Boys Over Flowers - Korean vs. Japanese plot

Both the plots were well written it's just that there was the obvious difference of where the story was occurring and the slightly different stances taken on the characters/plot. I can't base any of this comparison on the differences between the manga's story and what was kept in the dramas and not since I have read it >__< But yeah, moving on.

In my opinion, the Japanese version was able to keep the story as they had originally stated for the most part as a romantic comedy because no matter how tense the situation became, there were always elements of comedy added whether it was through dialogue or just something quirky added like the main characters facial expression or exaggerated actions. This is where the Korean version, though extremely close and much more lavishly created than its Japanese counterpart, didn't do so well. In the tough situations, the show became a melodrama of EPIC proportions, with the slow motion falling of tears or fainting. *sigh* see the pics below for what I mean.

Another thing that really bothered me about the Korean version was the fact that the character development was really, REALLY SLOOOWWWW. Ugh and I mean double UGH. It took forever to let the characters develop, which includes stuff like understanding their problems and getting over them and their relationships with each other. I mean it took Goo Jun Pyo about 6 episodes to figure that he was going to fight for and stay with Geum Jan Di, whereas the Japanese version shows this particular conflict come to an end in about 2 and half to three episodes max and moved on to the next conflict. It showed the overall growth of the characters and their conclusion as well as how each resolution impacted the characters. In the Korean version, in my opinion the biggest hurdle that Geum Jan Di overcame was her initial infatuation with Ji Hoo and but other than that, she's shown as the perfect girl with a golden character who doesn't need to change too much. Goo Jun Pyo's character does change very slowly but there is not as much development when compared to Doumiyouji. Doumiyouji's character changes drastically from the beginning to the end of the series which includes him having softer facial expressions and less fights with Makino. The other characters like Ji Hoo and Woo Bin are the most static with very minor changes and not to mention the super clinginess of Ji Hoo is more than just an eyesore (don't get me wrong, my heart aches breaks and cracks for the poor dimwitted guy but MAN UP and freaking MOVE ON) he's just ugh...

Neeways, the only character whose development I enjoyed watching was Ji Young. The Korean version did a great job of showing how his character broke out of it's playboy mold to take charge of his own life and not fall victim to his father's legacy of sleeping around with women. This guy learned from his mistakes and Ga Eul helped him fight his demons. I was thrilled to see them accept each other at the end of the drama when he comes straight to her from the airport. The Japanese version showed that the relationship for Yuki didn't go so well because it was doomed to fail as a one-sided love with no interest on Sojiro's part. They did show an initial attraction but no conclusion except for Sojiro constantly running away from her.

The ending for the Japanese version was my FAVORITE I mean talk about the excellent conclusion to an amazing story considering all the hardships that the characters had been through to get there and there was a sense of accomplishment to it. The wedding was gorgeous and Matsumoto Jun looked great with Inoue Mao. I wish that the Korean version could have brought a more clear ending other than the awkwardness at the beach with Goo Jun Pyo proposing and Ji Hoo with the other two showing up to object at the marriage. Not to mention the lack appropriate emotional expression on Geum Jan Di's face. That was my face plant moment because after all the tears and depression, not to mention the constant breaking up and hooking back up together, all I could get out of me after finishing the series was a sigh. It was more of a "Thank God it's over" rather than "That was such a beautiful ending!" moment.

So for me JAPANESE VERSION wins by a LANDSLIDE :)

1st Drama Review EVER :) - Boys Over Flowers 꽃보다 남자

Ok, so I can't be like Javabeans and be consistent about recaps or reviews but when I've dedicated several hours of my life to a singular drama, I think I may have the right to critique it LOL :) By the way just in case those of you who don't know who Javabeans is, she and her friend girlfriday are both ummm how do it put this...? Asian drama critics? enthusiasts? not sure about the exact term but yeah I love reading their reviews and keeping up with my favorite shows so just in case you're curious here's their link: http://www.dramabeans.com/ They will make you fall in love with the stuff they're talking about! Well that's how it is for me anyway and I find their reviews extremely entertaining ^___^

Aight so on to main topic of review for today! I've currently spent 25 hours of my life watching a very famous drama by the name of Boys over Flowers or Hana Yori Dango which was originally a manga in Japan written by Yoko Kamio. It is a story about a poor girl who struggles to get by in a school created for the super rich children of 1% of families that own the economies of their respective country [I say this because the storyline did so well that there were 4 drama versions aside from the animated series created in Japan, Korea, Taiwan and China]. So why is this girl having a hard problem in such as amazing school? Well as you may have guessed at this point, if you've watched 2 to 3 Korean shows, that the girl is poor [this isn't your poor where you're getting by on meal tickets but close enough and of course there's always the added loan sharks coupled with the dad's bad gambling and spending habits] and she got into the school because she worked her butt off to get in with a scholarship. The bad part about this is not only the fact that she stands out but the school has a dark side that most of the super rich, super snobby parents might never have imagined. The school is controlled by 4 handsome heirs who are lovingly called the Flower Four (or F4) by their avid and often rabid fan girls. But looks are not the only things they possess. They are richer than all the other kids in their schools combined for various reasons. In the Japanese version, all 4 were heirs of major corporations but in the Korean version one was a mob boss' son and the other was the son of a famous potter. So their occupation might change but that fact remains that they have enormous amounts of dough and influence, they love it, bask in its light and flaunt it. But there is one within the F4 that holds the most influence and of course he is our main lead. His character is that of a child, spoiled rotten and a bully who doesn't see anyone but his friends as human beings worth wasting his time on, in fact he spends most of the beginning of the series trampling his way through his 'fellow classmates' like insects or pawns whichever you prefer. He is the ringleader of the school because his family helped establish it and he punishes those who dare to cross him or annoy him in the least. Anyone who gets a red card with the sign of F4 or a skull is bullied and beaten by the entire school until they leave if they ever have the unfortunate luck of coming across this guy the wrong way.

Annnnndddd here's where it gets interesting....or typical...but this is exactly what happens to our main female lead. She ends up ticking our guy off at the wrong point, which in both series was different but related to food being spilled or dropped on his very expensive, custom made shoes, which he decides to settle by humiliating the person who dropped it on him by telling her to lick his shoes clean. When our female lead refuses to do so, all hell breaks loose around her BUTTTT....she doesn't give into his bullying and instead kicks his butt in front of the entire school and then some. At which point the guy falls in love with this mad beauty who not only dares to defy him but sends him flying head over heels....LITERALLY.

So yeah in my next post I'll start by comparing the two story lines and then the individual characters in the Japanese and Korean series and what I like and disliked about them ;p Stay tuned for more! I promise you'll like the next few posts cuz I'll be including some really good looking pics from the best looking guys in the series LOL!!