Boys Over Flowers is a popular Korean drama based on the Japanese Shojo manga series, Boys Over Flowers, (Hana Yori Dango) created by Kamio Yoko. It was originally broadcasted in Korea on KBS2 January 5, 2009 – March 3, 2009. The series consists of 25 episodes that can be found on YouTube with English subtitles.
The setting of the series takes place in South Korea in a private academy for the wealthy called Shin Hwa School. In the first episode we meet Geum Jan Di (Ku Hyu Sun), and the F4’s, a gang that is made out of the four most popular guys in the school – Guo Jun Pyo (Lee Min Ho),Yoon Ji Hoo ( Kin Hyun Joung), So Yi Jung (Kim Bum), and Song Woo Bin (Kim Joon).
Jan Di is a daughter of a dry cleaner and has a passion for swimming; she gets her scholarship to S.H.S. after saving a student that was being bullied by the F4’s. The F4’s are well known to bully anyone who bothers them and are worshiped by the school. The members of the F4, all have story which we find out trough out the series. The leader, Guo Jun Pyo, is the heir of the global corporation, Shin Hwa Group. Yoon Ji Hoo is the most soft-hearted of the group, and he is the grandson of the former South Korean president. So Yi Jung, is known as the F4’s Casanova, and has a talent for pottery, not to mention his family owns the country’s biggest art museum. Song Woo Bin is F4's other playboy and his family runs a large construction company. He's also known for important connections to an underground organization, often hinted to be the mafias.
The story is based on the love triangle between Jan Di, Jun Pyo and Ji Hoo. In the beginning of the first season, Jan Di and the F4’s have a huge rivalry. Although she hates F4’s, she has a certain soft for Ji Hoo, her savior throughout the series. Jun Pyo tries to make Jan Di’s life experience miserable but ends up falling for her. At first, Jan Di has no such feelings for him, and grows a crush on Ji Hoo even though he only acknowledges her as a friend. As the series progresses she starts to develop feelings for Jun Pyo, which later develops into love. Unfortunately, starting the second season, Ji Hoo starts falling in love with Jan Di but by this time she has already fallen for Jun Pyo.
This drama is a love-comedy, which will have you crying of either sadness or laughter.
Article by: Stephenie Navarro and Raquel Galvan
