Boys Before Flowers: Episode 23
by javabeans
I watched Episode 23 with the critical dial turned down and enjoyed much of it — it was cute at points, and touching at others.
Then I turned my brain back on to address the commentary section and found a lot of bothersome points to take issue with. This makes for a somewhat lengthy commentary section today, but I’d like to preface it all by saying that despite the critique, I really did enjoy this episode. I’m watching with fondness, not bitterness, really!
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EPISODE 23 RECAP
Jun-pyo and Jan-di’s zoo date marks their first chance in a long while for quality time, so Jun-pyo asks how she’s been holding up. He tells Jan-di, “I’ll take care of you,” explaining that Witch Mom isn’t the type to let the broken engagement and aborted merger slide — he’s preparing himself for her next assault.
However, Jan-di tells him she doesn’t want to be protected. Jun-pyo balks, because in his mind it’s natural to want to protect her, but Jan-di says, “I don’t like being supported by someone, or protected and taken care of. I’ve received many things from you, F4, and Jae-kyung. I want us to be equals, so I’ll face what I must.”
(And then the boy, Chan, whispers to Jun-pyo for a little bathroom assistance. He is so cute. Jun-pyo rushes him off, and the three enjoy their day at the zoo.)
I really like this walk home, which is characterized by calm contentment. Jun-pyo reflects, “It’s strange, it feels like I’m in a scene in a hazy dream right now.”
The words are spoken casually and Jun-pyo doesn’t mean anything by it, but they sure do make me uneasy. Their walk is cut short by a phone call from Mr. Jung telling Jun-pyo he ought to return home. Jun-pyo isn’t eager to go but he knows he should; he hands over the sleeping boy and reluctantly leaves.
Yi-jung’s studio. He examines the puzzle piece given to him by Eun-jae, and remembers when she’d first given him the present. When he’d asked what the characters meant, she had answered that it indicated “a once in a lifetime fate.” I suppose the point is that if it’s once in a lifetime and he had let her go, like the wind that never returns to the same spot twice, the relationship truly is over.
Ga-eul bursts in, nearly wilting with exhaustion but pleased to announce, “I found it.”
Ga-eul brings Yi-jung to the rooftop of a tall building and points in the distance, just as the rising sun illuminates the city skyline.
The billboards are advertisements for two different products, and when the sun hits, the light breaks and washes out the extraneous parts, leaving only “I love you” and “Yi-jung.”
Ga-eul explains how she came to discover this — three years ago, Eun-jae had asked Yi-jung to meet her at sunrise the next morning. That day’s recorded sunrise had occurred at 7am, so Ga-eul had been tracking down various locations until she found the right one, which displays this message only for a few seconds each day.
I’m sure Yi-jung has guessed the gist of Eun-jae’s message, but seeing it like this hits him hard. He breaks down, overwhelmed with regret, and sobs out wretchedly that he wants a do-over.
Ga-eul lets him cry, but his pained reaction affects her too, as she watches with pity (and probably some hurt feelings at this evidence of how deeply he cared for Eun-jae).
Ji-hoo and his grandfather fish together (while Jan-di prepares the fish stew that Grandpa Yoon likes). Dr. Yoon brings up the death of Ji-hoo’s parents, explaining that he was afraid of losing Ji-hoo as well, which is why he pushed him away. However, he’d thought of it as suffering alone — punishment for his lifelong pride — as though he hadn’t realized that Ji-hoo would misinterpret and shoulder the blame.
With things cleared up now, Grandpa Yoon is at peace, and feels he can die content. He asks Ji-hoo to take over his arts foundation and clinic when he dies.
That’s an idea that Ji-hoo isn’t ready to think about yet, and he doesn’t get much of a chance to protest because Jan-di announces that lunch is ready.
At the pottery studio, Ga-eul arrives with some apprehension, having been called there by Yi-jung. He’s in a much better mood than their last emotion-charged encounter, stomping on a mound of clay, barefoot.
Yi-jung has bad news and good news, then guesses she’s the type to want to hear bad news first, and indicates his right hand. He isn’t sure how it will hold up, and he won’t be as good as he was before. However — and this is the good news — he isn’t going to run away again: “Thanks to a certain someone, I’ve realized how much you can regret something after you’ve given up on it.”
Ga-eul smiles in relief, and he invites her to join him in working with the clay. As they stomp on clay together, she wonders how he knew she’d prefer the bad news first. He replies: “Good girls all want happy endings.”
She stumbles, and he catches her. There’s a brief moment between them, so Yi-jung reminds her, “I may be cool, but I’m not a good guy.” Ga-eul returns that he should get over his misconception that good girls always want good guys.
At that, Yi-jung leans in for a kiss, and Ga-eul closes her eyes… which is when her phone rings.
We don’t hear what the problem is (yet), but it’s bad news from her mother. And unfortunately, this time her bad news isn’t followed by good news or an almost-kiss.
Dr. Yoon’s heart condition is triggered when he receives an upsetting phone call, which sends Jan-di fumbling for his medication. However, Ji-hoo is frozen in shock, and Jan-di’s words all sound muffled to his ears — it’s like he can’t focus on anything, lost in his own fears.
Grandpa’s okay (or as okay as he can be). At the hospital, Jan-di tells Ji-hoo that his grandfather hadn’t wanted him to know, thinking all would be well if he was careful.
Mama Kang is once more on alert. Not only is she still upset about the broken merger, she has seen a TV news report that included footage of Shinhwa Zoo — which happened to include glimpses of the Jun-di date.
Madam Kang’s next plans are so harsh that even Mr. Jung speaks up, reluctant to carry out her orders to proceed. Having seen Jan-di’s attachment to Ji-hoo and Grandpa Yoon, she plans to take advantage of her Achilles heel. Namely, she will retaliate by lashing out at Jan-di’s loved ones, starting with Ji-hoo’s grandfather’s art foundation. She says, “We have to take this opportunity to yank out the roots. It’s fortunate that there’s something more important to that foolish girl than money.”
It works out nicely for her, then, when Jun-pyo comes in with a request. He owns up to the broken engagement and says he’s sorry. However, while their relationship with JK is shaky, it’s not destroyed — he promises to restore the alliance and asks Witch Mom to entrust him with the task. To show he’s serious, he will accept all her rules and restrictions, whether that that includes being followed around or being locked indoors. In exchange for one thing: “Just leave Jan-di alone.”
He’s told her this before, but he’s never really offered up serious collateral, which makes this time different. Mom asks, “You’re saying all I have to do is not do anything to Geum Jan-di?” At his yes, she agrees: “I’ll promise. I won’t lift a finger against her. But don’t forget what you’ve just said.”
Jun-pyo assures her, “Don’t worry,” and leaves with an almost puzzled expression — he was expecting more of a fight, so he’s unnerved by her easy acceptance.
Grandma Housekeeper echoes those sentiments, warning Jun-pyo not to let his guard down: “Don’t you know your mother yet? This isn’t the time to rest.” Granny also wonders how he means to manage Shinhwa when he can’t even watch over his girlfriend:
Granny: “I didn’t raise you to be so pathetic. Just being born male doesn’t make you automatically a man. One must take time — experiencing anger at losing, the injustice of stepping aside, shame at running away — until he can overcome his weak self to finally become a man.”
Jun-pyo finds encouragement in those words, and grabs her in a sudden hug, saying, “Thanks.”
As Jan-di packs Grandpa Yoon’s things to take to the hospital, she comes across a box, which she hands over to Ji-hoo once she realizes what’s inside.
The box contains items from Ji-hoo’s childhood, such as his school backpack and child’s shoes. It also includes a series of drawings of his family, from when he was very young to the present day. Because his parents are in the pictures, I’m guessing this is Dr. Yoon’s own creation (and not based on, say, photos or real life) of how Ji-hoo and his family would have aged over the years.
And then, Madam Kang strikes. First, Ga-eul’s father is forced into early retirement, without warning. Jan-di overhears Woo-bin discussing the matter with Yi-jung, both of whom guess that this is the work of Witch Mom. Rather than hitting at Jan-di directly, she’s exerted her influence with Ga-eul’s father’s company, a Shinhwa subsidiary.
Furthermore, signs indicate that Ji-hoo will be next; it looks like she intends to shut down the art foundation entirely.
This weighs heavily on Jan-di’s mind when she visits Grandpa Yoon, who by the way fires up his matchmaking again by urging the two kids to go out.
(Given his statements to Ji-hoo in the last episode, I’m inclined to believe that Grandpa was pointing out their character differences — that Ji-hoo is too cold for Jan-di’s bubbly personality — rather than trying to drive them apart. But I’m still not entirely sure what his intentions are — whether he really means to marry the kids off or whether he truly feels that Jan-di and Ji-hoo aren’t compatible.)
Ji-hoo spies a piano in the lobby and takes the seat, starting to play. He smiles at Jan-di several times, but she can’t quite return them because she’s preoccupied with the knowledge that his foundation is about to be ruined because of her.
As they walk along the river, Ji-hoo says that he hadn’t ever wanted to protect anything before meeting her. But now, there are more things in his life he wants to protect, such as his grandfather, the foundation… and her.
Just as he says that, his words are drowned out — the bridge lights up and fountains roar to life. It’s kind of hilarious how Ji-hoo, twice thwarted now from making a sincere confession, is so exasperated that he rolls his eyes.
Timing (and therefore fate?) is clearly not on Ji-hoo’s side.
Jan-di, meanwhile, is lost in her own thoughts: “Now that you have your grandfather by your side, I’m glad. You don’t know, do you, that you were always like sunshine to me. Goodbye, Geum Jan-di’s honorary firefighter.”
Why the goodbye? Jan-di’s made a decision in light of recent events. She tells her unconscious patient of her intentions:
Jan-di: “Sir, I don’t think I can keep coming by. I wanted to see you improve and read you more books, but I’m sorry. I can handle being hungry and cold, but there’s one thing I can’t handle — when people I love are hurt because of me. It’s not anything I can fix by working hard. It’s really unfair, isn’t it? I’m not running away, you know that, right? Even without me, you must get healthy.”
Just as Jan-di leaves, his hand moves.
She then visits Madam Kang, but we don’t see the scene play out yet, and instead resume as she’s leaving the meeting. Jan-di walks through Gu Manor, for once not tiptoeing around, instead chatting openly with the housemaids, who wish her well, as well as Granny Housekeeper.
She even calls loudly for Jun-pyo from the hallway, which makes him think at first that he’s hearing voices. Seeing her there, he panics and drags her inside, afraid that she’ll be noticed by Witch Mom, not understanding why she’s being so boisterous.
Jan-di suggests they go on a picnic and outing, as they’d once agreed to do.
(And now I can rest at ease, because Jun-pyo finally sees his Jun-pyo Face Rice!)
The following date is super-cute, although it’s almost so sweet that it makes you worry (or maybe that’s just me? — scenes like this that are so full of contentment always give me a sense of impending doom).
As they walk along the beach, Jun-pyo wonders if this is some kind of special day for her. He’s enjoying it so much that he wishes every day could be like today — after all, she came to him first to ask him out, and they haven’t fought once.
Going with the good feeling, he asks one more thing: “Why haven’t you said that you like me? I’ve told you several times.”
Jan-di: “Do I have to say so in words?”
Jun-pyo: “I want to hear from you what I mean to you.”
Jan-di: “I like you. So much that I couldn’t stop myself even though I tried, and got angry that I couldn’t forget you when I wanted to.”
This time she’s the one who draws him close, surprising him as she pulls him in for a kiss.
On the drive home, Jun-pyo can’t stop smiling, but Jan-di’s expression grows more and more somber. We find out why as she flashes back to her meeting with Madam Kang.
Jan-di had asked Mom to leave Ga-eul and Ji-hoo alone. Ever the cold businesswoman, Mom had asked what Jan-di would do in return, not expecting Jan-di to be able to offer anything worthwhile.
But Jan-di surprises her: “I’ll leave. I’ll leave Jun-pyo. I’ll change schools and homes and go somewhere he can’t find me. Will that do?”
Oh, that’ll do. Madam Kang accepts. Still, Jan-di feels the need to clarify:
Jan-di: “I haven’t lost to you, and I am not running away either. You’re the worst person I’ve ever met. I’m leaving because I don’t wish to connect the ones I love to you. I’m just sorry that I can’t save the one person I love the most from you.”
This explains the date: Today is really a farewell trip for Jan-di. Coming back to the present, she asks Jun-pyo to pull over, then she gets out with her luggage.
He laughs, wondering if she’s planning another surprise event, and doesn’t immediately grasp her meaning when she tells him, “I’m not going to see you again. Today was our last day together.”
He grows more serious but still doesn’t understand, and asks if something happened with his mother. Jan-di answers simply (and coldly), “I’ve decided to remove you from my life.” She tosses out a casual “Thanks for everything. Take care.”
Jun-pyo knows this has to do with his mother, even if she won’t admit it. She contradicts him:
Jan-di: “This time I realized that you and I are from different worlds. We met as though in a dream, but now it’s time for us to return to our own worlds.”
Jun-pyo: “You’re lying. Tell me, I’ll figure it out. I’ll protect you!”
A bus stops, and Jan-di heads to board it. Jun-pyo follows her and asks her not to go: “You said you liked me. Is this what your love is like? You say you like me and end things so easily?”
Leveling a firm gaze at him, Jan-di explains that her love must have had its limit, and she’s reached it: “It must have been exactly this much.”
He asks, “Taking away Shinhwa or my chaebol status, have you ever once just seen me as one man?” Without hesitation, Jan-di responds, “No. No matter how you try, you’re still Shinhwa Group’s Gu Jun-pyo. I’ve never forgotten that for one second.”
Her answer leaves him stunned. He doesn’t snap out of it until she boards the bus and it starts moving, which is when he starts to run after it, yelling for the bus to stop.
Inside, Jan-di cries, looking back as Jun-pyo grows smaller in the distance. She thinks, “After I fell for you, I’d always wished you were a normal man with no relation to Shinhwa. I’m sorry, Gu Jun-pyo, for not keeping my promise. I’m really sorry.”
So Jan-di arrives in the remote fishing town where her family has relocated, and finds her mother in the marketplace. After the initial giddy reunion, however, she’s dismayed to hear that the family situation is no better than it was before — faced with growing debts, Dad had to go away on a boat (to escape debt collectors, I assume?).
Jan-di wishes they’d told her, but they didn’t want to worry her. They didn’t want her to drop out of school to work, which is exactly what she would have done. She has to finish high school and go to university. Because of her mother’s reaction, Jan-di is unable to admit that she’s left Seoul for good, and merely says that she’s here for a family visit.
Meanwhile, Woo-bin and Yi-jung sigh at the way things have changed following Jan-di’s departure. They’ve looked everywhere, but she’s hidden herself well. They’re worried about Jun-pyo, who is apparently acting out worse than he was even in Macau.
Even worse, they fear more for Ji-hoo. He may be getting along with Grandpa, but Yi-jung points out that immersing himself in foundation and clinic work — for a guy who used to laze around napping all the time — is a drastic change.
I suppose the difference between Ji-hoo and Jun-pyo is that the former is internalizing his pain, exerting strict control over himself and his environment, while the latter is all about acting out and losing control. He sinks into self-destructive behavior.
For instance, when being driven home after a drunken night at a club, Jun-pyo sees a toy machine on the street, and recalls the double date when he failed to win Jan-di a toy prize from the claw machine. Now he staggers out, intent on winning the prize.
I was thinking there would be a beautiful sort of irony if he were to succeed now where he failed before — because now he doesn’t have the girl so it would be a pitifully empty victory — but no, Drunk Jun-pyo is not any better than Sober Jun-pyo.
In a rage, he lashes out at the machine, kicking and beating it until he attracts the attention of the police, who arrest him for (I’m guessing) causing a public disturbance. It’s in the holding area of the police station that Jun-hee finds Jun-pyo, staring emotionlessly in the cell, alone.
COMMENTS
Before commenting on this episode, let me add a few thoughts on the previous one:
I was reading some of the dissenting opinions on the Jun-di relationship, seeing who sided with Jan-di and who sided with Jun-pyo. It’s probably not fair to charge those who think Jun-pyo acted more understandably with being clouded with Lee Min-ho affection, because (1) Well, yes, I think he’s quite a good actor, but (2) I figure at this point I’ve written enough on this drama, and in enough depth, to escape the tag of judging purely based on a hormonal reaction. (Honestly, y’alls, he’s cute but he ain’t my type.)
Here’s what it boils down to, for me: Both Jun-pyo and Jan-di have been shown, unfortunately, to be weak. This is problematic and has significantly hindered my regard for the second half of the series. I wish both had more backbone and were more forthright about their true feelings. Of course, if they did that and had a functional relationship, we wouldn’t have much of a drama to tune into every week.
Both parties have reneged on promises; both have been guilty of giving the other person mixed messages. Jun-pyo called Jan-di a stain, which is pretty harsh stuff, and obviously Jan-di has a right to be hurt. On the other hand, Jan-di has given Jun-pyo no indication that she wants to be with him following Jae-kyung’s arrival on the scene. She may not feel she’s in the position to do anything about it, but she did actively step back and even aided Jae-kyung in getting together with Jun-pyo — that certainly sends the message that she no longer cares for Jun-pyo. She also said that her promise from Episode 10 is no longer valid.
With that being the case, Jun-pyo has no reason to believe he has a future with Jan-di, and he walks down the aisle believing that his One True Love is over. In real life, we know that we get second chances and that a person can fall in love more than once, but in dramaland and in Jun-pyo’s heart, as he explained to Jae-kyung, he knows that it’s Jan-di or nobody. Therefore the question isn’t “Should I marry Jae-kyung or not?” but rather, “Is there any hope at all for a future with Jan-di? — because if not, I really don’t care about marriage and might as well do this political union.”
Meanwhile, Jan-di has been the poster child for passivity. WE know she loves Jun-pyo, but she sure as hell doesn’t let anyone else know that. As some commenters said, perhaps she’s not in a place to demand a relationship with him, but if she hides all her feelings and mopes privately, well, that’s just wallowing in one’s self-pity. She tends to just accept whatever happens to her, and that frustrates me. Jun-pyo is also weak, but at least his feelings — and his desire to escape from the influence of others — are clear. He’s bad at following through on his feelings, but Jan-di doesn’t even get that far — she keeps hers bottled up and unspoken, and that does nobody any good.
And yes, I recognize it’s a pointless exercise to say who was MORE wrong in this situation — but it’s always fun to do it anyway.
Now, for this episode:
I understand Jan-di’s actions and her rationale for leaving, and I actually kinda agree with her decision. Or at least the reason for her making the decision. However, this plot device suffers from overuse — it’s a tactic used in all those classic (read: outdated) Cinderella kdramas, where the girl selflessly gives up her love — even though the guy is prepared to fight for the relationship — to save those around her.
I suppose we’re supposed to feel admiration and pity for the woman who sacrifices her own happiness for the greater good, but what she’s really doing is taking away the choice from the other person, who deserves to have a say in this. Just as Jun-pyo (wrongly) asserted his will one-sidedly earlier in their relationship, she’s disregarding his feelings under the excuse that “I know what’s best for him.” I hate that.
Now, IF she had believed everything she said before getting on that bus — and I think her words had a point — then I wouldn’t have complaints and would probably back her up. (I think it makes sense on one level to want to say, “I gave it my best shot, got my heart broken a couple times, and want to believe that Love Conquers All — but maybe all this fighting isn’t productive if I’m just fighting a losing battle against this all-powerful, evil force who is going to hurt everyone I love.” It’s not fair, but sometimes you have to think of self-preservation.)
However, that’s not the case here: As we can see from her reaction afterward, she lied purposely to get Jun-pyo to let her go, believing that he didn’t need to know the truth. And that her decision was right no matter what he thought. By the way, they’re both guilty of this — him most notably when he turned Jekyll-and-Hyde in Macau — so it’s not like I’m only blaming Jan-di for the tendency.
I might have let this go otherwise, but it really doesn’t help that PD Jeon’s prior two series also employed this exact same scenario (girl leaves selflessly to spare the guy pain, but in a way that removes his choice from the equation). When Chun-hyang in Delightful Girl Chun-hyang did it, I actually enjoyed the ensuing angst (and the anticipated reunion!), but I watched that series earlier and didn’t have a slew of similar dramas to compare to. Also, Jae Hee really rocked the emotional turmoil in that drama’s breakup and reunion.
In My Girl, I hated the ploy because it seemed like a direct ripoff of Chun-hyang (same director, same writers), plus it seemed more forced into the story for manipulative reasons.
Here, I don’t hate it as much as in My Girl but I think it’s definitely less effective as a plot device than it ought to be, because (1) it’s so overdone at this point, and (2) this whole drama has been full of dramatic angsty moments like this, so this one doesn’t particularly stand out for me.
But on the upside, we’re so very close to the end that all this analysis is really just extraneous stuff. Mostly I’m watching with half my brain turned off, and at least there isn’t enough time to drag this storyline out into as painful an arc as the Jae-kyung one.
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Tags: Boys Before Flowers, Gu Hye-sun, Kim Bum, Kim Hyun-joong, Kim Joon, Lee Min-ho
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51 IcanhazGJPyo
March 24, 2009 at 11:14 PM
Okay, seriously, has JD FOUGHT for JP at all, at any point? Even when she went to Macau she was passive and spent most of her time playing hide and seek with the boys and eating ice cream and meeting JK and listening to acoustic versions of Because I am Stupid. WHEN HAS JD DONE ANYTHING THAT COULD BE SEEN AS A FIGHT FOR JP? She was already tired of the relationship by the end of their first date.
I didn't realize the My Girl guy did this (I am lousy at reading comprehension apparently) and now it all makes sense and it all makes me angry. My Girl is so repetitive and is basically a one note broken record for 16 (?) episodes, with two maddeningly passive characters: and BOF is pretty much the same.
I am not saying that HYD is not repetitive, but IMO every time there is a new crisis, the main characters learn something and move forward. Here for weeks we have had one crisis after another, and JD is the same depressed, weak, meek, helpless girl with no fighting spirit whatsoever. I rolled my eyes so hard that it hurt when JD said goodbye to JD--I was like, What else is new, girl? You're running away? No kidding? Can you do anything else?
Also, even though I like the more mature D that JP plays, I think I like the more evil side to D, and wish it was here in this version. Only then can we understand how much JP changed to be who he is now. Without the mean streak in him, his growth just seems static.
Javabeans, I appreciate your summaries more after reading your commentary today. You held back admirably for weeks! In some ways, your commentary today feels like a peak behind the floodgates.
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52 cookie
March 24, 2009 at 11:25 PM
while I agree with you about jun pyo and jan di coming out weak in the second half of the drama, I take more issue with the fact that jan di seems to be picking everyone else over jun pyo. while in hyd, tsukushi was protecting domyoji along with everyone else when she left him, here jan di seems to prioritize everyone over jun pyo and her relationship with him. she's not doing any good for jun pyo (in fact, the opposite) by leaving him, which makes her actions seem heartless and cruel to me.
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53 nanun
March 24, 2009 at 11:26 PM
@31: i am totally agree with u.
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54 hagu
March 24, 2009 at 11:27 PM
"She tends to just accept whatever happens to her, and that frustrates me" that's exactly my thought that have been pestering me for the whole drama and now i'm so angry that i want to slap Jandi but then again i come to my senses, it's useless to hope, she's not a Wonderwoman after all...
As always you are the best
thank u for your hard work
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55 sunshine fighter
March 24, 2009 at 11:34 PM
Watching this drama is like going through the 7 stages of grief. I'm mostly stuck at anger though.
Whoa, 2 more episodes left! I think after this show wraps, I'm going to check into rehab for BBF addiction.
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56 estelle
March 24, 2009 at 11:36 PM
I realli love (and agree with) your commentary today. Thank you so much Javabeans.
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57 momo
March 24, 2009 at 11:45 PM
seriously, how shitty was that beach kiss? i mean, i appreciated the fact that jandi was the one who initiated it but come on! there's all this build-up and the Goong music in the background but when they actually lean in, their lips are barely touching. maybe it was the music but i couldn't help but think of the HOT JJH/YEH kiss in Goong. seriously, what a let down.
anyway, javabeans, lovedlovedLOVED your commentary this week and yeah, i pretty much agreed with everything you said. yes, both are weak characters. but the fact that Junpyo has never hidden his feelings and (with the exception of Macau) always showed the willingness to fight the witch for jandi, that definitely makes him more deserving of jandi than the other way around.
"I’m just sorry that I can’t save the one person I love the most from you."
also, as much as i LOVED this line (tears came out, yikes!), it seemed highly illogical. if he really is the person she loves the most, how does it make sense that she would leave him behind with the "worst person she's ever met". i mean, i just don't understand how one event in HYD can make total sense but in this one i'm just banging my head against the wall.
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58 selenoliber
March 24, 2009 at 11:51 PM
Thanks for the summary, as usual.
*sigh* Well, just when you think it couldn't get more drama/angst/cliche cliche cliche.
It's sad to say but I think the primary attractions of this drama are the beautiful scenes, Goo Jun Pyo and the prettiness of Ji Hoo's face. This drama is absolutely gorgeous in terms of scenery. Very artistic and lots of eye candy. I think Lee Min-Ho was a great find for an actor. He's probably the one person who'll get the most out of this drama in the long run, and yes...as shallow as it sounds, I watch this drama for Ji Hoo's pretty face.
The plot holes, inconsistency with the characters, and cliches kill this drama for me. One of the main problems is that I really cannot see what the huge deal is. The central conflict just seems so lacking. Partly, I don't see much chemistry between the leads. Another factor is that character development is severely lacking. I've liked Jun Pyo's growth until the last three episodes, but this act with him following on mommy's leash is getting old. There's no serious rebellion from either of the leads and it's frustrating. Jan Di, I don't think has grown at all. She's tough one minute, completely spineless the next, swinging back and forth from happy to sad, overly cheerful and obnoxiously comedic to mopey, sobering gloom and doom.
Bottom line is I don't see her character strength. She says she can weather colds and endure hardships etc. but she would have completely fallen apart if not for Ji Hoo throughout the entire series. And yet, she chooses the guy who shunned her once as a stain rather than choose the one who's been consistently beside her.
Now, if the drama had made up for this difference by explaining why she loves Jun Pyo so much, and why they are so compatible, then sure, it would have been great. But it doesn't. The leads just flounce together happily like all the angst, drama and problems have been swept under a rug and forgotten. But this isn't what makes a relationship or what constitutes as love. I did like the scenes about Jun Pyo and Jan Di's date. It was romantic and sweet and reaffirms their relationship, but at the same time, it feels like icing on a hollow cake.
To be fair though, the HYD enterprise has never been about logical plots, realistic love scenarios or even believable characters. This drama seems to follow parts of the manga quite religiously without going too out of bounds and since I found a lot of plot holes in the original manga, perhaps the director can be excused. The manga was a huge hit, so despite all the plot holes, cliches etc. these types of storylines are obviously what's desirable.
We can complain and smirk at the cheesiness but the its core, HYD has always been a fantasy, harem story that appeals to the supposed longings of every girl. Flaws in the 'boyfriends' are flaws only insofar as the girl can change those flaws and make him perfect. So, really, in the end, the aim of this drama is to be enjoyable and dramatic and overly sugary sweet and most importantly to generate buzz and attention. That aim, it matches and excels, in spades.
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59 twentynine
March 24, 2009 at 11:52 PM
whoa the comments are fast! thanks for the fast recap! i've finally caught up with watching it online. i cant imagine how its gonna end in 1/2 episodes!
i'm still sitting on the fence.. i cant decide if i like the JP JD pairing or JH HD pairing better. somehow it seems like they are trying to make all the characters (maybe not JP's mom) likeable. like JK too.. altho she's supp to be like the '3rd party' but it seemed like they want the audience to like her too (telling JD shes one of the 2 most impt ppl to her... etc)
btw i heard that the ending wil be abit diff from the manga.. is that true?
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60 anne
March 24, 2009 at 11:53 PM
i just want to say thanks for recapping the drama. i hated the drama on the onset but i continued to watch for a couple of episodes. i honestly couldn't take it so i stopped watching and i'm just reading your recaps. i did download the series still in the hopes that i'd want to watch it sometime, but i'm not keeping my hopes up.
meteor garden was enjoyable to watch. it was something new for me back then so i had no dramas to compare it to. i doubt i'd ever watch the whole thing again though, that's for sure. i'd like to think i know better.
hana yori dango was the best for me. it's one of my favorite dramas and i really loved it, from the actors to the story lines to the production itself to the music. honestly, after watching this drama, i did set the bar higher on similar productions.
hence, i'm not enjoying boys over flowers. i can count the ways why i don't like it but i'd rather not. suffice to say that it just didn't suit me. it's a pity really since i like a couple of actors here. oh, well. i hope they choose better projects in the future and i'm looking forward to watching them.
i find that i'm not really into the whole hana yori dango cannon (manga and anime). the japanese drama did something different that i honestly think i could watch it over and over again and i'd enjoy it every time. it's amazing how other productions did not do it for me -- meteor garden i got through once and am definitely not planning to watch it again; boys over flowers is much much worse for me because i cannot even get through it once...
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61 peony
March 24, 2009 at 11:53 PM
My only complaint about all K-dramas: it always takes 20 plus episodes for the girl to expose her true feelings for the one she loves and kiss him.
It's always like this. That's the one thing that is sssssoooooooooooo overly used in just about all K-dramas. I didn't think it would happen her but it did.
Oh well, I can live with it. I'm just glad Jandi isn't in love with her brother or half brother or discovered a hidden brother that she is in love with.
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62 queen_of_the_game
March 25, 2009 at 12:02 AM
i love i love i love how JP & JD shows how they feel for eah other even without saying a word...i love seeing JP always happy and smiling...i was actually hoping that these last 3 episodes will focus more on just the 2 of them....i hate how they're showing so much unuseful, nonsense staffs...i just want to see them together and always happy...no fighting...no shouting...no trouble...(i guess if that happens then that's the end of this drama) but i don't want it to end yet waaaaaa what am i going to do after this? I am going to miss F4 for sure..i hope they'll land into a better roles in the future...(sooner than later)...see you again next...thanks again for the recap javabeans....
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63
March 25, 2009 at 12:06 AM
Anyone knows if Ji Hoo and his grandpa are blood-related in real life? They look SOOOOOOO much alike.
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64 ayay
March 25, 2009 at 12:07 AM
I think, it'd be good if the ending is
jd, jh, jp become friends
thanks java
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65 elena
March 25, 2009 at 12:07 AM
for me the korean version is too short for the original drama...
and i think the must add another episodes for this...
masyado kc nilang minadali yung story eh...
parang marami tuloy kulang...
parang nakakabitin pa...
this episode supposedly episode 20 i think in meteor garden :P
hay....
but i like boys before flowers....
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66 momo
March 25, 2009 at 12:10 AM
i don't want to turn this thing into a k-drama vs. j-doramas thing but man, all the cliches and plotholes, inconsistencies and dragging out of the SAME THINGS again and again and again is really driving me nuts. when i saw my first k-drama, i absolutely loved it. after a while, i realized a lot of the dramas would have similar storylines but if i put aside those criticism and just allowed execution to take precedance over originality, all would be ok. and it was for a while. but these days i have to choose wisely. to spend a good 20 hours of my life watching some weak weak girl --- who professes to be strong and is loved by all those around her --- drag herself around aching and whining but incapable of fighting and communicating with the man she supposedly loves is seriously exhausting and kills my head. i'm sick of watching PDs sacrifice character consistency for the sake of high drama. As fun as this whole BBF ride has been, part of me wishes that i never started because i've sure invested a LOT into characters and a story that wasn't really worth it at all. i could have watched HYD 3 more times and it would still have been more fun than watching these stupid characters drag their stupid indecisive butts around.
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67 momo
March 25, 2009 at 12:12 AM
and SERIOUSLY. we know JH and JD will not end up together. so stop wasting screentime on KHJ's cheesy facial expressions and faux-emo scenes.
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68 orr
March 25, 2009 at 12:17 AM
I seriously agree with your comments... i feel like she doesn't respect him enough to flat out tell him her feelings (when she first started liking him... when she didn't want him to marry... and now when she must protect her friends because she is The Ultimate Protector and Warrior) and doesn't respect = love?
but s'ok, lee min ho, you're _definitely_ my type...
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69 DBSK
March 25, 2009 at 12:18 AM
haven't they put each other through enough already? this whole drama has been about keeping jd and jp apart, but when they do get together their happiness is always brief and then marred by external factors. yes, jd and jp in their own ways are both weak, but shouldn't their love for one another be strong enough at this point to make them want to work hard to be together? you would have thought they'd figured out by now that their being together was not going to be easy. it sucks that with only episodes left or an episode, they have only had stolen moments together. with 24 freaking episodes (!!!!) was it truly impossible to have more jundi scenes? no...let's instead give the audience more janhoo scenes because... __________ insert justification....because i can't come up with one. i don't care what magic fairytale happens in the last episode with jundi honestly, because anything at this point (yes and throughout the entire show!) is going to feel disjointed and thrown together. say what you will but the pd really "stained" their love story. it makes me really sad.
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70 Roselily
March 25, 2009 at 12:21 AM
I am enjoying this drama a lot despite all the shortcomings and the one man who keeps me spell bounded is Goo Joon Pyo. He is too good n the fact that just 2 episodes are left drives me crazy. Love you Joon. Keep up the hard work.....
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71 LizL
March 25, 2009 at 12:28 AM
i'm just glad kim bum's toe seems to be fine for him to be filming bare foot :)
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72 whatever0024
March 25, 2009 at 12:31 AM
I'm at the point where I don't even watch the entire episodes anymore. I mostly fastforward through them or read the summaries by Javabeans. When I first heard that the Korean version was coming out, I was excited and had high hopes for it after seeing the excellent Japanese version, and although I enjoyed the first few episodes of Boys Before Flowers, my interest faded away. My only concern is how are they going to work in the amnesia and reconciliation scenes. There are only two episodes left. God, I have a feeling everything's going to be totally rushed.
@58, I agree with your comment about lack of chemistry between Jun Pyo and Jan Di. Unlike the Japanese version where Makino and Domyouji had incredible chemistry, I just don't have feel any chemistry whenever they're in a scene together.
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73 DBSK
March 25, 2009 at 12:34 AM
one more thing that i can't get over. jandi says on the bus that she always knew that this moment was going to come (i.e the breakup). then why the Fasdfjkl; would you even try to stick it out (if you can even label her actions as such) until that point?! if she felt it was hopeless then why did she even put the jundi entity "there" emotionally? psychologically? why? why? omg...jandi. to borrow a prior recap quote: "DOES.NOT.COMPUTE."
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74 민리
March 25, 2009 at 12:36 AM
It's getting boring..
i'm bored....
bored...
bored...
Even Lee Minho's good acting cant help at all.
I think that joonpyo and jandi somehow lost their chemistry. I dunno..
I dont feel like they really really love eachother. Their scenes are cute but kinda blah. It's the lack of chemistry. I just dont feel it.
I think that the ending will be disappointing for me.
Maybe because if they really were to end up with each other in the end, my reaction would most probably be like 'oh, they're back together?...........................................................okay then o____O'
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75 asikg
March 25, 2009 at 12:46 AM
There's one thing that really bothers me about this one.. I was complaining last time about JanDi's lack of backbone, etc., but now, watching the break-up scene I can't stop thinking 'how come when she's hurting the person she loves, when he's breaking in front of her, she can be so tough? with all that smirking, harsh words, almost angry face, crying only after getting on the bus?' is that really a thing poor JanDi would be capable of doing? I would expect her to break down a little during the scene, not afterwards. Show JunPyo your real self..
But, anyway: GE and YJ - yay!:)
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76 lily
March 25, 2009 at 12:46 AM
@ 43 "I thought YiJung’s acting was a little overdramatic in the rooftop scene… more than the Japanese version"
You said it. The more I see YiJung the more I think they are right to make him stick with Ga Euk because the man can't act here.
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77 sarah
March 25, 2009 at 1:01 AM
Yo guys:
http://seoulfull.wordpress.com/2009/03/24/new-actress-kim-min-ji-cast-for-boys-over-flowers/
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78 lily
March 25, 2009 at 1:01 AM
@ 57 "i mean, i just don’t understand how one event in HYD can make total sense but in this one i’m just banging my head against the wall."
Because it has never been clear when Jan di fell in love with Jun Pyo. I suppose it's episode 8. I remember people didn't stop singing "it's the best thing lalalalalala...". But I stated something is wrong here how sudendly JD is IN LOVE WITH JP. People didn't care but now the consequence is you can't feel the love of JD for JP. So I am not suprised. No subtitlely !
In HYD it was in episode 4 you feel M fell in love with D. Indeed at a moment she though about Rui and suddendly She saw the image of Domyoji with her in a rainy day while their first date. Her reaction after tell everything.
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79 ank
March 25, 2009 at 1:07 AM
Thanks again for the awesome recap!
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80 Mrs Sue Iskandar
March 25, 2009 at 1:08 AM
Thank you for writing such a recaps! I appreciate it every single week!
The edge of my pillow was super wet. Too much tears poured down.....
It was all over the net about JUNDI FAREWELL DATE.... So the moment I saw them at the zoo trip with Chan, I cried like crazy.....
Not so the SoEul couple supporter but damn i still cried.....
Woobin, though just for a while, this guy seems to grew beautifully on screen... I love his looks and the character he's bringing......
Jandi..... I wanna be a tough weed too! No matter wat peep mite say about you, you are strong internally & it takes so much guts to say that to such a WITCH! It take so much guts not to cry and let go of your love one esp, someone as great, an individual like Jun-pyo. (Been there, done that)! That is Jandi.....
Hope to see the stronger site of Makino possessing Jandi soon
KHJ was incredibly handsome that I think he overshadowed LMH in this episode ... Damn... Did I just said overshadowed.... BUT LMH a.k.a Jun-pyo is still the person that got me rooting till now for this drama..... (my hubby said I'm a crazy lunatic too for liking such a character.... This boy is the Candy of my eye.... Till next week hubby, your position is back to me, love! Meanwhile just bear with me getting dizzy with LMH, KHJ, KB & KJ)
This episode is really tear jerking and tense to me..... I REALLY HOPE THAT THIS TIME PD JEON COULD PROOF TO VIEWER A GOOD TWIST!
Ending soon ehhhhhh...... I MISS KKOTBODA NAMJA!
Singapore TV, please get this drama and show it locally!!!
I dunno what i will do after this series end. Fine.... Pull through!
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81 Moo
March 25, 2009 at 1:08 AM
Dramabeans, I like your comments on the drama plot. Although drama is supposed to be unreal, it should still be logical.
The key problem with this drama is the shaky characters of Jun-pyo and Jan-di, which should have been better explained. For example, Jan-di did not pursue her love for Jun-pyo but instead hid it when Jae-kyung entered the picture. I think this is reasonable IF the drama had shown before that Jan-di, even though she would stand up for others, has the tendency not to do so for herself. The same should be done for Jun-pyo.
On the other hand, it is understandable that there is no time and space to show these characters as the drama must tell the story within the time constraint. To see more characters, we will lose a few plots and feel like the drama is going nowhere. Yet, more bad plots would add more doubt.
However, good dramas should be able to strike the balance between the storyline and character development. In this respect, BBF has focused more on the story and misses the balance. But since critics have a much easier job in ripping the drama apart, I must also acknowledge the initiative of producer and writer for creating it.
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82
March 25, 2009 at 1:10 AM
i am one with you in saying that scenes of peace & contentment make me say "uh oh! something bad's going to happen!".
and why does JD need to say goodbye to JP? it would have been a lot better had she just left him with those sweet words she said at the beach.
i don't understand how Madam Kang is able to exert her power over Ji Hoo's family. i mean they are F4 - supposedly heirs to the 4 richest families in the country. i don't understand how they seem powerless. yeah! Shinwa is meant to be the most powerful, being into diverse businesses. BUT, it's now like Shinwa and the F3 being delegated to just the "other companies".
at least in the other versions, not one of the F3 was touched to preserve the level of hierarchy, i guess.
oh well! i still watch it any way. and next weeks' the last for the drama. but, i still wish that it was handled by the writers and director of Coffee Prince. i think it would have come out waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better.
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83 Kimche
March 25, 2009 at 1:19 AM
Woah! Interesting analysis. It's not extraneous at all. Your commentary sections are always my favorite parts of your recaps, so analyze away please.
In regards who is more undeserving, Jan Di vs. Jun Pyo, I think the debate and confusion is just a side-effect of bad script writing. I think the writer intended for them both to seem deserving after sacrificing so much the past episodes, it just wasn't conveyed effectively, thus many viewers get confused and even have the adverse reaction of rooting against one of the two main characters instead of cheering them on.
I think the writer also intended Jan Di to seem strong willed (she's the lotus that blooms in mud, haha, something like that), but the overuse of lazy plot devices like 'JanDi, go to New Caledonia with me now', 'JanDi, go live with Jun Pyo', 'JanDi, go live with Ji Hoo', 'JanDi, go read to strange comatose dude', 'JanDi, go jump off a bridge' (nah, jk), makes JanDi seem inadvertently passive to some viewers. This is how I rationalize the whole drama, actually, haha. I try to figure out what they were aiming for rather than what actually got conveyed. It works surprisingly well with the actors too. Like that blank stare from Ji Hoo? That's love. That bitchy glare from Jan Di? That's inner turmoil. That constipated look from Kim Bum? Well...that's just overacting. lol.
It kinda summarizes my general feeling about BBF overall too. They were aiming for something great, but ended up delivering much less.
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84 123
March 25, 2009 at 1:24 AM
Personally, if i were JanDi, i would choose JiHoo. His love is unselfish and it would be way easier to live with someone like him. but hey, anything goes for k-dramas, i guess. it's a typical k-drama storyline.
- boy being mean to girl.
- girl hates boy.
- boy actually likes girl.
- somehow girl begins to like boy eventhough he's an ass.
- another boy likes girl.
- boy became better person, girl likes him more.
- the other boy gets rejected.
- boy and girl gets their happy ending while the other boy became emo but in the end he will somehow smile.
LOL. so typical.
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85 hjkomo
March 25, 2009 at 1:50 AM
I probably had the most inappropriate response (or, at least, nowhere near what the entire production crew had intended) at the end of the bus scene - I was laughing hysterically! Cathartic release??....or, perhaps, merely the result of too much drinking???....I don't know.
It's been a one hell of a wild ride, Mr. Toad.....fun and addicting, yes, but I'm also relieved that this INSANITY is finally coming to an end. ;)
Thanks for making it that much more enjoyable! :D
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86 hoho
March 25, 2009 at 1:53 AM
Personally, if i were JanDi, i would choose JiHoo. His love is unselfish and it would be way easier to live with someone like him. but hey, anything goes for k-dramas, i guess. it's a typical k-drama storyline.
- boy being mean to girl.
- girl hates boy.
- boy actually likes girl.
- somehow girl begins to like boy eventhough he's an ass.
- another boy likes girl.
- boy became better person, girl likes him more.
- the other boy gets rejected.
- boy and girl gets their happy ending while the other boy became emo but in the end he will somehow smile.
LOL. so typical.
Anywho, i think I'm ready for disappointment once it ends though i wish that there will be somekind of twist at the end. lol
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87 sleeplessinwgtn
March 25, 2009 at 2:08 AM
I share Daiquiri's sentiments on too little JD/JP bonding moments and too much of JD/JH's. Whilst we should not expect the same treatment as has been done in HYD & MG, still, there are far too many JD/JH sweet moments.
I've ranted on this before so I should really stop now.
Anyway, I appreciate your post-recap comments.
Looking forward to the final 2 episodes next week.
Cheers!
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88 Mrs Sue Iskandar
March 25, 2009 at 2:08 AM
OH YA! How typical of K-DRAMA to rush on endingsssss........
Piss me of sometime. I saw the pattern in Sassy Girl, Chunhyang, My Girl....
I hated The Witch AMusement.....
BOF.... still acceptable but the gushing feeling to wrap everything up in just 2 more episode, after reading the rest of the ranting and raging, yeah... How eh!
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89 bjharm
March 25, 2009 at 2:16 AM
Jan Di is very passive but when you take into account how much pressure she is under, be it money worries, family worries, threats to her life worries and of course her hobby of always trying to solve everyone else worries it would be surprising if she was not. Lets add the fact she under 20 year of age and in her last year of high school, pressure enough of most kids that age without the all the rest added on. So she also got to have the energy to fight back? and help Jun Pyo find a back bone?
Frankly I think she done enough in surviving this long never mind about trying to fight back. As long as Jun Pyo is willing to sit back and let his crazy mother rule his life there never going to be any answer. And I really fear that he never going to, it going to be something like the guy in a coma waking up and solving his troubles rather than him really becoming a man and doing what he keeps crying over than is truly protect Jan Di.
Jan di is the human punching bag able to take 'almost' everything thrown at her
and Jun Pyo is the rich wimp that never grows up in Kdrama terms they a perfect couple.
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90 nileey
March 25, 2009 at 2:20 AM
wow, love this recap. Thanks!
I'm so glad they added the Yi Jung segment here :)
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91 nyeet
March 25, 2009 at 2:43 AM
Thanks Javabeans for your recaps. It really made me think from other side of view. And here is what I think...
Again stop comparing with the other versions. This adaptation is made from the original manga and the korean writers seems to have incorporated almost all of the characters but not the all values that they represent.
I'm not defending BOF or anything but give it a rest already! Not all human are that strong all the time. Isn't that makes us human. I know that the reason why we like to watch movies and drama coz they're not real and it should be perfect and make sense all the time, but who are we kidding?! Isn't it better that we take the good things out of it and leave the bad ones aside.
Again the talk about who is weaker? Well both are. Yes, I get that, again we're humans! And to say that one is more deserving than the other. Who are we to say anyway in the first place? I've never been in those kind of situations and most certainly didn't have a clue what to do if I was. But after watching this I might just know how.... but that just me
There's no right or wrong in love. Only that you have to take responsibility for your action. To me, Jandi already took her responsibility by leaving Junpyo. She can only save her friends coz that is the only thing that she can do (as to be equal to Junpyo). Like she mentioned back in the zoo, she didn't want others to protect her anymore. I'm surprised that people only think from Junpyo's side, what about Jandi's. She is hurting too by leaving him. Do you think she rather see her friends suffer when she knows that she is the one who caused it. And of course she didn't want to see Junpyo suffers too in the end. By leaving ShinHwa or fight with his mother. Even when Junpyo have said that he'll protect her, since she is stubborn, she'll leave anyway. So what's the point in arguing. That's normal in life when we think we know what we're doing is right, we go for it no matter what others think.
I'm disappointed the fact that they didn't highlight pointed out much on why Jandi always trying to runaway from Junpyo. Why? Because she knew from the beginning that they both have no future together. That somehow would drove them to be apart again and again.
But I like the fact that they twist the thing from the manga; that Junpyo being dumped by Jandi knowing that she did like him. And they twist the lie part that she liked him but not that enough and she has reached her limits.
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92 Z
March 25, 2009 at 3:14 AM
I have to say it... as much as I love me some Jun-Di love, I can't make excuses anymore. Both Jandi and Junpyo are pretty pathetic. They both make promises they can't keep; they both run away from their problems; they both lie to each other and justify it as protecting each other (a plot device used in every single kdrama and I hate it because I hate lying).
But... Jandi has gone too far. She has moved from pathetic to COWARD! I said it COWARD. I was so angry last night that I believe I yelled at drunken Junpyo to "forget her, she doesn't deserve your love." On top of that, she doesn't deserve Jihoo's loyalty, she doesn't deserve Jae Kyungs sacrifice, she doesn't deserve Jun Hyun's (is that the sister's name?) support, she doesn't deserve Dr. Grandpa's mentorship, and she definitely doesn't deserve Yi Jung's smiles and Woobin's "yo, yo's!!!" She has lost to Mama Kang, she is running away, she's a COWARD!!!
Oh and it's such a horrible and cruel move to take a person out on a Goodbye Date without telling them it's a Goodbye Date, especially if that date includes finally telling the other person that you like him, kissing him, and immortalizing his face in rice!!! Oh I'm sooooo mad... I thought a good night's sleep and this little rant would make me feel better but I'm not. It's going to be a long week until we sort all this out.
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93 joshee
March 25, 2009 at 3:44 AM
Before I get on with my comment, I need to get this off my chest:
Secretary Jung is privy to all of Darth Mama's evil plans, AND he is a staunch JunDi supporter. But why oh why did he allow things to deteriorate this badly without warning JP?? I can't understand it at all. Couldn't he just whisper ' The old hag's going after Young Master Yoon and Miss GaEul to get to Geum Jan Di.' ? Or something to that effect. Then perhaps JP would stop moping around and acting pathetic and actually DO something. Or does Secretary Jung have so little faith in JP?
From the beginning of watching this drama, something kept on bothering me. Previously I thought it was because there were too many liberties taken with the original storyline, hence the story did not unfold according to the manga and this made for glaring inconsistencies. I was pretty certain that was what it was, believing that MG was the best adaptation as it was the closest to the manga. So I went back to watch bits and pieces of MG and HYD, and reread the manga here and there. I then realised that the whole starving-himself-to-avoid-marrying-fiancee in MG was not even in the manga - but it worked. And then I remembered also reading scores of fanfics that veered away entirely from the manga - and those worked too.
So now I've come to the conclusion that what's bothering me about this drama is that the scriptwriter didn't do her homework well. She has failed to understand the basic characters of Tsukasa and Tsukushi, which is so crucial to the development of the story. Tsukasa in the manga, MG and HYD is never inconsistent. He knows that all he wants is Tsukushi and he's adamant about it. He's never unsure or wishy-washy as he is here in BOF (well except for the first few eps of HYD 2, but that was with good reason). But anyway what I'm trying to say is, it's the strength of Tsukasa's character, and his stubbornness that has always endeared him to us fans. You can see this is self-evident even in the way he is drawn in the manga. He is always a strong character. But in BOF GJP is inconsistent and frequently pathetic. I just hated it that he seemed resigned to getting married just from his mother's threat. I mean, aren't the F4 supposed to be great fighters? Couldn't he have rallied F3 to save her, and he himself devise something ingenious to get out of the wedding? In HYD, Tsukasa was going to do just that, and he believed he would be able to find some other way to save Doumyouji Zaibatsu, only Shigeru beat him to it.
Someone also mentioned how it was never made clear when Jandi actually fell in love with JP. This is also the fault of poor story telling, I believe. Too much wasted scenes that told us nothing. Like the date between JD and JH - in the manga and the prev versions, all she did during the date was think and compare JH to JP. I think that was the beginning of her realisation. In the manga it did take a long time for her to confess her feelings, but we could see from her actions where her heart lay. I just don't get the same vibe here. And where's the weed power? It was only good for standing up to school bullying and GJP, but she virtually wilts under the cold stare of Mama Kang. SanChai always stood her ground with DMS's mum - even if sometimes it's her temper more than anything that gets the better of her (ie piano playing scene, and losing temper at her apartment in front of F3).
So because of inadequate research and understanding, the second part of BBF has almost been reduced to typical kdrama fare - spending an unnecessary long time on the fiance arc and focusing too much on the four way relationship rather than what's important ie. JD and JP. I am seriously worried now knowing there is still the amnesia, Umi, JP's dad, resolving all issues including Mama Kang among other story lines to be covered in just 2 episodes. I have a vague feeling that happiness betw JP and JD will just be a mere kiss at the very end - and we all want at least another hour of JunDi sweetness!
But having said all that, I believe that this drama has won fans because of how good the essential storyline by Yoko Kamio is, and the brilliant acting by LMH, GHS and Mama Kang in particular. And also, to echo another poster, the adorable cheekbones of KHJ - haha. I won't even mention the SoEul couple because unlike previous versions, this arc has failed to attract me at all.
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94 chajjye
March 25, 2009 at 3:49 AM
i think this episode is better than the previous one. at least again, the love-for-others-surpasses-her-own is consistent with her character.
i havent watch any adaptations. this is my first. but from reading ur comments, to be fair to Jandi, i think she deserves to be herself. cause i think everyone is trying to want her to be like JunPyo in being wanting to overcome the influences where she wants to just keep it all bottled. even though it's a frustrating fault, remember she isn't JunPyo. therefore her response in the relationship will always be different. :)
but yeah, i get what you're trying to say cause both are guilty. I second that. He being cold and he lied as well. Whereas she being cold and lied as well. The only similarity they share is that both thought that what they are doing now is best for the other...without telling the other.
But i find some comfort in her telling Mama Kang that she did not give up. Just that she couldn't save the one she loved the most from her. At least we hear her confession albeit to the wrong person.
still two more episodes to go. it'd better be good.
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95 GaRa
March 25, 2009 at 4:15 AM
You know why GJP has had no BALLS these last few episodes? It's because GJD CUT THEM OFF AGES AGO.
Jandi has better chemistry with Jihoo because she's not constantly bitching at him ALL. THE TIME.
Girls & Guys Remember: barking at your spouse is just as bad at physically beating them.
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96 Mechant
March 25, 2009 at 4:25 AM
ah! instant romantic floor!
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97 HaraJuku
March 25, 2009 at 4:26 AM
I think that no matter what situtation Jan-Di's is ,her character show us that she is strong from the outside but is very weak from the inside. Sometimes she can very cheerful and happy but when she is unhappy, she hides her weakness over her smile.
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98 smiling!
March 25, 2009 at 4:32 AM
My two-cents-worth thoughts : When i saw the zoo date ,i was like , omg , they look like a married couple with a kid ! ( perhaps a glimpse of the distant future... ...?) The yijung-gaeul signboard scene was so sweet and emotional, Me likes! ( was holding breath when they almost kissed ! dreamy....) The piano mini-recital was kinda nice yet a bit stereo-typed ? Me also likes the part where jihoo rolls his eyes - hillarious! and it was refreshing to see a comedic jihoo scene . I'm also one of the ones who thinks the coma man is jun-pyo's father....Major plot twists are predictable in long endings ,i guess? Sunset kiss was very romantic! (junpyo-jandi kiss) Actually, i like the reason why and how jandi left - protectin loved ones and leaving a good memory behind , nice! Though the leaving part was predictable i still find it BEAUTIFUL ! Thanks javabeans for yr awesome recaps ! i enjoyed reading them. *smiles*
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99 Peeps!``
March 25, 2009 at 4:41 AM
@33 lucille: (BTW, isn’t JH grandfather a former president? Shouldn’t he have money and powerful connections to protect his property from Madam Kang?)
Well, IMO, in the first episode, they said that Shinhwa was 'THE ECONOMY' of Korea and considering her great power... So... Even if he does have all that money and power, Evil momma has more to override them (Cos no president or anyone else for that matter, is going to risk the future of their country just so someone can keep his art house). Yeah, so, his art gallery can be in danger here. Well, that's just my opinion.
And, that picture of JiHoo... that one beside the one where granddaddy gets a heart attack... that looks like real shock to me and not just eye bugging... I don't know, I haven't watched the drama yet so I'm in no position to comment about his acting just yet cos I haven't got the full picture.
Yeah, so now, I'm going to fix that problem now.
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100 Peeps!``
March 25, 2009 at 4:44 AM
Oh, oh, I also like the first picture of GaEul. Very manga-ish. Although, she could do with some lip gloss. However, she's supposed to be extremely tired so, no complaints here. (Gawd... she looks like she could faint and fall anytime there...)
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