Boys Over Flowers (2021)

Great adaptation of the Japanese shōjo manga series Hana Yori Dango and, to concur with other reviews, the best so far! Not having read the manga or watched the anime, I am not sure if it is close to the original work but, having seen all five drama adaptations (Japanese-Hana Yori Dango 1 & 2, Meteor Garden- Chinese and Taiwanese, Boys Over Flowers- Korean and, F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers), this is by far the most enjoyable with characters that are not over the top and that are more relatable. The drama is fast pace and the amnesia plot, although it was present, got washed out quickly and made the ending seem rushed. The cast did a good job bringing their characters to life and the chemistry among all characters was great. The leading couple also had good chemistry. Enjoy it!

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If you're wondering if you should watch it, the answer is yes.

So I am late to the party. I watched to watch it as it was airing but didn't want to wait every week, then it turned into me waiting till now. I just recently got into Thai dramas, as a long time cdrama fan. This is my 3rd Thai drama. It has been a long time since I have given a drama a 10/10. From the very first episode, I was hooked. I have seen most of the 2018 Chinese adaptation. I didn't really enjoy it, the casting, acting, and plot was off and not really enjoyable for me. But this one hit all the right points perfectly.

The actors were so good and the roles were made for each and every one of them, i wouldn't be the same if it was someone else. They embodied their characters with each detail. Brought them to life. They make you love them, hate them. They so clearly show the development of all the characters. This is also the acting debut of several of the main casts. You wouldn't think its their debut, they are so natural on screen.

The story was also really well written and executed. There were hilarious moments that make you laugh out loud. Deep heartbreaking moments. Beautiful friendships. Exploring family relationships, friendships, love. The characters developed and grew beautifully throughout the story.

MJ, i love mj. As a character in previous versions, he didn't have much screentime or storyline. I loved how this one gave him so much and gave the audience so much to love. i want more mj.

The only thing i dont like is that its only 16 episodes. I need more of F4 + Gorya

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Best F4 so far !

The story was alright for me; I mean, it's the normal premise for the program, but what I liked about it was how they executed it. Fans of the program who favor the OG or other versions may find this offensive, however in my opinion, the defects in the other adaptations have been remedied by the Thai adaptation. It's not as boring as other versions where they incorporate superfluous sequences, which I appreciate. The cast is next, and I initially watched this because I'm a major fan of Win; if it hadn't been for him, I wouldn't have watched it in the first place because I wasn't a fan of the previous incarnations of this drama. All of the casts have amazing chemistry; Bright and Tu nailed the funny atmosphere of their parts, and I loved every minute of it. Kaning and Kavin's chemistry was incredible, and I adored how they played their parts. They probably made me squeal more than the protagonists, but that could be because I'm a great fan of Win LOL. But, that aside, the castings were fantastic, and I'm excited to see what Tu, Dew, and Nani are up to next. Congratulations on doing the show justice. I'm not sure what else to say about the music; it was decent but not as good as the one in the og. I'd watch it again if I missed the casts and wanted to see more of them.

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Sets The Bar High

I am very happy that I give this version of MG/HYD a chance. The experience to witness how it is beautifully done is so so worth it. The acting, scriptwriting, editing and even directing were done exceptionally.

I have 2nd thought of watching it because this was already my 4th version. And I already know the story. Surprisingly, F4 Thailand was something more than the previous ones. Each episode was as if I was watching it for the first time. You are always looking forward to what gonna happen next even though you know how the story flows. For me, this is the best version. Not only because of how it was artistically done but because it addressed some issues that the previous versions never accomplished.

If you don't watch F4 Thailand religiously until the end, you don't know what you are missing. If you are into symbolism and metaphor, watch it! I promise you'll gonna enjoy it.

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The Remake We All Deserve!

Talking about Hana Yori Dango, Meteor Garden, Boys Over Flowers, you name it...you've probably have watched or seen one of those tittle at least once in your life. I have watched all Asian versions of this franchise (because I heard Turkish version of this series as well); the younger version of me when I first watched Korean BOF (and then Taiwanese Meteor Garden) thought it was romantic story. Later on when I grew up, I read and learned about gender study, I found myself talking about Hana Yori Dango as an example of toxic relationship. Abusive behavior from ML and FL also family status and the poor princess is hoping prince charming to save and change her life forever (talking about FL mom here) is a- two-decade-ago-mentality. Now girls can do and can achieve whatever they want in life without any help of rich man behind them! So, I found myself very skeptical when I first heard about this remake last year; not to mention I haven't watched many Thai contents as well.

3 weeks ago, in a very random moment because I was bored I stumbled upon these couple of episodes. I clicked and watched and I just realized, hey! it's HYD story and hey! it's what I've heard last year about. One episode became two episodes and then three and four, and I couldn't help to drawn once again into the story , the story that I've watched when I was still in my early teenage years.....and I fall in love!!

Thai version is unique and the story is "kind". The production team surely know that despite the story is well-known but the original story is so outdated, so two-decades-ago and not to mention so toxic. The original story encourage bullying and girl being damsel in distress waiting for a prince charming to save them, not to mention back and forth toxic relationship as well. But so far I've seen , F4 Thai addressed the issue well. They create Doumyoji aka ML aka Thyme to be realistic ML character with every action has consequences and reason. And the FL, oh! I love how they re-create FL to be less annoying, independent, less harsh and understanding her action well. Also Rui aka 2nd Lead aka Ren, oooh... Thai F4, your Ren is more "swoon worthy" than Meteor Garden 2018's Lei. I love how you give real color and real character to Ren. Ren isn't prince charming, he's human too.

So far, I love the story. It's been 11 episodes and I like it!
I hope this version will beat all versions out there, even the original!
This is the remake we all deserve!

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Please watch

I've watched the Korean version (Boys Over Flower) and the 2018 Chinese version (Meteor Garden) so far,
this one is the best.

Love the acting, the feelings well conveyed, the actors, and the storyline.
I initially think 16 episodes were too short. But after watching 2018 Meteor Garden (in which they had 49 episodes in total), I think 16 episodes is just enough. lol. (You'll know what I meant if you watch 2018 Meteor Garden)

Also, I still cannot believe that Tu, Dew, and Nani first acting debut in this series. They all look like professional actors!
I don't find any awkward performance or feels.
Having Bright and Win as experienced actors alongside them really didn't make them look like amateurs at all.

And oh, I loveeeeeeee Bright and Tu together.
Wishing for more projects of them in future.

Gonna rewatch this anytime soon. Can't get over it yet.

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The Thai version is the best one.

This is my first time watching a Thai drama, as I'm not into BL dramas. Most that I've seen rated on MDL are BL. If you guys want to recommend any Thai dramas outside of BL, please do so. I'll add them to my plan to watch list.

I've watched the Twianese, Chinese, and Korean version of this drama. I think the Thai version is the best. At first, I thought I liked it more than the other versions because like the Chinese version, it is the most up-to-date, meaning the screen resolution and quality is clear and better due to modern technology. However, I've come to realize that I like this version the best because the director did an excellent job at clearly making the point that one's socioeconomic status shouldn't be the reason why people are treated horribly. I didn't see that in the other versions. In the other versions, the directors made it seem like F4 toxic traits should be accepted.

I feel like the female lead actress, at the end of episode 1 (beginning of episode 2), should have shown more emotion when kicking Thyme. Her scream should have been a little more dramatic and powerful. Also, the cry scene with Ren and the female lead at the end of episode 6 was a bit weird lol. Nevertheless, she did a great job acting and she's gorgeous. As did, all the actresses and actors in this drama. Appearance wise, out of all the versions, F4 in this version is the most attractive in my opinion.

Good job director!

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The people I rooted for didn't end up together

I was reluctant to watch this because what could be so great about watching rich brats chase after damsels in distress? Fast forward 5 days and I’ve somehow inhaled the episodes.

The F4 universe is so alluring because it’s a fantasy for people like you and I. A story about rags to riches, redemption and dignity, all at once. The show tells us that everyone is lonely and frightened in their own way – even those who can own anything in this world.

Genuine connections become the great leveller. With that true connection, no prince charming is truly out of reach (isn’t that what we want to hear?). The sell is sweet, but the execution, especially when it came to Thyme and Gorya’s relationship, fell flat.

Unfortunately, the people whom I’m supposed to be rooting for just didn’t have my support. I was all for Ren and Gorya, and Thyme and Lita. I don’t mean Gorya should have chosen Ren (although I certainly would have). I think feelings are a lot more complex and irrational than that. But my criticism would be that the main couple was pretty unconvincing.

Emotional connection and compatibility were lacking. They seemed like siblings when they bickered, and I couldn’t see them as a proper couple. Thyme was too immature for Gorya, and Gorya, far too naïve to play the games in his world. Thyme also stood in contrast to Ren, who never tried to throw money at his problems. Unlike the others who were constantly thinking about themselves, Ren was a protective, considerate friend who fought for others when it mattered.

In short, he was too likeable as a character, and Thyme was too awful.

The fairytale of F4 may very well be that that ordinary people have a shot with society’s elite in a tale about innocent young love overcoming all odds. But let’s not forget that plenty of the characters had problematic traits that were glossed over with a weak redemption arc.

To me, the F4 fantasy is how problems of the world will go away because we can expect fundamental changes from the worst versions of people. But hey, if you can look past the problematic aspects, it’s a pretty entertaining watch.

My full review here: https://asianblreviews.wordpress.com/2022/04/10/f4-thailand-2021-review-the-people-i-rooted-for-dont-end-up-together/

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strong start, later has poor writing. too complex for its own good. uses aesthetics as an illusion.

i do agree that F4 Thailand is the best retelling of Boys Over Flowers, however, i think it starts off much stronger and it performs poorly towards the end. i recently did a rewatch of the series and i think Thyme (and Bright) remains the best part of it. i also remember how exhilarating the show felt in the beginning with the F4 drama and while it was focused on the development of Thyme and the relationship of Gorya & Thyme. i think if they focused more on that story instead of the politics that took over towards the end, this would've been a really great show.

it's just not going to do it for the viewers when you keep breaking up the main couple because of miscommunication or when they're "doing it for each other." i did love the moments where they were actually happy together though. it's just that the decline in the quality of the storytelling towards the end is hard to ignore. it felt like they made things too complex with not much time to solve them properly.

now, in Boys Over Flowers fashion, this is an incredibly dramatic show that looks very high-quality and has a lot of pretty people in it. but i felt like the drama part of the events was often blown out of proportion while the resolutions did not seem to match the drama at all. i also didn't like how, sometimes, the show would focus on one topic throughout the whole episode while not developing anything else. this is important to point out since there is only 16 episodes.

i also think that this show is actually unexpectedly quite heavy and has low rewatch value because of it. as in, there were just a lot of times i wanted to drop it despite loving it and being invested in the characters. some plot points were just too stupid or repetitive for me to enthusiastically continue the show. as i said, i think the show would've been much better if they kept the school context instead of moving on to the real-world drama.

nevertheless, this is still a good show that i like watching despite finding it heavy and too dramatic. Other than the 'obvious' villains, i found all the characters to be very likable, especially the F4 members. i thought Kavin and Kaning's storyline was cute but i didn't really find Kavin's fall for Kaning that believable. this isn't because his actions didn't show affection because they did and i could see them falling in love in real-time, but i don't think they did well showing the actual change in Kavin's character in terms of his relationship with women and his 'playboy' attitudes.

when it comes to Thyme, who will always remain one of my favorite characters in any TV show ever, i can say that i loved him throughout the show. it's also weird because he's very volatile, impulsive, grumpy, and child-like lol. i don't know. it's something about the combination of Bright and his acting and Thyme. we have many "doesn't know how to love" type of characters but i think Thyme is the epitome of that trope. often times i felt like he just didn't know what to do with what he was feeling because he never had to know and he is very spoiled so he probably never wanted anything for as long as he wanted Gorya. you could especially feel this whenever Thyme was acting out.

finally, yes, this is a good show and yes, it deserves all the hype but the decline in quality and story towards the end really made me rethink the whole show, especially after a rewatch. if i had to rate the show on my first watch, i'd probably give it a 9/10 or something. but a rewatch made me realize that it is overall not that good and the pretty actors, as well as the high-quality feel of the show, actually just act as an illusion.

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Unlike all the other versions…

As a teenager in school, I grew up with Boys Over Flowers franchise. With every version I’d think everyone around me wanting to be in Gorya’s place had lost their mind. The Male Lead abuses the FL physically and verbally throughout in both the Korean and Japanese versions. (And no it is not normal to call your partner ugly or pathetic!)
This version on the other hand…
It does the whole redemption arc, and they actually pull it off. To the point where I’d say my favourite character is Thyme. He truly goes through a crisis and tons of self-reflection before making a real effort to change himself. The friendship of the group is amazingly real and the family relations/conflicts of both leads are similarity well portrayed. Some of the highlights for me:
- Gorya’s character is not helpless or easily impressed with money. She’s extremely strong, takes responsibility for her whole family, and only wants to be in the relationship once she sees the change Thyme has made.
- The lack of toxicity: Maybe it’s because it’s Thailand, but I love how the guys are able to cry in front of each other and hug easily. They also share their emotions very often and have a healthy support system in each other
- All the female characters (even Rosalyn)! They’re all powerful and self-reliant in their own way. None of them truly chase after any guy (even with Hana they show that her issues go much deeper than just wanting Thyme). It’s a great scene at the end where they show Mira and Lita successful and happy in their own lives

Truly, the Boys Over Flowers franchise has terrible memories attached to it for me, but this show has made me like an unlikable story, and that’s a miracle.

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Good cast, music, production, but lack in some points!

I start by apologizing because English is not my native language and if my text got confused in some parts, I'm really sorry, but I wanted to write my first review here in MDL. :)

Thank you very much for reading!

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HANA YORI DANGO is a classic shoujo manga, no wonder its your fifth live action version! I have already watched the Japanese, Korean and Chinese versions (the only one missing is the Taiwanese one) and read the manga. I must say this Thai version is good, but not that good!

|STORY:|
F4 Thailand is the version with fewer episodes compared to the others, so I figured out that the material would be shortened or changed. The beginning is very good and dramatic, similar in all other versions, with some differences, such as the F4 having their own "arena" to do their punishments on the students marked with the red card. I found it remarkable with a great cinematography!

The narrative runs well, but some loose ends appear that are not explained or shown. For example about Kaning's motorcycle (we don't see her riding it before the accident and we don't see her getting the new one) and how the situation of Gorya's house turned out after her expulsion by Thyme's mother. These are some gaps in the script that seem silly, but they are important for the narrative constancy.

I believe that one of the big differences in this version here is the trip that Thyme takes, but Gourya does not follow him afterwards. In the other versions this happens. The ending is VERY rushed and they changed or deleted several points from the original work. The development of the main couple is good, but they made a big mistake regarding Kavin and Kaning. After what happened on the terrace, do they become a couple or not? For me it was not clear: another loose end. The Korean and Chinese versions worked this out VERY well. Thyme's sister (Tia) and Mira don't have a good development in the story; they do better in the other versions, it's a shame. I found Roselyn VERY young to be a mother of a daughter and a son who have a considerable age difference, choosing a mature actress could have been better.

|ACTING/CAST:|
Overall I found it good or reasonable, as some of them are beginning actors and actresses. Some scenes of BRIGHT as Thyme were very funny and I noticed that he uses an expression that doesn't change very much when he gets angry, but it's okay. DEW as Ren gave me that calmness and less indifference compared to his previous versions. He really seems to care about Gorya and would stay with her if he could. I really liked WIN as Kavin, very much like its Chinese version because of the glasses; he should have had a better development arc, but with sixteen episodes it was hard to do, pitiful. I was very surprised by NANI as MJ! I enjoyed all of his scenes, but it failed to show him as appeasing of the group. PRIM as Kaning: she is cute in all the versions that I watched! She is sweet, genuine and insists on the feeling that grows for Kavin. I loved all her scenes and I didn't think it was fair that she wasn't present in the last episodes with Kavin. Last and most important in this story, TU as Gorya! I really liked the actress and I thought she fulfilled her role well, but I missed a bigger feud between her and Thyme. He should have taken more of a beating from her because of everything she went through in the first few episodes.

|MUSIC:|
The songs are really beautiful! I really enjoyed! It is one of the first things that I notice in a drama and went to YouTube to play and save all the tracks! But I missed a theme song in the main scenes of the first and secondary couple. The Japanese and Korean versions did it very well in this point.

|REWATCH VALUE:|
Like all the previous versions, the Thai version also deserves to be seen more than once if you like HYD. I believe we always find something new every time we watch, our eyes get more sharp, critical and that's a good point. F4 Thailand is a good version that holds you from start to finish! The history has its problems (cliché, toxic male lead etc), but HYD is a classic that deserves to be seen! It has a good production and songs that would be worth watch.

Go see if you can! :)

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OH MY HEART AND SOUL, WHAT HAVE THIS SHOW DONE TO ME!!!???
WHAT IS THIS SHOW????!!!!!

Despite watching all the former versions and even reading the manga by Kamio, F4 THAILAND managed to chock me and excite me all over again...it made me feel like this giddy young teenager just discovering the world. I have said it so many times, i am simply blown away by what they have done to this classic story. It feels sooooo fresh in a exciting way.

Thyme was a character i wanted to bleed in the first episode, i just hated his guts and wanted Gorya to take him down and steal his soul away so badly, because i knew it was his utter punishment. Gorya was his first female Red Card victim and she fought back so hard and bravely! She was tired of his shit, and she gives him "The Footprint of a Meteor"...symbolizing the shooting star that falls on Thyme. Not only did she manage to knock him off....she managed to steal his soul in that moment. Thyme is hers. Have always been. Their journey of growth was incredible. Thyme in his road of redemption and deserving of Gorya`s love and Gorya`s journey of rising up to the sky. This story is so huge, so magnificent. Masterpeice!

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