First Look: Boys Before Flowers (꽃보다 남자)

When I heard about the Korean adaptation of Boys Over Flowers (aka Asia’s Twilight), I was amped. I love the original manga, and felt that, for all their popularity, neither of the two previous drama adaptations captured it. Meteor Garden (Taiwan) lacked the budget & acting talent; Hana Yori Dango‘s (Japan) two seasons were incredibly well-done, but the characters weren’t right. Rui was too likable, Doumyouji too dislikable, and Makino (as much as I loved Inoue Mao in the role) was a shadow of her former self. Plus, the split seasons cut short Doumyouji’s & Makino’s initial courtship, my favorite part.

So I had high hopes that the K-drama, in looking to surpass the previous versions, would avoid their flaws. Four episodes in, and I can say that it has–it’s just replaced those flaws with new ones. That said, it’s highly entertaining, and will probably end up as my favorite version.

What works:

Lee Min Ho as Jun Pyo (Doumyouji): The series highlight is Lee Min Ho. For me, he’s already the best Doumyouji of all adaptations. Matsumoto Jun’s interpretation has many backers, but I found it unsatisfying; not only did he not look the part, but his Doumyouji (as written & acted) was too caricatured, even for a manga character.

By looks, I’ll clarify that I think MatsuJun’s gorgeous. He’s just the wrong kind of gorgeous. Doumyouji may be a rich boy, but he’s also a thug; MatsuJun’s fine features and smaller frame didn’t match that. In contrast, Lee Min Ho is more physically imposing, with his height & strong facial lines. He even rocks the perm.

Lee Min Ho and the writers also captured Jun Pyo’s violence & stupidity without making him unlikeable. While Jun Pyo’s delightfully thick-headed about some things (phrases, his & Jan Di’s feelings), we get the idea he’s smart enough to run the Shinhwa Group (whether he’s reading the Wall Street Journal or calculating the tip for the $30 coffee). As Jan Di suggests, he’s not a complete idiot, and that makes her attraction to him and his future career more believable.

He’s also not psycho in this version. He lacks empathy, a terrifying quality in someone with his power. He has a vindictive, cruel streak. But he’s not irredeemable, as his actions toward Jan Di prove. And Lee Min Ho does an excellent job making Jun Pyo attractive, in spite of his shortcomings.

Koo Hye Sun as Jan Di (Makino): A more controversial figure is Koo Hye Sun, who plays Jan Di. Many feel she overacts, and some are still whinging that she’s too old to play a high school student (whereas I grew up convinced Ian Ziering was a teenager).

I’ve decided I like her interpretation. She shouts too much, but that’s decreased with each episode. She also overdoes the cutesiness, but she’s genuinely adorable half the time. In a few scenes, she even reminds me of Ueno Juri‘s Nodame. Koo Hye Sun stands out, though, in serious moments like the confrontation with Jun Pyo in the forest. She makes highly charged emotional scenes convincing, instead of melodramatic or undercooked.

Most importantly, Jan Di is the closest to manga Makino of any adaptation. The scriptwriters have preserved Makino’s violence (she’s kicked, punched or slapped Jun Pyo more here than in the manga) and saucy mouth. I’m glad, because it’s fun to see a bully get bullied. It’s also a novelty to see a woman reform a man, not through words or beauty, but with roundhouse kicks to the face. What’s more…

Jan Di & Jun Pyo’s chemistry: …since BBF’s the first drama to get Jan Di & Jun Pyo right, it’s also the first to get their chemistry right.

Makino didn’t win Doumyouji over by being kind or pretty or smart (many girls are all those things). She won him over by being, as Jun Pyo calls her, a “gangster.” She’s his first, and probably only, worthy opponent; it’s not surprising that someone with such a high opinion of himself would fall for his mirror image in spirit.

That’s why, although Inoue Mao’s Makino was more likable, Jan Di makes more sense as Jun Pyo’s soulmate. Their connection should feel inevitable & singular, and here, it’s starting to.

Yi Jung & Ga Eul (Soujiroh & Yuki): I never cared for this side romance, but Kim Bum & Kim So Eun have great chemistry. Ga Eul’s character also has more backbone than I remember in the manga or other adaptations, and it’s a welcome change. Maybe we’ll get a shinier end for these two? And, although I first thought Kim Bum looked too young to be a playboy, I now think he’s got a smexy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt thing going for him.

The rest of the cast (save Kim Hyun Joong): Everyone looks the part, and I’m happy with the acting (it helps that I don’t understand Korean, so any shortcomings in delivery are lost on me). Jun Pyo’s mother looks beautiful & cruel, Jan Di’s family is as goofy as ever, and Oh Min Ji (Sakurako) is the right level of bitchy bipolar. As long as he stays away from gangsta Engrish, Kim Joon is great as Woo Bin (Akira). I also like the three mean girls; the Valley Girl affectations make them the most amusing trio yet.

The script: BBF’s writers have a tricky balancing act: they have to create something new & fresh from a much-told story, while keeping enough of the original details to satisfy purists. So far, they’ve pulled it off. I like how they’ve “Koreanized” this version, adding details like netizens, bargain sales, & Namsan Tower, without being intrusive.

The way they’ve condensed key events in the manga is also efficient, smart storytelling. Finally, it’s a funny script, milking humor even out of small events (like Jan Di dancing on Ji Hoo’s feet).

What doesn’t work:

The spotty production quality: Though heads above Meteor Garden, Boys Before Flowers falls short of the J-drama’s set designs & cinematography. It’s still (mostly) impressive, but it’s hard not to compare the two. Moments of stunningly fake CG also ruin good ideas, for example, the duck scene above, which I loved until I watched it in hi-res. Scratch that, I still love it. But the CG snow has to go.

Music: Oy. It’s cheesy, and often dictates, rather than complements, the mood.

Random ridiculousness: Three words: “Your delicious hands…”

Ham-handed direction & editing: Ties into the above problems. In certain parts, the pacing is off, which dulls the impact of key plot points (e.g., the almost rape scene & the sky-lift scene). The director doesn’t always trust his audience to reach proper conclusions, and will employ sound or visual effects (heart beats, harp strings, a handkerchief) with all the subtlety of a baseball bat to the face.

Kim Hyun Joong as Yoon Ji Hoo (Hanazawa Rui): I don’t want to pick on Kim Hyun Joong, since it’s his first major acting role, and goodness knows, the filmmakers haven’t helped him out. What’s with the puppet? Why did they put him in the forest with that outfit & that violin? It’s no wonder he’s crying. Rui’s a tricky character to sell, too, since he’s so passive. Even so, Oguri Shun managed it; KHJ, not so much. At least it’s easy to fast-forward through his scenes.

Judge for yourself: English subs are available at Viikii and at arashi.vox.com. New episodes show every Monday and Tuesday night; due to the drama’s popularity, subs can appear within hours of initial air time. For those who’d rather read than watch, Dramabeans posts well-written episode summaries. UPDATE: This Boys Over Flowers Korea livejournal group has extended episode previews and indepth episode reviews.

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