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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151 muslimDRAMAddict

February 17, 2009 at 7:23 AM

Javabeans/Sarah,

I would really appreciate it if you could answer my curiosity about your use of . . .

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

cheers!

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152 Javabeans

February 17, 2009 at 7:27 AM

Someone explained it above, but the line "If the mountain won't come to Muhammad..." is merely a common proverb that means, "If A won't come to B, then B will have to go to A." Although perhaps it's not as common as I had thought.

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153 reverie

February 17, 2009 at 7:44 AM

"Meaning: silliness, holes in logic, and absurd misuse of paaaaraadiiiiiiise…"
Ninja mode on....... in a mission to kill the music director of BBF......

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154 stalkingfraud

February 17, 2009 at 7:45 AM

episode 13 was pretty BORINGG.
there needed to be more scenes of lee minho!
i hope episode 14 gets better!
other than that, lee minho hwaiting!

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155 jae

February 17, 2009 at 8:07 AM

This episode made me look forward to episode 14 more! And yes, a lack of LMH really sorta makes the story empty.

I hope they develop this conflict in a good way. Because if they can't pull this off, the story may just very well crumble.

Anyway, thanks for the great recaps as always! ^^

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156 salt

February 17, 2009 at 8:09 AM

@27 maria

HJ nickname among his fan is 'the walking statue' ( a little fanservice and an inside jokes from the writer i guess.... probably his fan from the we got married series.)

as much as i love JH/ KHJ, that conducting an orchestra scene was totally random that i couldn't help but burst out laughing.... sheesh... while watching that i kept thinking how would javabeans be writing about that absurdity and she doesn't disappoint... keh keh keh...

and lastly...

YEAH!!!

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157 sunkissedchic

February 17, 2009 at 8:14 AM

thanks javabeans your recaps helps me understand the series even without the subs. hehe keep it up!

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158 oye

February 17, 2009 at 8:20 AM

I just wondering where I can the Boys Over Flowers OST?

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159 Alisa

February 17, 2009 at 8:40 AM

OMG! It's Yiruma's Kiss the rain in the drama that Jan Di's family is watching!

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160 luvyoo

February 17, 2009 at 9:18 AM

the way JanDi hit the Kitty remind me of YEH @Goong,big thanks as always for your great recaps Sarah.....visit your house everyday is a pleasure for me ^ ^

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161 Lei

February 17, 2009 at 9:35 AM

Thanks again for this great insight on BOF...
Ofcourse I have my own opinion regarding this kdrama. I honestly think things are going the way they are supposed to. I mean, come on what's wrong with showing a girl's weakness...do we honestly believe that when a bunch of rowdy-looking guys like that attack us we can actually say we'll fight this? Imagine yourself in another country, no friends, no family, then you get mugged and a language barrier to boot. A girl has to be scared right? Also, F4 is supposed to be some sort of "Superb Heirs" to great great fortunes so let's give them a break when it comes to their achievements...they're supposed to be close to being super teenagers, no less than any genius in campus right? When I started watching other Asian telenovelas (Meteor Garden included) I got hooked because it applies my own Asian culture into the realms of fictional dramas without making it all too sappy and melodramatic and if it means giving some of these characters super human capabilities, those never seen in "Real Life" (I mean guys, this is TV, not real life right?) then I will always be thankful to sit on my couch and watch tv anytime =)

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162 Sveta

February 17, 2009 at 9:37 AM

i'm not familiar with the hana dori yango series but is jan-di (the lead girl) supposed to be so stupid??

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163 Yaleni

February 17, 2009 at 10:10 AM

YUP! ku hye sun was CUTE AS A BUTTON in that episode!
and to preview: Goo jun pyo deserved it!

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164 Abi

February 17, 2009 at 10:19 AM

I developed this habit of visiting your website to read your reviews every monday and tuesday and I totally agree with you as for the absurd misuse of paraaaadise. That was funny. :D

I think the problem with this series is how it is poorly executed. The storytelling, the songs used. To make it even more complicated, it can't be helped but compared to other adaptations such as Meteor Garden and Hana Yori Dango. I just dont like the transisition of events and how it is consistent when it comes to jandi's character and how F4 can appear silly with their deus ex machina moments in saving Jan Di.

I am soo getting tired of hearing the almost paradise song again and again. Not like when I am watching Coffee Prince, Its OST is excellent. And I love how every song compliments almost every scene. I just hope that BBF will do something about it. I do not know if I could withstand it if it goes on until ep 24. XD

I just love the pairing of Ga-eul and Yi-jung. They look so cute together. I just find the pairing amusing and refreshing. Oh well, it might be disappointing in some part but I'm hooked and continue watching. Thank you so much for the recaps :)

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165 nanun

February 17, 2009 at 10:27 AM

I love the tsukushi character in all the hana yori dango version (manga,hanadan,meteor garden), but, i have to say it, i hate geum jan di!! goo hye sun for me is okay though,but the way she portrays her role as GJD is too annoying for me. i think she should act more natural.

And kim hyun joong,sigh,he just cant act. I always love Rui in other hanadan version,but in BBF,yuks, every time KHJ appears on screen, i always think,stalker stalker stalker,backstabber,backstabber,backstabber,haha:)

ps: lee min hoooo,i love you!!

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166 mikka

February 17, 2009 at 10:47 AM

@83: Liv

Woo Bin's character (Mimasaka Akira) had one short story at the end of the manga. The story was about the beginning of the Makino - F4 days, right when Domyouji (Jun Pyo) was starting to be attracted to Makino (Jan Di). Akira was on a date with an older woman and he noticed a tear on her clothes, so he sewed it for her - but this "domestic" quality of his turned the woman off. Akira was that way because he grew up taking care of his mom and his twin younger sisters, so he was always the "motherly" one of the group. He then has a recollection about his past, when F4 was really young, how they all said they wanted to have a Christmas party at his house. So he stayed up all night putting up decorations for the party, only to find out that Domyouji had invited a celebrity action hero (like a Power Ranger) so they ended up going to Domyouji's house instead and wasted Akira's effort getting all prepped for the party. This made him sad but he learned to deal with it. As he was growing up, he was always sandwiched between the temperamental Domyouji and Nishikado (Yi Jung) who could get just as heated as Domyouji if pissed off at the wrong moment. One day, Domyouji and Nishikado were bickering about something stupid and Akira finally blows up, saying he was sick of dealing with those two. Then he storms off. On his way, he sees Makino and they exchange some friendly chats (this was at a time when Makino and F4 weren't all that friendly with each other). Akira sort of confides in Makino that he feels unimportant, to which Makino replies that Akira is like a "moon," where he shines the most while he is hiding behind everyone. Akira is jokingly offended but somewhat touched by this explanation, and also comforted by the level of ease he has with this girl who he barely knows. He *almost* contemplates on liking Makino, then tells himself that his best quality is the fact that he is loyal to his friends, and because of that, he could not possibly like the same girl that his best friend liked.

At the end, it shows that the little F4, after the Christmas party was over, came to Akira's house to apologize for not coming to Akira's house for the party and wasting his work.

It was a very sweet story and I was hoping they would somehow incorporate this in the drama, but I don't think this will happen now.

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167

February 17, 2009 at 10:48 AM

thanks for the recap, I saw the preview, someone ask Jihoon that if he likes
Jandi, I just could not wait to see how these two end up together.
because i can feell their chemistry.

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168 gloworm

February 17, 2009 at 12:15 PM

the dragging of this episode makes up for the fast-pace
events that happened in first part of the series. Junpyo
is also making up for being in denial & messed-up in
this episode[& the the next ones], unlike the way he
immediately fell in love with Jandi in the very beginning.
i like how there's depth in his character as well as his
character development in maturity.

for jandi, she definitely needs improvement. the tough girl
i once knew is slowly fading away. i know that her character
is suppposed to be going through alot of issues, but she
has to fight and overcome those obstales herself, rather than
someone always coming to the rescue. i want to see more of
her character development.

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169 kate

February 17, 2009 at 12:41 PM

just want to say...thanks for the recap; the casts are doing a great job portraying the characters ^.^

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170 chasen8888

February 17, 2009 at 1:14 PM

Javabeans, your recaps are so insightful and funny. My problem right now is the fact that they are dumbing down Jandi. I enjoyed her personality in the first 4 episodes where they show that she had some brain cells after all, it went downhill from there. Where are her survivor instincts and street smarts - it went out the window after episode 4. I'm going to have a hard time believing that the new career being proposed for Jandi is a "Doctor", as a patient if I knew the things that she did prior to becoming one I'll be very afraid/ I'll run, for this "doctor" is nuts. Plus, she keep on saying that she is not intelligent and they play up to this aspect to the hilt. I'm wondering how they plan to transform this characteristic of her. I like Jandi , but I miss the JD who showed me why I should like her. The early JD was strong and not stupid, she had her weak moments but not to the point that she needs to be saved 24/7 by F3, JP or the whole world. Pd, bring back the old JD.

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171 mariouma

February 17, 2009 at 2:01 PM

this serie is begun to boring me , thanks javabeans for your recaps , i dont think that i watch this episode , your recaps is enough .
the acting of jan di is very poor , i dont think that the problem is from the acters but from the script , the dialogue is very week , also it is lack of romance .
i said again , i watch this only for LEE MIN HOO

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172 penny

February 17, 2009 at 2:18 PM

dude i feel bad for Jihoo having to grow up all alone because his grandfather wasn't around...i hope they explain more on that storyline later cause if the reason he gave was true than that's really F*** up..he was just a kid when the accident happened..really grandfather can't blame it all on him??..maybe he is the way he is because he didn't have anyone loving him while he was growing up?? anywho like everyone else i found ep 13 to be really boring and lacking so maybe tonight's episode will make up for it..thanks again for all your recaps even though i don't comment much i read all your recaps of dramas i've watched or sometimes i don't bother watching and just read your recaps cause they're that good =) thanks again bye

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173 stephanie

February 17, 2009 at 2:30 PM

i totally get your frustration with Jandi's stupid moments
and when I was watching her following that little boy who has her luggage
I was thinking to myself "javabeans gonna be frustrated with this" haha
but i thought about it and she's supposed to be dumb and not that bright
she even said so herself

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174 ohgeeze.

February 17, 2009 at 3:15 PM

"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."

Probably my favorite part in the whole episode.

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175 ju liu

February 17, 2009 at 3:18 PM

THIS IS TOTALLY ONE HILARIOUS BLOG AND I TOTALLY AGREE!!! I GET EXASPERATED WITH JANDI BEING STUPID MOST OF THE TIME.... PLEASE! MAKINO (JAPAN VERSION) ISNT THAT STUPID! AND YEAH, THIS ALWAYS F3 SAVING THE DAMSEL.., I MEAN, JANDI, IN DISTRESS SCENES...URG!

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176 labooboo93

February 17, 2009 at 3:57 PM

I agree that Jun Pyo brings all the interesting-ness to the drama.
This episode seemed to just coast along.

And I totally lol'd when Woo Bin was like "YEAH" when they asked if he was Prince Song.

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177 Mo108

February 17, 2009 at 4:29 PM

Thanks so much again Javabeans for your superb recap and your comments and hilarious reactions - I look forward to those more than the episodes, really. You know, when this series comes out on DVD it would be so cool to have a "Javabeans' Commentary" option in the extra features. In fact, they SHOULD damn well have that :)

Yeah, despite all the usual flaws we get annoyed, exasperated and infuriated by (no need to mention them, I'm sure) I still kinda dug this episode, not least of all because there was more of the porridge shop Master and the grumpy old man, both of whom I totally love and hang out for. Moreover, I am convinced now, more than ever, that despite the whole Jandistress GPS radar system business, Jan-di and Ji-hoo are MEANT TO BE; I'm not sure of many things, but of this I am certain, and Jan-di will realise it soon enough... I hope...

Of course, this is all totally coming from my unashamed Ji-hoo bias, but hey. With all the "Jan-duh!" moments, F3 saving the day again to the tune of "paaaradiiise," story and plot holes etc. etc. etc. I was glad to see more about Ji-hoo's character and history revealed - more depth - and also, of course, more lines for Woo-bin! FINALLY! THAT totally made my night, especially his exchange with the street gang; "Are you Prince Soh?" "YEEAH!"

p.s Thanks also for the link to the song by Shin Soo-bong. Even if the scene where Ji-hoo and Jan-di are playing it on the piano may be a little cheesy, it was really cute and sweet too... and what a song! I've been playing it over and over... too cool... (unlike a certain other song from the series that will probably still be stuck in my head, bugging me, and making me hum it even after I'm dead)

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178 Auntiemame

February 17, 2009 at 4:58 PM

I guess the writers are having some fun paying tribute to "Gourmet", "Beethoven's Virus" and JH's nickname of "Walking Statue".

The music, during the gondola ride with F3 & JD, was "Con Te Partiro" by Andrea Boccelli. This was the theme song for Steve Wynn's Bellagio casino in Las Vegas. And, the Venetian, in Macau, is also a Steven Wynn casino.

Actually, the lyrics are very appropriate for this scene.

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179 le

February 17, 2009 at 5:00 PM

funny how they played Paradise when JD during the scene with the gang & F3 saving her. i agree too little LMH in this ep, but F3&JD scenes were cool, they are becoming tight.

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180 Alvina

February 17, 2009 at 5:37 PM

I literally read every single comment here and I have to agree with everyone XD

Is it so wrong that I want Ji Hoo and Jandi together just because I happen to like the ~chemistry~ Jun Pyo's future fiancee and Jun Pyo might have?

My list of impossible but hoped for pairings:

1. Jun Pyo/ Fiancee
2. Jandi/Ji Hoo
3. Yi Jung/ Ga Eul XD

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181 INEEDMOREBBF

February 17, 2009 at 5:43 PM

AWWW, what a sad episode for Jan-Di! Like her, I love swimming too and it's the only thing I'm good at. If I couldn't swim anymore, I'd be so devastated! Like always, Monday episodes leave me feeling empty like I'm wanting more. I don't know why I felt so unsatisfied after watching this episode. Maybe it's because I need more Lee Min-Ho screen time! lol I know the next episode will be sad too but hope it has a lighter and happier tone next week!

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182 UHHH

February 17, 2009 at 5:50 PM

umm...do the producers or whoever is in charge know that the OST kinda sucks except for one song...? I'm sure many viewers are sick and tired of ALLLMOOOST PAAAARAAADIIIIIISE

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183 hmm

February 17, 2009 at 5:55 PM

ok..so i guess kim hyun-joong's acting is getting better. and the part with the conducting an orchestra thing - i think it's assumed that he's a music prodigy or something and is going to pursue music as a career. but i have to say, they way he conducted while acting was pretty bad. lol

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184 Z

February 17, 2009 at 6:26 PM

I'm not sure what this says about me but I rewound the fight scene so I could hear Woobin say "Ye-yah!" again. Maybe a couple of times. He also had like two other lines in actual KOREAN this week, which is more than he's had in the last 4 or 5 weeks. I think I'm such a fan of his because he gets no play from the scriptwriters... kinda like me in high school... and most of college. It can't be the purple hair, that does nothing for me.

I laughed out loud when F3 swooped in to the rescue in that random ally. I wish I had the power to summon eye-candy heroes at the drop of a hat like that.

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185 tokwatbaboy

February 17, 2009 at 7:08 PM

i think the writers were on LSD when they wrote this episode, it was so agitating to watch. i hope the story lines picks up

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186 Xamich

February 17, 2009 at 8:04 PM

Javabeans,

You're right about one thing. Without Lee Minho, the episode was lacking... something. It's not vibrancy, or addictiveness. Maybe it's charisma?

I think it's attachment.

I just wanted to say this because I've watched episode 14 TWICE, not because the plot is so fantastic, (I agree that tuesday episodes are much better than mondays) or because I love the characters so much... but Lee Minho...

Its charisma, it's appeal. It's... emotion. he manages to frustrate you because the pace is so slow, pain you because you just want him to be happy and satisfy you because you've had your LMH fix for the week....

Anyways, thanks for the recap. My korean isn't fluent, so I like understanding what I'm missing.

Although I wish we could discuss episode 14 noooooow~ <3<3<3

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187 =)

February 17, 2009 at 9:37 PM

I like this episode.. It's more of a information-loaded rather than drama-loaded episode. I think Ji Hoo's grandfather will play a very important role later on in the very end!! hahaha.. just my guess! Not wanting to spoil the fun for non-viewers of HYD... But those who know HYD, remember Nanotechnology? hahahaha!!

If that is the case, I think the Koreans will do a better job than the Japs in the end.. =D At least it's not such a random / coincidental incident... omg omg.. can't wait to see how the story unfolds.. I think the 2nd half of the show will be more entertaining than the first half.. As there will be less of a need to follow the manga.

Haha.. I find the sub-standard acting skills of those HK gangsters more disturbing than the repetition of Jandi-distress call!! lol... If I'm Jihoo, I would have also stalked Jandi all the way to Macau, in case she needs help... haha! but it was too much of a Just-In-Time that made it too over the top!

Last of all, I think this episode gave more reasons for Ji hoo and Jun pyo to love Jandi. She maybe an idiot with no commonsense at times (for getting so often in trouble like what you guys mentioned), but I believe that the attractive part of Jandi is her emotional strength. She is a "weed" not in physical terms, but as in emotionally. I liked the way she went on with life despite being devastated by her loss (swimming). That was an unexpected treat from the Korean's storyline. Among Jandi / Makino / Shan cai, she gave me the deepest impression of them all. At least she had got a purpose in life, other than trying to make ends meet for her family and falling in love with GJP. She had an ambition to be a swimmer, though she lost that, but I still think that she's cool. =)

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188 AJ

February 17, 2009 at 10:43 PM

"Prince Song must be one badass mofo..." <<HAHAHAHAHAHAHA. You're a great writer. I love watching the episodes and then reading your recaps afterwards. Thank you!

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189 bluelime

February 17, 2009 at 10:56 PM

i really began noticing kim joon (as woo-bin) since episode 12. i think kim joon is actually a decent actor. the only thing is, he doesn't really get much of a chance to shine in BOF.

the prince song sequence was funny. i'm glad kim joon was able to get more screen time in this episode.

i love the sequence when yi-jung is working on his pottery and ga-eul just stood there watching him. <3

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190 salt

February 17, 2009 at 11:13 PM

@167 mikka,
thanks for the wonderful brief on akira's story. let's hope that woo bin will also get his own story... kim joon is not bad as an actor

@178 Mo108
humming that song until after we're dead would be the exact opposite of the song title.... heh heh... poor T-Max their most well-known song is now fast becoming the most overplayed and ?hated song...

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191

February 17, 2009 at 11:29 PM

great that at last they changed jandi's hair. she look much prettier this way. her hair was just as weird as junpyo's. haha

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192 redlips

February 18, 2009 at 7:29 AM

Can anyone tell me how many episodes are there in this drama (Boys Before Flowers)?
Thank you (:

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193 sheepish

February 18, 2009 at 8:03 AM

Fav scene:

When the thugs are getting beaten up by the F3;
WooBin: (throws a punch) "Do you guys know Il-Shim-Hwe?" (Korean yakuza)
Random dude #1: OMFG! (he didn't really say that, but in my head he did) Are you PRINCE SONG?
WooBin: CHYEAH!
All thugs: (fall to the ground)

HILARIOUS.

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194

February 18, 2009 at 12:44 PM

ALMOST PARADiiSEE!!!!!! lalalalalala..alalalal...lala.

OMG, my head's gonna explode.

*kaboom.

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195 Shrimp

February 18, 2009 at 3:49 PM

"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.)"

...reading this suddenly reminds me of Jang Geuk Seuk!!! He wanted the role of Ji-hoo but unfortunately, because he wasn't able to be one of the FLOWERS he catched the VIRUS instead... in connection with this, if ever he did become Ji-hoo he'd be able to conduct a much decent orchestra...wearing all-white-$-worth-tux! lol

woooo something in my brain tells me that "Shrimp's insinuating something"...NOT! lol

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196 nat

February 18, 2009 at 5:36 PM

who is that korean girl she meets at the food stand?

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197 good stuff

February 18, 2009 at 5:59 PM

The drama sometimes get so bad... that I begin to enjoy it so much.

My favorite scene of Episode 13:
Macau boy says to Jandi:
YOU! IDIOT!

Can't disagree there. I'm glad someone pointed it out to her. Too bad she doesn't take a hint 'cause she's too dense up there.

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198 @jandi discussion

February 18, 2009 at 6:28 PM

I couldn't read through ALL the comments, but I'm agreeing with the camp who finds Jan Di's character development a bit hard to swallow. It's not even development. It's regression!

I loved how Jan Di can stand up for herself in the beginning - confront Jun Pyo, fly kick him, smash ice cream in his face, fly kick Ga Eul's ex boyfriend, and many more. Why wouldn't she carry this through to Macau? Or other scenes where a little common sense would do. I don't blame her for having her wallet stolen. But why does she only stand there and scream when she knows how to throw a good punch? Yes, she can be naive and follow macau boy into a dark alley thinking she can get a cheap hotel, but does she really have roll into a ball next to the wall and ask someone to save her? I'm sure if she knew how to fight, she should know about fight or flight situation. That is FLIGHT... not... curl up and wait to be sold to prostitution.

I can't really pin point the situations, but I feel like Jan di is nearing the realm of idiocy, rather than the naive side. (You can be naive, but if you see a pink room with a bed, and porn related set up... and you don't think that's a problem... That's idiocy.)

While watching Taiwanese version, even with the introduction of fiance, I still rooted for San Cai (Jan di). But in Korean version, I find myself rooting for the fiance, and promoting Jan di - Ji Hoo relationship. It'd be much less agony if those were the paring. We'd finish this series in episode 16!

I really think Jan Di actress is a good actress. I feel like what's screwing her over is the plot / writing / character "development." Which is a shame.

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199 SaeByul

February 18, 2009 at 10:23 PM

I wish there was a cleaner version of the "I only know love" song. The french korean version that Joo Ji Hoon sings. =)

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200 Mai

February 19, 2009 at 7:09 PM

This episode was definitely not the best but it was okay.. Not bad.. =/ I would say it may be the lack of Lee Minho, I mean its nice seeing everyone but Goo Junpyo was who we wanted to see more but I guess it only makes sense for this episode since its apparent that Junpyo is going through some hard times with the company and especially after his father's death...

I liked the fact that they tried instrumentals this time. =)

Sorry haven't comment earlier, no internet yet, because we just recently moved so I just finished both episodes today... Whew! =)

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