’s fine, and she should follow him.

Honestly: How many times can Jan-di be stupid in one episode?

Not surprisingly, the boy grabs her luggage and starts running. Jan-di chases him down the street, fighting for her bag when she catches up to him. The boy calls Jan-di an idiot, and, well, he’s not wrong.

But it becomes clear that this was a part of a bigger setup; a gang of older punks appears, closing in around her menacingly. Frightened, she cowers against a wall, screaming, “Help me! Help me! Gu Jun-pyo!”

And because once was not enough, again we have F3 TO THE RESCUE. Are you kidding me? They literally come out of nowhere — must be that Jan-Distress Call at work again. If I were watching on TV, I would have thrown my remote at the wall. And then regretted it, but yes, still thrown it.

Ass-kicking ensues. F3 easily beats the thugs — but more interestingly, when Woo-bin addresses them, they recognize him, asking, “Prince Song?”

Prince Song must be one badass mofo because the gangsters suddenly grovel at Woo-bin’s feet and beg for forgiveness. He growls at them to leave, and they scatter. (Btw, apparently Woo-bin — whose father’s business is in construction — is insinuating that he has yakuza-like mob ties. LOL.)

Ji-hoo tells Jan-di reassuringly that they came because they’d figure she’d run into trouble. Well, at least they know her by now.

Like I said, I’m getting tired of F4 (or F3) rushing in at the last minute to save the day. I don’t mind giving them a moment to shine and be heroic, but when you create obstacles, then send in the all-powerful F4 guys to “fix” Jan-di’s troubles, well, it’s a cop-out. It’s a non-solution and I feel cheated.

Case in point: Isn’t it great how, now that Jan-di is with her rich boyfriend’s rich friends, she no longer has to worry about money? I guess in this context we should be glad she bothered to pay for her own plane ticket — symbolically, at least, that’s meaningful — but now she gets to relax in luxury.

The guys settle in at the hotel. Their attempt to contact Jun-pyo is rebuffed; he cites work and can’t make time to see them. Woo-bin comments that now it’s starting to feel real — that Jun-pyo isn’t the leader of F4 anymore, but the leader of Shinhwa Group.

The guys all sense something really wrong, and Yi-jung asks if Jan-di got a chance to meet Jun-pyo. She recalls his cold brush-off, then makes up the excuse that Jun-pyo looked so swamped, naturally she hasn’t had time to see him. Ji-hoo, however, picks up on her wording (how would she know if she didn’t see him?) and she hastily covers up her slip. Ji-hoo, as usual, is not convinced.

The four friends decide to stick around to try Jun-pyo again later, but in the meantime, they might as well go out and enjoy the sights. Jan-di attempts to have fun but can’t enjoy herself fully, lost in thoughts of Jun-pyo’s sudden coldness.

All the while, Jun-pyo is busy with work, conducting deals and meetings with cool efficiency.

COMMENTS

I still don’t like the blatantly romantic overtones, but this is the first time I’ve actually felt any chemistry between Jan-di and Ji-hoo, and thought their friendship made any sort of sense. Honestly, I’ve tried to see it previously, but couldn’t get ANY drop of human emotion out of their interactions, which felt like forced obstacles to the Jun-di romance.

The pool scene, though, was the first time I thought of Ji-hoo as a real character and not just a very pretty stand-in for Rui. I’m starting to see that he may actually care for Jan-di instead of wondering, “Where did those feelings come from?” Hey, at least it only took twelve episodes!

On the other hand, I think this episode suffered from a lack of Lee Min-ho. And no, I don’t mean that in a fanservicey way; it’s that, without him on screen for most of the episode, it really became evident just how much of the intensity and conflict derives from Jun-pyo. Without him, this episode seemed to meander at points — and then Jun-pyo came onscreen for a few seconds and stuff got intense and interesting again.

On a superficial level, Gu Hye-sun was pretty cute in today’s episode. For once, I didn’t feel like I was going to gag on her overcutesy mannerisms, perhaps because Jan-di is sad and depressed in this episode. If they could just cut out the ridiculous Jan-Distress moments, I would be so grateful.

Speaking of which — I wonder if BBF would have been better received if it were made, say, five years ago. Because, while the story itself ages pretty well, I think some of the characters and dynamics are, well, familiar at this point. I don’t mean this in context of Hanadan comparisons, but even just considering kdramas alone. Would Jan-di have been less annoying back in the Golden Age of Damsels In Distress (aka, late ’90s or early 2000s, in Hallyu’s nascent stages)? Is the little bit of spunk she DOES show mitigated by the fact that we’re in a post-Sam-soon era, where the sassy girl isn’t unusual any longer but kind of expected?

240

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51 Nea

February 16, 2009 at 9:42 PM

Thank you for the recap.

First and basic thoughts:

Man, I wish his tail had amnesia!!!!

And I was a little uncomfortable with the piano scene. Somehow I felt that Jandi sitting crying over JunPyo, then being led away smiling by Jihoo in the distance with the camera rolling, filming an empty seat(with the future assumption of) JP watching her walk away, alone ...oh I don't know... too symbolic for me. Too close to reality? Too possible? I don't know but leave me alone will you!!!

Uhhmm (finger gesturing) YiJung, can I whisper in your ear? Don't do anything remotely nice, considerate, or pleasant. That's all. Thank you. You can return to your pots now.

Last, I have to agree, " I think this episode suffered from a lack of Lee Min-ho... it’s that, without him on screen for most of the episode, it really became evident just how much of the intensity and conflict derives from Jun-pyo. Without him, this episode seemed to meander at points — and then Jun-pyo came onscreen for a few seconds and stuff got intense and interesting again. " (I missed him too:)

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52 nomeamesca

February 16, 2009 at 9:43 PM

The more I watch the show, the more disappointed I become of the ever-growing gap between the acting of the two main characters. Just as a comparison, the taiwanese version had a strong female lead while this one obviously by far has the strongest male lead. I find it hard to blame the director, unless he purposefully make Lee min ho work the hardest to get the scenes right (umm... ). It's not about the script either, as someone already pointed out, lee min ho's to-die-for facial expressions both in the bar and (spoiler) the car (episode 14) scenes are sweetly layered even though he barely spoke a word. Why can't she bring out the depth of her character (yes there's depth to a 19 year old teenager, lol). I was disappointed with her acting after the silent rejection, that was the climax of the whole episode, So much could be displayed in that moment of running away into the bathroom: embarrassment, shame, disappointment, worrying, sadness, anger, outrage even... the list goes on. The story is written in such a way that provides her with ample opportunity to evoke feelings from the audience. I barely felt anything for that scene, sadly. On the one hand, lee min ho's quiet portrayal of a resigned, with-the-world-on-his-shoulder young boy who is forced into adulthood too suddenly and too soon is just classic. My opinion, someone is not working hard enough to pull her weight in the show, not just in hours, but time spent thinking and brooding over the character. I am a girl, yes I watch korean shows for the cute boys, but I also get joy from watching strong female leads - Flowers for my life, Que Sera Sera, Soulamte, the World We live In and etc.

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53 Ichiru

February 16, 2009 at 9:45 PM

Thanks for the recap!

F3 to the rescue! haha they must have some kind of antena that detects signals from Jandi everytime she's in trouble! seriously she could at least use her kicking skills at least once!--well yah she did only on Junpyo and that was like the FIRST episode!!!

Love Lee Min ho's expression!

Count me in on the drinking game!

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54 Lila H

February 16, 2009 at 9:50 PM

"Prince Song must be one badass mofo"

I LITERALLY laughed out loud.

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55 Sophie

February 16, 2009 at 9:50 PM

Ahhhh!!! How many flashbacks can there possibly be in one episode! I find myself watching parts of an episodes and thinking THAT’S A FLASHBACK MOMENT!

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56 orea

February 16, 2009 at 9:51 PM

Javabeans, You're really amazing. You're the best blogger on kdramas. More power to you. Its my habit everyday to check on your posts. Thanks for the recap.

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57 sopi

February 16, 2009 at 9:53 PM

I liked this episode because of the slowered tempo.
New situations and relationships are reasonably building up,
and characters like Jihoo's Grandfather and JP's fiancee are coming out fully.
I enjoyed it after watching the hastic made episodes 11/12.
Thinking of the drama that is coming up, was kind of nice appetizer to me.

Personally I liked the part of Jandi getting into trouble on her first single trip to a foreign country!
I think her only goal was to see JP not sightseeing,
so the cute outfit with the highheels, no maps&research, getting into trouble
with local pickpokets & gangs was ok with me. Not reasonable but dramatic.
The rescueing scene was truly ridiculous but I'm trying to get used to it and...
'Prince Song' made me forgive it!!

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58 orea

February 16, 2009 at 9:54 PM

wanna see more of woo bin.

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59

February 16, 2009 at 10:00 PM

I wonder why they left out the "Miss something" contest. I remember feeling so excited watching how F4 coached Tsukushi and how she cutely performed in the contest. It is one of the highlights of the the drama and the manga.

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60 royal

February 16, 2009 at 10:02 PM

Gawd, it took the production long enough to have some Jandi-F3 moments! It was something I was really pissed about during the 12 previous episodes (ack, TWELVE!!!). Why couldn't they just follow that concept in the manga... if they did, it would have made a lot more sense with F3 popping out of nowhere in this episode. They always had Ji Hoo and Ga Eul making the effort to get Jandi and Jun Pyo get back together.

And also the production had been taking for granted Woo Bin's character. Again, if they elaborated his character a bit, then it would have made more sense with those thugs knowing him. He is after all, the son of a mafia boss. It was cleverly shown in the manga/Japanese adaptation, (like Akira always have a big stack of money on hand (since he can't use credit cards, I assume) and how Soujirou points/teases him with his 'mafia' qualities)

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61 ohyehbb

February 16, 2009 at 10:02 PM

Thanks for your recaps! I understand Korean, but I come here to read them anyway :)

I was fast forwarding through the slow-mo of YiJung, and I had to press the button like 4 or 5 times to get through it (one press = 10 seconds...). Oh my gosh, seriously, I love Kim Bum, but that was such a long and pointless minute.

And I totally missed LMH this episode. I didn't even realize why I was kind of bored until they showed him, and I was like, OHHH.

And could JanDi please stop almost dying? The porridge selling scene was forgivable, I guess, but the coming out of absolutely nowhere to this random alleyway in another country to save JanDi from thugs scene? UHH. (I remember cringing at this scene--a little different, but the same in my book--from the second season of the Japanese HanaDan, and I soooo saw it coming as soon as I saw JanDi chasing after that little boy... *dies*)

Anyway, the episode was alright... hopefully tonight's episode will be better (more LMH and you're right, the Tuesday episodes have been stronger thus far). And I think I'm going to have to join in on the drinking games. I'll probably enjoy this drama a lot more drunk.

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62 gabe

February 16, 2009 at 10:03 PM

javabeans... what do you expect from a drama based off a shoujo comic book, where the main heroine is always in trouble??

C'mon... you saw the Japanese Hanadan. Even that show had over the top rescue scenes. It's wasn't like this show was going to be any different.

The scene where Jandi chases after her bag, and gets surrounded by thugs basicly mirrors the scene in Hanadan Season 2, where Makino went to NYC to look for DT. Makino chases after the guy who stole her bag, only to lead her into a alley... and gets surronded by thugs. That's where she basicly screams DT's name. Only to be rescued by Rui.

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63 annieee

February 16, 2009 at 10:04 PM

i havent watched the episode yet, so i can't really judge right off the bat. but i was given a short summary of what happened in this episode by a friend of mine (before dramabeans released her recap tonight), and i already felt that the episode would be less exciting with the absence of jun pyo. i despise how every week im dying for monday to come, and then it turns out that the monday episode sucks. it just ruins all my anticipation.
regarding the jan di heroine comment, i definitely agree that jan di would have been better liked by viewers a couple years back. jan di's character is no longer so appealing after all these years of seeing k-drama heroines take a turn. now, i think we expect heroines to be independent, passionate women who dont rely on men to get by. no doubt, the hanadan franchise (can we call it that?) is very successful, given that every country that produced a version of it had high ratings for the drama, but the makino character probably isnt so endearing to us anymore.
btw, macau must be really small for the F3 to conveniently find jan di just like that, no?

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64 dinara

February 16, 2009 at 10:04 PM

i noticed that woo bin and kim bum have more scenes then Soeul . ))))))) hmmmmm Let's combine their names together : BINBUM

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65 WillLove

February 16, 2009 at 10:05 PM

anyone else here thinks that Jae Kyung's voice is a bit annoying?
I LOVE her in who are you.
her voice wasnt this annoying back then IMO.
but she's kinda cool here.

great recap as always.
hoping for more Goo Jun Pyo....

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66 Javabeans

February 16, 2009 at 10:08 PM

I think the "based on a manga" aspect certainly gives a drama a little bit of wiggle room in terms of realism. But a drama is just that, a DRAMA -- it should also work as one. Good adaptations have been known to exist that are also strong on their own, and I don't think viewers should necessarily have to lower expectations when dealing with something that has its basis in a previous work.

(Case in point: Return of Iljimae, which is just about the best thing on the air right now, is fantastic as a drama AND, according to reports -- I haven't read the manhwa -- is also pretty faithful to the original material.)

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67 Daiquiri

February 16, 2009 at 10:23 PM

Thank you aoi. My exact sentiments. The manga had many situations where it just seemed ludicrous, however it was spaced apart so it didn't seem so monotonous. This drama is trying to condense as much as possible, so it does seem a tad repetitive whenever Jan-di must be saved. But these scenarios did happen in the manga. I guess the pd is trying to make most out of the remaining episodes.

So many people whined about the fact there wasn't as much Jun-pyo in this episode, but I thought it was fine. The whole purpose of this episode is to focus on how life is over in Korea, now that Jun-pyo is gone. In relation to how it has changed the F4 dynamic and the emotional wreck that Jan-di is. The episode also gave more leeway into Ji-hoo and Jan-di's friendship (and the angsty love triangle/square that will ensue). This episode IMHO showcased a lot growth for the the characters and I that's why I enjoyed it. I loved how we saw the remaining F3 become friends of Jan-di's, and not because she's just Jun-pyo's girlfriend. We also saw more depth in Jan-di's character, after dealing with the devastating encounter with Jun-pyo and finding out she is unable to swim competitively. This drama is about Jan-di after all and how her life changes as she meets F4. So even though Jun-pyo was only around for 5 minutes or less, I'm glad they didn't through in random scenes of him, just to give him more airtime or please the Jun-pyo-holics (haha). This way we can appreciate Jun-pyo more and see the dimensions in the other characters of this show. Jan-di was being severely overshadowed due to the popularity of Jun-pyo. I know and understand why he is so lovable (heck I love his character too), however this is not only about Jun-pyo therefore it's great we had a little breather without him.

to dunlop: I agree, I don't get why everyone thinks it's Jan-di's turn to sacrifice something to win back Jun-pyo's heart. What hasn't she sacrificed to be with Jun-pyo, lol. People are either too fan crazy with Jun-pyo or praising about the SoEul couple that they fail to see these things unfortunately. While this drama does have a lot of faults, I think there is something that compels fans to continue watching, maybe it is the outrageous storyline or maybe the eye candy (most likely the latter). Despite these faults, there have been great shining moments in certain episodes and for the most part I've enjoyed this drama. It certainly has made me look forward to Mondays and Tuesdays now, oddly enough.

To javabeans: I know you're not the biggest Ji-hoo fan (nor am I) but I was wondering how did you want him to showcase his emotions, while remaining autistic? It's possible he could show it more through his eyes, but acting aloof and distant is much harder than say acting loud and throwing tantrums. I've always just been curious as to how you would have pictured it, since you do bring it up time to time.

I know episode 14 is only going to be more heart-wrenching so I'm preparing myself mentally. *sigh*

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68 mochimochiii

February 16, 2009 at 10:24 PM

lol personally, i don't have a problem with yi-jung's slo-mo shots cuz he's such a hottie!!! i was seriously drooling throughout that scene!!!

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69 Jennifer

February 16, 2009 at 10:27 PM

If you guys are big SS501 fans, you would understand that scene with JiHoo and Jandi's mom. Because he's known as a "walking statue" to SS501 fans and Jandi's Mom called him a "walking statue". So I guess they included it because they felt like it?

And also, who loved the JiHoo and Jandi scenes? :) I did a lot! :)
And to people who say HyunJoong has improved in acting? They shot these scenes in December! :/ So basically I think his awkwardness in the beginning was depicted on purpose due to scriptwriters.
I disagree with what you said when you said this is the first time JiHoo and Jandi show a real friendship. I've always thought there was a friendship because everytime she was in trouble she was always talking to him.

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70

February 16, 2009 at 10:33 PM

@Jennifer - those scenes weren't all shot in dec, only the ones in macau were which you can tell from KHJ's longer hair. i think he improved since the beginning, i doubt the writers wanted him to act badly at first so he could get better later. im glad he improved tho because i couldn't stand him before but now he's okay

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71 gracelee

February 16, 2009 at 10:33 PM

I believe Ji Hoo had something to do with Jandi's parents new job. They did show that scene where he was on the phone with a manager to not let them know. The scene with the mom is probably there to set up some future scenes. He is taking care of not only Jandi but her family. It might make Ji-hoo the preferred son-in-law at some point.

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72 sarah

February 16, 2009 at 10:36 PM

gosh...u're so funny...."absurd misuse of paaaaraadiiiiiiise"....loooooooooooooool...thanks soooo much for the recaps :)

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73 Jennifer

February 16, 2009 at 10:39 PM

@anonymous post 70:
Yeah some weren't shot in macao, but I can see hyunjoong is okay.
Of course scriptwriters didn't want him to act badly. I'm just thinking that they wanted him to be awkward in the beginning.

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74

February 16, 2009 at 10:45 PM

@annieee.
Love ur comment about heroine thingy.
I imagine during the supposedly-almost-paradise-F3-saving-Jandi scene,
it could be like..
when they arrived at the scene, of course with almost paradise BGM,
Jandi was already beat at least half of the gang or maybe the whole gang.
And F3 will be like -
"hey girl, this is OUR scene. you ARE the damsel-in-distress. So be helpless and let us show our cool side"

and IMO, heroine in 2009 will be like - what the heck should I cling to the so called BF who didnt contact me for 6 months. there's a bunch of cool guys out there. I should look around more.

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75 yumi-chan

February 16, 2009 at 10:46 PM

I hate this drama.
There I said it.
But I won't stop watching because when I start something I finish it to the very very end even if I feel like slapping the characters so hard that there mom's will feel it.

Jan- di pisses me off, whoever directs her is an ass.
Instead of portraying the strong, independent, determined young lady that is the CORE of the manga and dramas they instead made this soft, ditzy, nuisance of a girl. The actress they chose is probably one of the best around but why are they killing her career with this crap character.

I could go on and on like a hater (which I can prove I'm not) but this drama fails compared to the other dramas, on it's own, and as an adaptation. How many more complains due to their fuck ups do they need from viewers before they understand that it's TOO DAMN MUCH already.

-_-

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76 I♥♡Angst

February 16, 2009 at 10:49 PM

@Javabeans:
"Case in point: Return of Iljimae, which is just about the best thing on the air right now, is fantastic as a drama AND, according to reports — I haven’t read the manhwa — is also pretty faithful to the original material"

Well, I don't know much about Return of Iljimae, but the genre appears to be traditionally less, say, silly than shōjo mangas. I mean, HYD is designed for teenage girls, and it is supposed to be purely along the lines of giddy, girly silliness. Within that context, it is staying very true to its original intent, and the drama, by extension, is reflecting the original manga.

Return of Iljimae is more historical fiction, I think--and designed for a very different audience.

For example, another show I am following right now is another shojo manga adaptation from japan called "Mei Chan's Butler" ( http://www.dramacrazy.net/japanese-drama/mei-chan-no-shitsuji/mei-chan-no-shitsuji-episode-1/ ) and it is pretty much the same as HYD, with silly pretty boys slaving over adolescent girls. the lead girl is channeling a modern version of a strong girl, but the genre is overwhelming enough that the boys inevitably take center stage.

All that said, I agree with you that a drama needs to be a drama, and not a servile copy of a manga. But the genre remains the same in all the versions, right?

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77 kay

February 16, 2009 at 10:50 PM

i think i'm one of the few that enjoyed the episode. the subdued jan di is growing on me, and the chemistry between her and ji hoo will make this love rectangle a lot more interesting. however, the episode did feel a bit empty without jun pyo but the next episode seems like he's gonna do the sacrificing-of-love-for-family-business deal, which is predictable but acceptable i guess.

and as lame as it gets when the reputation of f4 precedes them ("prince song" and the whole porridge scene), i perk up when there's a chance for woo bin to speak english. "yeah!"

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78 Karinamaq

February 16, 2009 at 10:51 PM

I'm sure either Jun pyo lost his memory or something self sacrificial again!
grrr!!!!

Guem Jan Di Aja Aja! FIGHTING!!!!

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79 bluelime

February 16, 2009 at 10:53 PM

thanks for the recap. : )
i find myself rooting for jae-kyung rather than jan-di. mondays seem to be when jan-di loses character continuity.
kim hyun joong has definitely improved quite a bit since episode 1, which i feel is a plus to BOF.

i know i am one of the few ones hoping for a happy outcome for the yi-jung/ga-eul storyline. but i am getting very frustrated in terms of the yi-jung/ga-eul storyline. because i am rooting for yi-jung and ga-eul, and hoping for solid developments between them, but i'm getting none. this gets really frustrating after a while (to be more exact since episode 6 where ji-yung and ga-eul briefly talked about soulmates).
as for the episodes 9-12 developments between yi-jung and ga-eul only proved to be even more frustrating. mainly because ga-eul, instead of acting like the logical and sensible girl she was, when she talked to yi-jung in episode 4 (when ga-eul defended jan-di and got angry at yi-jung telling her to tell jan-di not to "climb up the tree" when jan-di isn't even up to par), ga-eul has instead fallen for him (at least to a certain degree) and acting like a fangirl (almost).
then in episode 13, we suddenly we get ga-eul suddenly gaining her logic and sensibility back, when she had that exchange with yi-jung (once more concerning the topic of soulmates) at his studio.
what's up with ga-eul's character continuity/character consistency??

frankly, i am only watching this show for kim bum and kim so-eun, and i am fully aware that they only supporting characters, but still they deserve to portray characters who make sense.

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80 Javabeans

February 16, 2009 at 10:55 PM

Return of Iljimae is not historical fiction; it's actually more comic book-y legendary hero stuff, like Hong Gil Dong. FWIW.

I agree with your points that this is mean to be a fluffier genre -- and believe me, i am a total fan of it! However, I merely mean to point out that we shouldn't cheapen ourselves out of what could be a good piece of work by excusing poor writing/directing/whatever with the "it's based on shoujo manga, so it's okay" line. I think we CAN expect more, and should. Coffee Prince was based on a fluffy novel, and that was a drama that shined not only WITHIN its "giddy girly silliness" subset but could stand on its own outside that as well.

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81 Kdramalovers

February 16, 2009 at 10:55 PM

Thanks Daiquiri #67, I agree with you completely^_^
Jennifer #69, I LOVE all the Jihoo and Jandi moments (GHS is a great actress and KHJ is making progress), there's a reason for all the JH-JD moments, let's hope the PD put it to good use.

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82 idunno

February 16, 2009 at 11:10 PM

Does anyone else think it is kind of ridiculous that a high school grad is running a company even if it is the great Gu Jun Pyo? Did he even finish high school?

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83 Liv

February 16, 2009 at 11:20 PM

A question for all Hanadan experts: Does Woo-bin's character have an expanded role in any of the other versions? I don't remember him having any significant airtime in HYD (except for a brief story on how his mother and sisters are ridiculously childlike, thus spawning his attraction to "mature women"). Is there more about him in Meteor Garden or the manga? Not that I'm saying the story should stick strictly to what we saw in other versions (and I'm sure there is a lot we could explore with his character - his mafioso connections, his romantic excursions etc etc) but right now, his lines are so clearly "let's give him something to say" that it would almost be better, IMO, not to have him say anything at all. Or perhaps that's just my aversion to his ludicrous gangsta speech.

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84 evelyn

February 16, 2009 at 11:21 PM

"Well, if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain."

i don't get it what you mean? what is this all mean?is this kind of phrase or something?is it somethin good or bad according to you??

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85 lorie

February 16, 2009 at 11:22 PM

Thank you very much for the recaps javabeans..

I always watch the raw clips live then read your recaps the day after..

So now I know why the song Ji Hoo and Jan Di were playing was familiar because it was shown here as a preview to the movie of Joo Ji Hoon

I missed Jun Pyo in this episode...maybe I just got used to seeing him most of the time in one episode and in this one, there were only a few scenes where he was included

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86 ainoviere

February 16, 2009 at 11:23 PM

I think post-Sam soon dramas can still have acceptable "damsels in distress", although they may not be the flavour of the month. The point is that Jandi is supposed to be a strong individual, and here she's not. It hasn't taken her long to take advantage of the riches and protection that F4 have to offer. At the risk of comparing, at least in the manga and Japanese version Makino attempted to retain her independence. Here Jandi just accepts help (both financially and otherwise) from the F4 as if it's due her.

And why was she protected by Jae-Kyung. Why is she ALWAYS being protected? Can't she defend herself at all? Is this the same person who stood up to the F4 in the beginning of the series?

As an aside though, I love it how the scriptwriters are attempting to diverge from the manga, giving the story its own individuality. The shoulder injury was a nice touch, and adds realism to an otherwise "flowery" drama.

BTW, is there a Korean equivalent of "yakuza"?

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87 vieny

February 16, 2009 at 11:24 PM

“Well, if the mountain won’t come to Muhammad, Muhammad must go to the mountain.”

i don’t get it what you mean? what is this all mean?is this kind of phrase or something?is it somethin good or bad according to you??

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88 hopesofgreen

February 16, 2009 at 11:26 PM

Thanks for the recap!

I, too, am pretty sick of the "oh it's based on a manga" excuse to justify the flaws (oh and there are many) in this drama. Yes, it's based on a manga, but that doesn't mean it has to be absurdly silly and mediocre. Even if it's based on a manga, it needs to be able to stand on its own as a drama. It's targeting teenage girls, but wouldn't it be awesome if it can reach an even bigger audience?

I'm a little upset about the Jandi can no longer swim twist. They gave her an interest, a hobby, and it was a welcomed change from the manga/other versions. Yet, they stripped her of it and now she's even more dependent on Jun Pyo's love. Ugh. Lately, all we see is Jandi getting into trouble ( a lot of those times due to her own idiocy) and getting rescued by the oh so suave and charming F4 or F3. Where is the strong, brave Jandi? Sadly, I'm afraid we've lost her forever.

Oh, on the SoEul note, I'm excited for the Yi jung's story.

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89 lorie

February 16, 2009 at 11:29 PM

@83 Liv:

Woo Bin's character was a bit expanded in Meteor Garden Season 2(Mei Tzuo) wherein a Cello player was somewhat in love with him..

All I can remember about their love story is that he asked the girl if she knows the classic song and then the girl asked "What classic song?", then he said the classic song was the Doraemon theme song.

In Meteor Garden, Mei Tzuo does not have a particular liking to "mature women". He was typecast just like Xi Men (Yi Jung) who likes women in general.

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90 peachys2sleep

February 16, 2009 at 11:34 PM

Again, your recaps are great as always! Even though I've watched the episode and pretty much know what happened, I always like to read your commentary to see what kind of insights you had for the episode and thanks for the original version of 사랑밖에 난 몰라! I've been looking for it everywhere. =D

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91 elmo

February 16, 2009 at 11:34 PM

lol!
in the jp version WOOBIN is part of the yakuza i think hahaha
halarious thanks javabeans!

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92 Liv

February 16, 2009 at 11:37 PM

@lorie

Thanks for the explanation. Yeah - I hope they either decide to fully develop his role, or just leave it alone. But the halfhearted attempts at giving him screen-time irritate me (which is sort of what is ruining the SoEul storyline for me - I sooo want that romance to go somewhere, but not if it means we are going to get random clips of them interacting every few episodes with no follow up)

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93 gabe

February 16, 2009 at 11:40 PM

yumi-chan... since when was makino a strong, independent, determined young lady in ANY version?

In the J-drama? Where she basicly "begged" for DT to stop bullying her friend? That wasn't really sticking up for her friend. I never saw how that would lead to a red card? Or is it when she had water poured onto her by the three mean girls, only to run away to her stairway and cry? Or is it that girl who just decided to go to New York and almost get attacked by gangsters, just because she wasn't looking where her bag was?

Face it... Makino was never the strong, smart, character... everyone wants to believe. She was a fickle, naive girl that was just really stubborn.

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94 lily

February 16, 2009 at 11:41 PM

And Yes I agree with idunno (82). I mean did LMH graduated? Is he running Shinwa while he is a Highschooler??

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95 Auntiemame

February 16, 2009 at 11:43 PM

My reaction and questions were the same as Dramabeans regarding this episode.

Additionally, where is Momma Kang, who had been running the conglomerate before the husband died? Her husband died and she disappears? And, that's why Jun Pyo has to take over?

JD's shoulder injury wasn't discovered when she was hospitalized and treated, after the kidnapping? Doesn't sound like the medical care was very competent or responsible.

... minor omissions, I guess ... since this is a fantasy drama.

Sarah, thanks for another humorous review.

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96 jana

February 16, 2009 at 11:43 PM

guys, read the post. jun pyo graduated. there is a time jump.

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97 chickibooboo

February 16, 2009 at 11:54 PM

i wouldn't have mind spending a little more time with ga-eul and yi-jung development! As much as i love the main story, I'm sick and tired of our weak heroine. I don't like the actress's nuances and acting style...and that really makes me sad.

I agree that we were missing a lot because of the lack of gun jun pyo!

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98 Kdramalovers

February 16, 2009 at 11:56 PM

#93 gabe, DITTO, I want to know in which version of the dramas or manga that shows Makino not being rescued by the F4? The WEED in Makino was her stubborn trait. Thus far, Jandi had been portraying the stubbornness quite consistently, dumb, idiotic stubbornness just like in the MANGA. Sadly people complaining about the 'weak Jandi' most likely have never actually read the manga.

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99 gabe

February 17, 2009 at 12:05 AM

chickibooboo - define weak. Is it weak to have chair smashed into your back while trying to defend your boyfriend? Is it weak to save that same guy from drowning by dragging him out of the pool? Is it really weak to go to that guy's mother and tell her that she can't buy her off? I wanna see Mao's Makino get a chair smashed into her back. Seriously.

jandi might be a fickle and naive girl but in my opinion.. she isn't weak.

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100 gabo

February 17, 2009 at 12:14 AM

You know after 13 episodes of hearing that
“Paradise” by T-MAX song

i came to downloaded it just so i could use the BOF
mentality of background music.
any random or not bad moment in my life i put that song on.
then i laugh like and idiot and everyone has the asks why
and i say "cuz its PAARADIIIIIIIIIIIIIIISE"
ahah....they will never understand

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