Boys Over Flowers: Must-See K-Drama For Lee Min-ho Fans
“Unassuming high school girl Jan-di stands up to — and eventually falls for — a spoiled rich kid who belongs to the school’s most powerful clique.”
Boys Over Flowers (Netflix)
Lee Min-ho. This is why I watched Boys Over Flowers. It’s the first K-drama I found with Min-ho after discovering him in The King: Eternal Monarch. It’s considered his break-out role but for many people, BOF is their first K-drama. It seems like K-drama fans either love Boys Over Flowers or hate it—there’s not a lot of in-between. I liked it, but it definitely isn’t without its issues.
The storyline revolves around five high school students and how they deal with class and hierarchy. From the opening scene, I was surprised at the level of bullying portrayed in BOF. Are bullying cases in Korea similar to what we see in Boys Over Flowers? Bullying is an issue in the U.S., so I assume it is in Korea as well even though a fair amount of artistic license is probably taken. **UPDATE 3/5/2021: The issue of bullying in Korea has been in the headlines a lot—maybe BOF didn’t take that much artistic license.**
Geum Jan-Di’s parents are too over the top for me, but I like the scenes with Gu Jun-Pyo and Jan-Di’s family. It tugs at my heart to watch Jun-Pyo experience the simple joys of being part of a family. From the outside looking in many of us are tempted to think if we had the kind of money Jun-Pyo comes from we’d be happy but even in real life that kind of wealth usually comes with a price.
Second lead Kim Hyun-Joong’s musical skills are showcased in this K-drama, a couple of the songs from the BOF OST are below. Boys Over Flowers is where I learned about second-lead syndrome so what I really want to know—are you Team Jun-Pyo or Team Ji-Hoo and why?
Because this is an older drama they get away with things you hope a drama wouldn’t do today in a more socially aware climate. I find it ironic the screenwriter, Yoon Ji-Ryeon, is a woman and the manga series BOF is based on is also by a woman. If I could interview the cast members I’d ask them what changes—if any—they’d want to see made to their characters or the storyline were BOF to be made today.
What popular 2021 K-drama is Kim Beom in?
What K-pop group did Kim Hyun-Joong get his start in?
What Japanese manga series is BOF based on?
What is the name of the Chinese version of BOF?
Released: January 2009, Episodes: 25
Cast: Lee Min-Ho (Gu Jun-Pyo), Ku Hye-Seon (Geum Jan-Di), Kim Hyun-Joong (Yun Ji-Hoo), Kim Beom (So Lee-Jeong), Kim Jun (Song Woo-Bin), FULL CAST
