Boys Over Flowers: 10 Years On

BOYS OVER FLOWERS

It has been 10 years can you believe it? 10 years since Boys Over Flowers aired on KBS2 in South Korea. Time flies doesn’t it? Wow!

BOF was and is still such an iconic drama, everything written about it will always seem lacking in a way or another. 

2 Suggestions:

1 - Before going down memory lane, click here and this will take you to the drama’s full OST which you can listen to while you read this article. 

2 - Instead of just reading the article and writing your comments at the end of the article, how about doing something different?

Throughout the article you'll find questions which will take you on a smiling walk down memory lane. If you can, grab a pen/pencil and a piece of paper and write down your answers. Please share them with everyone if you wish to in the comments section. 

Q1- Have you watched BOF?

Q2- If YES when have you watched it? If NO, do you plan to and why?

If you have watched it, please take a look at Q3, if you haven't ignore it and all the coming questions and continue reading the article. Hopefully by then in a small measure you'll feel inspired to give this drama a go!

Q3- How many times have you watched BOF?

The drama is a Korean adaptation of the best-selling shoujo manga Hana Yori Dango, written by Yoko Kamio between 1992 – 2008 which has sold over 60 million of copies. So far HYD has received 18 screen adaptations, the most famous being Meteor Garden, from Taiwan released in 2001, Hana Yori Dango, from Japan in 2005 and Boys Over Flowers in 2009. All three versions have strong fanbases, the strongest one being BOF.

Q4- Did you watch any other versions?

Q5- If YES, which ones? If NO, do you plan to and why?

South East Asian drama fans have probably watched at least two of HYD versions, partially if not entirely, at least once. Hard-core fans have watched them all. Newcomers will most likely have watched BOF or if not, have it on their to watch list. It’s a must!

LOOKING BACK AT BOF's PREMISE & BRIEF PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAITS OF THE MAIN CHARACTERS

A strong and determined average teenage girl, Geum Jan-Di gets a scholarship to the prestigious Shinhwa High School where she meets and gets tangled with four rich boys; the F4.

All four lord over the school and issue red F4 cards like duel challenges in Alexander Dumas' The Three Musketeers to those who had the nerve to insult them. Yet instead of acting like honourable gentlemen, the four masters prefer to leave their prey to a pack of wolves, making them a target for every student in the entire school to pick on, with the ultimate goal being to break their spirit and force them to quit in an opprobrium shame. Obviously at the time the four are still ignorant about the fact that karma has no menu and, at one point or another, one is served just what one deserves.

Jan-Di offends Gu Jun-Pyo and is issued a red card, becoming a target of everyone.

Gu Jun-Pyo thinks she is going to cower and leave the school but to his shocking surprise she stands up to him, and he gets his karma served ice cold in small dosages like medicine.

Jan Di doesn’t back down and that impresses Jun-Pyo, so much in fact, that he starts to respect her, then protect her, defend her and cherish her as if little by little he climbed the stairs to her heart. The F4 cardis removed, forgotten as of the moment she becomes his in his own heart. Jan Di slowly starts to change her views of the infamous quartet, and to hang out with them, all the while continuing her bickering relationship with Jun-Pyo who is by then head over heels in love with her. His feelings are eventually reciprocated by her, after his consistent efforts in proving to her time and time again how much he cares for her.

Q6- Who is your favourite BOF character and why?

"Almost Paradise achimboda deo nunbusin
 Nal hyanghan neoui sarangi onsesang da gajindeutae

In my life nae jichin sarme kkumcheoreom
Dagawajun ni moseubeul eonje kkajina saranghal su itdamyeon

Neoui soneul japgoseo sesangeul hyanghae himkkeot sorichyeo
Haneureul georeo yaksokhae yeongwonhi ojik neomaneul saranghae
Bamhaneul byeolbitgateun uri dulmanui areumdaun kkum Paradise
Neowa hamkkehandamyeon eodideun gal su isseo to the my Paradise
Neoreul irheotdeon sigangwa geuapeum modu daijeobwa
Ijebuteo sijagiya neowa hamkke
Tteonaboneun geoya dallyeoganeun geoya loving you forever

Almost Paradise taeyangboda deo ttaseuhan
Nal boneun neoui nunbicheun onsesang da gajindeutae

In my life nae jichin sarme biccheoreom
Dagawajun ni sarangeul eonje kkajina ganjikhal su itdamyeon

 You are All of my love!
 You are All of my life!
 Nae modeungeol georeoseo naneunneoreul saranghae! [...]"

Q7- What is your favourite BOF song?

WHERE IS THE MAIN CAST NOW & WHAT HAVE THEY BEEN DOING SINCE BOF?

Lee Min Ho has become a hot commodity after BOF, riding strong with hits Personal Taste and City Hunter, which have established him even further as an A-lister, drama success-maker and an actor everyone wants to work with due to his work ethics. The number of dramas/movies he takes is anything but prolific , demonstrating his careful consideration of roles that are offered to him. 

LMH has participated in Faith, which was plagued with issues and pretty bland ratings despite his best efforts to keep the drama from disappearing in the midst of Avalon with his performance which won him the SBS Top Excellence Award, Actor in a Miniseries. The drama was the only one this side of BOF that was not a fan favourite. The Heirs and subsequently, The Legend of the Blue Sea were well received and enjoyed by fans globally. He has the Midas touch, whatever he touches becomes gold!

10 years on and Lee Min Ho still holds the crown in dramaland kingdom and is perhaps the most popular and in-demand actor of his generation. He's scheduled to start in The King: The Eternal Monarch, aiming for a 2020 air date, following a two year hiatus in the military.

While waiting for the drama previews to start popping up on social media and for the drama to air, you can check out LMH's Instagram account, which everyone can follow and interact positively with his publications in the comments section. Check it out here.

Q8- Have you watched any of Lee Min Ho's 2010 onwards work?

Q9- If YES which ones and why? If NO do you plan to and why?

Ku Hye Sun's career has taken her in a different direction from Lee Min Ho. She's still a top actress, however apart from Absolute Boyfriend and her high visibility wedding to Blood co-star Ahn Jae Hyun which has originated a reality series named Newlywed Diary her other acting work didn't generate a lot of buzz i.e. the drama Musical and the movie Daughter and she has been focused on other less visible activities in comparison with her work as an actress.

The artist has directed programs for South Korean TV networks, directed films, released singles, written and published books and held art exhibitions. Ku Hye Sun has also became an honorary ambassador for associations such as the Korean Leukemia Association.  

10 years on and Ku Hye Sun's life has become emotionally richer and she has been able to do the projects that she has wanted outside of the acting scope and shown that she is a lot more than the girl who became a household name with BOF, she has become a woman, a wife and an overall fantastic artist, happy doing all that she loves.

For updates about what KHS is doing fans can check out her Instagram here. Positive comments only in the comments section to support the artist into continue doing amazing work for everyone to enjoy.

Q10- Have you watched any of Ku Hye Sun's 2010 onwards work?

Q11- If YES which ones and why? If NO do you plan to and why?

Following BOF Kim Hyun Joong was in high demand. He was already widely famous as a singer and entertainer as member of K-Pop popular boyband SS501 who has also collaborated in BOF’s OST. 

BOF cemented his status as an artist, elevating him to the genius male lead in Playful Kiss the following year. Ratings were atrocious considering his A-list status at the time, a perfect match for the mediocre drama Playful Kiss was domestically a failure, perhaps because the male lead’s performance was like a psychological case of mental arthritis. Internationally however, Kim Hyun Joong’s reputation soared to new heights with the drama’s success outside of South Korea. 

Shedding the teen heartthrob image he has cultivated over the years as an idol, KYJ dived heads on into Inspiring Generation, a role that required serious acting chops and was the antitheses of Baek Seung-jo in Playful Kiss. His performance was solid demonstrating that there was more to him than a pretty face and the ability to efficiently memorize script lines. This new image of his, more masculine, hard and volatile onscreen, while demonstrating KYJ's versatility as a actor and overall artist, became his image as a man in the  minds of the general public throughout the subsequent years following his public assault charges, paternity and criminal cases, and drunk driving which have pretty much thrown his career in the bin.

10 years on and Kim Hyun Joong is a disgraced Korean superstar who has thus far been unable to redeem himself from his past mistakes in the eyes of the public as every year or so he appears inclined to make another one whilst doing music and trying to recover his declining acting career. 

Whether or not he will bounce back from his misdeeds positively remains to be seen but if his latest drama ratings are anything to go by - in the 2018 KBS W drama When Time Stopped had ratings of under 1%,  matching his overall mediocre acting - then perhaps he ought to consider a career change, do voluntary work to repair his reputation and/or stay low, do an SS501 reunion, accept second lead or supporting roles in dramas while taking up acting classes and build the public’s trust on him again slowly step by step.

KYJ also has an Instagram account where you fans can check out his photos and videos and interact with him positively in the comments section. For those interested in checking it out, please click here.

Q12- Have you watched any of Kim Hyun Joong's 2010 onwards work?

Q13- If YES which ones and why? If NO do you plan to and why?

Following BOF Kim Bum was extremely popular, taking the opposite approach to Lee Min Ho’s career wise and keeping himself as busy as possible like a chameleonic busy social butterfly. He has taken an assortment of roles as a lead, second lead or supporting.  KB has starred in Padam Padam, Goddess of Fire, The Beloved, Hidden Identity, Mrs. Cop 2 and others which have enabled him to explore distinctive characters physically and psychologically.

On paper his dramas looked promising but somehow onscreen there was always something missing and none of his roles has given him his second breakthrough to kick start his career again following mellow entertainment projects which regretfully haven’t been able to convince the audience of his talent and potential as the good actor he is.

KB dabbled in the Chinese market taking roles in romantic comedy movies lauded by well-known stars and introduced him to a wider Chinese audience, the ones that somehow missed seeing him in BOF, or the ones that saw him and wanted to see him again onscreen. None of his performances thus far has been memorable and his status within the Korean Entertainment industry is well… average. This is a shame considering how talented he is.

10 years on and Kim Bum is now in completing his mandatory military duty and is expected to be discharged sometime in 2020. While waiting for him to get back to the entertainment industry, fans can re-watch his old work, including BOF and check out his Instagram here. Positive comments are always welcome as the artist can feel the love from his fans and the encouragement to keep producing good work and giving his best.

Q14- Have you watched any of Kim Bum's 2010 onwards work?

Q15- If YES which ones and why? If NO do you plan to and why?

Kim Joon, the last member of F4 and the oldest among his leading co-stars has been laying low career wise since BOF in comparison with his former colleagues.

It’s unknown why he has been evasive and playing the hide version of the hide and seek game in the Korean entertainment industry. He has pretty much dropped off the map with the exception of taking a lead role in City of the Sun back in 2015 and supporting roles in Detectives in Trouble, Endless Love and Lupin III, a Japanese movie. 

KJ didn’t talk much in BOF, giving the impression that he was there as a pretty piece of furniture for decorative purposes only rather than having an impact in the story’s advancement which didn’t happen. No one went looking for him when he finally decided to play the seek version of the hide and seek game. The thing is nobody cared and those who did, yeah okay, forgotten again. A one hit wonder actor who has become a has been one.

10 years on and KJ has a movie coming out named Friday the 13: The Conspiracy Begins. The actor has an Instagram account like most artists nowadays where you can catch up on what he has been doing and interact with his posts positively to show support to his work. You can check it out here.

Q16- Have you watched any of Kim Joon's 2010 onwards work?

Q17- If YES which ones and why? If NO do you plan to and why?

BOF is like a timeless and priceless diamond necklace one window dates during breakfast at Tiffany's every so often. It never goes out of fashion, it never goes out of style and it always puts a smile on the face, always.

10 years have gone by since BOF, the masterpiece aired for the very first time and took over fans hearts globally like present day BTS does. 20 years might go by and the feeling of elation would still be the same, the desire to go back and re-watch ever present... like having bagles while window dating at Tiffany's.

One day phone in hand with BOF on Youtube ready to go, why not wear a little black dress with matching shades and heels, grab breakfast and go to your closest Tiffany's store to window date the most exquisite diamond necklace on display?

Last question, Q18 - Which member of the F4 would you like to pick you up at Tiffany's?

Drop your thoughts and your comments bellow!