Mystery Drama Theater 3000: Boys Before Flowers
by javabeans
In case you missed our first attempt at Mystery Drama Theater 3000, we’re bringing the concept back, only this time we’ve picked a less obscure show.
For our first outing we picked a show that was less-watched because we thought it would be nice to weigh in on something we hadn’t previously talked about. However, that also made the show harder to find, so for Numero 2 we’re going in the complete opposite direction (Dramabeans: The Land of Extremes and No In-Betweens!).
This time we’ve gone with a drama recognized by everybody and their mother (seriously, your mom’s probably seen it), which we’ve covered extensively on this here site: Boys Before Flowers, probably THE pop-culture sensation of 2009. It’s been a while since we’d seen the series, so it was an interesting experience to go back with somewhat new eyes and the benefit (?) of hindsight.
To watch:
- Download episode, pop the DVD into your player, or cue the file on a streaming site.
- Download our audio commentary file: Get Commentary [ Mirror ]
- Go ahead and start the audio track first; we’ll tell you when to press play so you can be in sync with the episode.
Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.
And there you go! If you have suggestions for future MDT3K options, drop us a line in the comments.
RELATED POSTS
- Mystery Drama Theater 3000: K-Pop Ultimate Survival
- Thing vs. Thing: Foursomes 4eva
- Boys Before Flowers: F4 Special Edition (Parts 3 & 4)
- Boys Before Flowers: F4 Special Edition (Parts 1 & 2)
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 25 (Final)
- Boys Before Flowers: F4 Talk Show Special
- A day behind the scenes of Boys Before Flowers
- Boys Before Flowers: Episode 1
Tags: Boys Before Flowers, featured, Gu Hye-sun, Kim Hyun-joong, Lee Min-ho, Mystery Drama Theater 3000
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1 hmm
April 12, 2013 at 4:17 AM
thank you :)
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2 nokcha
April 12, 2013 at 4:28 AM
I love MST3000!!! This should be a lot of fun. Thanks for putting this together. I didn't watch BOF, but now I guess I'll have to...
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3 Ace
April 12, 2013 at 4:28 AM
Ah! Brings a lot of memories!
This was the first kdrama I tried to watch after it aired in Korea (or as soon as the subs became available: mysoju I miss you). However, the replays I watched of it were done in first forward. I only watched when Gu Jun-pyo was on my screen.
I first stalked dramabeans because of JB's recaps of BOF. I wasn't reading the comments back then because I didn't want my pleasure in watching to be affected by some of the negative comments.
When I went to Hong Kong for vacation, my first purchase was the original soundtracks for this series. Except for the song Paradis, it was a pretty good soundtrack full of good kpop music and some memorable instrumentals. Worth the price for parts 1, 2, and the special OST.
My first urge to go to Korea was because of Lee Min-ho. I specifically went up Namsan Tower to see where they shot some of the scenes there.
Anyway, it has been a long time since I watched this, but it's nice to reminisce.
Thank you! Looking forward to your commentary.
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Ace
April 12, 2013 at 4:29 AM
*in fast forward... :)
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Ace
April 12, 2013 at 4:55 AM
Forgot that I went to Macau too to visit The Venetian.
There were also a lot of very good supporting characters here (better than GHS) that I still like and I try to watch their dramas after BBF (even Kim Hyun Joong).
Hated the Taiwanese version. Loved the Japanese ver. My favorite Tsukasa Domyouji is LMH though I also loved Jun Matsomoto's take on the character. Hands down though, Shun Oguri's the best Rui Hanazawa even if I didn't mind KHJ's acting (or non-acting).
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SH
April 12, 2013 at 6:14 AM
Ace, did you like GJP's curls? That hair style certainly divided opinions :lol:
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Ace
April 12, 2013 at 10:36 PM
LMH can wear any hairstyle and he'll still be hot!
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Issa
April 13, 2013 at 2:46 AM
I can't help but disagree. In my opinion, no one can associate the word 'best' to anyone who acted that part. And Taiwanese < Korean version of HYD would never compute. The latter might have a lot going on but it leaves such a bad taste in the mouth. But to each his own. :)
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Len
April 13, 2013 at 7:43 PM
Me tooo!!!! I got onto dramabeans because of bbf, and in Korea I went to Namsan and hugged the coffee machine LMH used in that episode...
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4 Lady Seoul
April 12, 2013 at 4:34 AM
This is pretty awesome! Thank-you for posting. This was a HUGE sensation back in 2009. Although I was into Korean dramas ever since, this just pushed me over the edge into KPOP and everything else in between! haha
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5 jully moue
April 12, 2013 at 4:36 AM
Soulmate? :D
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Elle
April 12, 2013 at 6:41 AM
ftw!!
soulmate is one of my fave kdramas. so unassuming, so under-rated, but sooo good with a kickass soundtrack.
BOF was my first introduction to LMH. I thought he did his part very well, but unfortunately, the main girls acting was a stronger force of annoyance. needless to say, I did a lot of fast forwarding. hee hee.
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gingeranna
April 13, 2013 at 5:33 AM
Yeah PLEASEEEEE soulmate!!
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Lord of the Things
April 17, 2013 at 7:16 PM
OMG please do soulmate. Its one of my favourite dramas - but you should do the episode where they get together! That would be so much fun
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6 Kiara
April 12, 2013 at 4:41 AM
I must be the only one who didn't care for this show.
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delicatecloud
April 12, 2013 at 4:47 AM
i don't care of this show too - didn't understand (and still don't) what the fuss was all about.
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Mystisith
April 12, 2013 at 4:51 AM
No you're not. I know it's a popular show & it's certainly one of the first K dramas I've watched but I thought it was VERY average then. If anything, it's ranked even lower now in my palmares.
It made me discover Bummie so I guess I can't bite the hand... but seriously, even for DB I can't rewatch this.
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alua
April 12, 2013 at 5:19 AM
No, you are not.
For me, the J version was all I ever needed. Never got far with this one, though I can give the thumbs up to KB!
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Peridot
April 12, 2013 at 5:19 AM
Don't worry...You are not alone. I watched this show once but never plan on watching it again.
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gaeinalee
April 12, 2013 at 5:31 AM
You def not alone, dear. I was forced to watch this due my niece insisted during one of our movie nights. She fell asleep in no time, left me watch for the whole drama in speedy FF mode and done within 2 hrs.
I lost count how many headbanging I did during those 2 hours tho'.. ^^
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DayDreamer
April 12, 2013 at 5:36 AM
Add me to the list of people who didn't care to watch this show either. Reading the manga version had thwarted me from making any such mistake, lol.
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KimYoonmi
April 12, 2013 at 5:45 AM
Me too. The plot holes in the first 15 minutes bugged me. I tried to power through to 30 minutes, but I was cursing it for the poor writing.
The Japanese version, in this case is superior. (And I'm not talking manga, but the drama. The anime also sucked because I really didn't like the original manga that much either...)
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gaeinalee
April 12, 2013 at 7:33 AM
Me too, I do love Hana Yori Dango Jdorama.. Oguri Shun! Tsuyoshi Abe! ♥◡♥
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yasminsatria
April 12, 2013 at 9:52 AM
Yes! Oguri Shun *heart* that guy really can act and definitely have charm.
Hanadan was (and probably still) one of my most favorite drama. Script is tighter and overall acting is much much better than Meteor Garden or BoF. I can't finish the latter though, even with Kim Bum's dimple and Lee Min Hot.
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alua
April 12, 2013 at 12:03 PM
Matsujun all the way for me.
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alua
April 12, 2013 at 12:12 PM
Although I must admit I should have noticed Matsuda Shota already as well... but somehow I didn't. In fact, the amount of stuff I watched (Liar Game Reborn, Bara no Nai Hanaya; Toki no Koibito; Nagareboshi) without properly noticing Matsuda Shota is astounding. I think only Love Shuffle made me realise that Shota is unmissable.
He needs to be given more leads in any case.
skelly
April 12, 2013 at 11:12 AM
Same here - I watched the Jdrama version first, thought it wasn't bad, then watched the Kdrama version and ended up fast-forwarding through most of it. And the manga {shudders}
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Jackie
April 12, 2013 at 4:34 PM
Hana Yori Dango is so beautiful and wonderful. One of the best dramas ever, so the notion that the Korean one was going to do any better...
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mskololia
April 12, 2013 at 5:49 AM
Nope. You're not.
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Shiku
April 12, 2013 at 7:23 AM
I don't care for it, never watched it and I'm not planning to even with awesome commentary.
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rearwindow
April 12, 2013 at 7:29 AM
I think that even most of the people who loved it were mystified by the fact that they loved it. It was pretty widely recognized as Not a Good Show, in spite of its popularity.
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tweetie
April 12, 2013 at 9:25 AM
Didn't like it either. Both the Japanese and Taiwanese versions are much much better. The best is the original manga.
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girlatsea
April 12, 2013 at 4:10 PM
It's pretty terrible hahah. But still, fun to laugh at
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7 sweetisa
April 12, 2013 at 4:48 AM
yes please do Soulmate!
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skelly
April 12, 2013 at 11:13 AM
I second this...Soulmate was the second Kdrama I watched, after Coffee Prince - no wonder I'm still hooked!
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korazylady
April 13, 2013 at 1:40 PM
I loved Soulmate! I've downloaded eps 1 of BOF just to experience your Mystery Drama Theatre 3000, but I disliked it so much the first time that I can't bring myself to watch it yet. Soulmate I would definitely be into.
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8 lol
April 12, 2013 at 4:51 AM
hehe you are not alone. i didnt watch any episodes of this show at all
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9 ibelieveinSoEulmates
April 12, 2013 at 4:54 AM
Ah the kdrama that started it all for me... And turned me into this kdramaddict! :p
Oh and...
SoEul couple! <3 Shipping still...
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10 browncoat_78
April 12, 2013 at 5:00 AM
What a great idea! If I could ever find myself able to stand rewatching BOF I would totally do it with your track. I love MST3K and often watch bad movies intentionally just to do my own version.
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11 RockPaperScissors
April 12, 2013 at 5:07 AM
BBF is still my guilty pleasure. Now with your commentary, I guess I will be watching it again.
So much of BBF is nearly unwatchable, but it it managed to do a few things right. Plus it taught me that I need to get to Macau in my lifetime.
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12 Kelinci Biru
April 12, 2013 at 5:15 AM
the whole set? *praying that i still have mine*
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Kelinci Biru
April 12, 2013 at 5:17 AM
for future MDT 3000 : Delightful Girl Chunhyang or Ruler of your own world!!!
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Rachel
May 9, 2013 at 5:06 AM
Haha no it's just the first episode.
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13 danarod
April 12, 2013 at 5:19 AM
Nice idea - but there's no way I'm going to watch this. I tried and checked out on episode 4. I just couldn't stand anything about this drama.
Enjoy!
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korazylady
April 13, 2013 at 1:44 PM
Now that I think about it, the same questions are popping back into my head like "where are the teachers?" What kind of school allows this stuff to happen?" And most important, "what the heck kind of hairdo is that on a guy?" I couldn't get past episode one. But for the DB girls I will attempt it again (I think.....at least I have the intention to)
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korazylady
April 13, 2013 at 4:50 PM
Just finished watching with the commentary. Loved listening to you guys, but wow, I dislike this even more now! And am still perplexed over the same things as before, especially Lee Min Ho's appeal here. Also forgot how much Ku Hye Sun's facial expressions drove me crazy.
It was a good drama to pick for the MDT3000, though, because the dialogue was pretty sparse, which allowed me to pay more attention to your comments. (Still sorry I didn't get to meet you at the DB meet-up!)
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14 aly
April 12, 2013 at 5:22 AM
I was so obsessed with this show. The amount of times I swooned was crazy lols. I just watched it last year but it deffo got me more interested in Korean dramas. The main girl was such a hoot that it's a shame that I haven't really heard much about her since. At the time I knew how crazy cheesy it was a lot of the time but I was so invested I just didn't care. Now I am getting all nostalgic! Shut up flower boy band is another fantastic drama, by the way.
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15 CaroleMcDonnell
April 12, 2013 at 5:28 AM
I tried to watch this show back in the day. Maybe i was too enamoured of Kim Hyun Joong to see Lee Min Ho's greatness -- although I see LMH's hotness now!-- but I just didn't quite get it. Maybe the aegyo turned me off.
I watched a few episodes but ...
Oh well, i will try again. I so love KHJ...despite his bad acting skills back in the day. Poor thing kinda looked so lost. Will try to do this over the weekend.
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16 ajewell
April 12, 2013 at 5:38 AM
I forgot how terrible this drama was!! Thanks for the laughs. ^_^
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17 LingLing
April 12, 2013 at 5:39 AM
Unpopular opinion, but I really didn't like this drama. I gave it a try, I really did. Watched up til episode 9 and couldn't go on anymore... :(
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jubilantia
April 12, 2013 at 3:25 PM
I don't think that's unpopular at all :)
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Alex Haruko
April 13, 2013 at 3:42 AM
Don't worry, you're not the only one. I didn't like it at all, I prefer the Japanese version, it's soooooo much better
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18 KDaddict
April 12, 2013 at 5:41 AM
I watched dutifully, but totally didn't get this drama, nor the charisma of some of the leads in it. Since then I've fallen for a couple of them in their subsequent works.
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aly
April 12, 2013 at 5:54 AM
Any recs as I haven't seen any of their other work. Khj any good in playfull kiss? I thought about giving it a go but the reviews weren't the best.
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KDaddict
April 12, 2013 at 6:52 AM
Kim Bum was great in Padam Padam. That's a fuller role than JS in That Winter. LMH seems to me still a bit green in Personal Taste. He at 24, is perfectly manly in Faith, tho ppl disagree as to the quality of his acting in it. Playful Kiss I can only say isn't my cup of tea. But if you r a teenager, or a fan of either lead, u might like it. KHJ's acting in it? It isn't inspired IMO. KHJ has morphed a lot over the past few years. There r some photos in which he reminds one of Bae YJ. Whether that is good or not depends on the individual. ;)
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SD
April 12, 2013 at 6:35 PM
I totally agree. His performance in PP was just beyond incredible. TBH, I feel like his acting was slightly put to waste in TWTWB. I believe that he could've done more. I wish he finally lands a lead role this time...preferably with SoEun. They both deserve it. :)
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a_diva
April 12, 2013 at 6:13 PM
try kim bum in the woman who still wants to marry. it was his follow up role after BOF if i am correct. i love love love that drama! and it was so weird but kim bum looked older and fuller in that drama to me. when i saw him in TWTWB, he looked really really young--like illegal, all-out-jailbait young when before i only saw him as yummy young. he also looked small and skinnier in TWTWB than he appeared in the woman who still wants to marry. either way, he was P.H.A.T. and the drama was just all around good.
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19 ck1Oz
April 12, 2013 at 5:58 AM
I didn't realize till I watch it a few years ago that it was subbed into Mandarin when I was passing by SE Asia on holidays.
Terrible, terribly cliche and it made me hate GHS. But oh man, Kim Bum and Kim Hyun Joong... started me down the path of flower boys.
But in hindsight, it was terrible wasn't it? What's her name lead girl was a pain to watch with her flapping and what's with the school uniform at the graduation ball? Then later the same uniform at an award show.
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ck1Oz
April 12, 2013 at 6:04 AM
I just played the track and snorted with the " Almost Paradise " and even more embarrassing, my family members can sing to it.
Oh my goodness how many times did I listen to it??? And they don't watch KD by the way.
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nostalgia
April 12, 2013 at 7:47 AM
OMG yessssssss This song is my choice for my funeral's theme. It's hypnotizing, bizarre and oh so catchy, I love it for being TERRIBLE and for making me absolutely happy for no damn logical reason at the same time.
ALMOST PAAAAAAAARADISE!!!! ♫ ♫ ♫ ♫
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momosan
April 12, 2013 at 8:58 AM
My niece reprogrammed my cellphone to play Almost Paradise when my sister called, calculating that this would happen while I was out with my other niece in a public place. True enough.
That thing went off and Niece2 and I looked at each other in horror as we realized it was coming from my totebag, and dove for that thing faster than you would have bet we could move, totally mortified. The funniest part was we were in a place where very very few people would have recognized it except as being a slightly odd song.
"Stand by Me" got shuffled to by my iPod when my brother was in my car. He had never heard it or knew the context, but immediately hated it 8-) His reaction was "holy cow, that's just awful."
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Cheryl
May 6, 2013 at 12:11 PM
Your niece is sneaky and devious. Great prank. *G* That song was SO overused. I remember when I heard it at the end of Epi 25, I thought, 'Finally! It's appropriate!" ;D
20 SH
April 12, 2013 at 6:04 AM
This brings back old memories. I watched it simultaneously with Korean air dates. Every Monday and Tuesday, I had my routines down to the T. Watched it live in the morning, re-watched raw episode a few hours later, stalked viikii for subs all day, watched it again semi-subbed, constantly refreshed DB for Javabeans' recaps later in the evening. Went back to watch said episode fully subbed. Tuesday, rinsed and repeated the process. Stalked every news outlet that covered this show.
Yeah, I was so infatuated with this show. Javabeans, you covered BBF so extensively as well, so thank you for feeding my addiction back then!
After the show ended, I've never had the urge to re-watch. The quality of the show was not good, but it was such a fun experience. Probably, the first internet mania that I've been a part of.
Thank goodness, I chose easy courses that Spring Semester of 2009 :)
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a_diva
April 13, 2013 at 7:31 AM
this is SO funny. you were totally hard core.
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21 V
April 12, 2013 at 6:08 AM
What a great treat for my morning. I loved listening to y'alls take on this drama.
I think some dramas you should do Mystery Drama Theater to are:
1. My Name Is Kim Sam Soon
2. Coffee Prince
3. Joseon X-Files
I haven't seen Joseon X-Files yet, but I remember Javabeans loving it.
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Kiara
April 12, 2013 at 6:50 AM
Joseon X-files was an awesome drama but I'd love me some Kim Sam Soon for the next MST3000.
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Kana
April 12, 2013 at 7:33 AM
sungkyunkwan scandalllllll!!!!
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22 SD
April 12, 2013 at 6:10 AM
Despite being one of the most overrated dramas to date, I thank the drama gods for introducing it to me. The chemistry between the leads was pretty much non-existent (Forgive me dear JunDi shippers as I don't have the slightest bit of intention to step on your toes) and KHJ's acting was excruciatingly cringe-worthy. However, if I had stubbornly ignored the urge to check out all the madness that was BOF, I wouldn't have discovered my first love: the SoEul couple.
Up to this day, I am still shipping them like crazy. As insane as it may sound, they are my inspiration. Never had I stopped wishing that the drama gods let them star in their own drama.
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Waiting
April 12, 2013 at 6:29 AM
SoEul couple??
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Cynthia
April 12, 2013 at 10:59 AM
Kim So Eun + Kim Bum = SoEul couple
:)
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SD
April 12, 2013 at 3:55 PM
or (So) Yi Jung + Chu Ga (Eul) :D
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Elina
April 12, 2013 at 8:18 AM
SoEul all the way.
I didn't really like Jan-di, and I agree about the zero chemistry of LMH and GHS.
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pogo
April 12, 2013 at 8:27 AM
I think most people who watch BOF ship SoEul more than JunDi.
I mean, if you were on fanfiction.net and checking for fic, if you went by the numbers of SoEul fic you wouldn't know that they weren't the OTP, lol.
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SD
April 12, 2013 at 6:38 PM
That is so true! If you've been checking out the SoEul thread on soompi, you'd see that most people were still hyperventilating like crazy over SoEul scenes which were more like snippets, or "crumbs" as they called it. :D I'd like to believe that their chemistry is that explosive in order to have gazillion of fans going insane over them.
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pogo
April 13, 2013 at 5:48 AM
Seriously, they had everything the OTP didn't - a heroine with a backbone, and fantastic chemistry.
It astonished me how much I liked them because in every other iteration of HYD including the manga, I HATED them. Writing SoEul the way they did is the one unquestionably good decision the writers made, even if they dark-horsed their way into shipper hearts ahead of the OTP.
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SD
April 13, 2013 at 5:36 PM
Indeed. SoEul is the best thing that ever happened in BOF. I've seen HYD and truth be told, I wasn't Yuki-Soujiro arc. No offense to HYD fans, but Yuki was just downright annoying. Ga Eul was the best version IMO. She was feisty and passionate, yet she knew where she stood.
SD
April 13, 2013 at 5:37 PM
*I wasn't too keen on the Yuki-Soujiro arc.
queen bee
April 12, 2013 at 6:49 PM
Me too! I miss SoEul couple so so so much.
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23 keets
April 12, 2013 at 6:20 AM
You guys should do What's Up.
It's great!
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24 tessieroo
April 12, 2013 at 6:22 AM
This is actually quite fun - turn the volume all the way down on BOF and just listen to the girls. *hee* Works for me. Great idea - I feel like I'm right there with you guys! (and agree with everything you're saying, BTW) I can't get over how bad the filming looks. Ahahaha.
I also vote Shut Up: Flower Boy Band for the next Mystery Theater. I'm enjoying this, thanks! :)
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25 ck1Oz
April 12, 2013 at 6:28 AM
How about some oldies? Like Plastic Surgeons of Korea. Never watched it and never could find any episode.
Or that funny named- Green Apple or something.
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26 emmy
April 12, 2013 at 6:57 AM
This is such a great concept!!! I almost always watch K-dramas alone, so this was like two friends watching it with me. I loved it!:) Thanks guys!
I'd love to see you guys to mystery drama theatre for The King 2 Hearts and Queen In-Hyun's man.:)
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27 kfangurl
April 12, 2013 at 7:09 AM
Ok. Honestly? My biggest takeaway from this podcast was, WOW. JB PLAYS THE VIOLIN??!! HOW TALENTED IS SHE??! :D :D :D
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28 drama_after_drama
April 12, 2013 at 7:10 AM
How about instead of doing regular recaps of When A Man Loves, do a MST3000 version of each episode? It would be a hoot!
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SH
April 12, 2013 at 7:19 AM
Yes to this please! I would love to listen to abs commentaries :P
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29 tearfulheart
April 12, 2013 at 7:14 AM
YO YO YO WAZZUP MA BROS!
you guys are hilarious! i was laughing throughout the podcast. maybe a bit too much scotch? ;)
thanks for the trip down memory lane, this show was a cheese fest, i don't understand how i was so addicted to it at the time.
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30 la dee dah
April 12, 2013 at 7:16 AM
I just rewatched this last week out of boredom! Man, the girl they got for Jan Di was horribly miscast, it was like LMH was acting against a wall. She gave "nothing" to the chemistry at all, her facial expressions were just dead, I didn't get it. They also took away a lot of the spunk and guts from the Jan Di character. At least I got to know about LMH, who I thought was great and actually the best version of Domyouji in my mind (though Matsujun was great as well, but was a more extreme comical version of the manga character imo)... I also got to know Kim Bum, which was great. Other than LMH and the SoEul couple, the drama was pretty bad and cheesy. If I have to hear "Almost Paradise" one more time...
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31 mysticmalady
April 12, 2013 at 7:19 AM
Ah....all the BBF memories come flooding back once again, made even better with the commentary! =D Though...it did remind me of the reasons why I fast-forwarded through soooo many scenes and never touched a GHS drama since then...
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32 snow_white
April 12, 2013 at 7:21 AM
I liked Boys Before Flowers....it was an average drama, but entertaining through and through.....and I discovered LEE MIN HO!!!!
I watched it alone for the first time and then again with mom :)
I never knew I could watch it twice, but it was possible and enjoyable... :)
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33 tessieroo
April 12, 2013 at 7:42 AM
*passes the scotch* My hot girl name is Bambi.
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34 marid
April 12, 2013 at 7:44 AM
Lol.. BOF my Second K-drama ever & the first drama I never finished. My dislike for Jandi overcame my love for Lee min-Ho. I would like to point out that even back in my Kdrama Infansy I loved Kim Bum to dead.
Now that I seen Meteor garden & the japanease version... I like the last two better. They were not as pretty but the character were better.
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35 AJ
April 12, 2013 at 7:46 AM
I loved this!!!!! Thank you so much! BOF was my first k-drama, and what got me into k-pop culture in the first place. I watched it raw my first time, so while I knew it was not top notch, I did not get the extent of how bad it was till the second time around. I always hated the first episode though, even when you cant understand whats being said you still know it's bad. Your commentary only made the episode better.
I wish you could do this for all the episodes but ain't nobody got time for that!
How about the first episode Return of Iljimae, or King 2 Hearts. Or you could commentate on the first episode of City Hunter, keep the LMH ball rollin.'
Thanks again!
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36 shoesrgreatrite
April 12, 2013 at 8:06 AM
CITY HUNTER. YOU SHOULD DO CITY HUNTER AND BASK IN THE AWESOMENESS OF LEE MIN HO. AND THE GREAT STORY LINE. CHARACTERS. RELATIONSHIP. EVERYTHING. YES CITY HUNTER PERFECT DRAMA EVER
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Cheryl
May 6, 2013 at 12:14 PM
Yes, yes, yes! Totally second this. CITY HUNTER! Lee Min HOTHOTHOT! *G*
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37 amhrancas
April 12, 2013 at 8:16 AM
XD;; Oh god, BOF- my gateway drug to Dramabeans. This so was so GOOD at being AWFUL- it just couldn't be ignored. Maybe it's time for a revisit, thanks to this commentary! Awesome idea, ladies!
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38 anicheung
April 12, 2013 at 8:22 AM
"This time we’ve gone with a drama recognized by everybody and their mother (seriously, your mom’s probably seen it)"
This line tickled me since it's true. Especially since my mom and my dad have seen it, and yet, I STILL haven't seen it. And I'm more into K-drama than they are. I'm almost thinking of watching it with Mystery Drama Theater 3000 just to get on the bandwagon. Might be fun.
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39 Mawiie
April 12, 2013 at 8:33 AM
I'm listening to this as a podcast because I really can't bring myself to watch this drama anymore. Man, I used to love it so so much, I'm kinda shaking my head at my 20 years old self now LOL
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40 Taecyeonsboo
April 12, 2013 at 8:44 AM
You know, i think that boys over flowers was such a sensation because everyone was so hot! i have yet to find a kdrama with a prettier cast (not that im looking). i completely fell in love with KHJ on this one, not to mention Kim Bum and Lee Min Ho (once i got over the atrocious curls). I think what keeps BOF from being one of my favorite drams is the evolution of Jandi from being a spunky, confident ball of sass to a crying codependent whiner. SO annoying! Then the inane plot twist at the end that I won't even bother to share. Sigh. But other than that, it really was a decent drama
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41 Kiara
April 12, 2013 at 9:08 AM
How about some under-rated dramas like Arang for your next MST3000 or some really old one like "First love" and why is it still the highest rating drama in Korea to this day.
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Cynthia
April 12, 2013 at 11:12 AM
OMG
I absolutely have to second this suggestion of MST3 'First Love'!!
What a hoot that was - they even aired it on AZN here in the States way back when, and is the first Kdrama I think I ever saw. It reeled me in hook, line and sinker - the original gateway to my Kdrama crack addiction!
:)
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Kiara
April 12, 2013 at 9:55 PM
One of my mom's favorite drama :). I have to thank her for my K-drama addiction though. She made me watch Dae Jang Geum with her back in 2004 and then bought the Winter Sonata dvd for Christmas and thast all it took to get me hooked.
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emmy
April 12, 2013 at 2:00 PM
I second you for Arang!! It was underrated indeed and the connection between the two leads was one of the best I've seen!
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42 Sponge
April 12, 2013 at 9:13 AM
Haha omg thanks for doing this, i remember really enjoying this drama despite the gigantic flaws (and it also led me to discover this wonderful website :'D) and it's still fun 4 year later with your hilarious commentary <3 Ah nostalgia, please continue to do these, particularly for semi-old but popular dramas, maybe something like Coffee Prince? Another classic that was actually good? :P
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43 Hko
April 12, 2013 at 9:30 AM
Wrell well well ! This was my first eer Korean drama ! And what a journey ! I'm Lebanese. And it was aired in my country in sep 2012 ! After 3 years of actuall airing ! And let me tell you it got me to know dramabeans ,koalas playground and every other site that discusses Korean drama. In months that followed I either watched or read the recaps of a total 50 Korean dramas ! Pretty much every single world you guys have written ! Serioulsy ! I traded every single tech I had at home with either a samsung , LG it Hyundai simply cuz it's Korean ! Im making plans to visit jeju islands and stay at HAYYAT HOTLE cuz that is were these guys went to in ep 21 I beleive and the best part is that they are a sensation in my region an dmiddle east cuz the channel resided it after only 4 months of the first time and in their best channel !
So that's what BOYS OVER FLOWERS is for me ! It even changed my life starting half a year ago. ! Not the actuall thing but I was just caught in the hallyu that I can't and won't cone out of it ! And every body around me calls me psycho and obsessed but what the heck !
But what is mystery drama again ! I didn't get the concept !
thank you for making my life so beautiful !
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Betsy Hp
April 12, 2013 at 4:45 PM
This was my first K-drama ever, too! :) I didn't even know what k-dramas were, that they existed, nothing. Just followed a HULU link (I'd been watching an anime, actually) and... yeah, pretty much fell down the rabbit hole.
The "Mystery Drama 3000" is a play on an old US program called "Mystery Science Theater 3000" where a guy and a couple of robots he'd built (it was a concept) watched old B sci-fi movies and made funny comments. (You'd see their profiles at the bottom of your screen.) It was a HILARIOUS show... and it's super clever of JB and GF to take the idea and run with it. :)
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44 tiacait
April 12, 2013 at 9:45 AM
YAAAY! Mystery Drama Theater is back! This makes drama watching 1000x more fun!
And that you guys picked BBF? Awesome. One of my friends is watching the series right now (her first k-drama), and she's been asking me some unanswerable questions (Why doesn't Jan-di roundhouse kick those creepers who try to get her to star in the porno/fetish video? Why can't any of the boys play instruments properly? Why is Jan-di so annoying?), and I've just been telling her to read javabeans' recaps.
I actually like that so far you've picked hot mess dramas - they're unbearable to watch alone, but way more fun when watching with others. A really old school melo might be fun too, like one of the seasons dramas - I don't think I could watch Winter Sonata on my own, but with jb and gf's commentary? It might actually be relatively enjoyable!
But if you were to pick a good one, I'd go with a crack drama - someone above mentioned Sungkyunkwan Scandal, and I absolutely second that. Although I wouldn't pick the first episode (maybe one of the memorable ones like episode 8 or episode 12). Other fun ones might be Best Love, Flower Boy Ramyun Shop, or You're Beautiful.
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45 gin
April 12, 2013 at 9:55 AM
This was so fun! I actually found myself wanting to watch more BoF because the commentary was so entertaining. Maybe more than one episode next time? >_>
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46 Bro
April 12, 2013 at 11:00 AM
I haven't seen this nor do I plan too. It's just because someone once told me the show got really annoying at one point. But I have a friend who looks like exactly like the main lead girl. She dating one of my best friends haha.
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47 Lara / LL
April 12, 2013 at 11:14 AM
This was a ton of fun to listen to! Boys Before Flowers is such a mess, in so many ways. Having watched the Japanese HYD, I feel the drama only works if the Makino/Jan-di character is strong and steady, acting as the viewer's sane anchor in an insane rich world. Geum Jan-di was not that. I always found Gu Hye-sun's choices in this drama to be totally bizarre. The way she walks and gestures and acts, she just seems like she has some sort of head injury. I mean, I do give her credit for actually MAKING choices: it's crucial to good acting and a lot of actors don't bother to do it. Unfortunately in this case, they were completely the wrong choices.
(Gaksital spoilers below.)
I also found the discussion of Ahn Suk-hwan (Jan-di's dad) to be interesting. The exaggerated, hyperactive, clownish acting he sometimes does seems so at odd with the dramas where he is more subdued. He's definitely capable of good work and, if my memory serves, the Hong Sisters usually use him to better effect. He irritated me so much as the broad-strokes collaborator in Gaksital, and then (SPOILERS!!) his son committed suicide. He was absolutely heartbreaking in that moment. There's definitely something terribly jarring about seeing a heretofore cartoonish character in that kind of pain, but I still feel the drama would have been better served by giving the character more nuance before that moment.
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48 Mrs. Hand Towel
April 12, 2013 at 11:18 AM
In the spirit of MST3K/Rifftrax, may I suggest Fashion King, Dr. Jin, or something just as ridiculous.
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49 jubilantia
April 12, 2013 at 11:46 AM
Oh I'm so excited. I've never felt the urge to rewatch this (it was fun, but Japanese version all the way for me), but I'm happy to with your commentary. Thanks a million!
I can't think of any so bad they're good shows that would lend themselves to this. Maybe some mind screw episodes of classic makjangs? I don't really watch those, but I'd love to see the soul-wrenching twists rendered with snark.
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50 keya
April 12, 2013 at 12:00 PM
I can't do it again!!! I CAN'T! I love you girls but this was not my favorite korean drama at all. I only watched it because my house is filled with teenage girls who watched it 4 times!!! UGGHHH I am truly sorry for all the BoverF fans, I love Lee Min Ho, but I hated this drama
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Crukay25
April 12, 2013 at 1:17 PM
I agree. I can't watch that hot garbage again. I remember when I first came into this kdrama/kpop world like years ago I thought BBF was the business. Then i watched it again and i'm like what is this mess?!! I agree the only reason to watch this is to see LMH's hotness. This was a bad drama with terrible acting, repetitive use of songs, and no chemistry between to main characters. This drama, like Playful Kiss also turned me off of Kim Hyun Joong.
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a_diva
April 13, 2013 at 7:33 AM
my sentiments exactly!!
i still have no idea what it was about this show that had everyone so addicted. i was hypnotized by it too. only after it wrapped did i realize that it wasn't actually that great. i'm almost sad that it gets so universally trashed now. why couldn't we see it then? i had no intention of ever watching it again. i watched half of the first episode yesterday and played JB & GF's commentary just to see what kind of things they had to say. they were entertaining but it was just painful watching it. gu hye sun's acting in episode 1 was tragic. i can't believe i missed it the first time around. her facial expressions, the over acting, the weird head angles--it's just too much. i don't know if the ladies did commentary for the whole series, but i just can't suffer through it. good luck to everyone who can though!
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geenah
April 16, 2013 at 12:35 PM
First impressions or instincts are usually the purest ones. There's nothing wrong with GHS's acting in BOF as you didn't even notice it as you said when you watched it. But it looks like you've been influenced by other people's ( who didn't like her) negative comments . It's not that you were blinded the first time you watched it, it's the negative committee in your mind and other people's that convince you to be so.
Some told me that the Japanese version is the best so I went ahead and watched it to see for myself. None of the Japanese actors come close to the Korean ones (looks and all). And I think Oguri Shun is the ugliest Ji Hoo. His acting didn't make him any special either. It's just the same as KHJ's non-acting. Korean version still rocks!
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