did someone comment on another version and maybe "the best" version? i heard that China is in the midst of doing another HYD/F4 drama. i had glimpses of the F4 boys -- and this looks like it's geared towards the very young ('coz those boys sure look like they're barely just 16).

@all,

It may not be the same as experiencing HanaDan love in the States, but come to the Korean Music Festival in May. All of SS501 (KJH FTW!!) is going to be performing.

@Carol,

"i heard that China is in the midst of doing another HYD/F4 drama."

Yup. HYD-M is coming up later this year. And we're getting a Pinoy one too. 5 HYDs = 5 * F4 = Ultimate F20 Festival

@Rory,

". (Maybe this isn’t a male vs. female viewer thing but a Thinking vs. Feeling thing? I’m bringing in Meyers-Briggs here.)"

I meant it in a more of a very, very generic generalization, because obviously lots of girls love J-drama, lots of guys love K-drama. Great writing will have these models converge toward a middle, but you'll nevertheless notice shifts in the "viewing experience." Case in point were the Shiroi Kyoto and White Tower adaptations; both are great, both have great narratives; both have great acting. But, for many people, Shiroi Kyoto tends to be about the high-toned discourse and gorgeous symmetry of the themes and social ecology, whereas White Tower is more about Kim Myung Min's alpha male subjugation of the workspace, about living in a pressure cooker. And it's almost the same story!

This is more instructive if you watch something like Tokyo Wankei, which was a deliberate attempt by J-drama PDs to do a Korean-style melodrama. On paper, the devices are all there. You got loads of plot twists, lots of nice location shots, lots of romantic moments, and terrific music. But the execution isn't there, because the emotions of the characters seem too literal, too cause-effect with the story. And that makes us even more self-conscious how contrived the story is.

For that reason, I think people talk about J-dramas and K-dramas differently. I may go on and on about story if it's J-drama renzoku, but I'll go on and on about chemistry and presence from a K-drama trendy. And in a sense, it's good to pogo back and forth just to kinda see how the "other side" lives and to be more aware of your own viewing paradigm. We tend to discuss the actors and actresses, the style and the coupling in K-drama; we talk about the situations and the story in J-drama. Even when the story is almost the same.

"By this definition, doesn’t the HYD model just make more LOGICAL SENSE?"

It makes their love more externalized. If the writing is great and the acting accurately plays to the script, the love will have a memorable "gestalt" to it. A major win for HYD-J Season One was that the writers went the extra step to give us an interpretation of the Makino&Doumouji story. They combined and folded different plots and characters of the manga in order to hold an interpretation based on certain themes, rather than trying to tell a comprehensive version of the manga.

Season One HYD-J gives us a HYD world that borders on the gothic, where Doumouji rattles the cages of his multi-acre, paisley cell, where Makino is the only sane person in a bizarre world. We get a coming-of-age narrative. Douymouji develops a sense of humanity; Makino becomes more accepted by her society. The romantic spark is about them taking this mutual journey from antagonistic ends and meeting toward the middle. Matsumoto Jun does a good illuminating Douymouji's violent and obsessive per the details we're given in the script.

Ironically, Season Two HYD-J is actually written more like a proper Korean melodrama, since the plot was kinda glued together from HYD Netizens voting in their favorite HYD-manga storylines. Season Two was less about story (which had loads of inert pacing, big leaps in logic, and choppy stuff) more about Junmao Chemistry, about drinking each character's pensive looks and touches, about the genuine camaraderie between the F4 actors and Mao. For me, Season One was a better story; Season Two was more emotionally satisfying.

@ belleza,

Wow, I totally didn't expect such a well thought-out, insightful response! Thank you for writing all that out :) I'm always thankful for your presence and enjoy reading your eloquent contributions to the comment section of this blog. And here comes the inevitable question, do you have a blog yourself? Because I'd love to read it!

I now have a lot drama analysis to mull over and a few dramas to watch... after I write my papers and study for my midterms.

@ Belleza

Like your 'Thinking vs. Feeling' analogy - this pretty much sums up the differences between J- and K-dramas. Ultimately, it is more personal taste (or Myers Briggs type so to speak) that influences our like or dislike.

Lee Min Ho rocking Thailand on national holiday. And dude, wait until the show actually BROADCASTS over there ;)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQRMRgdBCwU&fmt=18

@Rory,

"And here comes the inevitable question, do you have a blog yourself?"

Oh I'd hate reading me, but thank you and epyc! :)

hope they come to singapore lol.
than it will be wonderful but not exam period please. :x

@ 55 belleza
"It makes their love more externalized. If the writing is great and the acting accurately plays to the script, the love will have a memorable “gestalt” to it. A major win for HYD-J Season One was that the writers went the extra step to give us an interpretation of the Makino&Doumouji story. They combined and folded different plots and characters of the manga in order to hold an interpretation based on certain themes, rather than trying to tell a comprehensive version of the manga.

Season One HYD-J gives us a HYD world that borders on the gothic, where Doumouji rattles the cages of his multi-acre, paisley cell, where Makino is the only sane person in a bizarre world. We get a coming-of-age narrative. Douymouji develops a sense of humanity; Makino becomes more accepted by her society. The romantic spark is about them taking this mutual journey from antagonistic ends and meeting toward the middle. Matsumoto Jun does a good illuminating Douymouji’s violent and obsessive per the details we’re given in the script.

Ironically, Season Two HYD-J is actually written more like a proper Korean melodrama, since the plot was kinda glued together from HYD Netizens voting in their favorite HYD-manga storylines. Season Two was less about story (which had loads of inert pacing, big leaps in logic, and choppy stuff) more about Junmao Chemistry, about drinking each character’s pensive looks and touches, about the genuine camaraderie between the F4 actors and Mao. For me, Season One was a better story; Season Two was more emotionally satisfying"

Conclusion HYD Japan is the best made live action version of HYD. In 9 and 11 the HYD spirit is there and it's wonderful. Even the scene when shigeru broke the engagement is unforgettable (look at the scene when she cries after)

That's why I think jdramas focuse more on charisma, charm, actiing, storyline while kdramas focuse more on look.
For example when I watched the drama "the vineyard man" with YEH people didn't stop complaining on the lead actor look and wanted to have "shin princ"e actor as the lead man. Whatever. Yet OMS and YEH had a GREAT chemistry and they were natural (look at the scene in the forest), the drama was well filmed, the location and landscape were good, the story simple and subtetly moved, the music good...

for me, yes, J-HYD is well scripted, better directed, has better music and more expensive than K-BOF. but somehow, despite of all the weakness in K-BOF, this ill-scripted and ill-directed drama is still very addictive. Really. i hope this is not a fan-girly comment and i'm not saying this based on their looks.
i dont know for others, but i feel a strong chemistry btween the characters. i really had a good laugh and i also cried for them. while HYD, i had a good laugh and thats just it.

what i'm trying to say is, its true that BOF on paper/words is behind HYD. like Dramabeans said, BOF is not even a good drama. but amazingly, this badly written drama is VERY addictive and very charming in its own way. just too bad it was handed on the wrong person and was made in a rush. it could have been truly GREAT, way greater than HYD if the production team sit and think for seconds.

still, if u ask me which one i like the best, its BOF.

when are they coming to americaaa?

i'm so agree with xxx #62.

weirdly, i found my self attached and love BBF more than HYD, eventhough HYD is better made than BBF. HYD casted Jun and Shin who was already waaay popular even before HYD.

while BBF's F4 , the only one i knew was Kim Bum(that is, only because i watched EoE, which he played young SSH for a couple of episodes). i was like "Leeminwhat?? Kim Hyun who?" . " the one who acted in X drama and in X boyband". ''Oh". eventhough i never saw their face nor heard their name before.

Is it true that they'll appear on SmapXSmap? If so, do you know when it will be aired?

min ho's shoulder makes me can't see kim joon's face...rrrghh

[email protected]
I’m woman from the Manila Philippines; I have seen Korean/Japanese drama such as full house "Rain" my fave. The latest and the best I ever seen is the other version of F4 "Boys before flowers". I've seen and observe every details of the episode since start of watching in mysoju and local television in our language version. All make sense and the most attached my attentions was the family practice, clothes, sense of fashions, business, places, friendship, love and respect.

I just hate when I seen fighting young riches vs. young poor teens, in reality it's true! Most of the private schools did and other is not because of insecurity and parent’s treatment in terms of giving love and respect to others. I wish these Boys before Flowers made result to all the viewers... =)
SIMPLY THE BEST!!! Over all result? For me 101% I love all actress and actors. But I love the most Kim Joon! Aside from look a like of my x he is super cute and loveable...

Here in Manila Boys before flowers no. 1 Korean telesrye and I wish they can visit Manila for appearance or concert, I will do the best I can to see them live =)

To F4 more power and Fight!!! Mwahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh =)

OH MY GOSH! the F4 is so cute! I want them to go here in the Philippines!

in love with kim bum! i thought this version was gonna bore me out since i saw the taiwanese and japanese version already but to my surprise it was awesome. although i didnt like the main girl. i think that she's hunchback-ish n has bad posture. n i just dont like her. i think she's not that pretty.

''i love u kim boom!!!
.. ur so cute,i hope mag kabalikan tau ulit !!!
i mzz u xu much!!!

'' i love f4,!!!
.. and i hope we meet again antel the end!!!

kim hyun joong is my dream boy

Boys before flower very intreseting film I love it keep it up