Boys Over Flowers (2021)

"Bright and Tu Tontawan Shine Bright: A Stellar Duo in F4 Thailand"

"F4 Thailand" emerges as a modernized gem, skillfully revitalizing the classic storyline with compelling characters and dynamic storytelling. Thyme, the main male lead, undergoes a thoughtful transformation, shedding light on the pressures that mold him into a seemingly harsh character. The series maintains a brisk pace reminiscent of the Japanese version, skillfully utilizing social media technology to enhance the narrative, demonstrating a commendable update from its predecessors.

Gorya, portrayed by Tu Tontawan and Bright as the main leads, is the beacon of strength in this tale. Working at a flower shop, she enters a world of opulence after gaining admission to a prestigious school for the wealthy, dominated by the F4 clique. The dynamics unfold intriguingly as Gorya, the sole resistor to their bullying, captures the attention of Thyme, the group's leader. The romantic pursuit that follows is intensified by Gorya's initial indifference and her affection for Thyme's best friend, Ren.

The cast, featuring Tu Tontawan and Bright, delivers outstanding performances, breathing life into their characters. Thyme's unconventional approach, like placing Gorya's shoes in the dustbin, adds depth to their evolving relationship. The supporting cast, including Dew (Ren), Wen (Kavin), and Nani (MJ), enriches the narrative with nuanced portrayals.

The drama skillfully blends romance, humor, and societal commentary, making it a must-watch. Thyme's journey from a seemingly unapproachable character to a figure worthy of affection resonates well, and Gorya's internal conflicts add emotional depth. "F4 Thailand" stands out as an exhilarating Thai drama, weaving together stellar performances, impressive visuals, and a compelling storyline that captures the essence of the classic while injecting fresh perspectives. With its efficient storytelling and engaging characters, it successfully cements itself as a must-watch series in the realm of Thai dramas.

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1st Thai Drama that I watched. It was fine.

I never thought that I would watch Boys over flowers. Then one day i came across this Thai version of the story, and decided to give it a try.
I have not watched any other versions of the story, (i donot wish to hurt anyone's sentiments), but i think this is the best version of the story (a bit modernized (the S korean version seems age old, doesnt interest me)).

Casting: it was definately good. Each and every character was beautifully portrayed by the actors. Everyone simply fits their respective roles. Actors cast for F4, they definitely posses rich kid vibes, and everyone looks so cool and full of swag and that pride of being the previledged. Tu fits for Gorya so well, i mean no glam & just simple pure innocence.

Acting: It was okayish. Majority of the lead cast being young age, i felt sometimes they are unable to deliver the expressions and emotions aptly. I felt Gorya was too loud. She kept shouting in almost half of the drama, which was a little annoying. Plus Thyme and Gorya keep fighting like 5 year olds, its irritating. Bright(Thyme) delivered weird smiling-like expressions, instead of serious emotional looks in some segments. But still okay.

Story:
A little bit of criticism from my side :
Its the same cliche story 'Prince charming'x 'Beggar maid'. Totally unrealistic (but thats what dramas are about , entertaining people & real life story aint entertaining anyone). I found it a lot similar to the 2 korean dramas 'The Heirs' and 'Extraordinary you'(just the school part (It has something like S3 group)).
In dramas like this, sometimes they exaggerate the rich people so much, that they are like everywhere, on the Tv, the billboard literally everywhere, and other time, they completely ignore their power and influence.
(For eg: when the anti F4 group kidnapped Gorya and threatened Thyme to come, what did he do? He jumped into the firepit, head-on. This is so unrealistically foolish and naive. He could've got both of them killed, then and there. There was no back up plan made no guards kept on standby, just the 4 friends, somehow magically defeated around 20 boys(similar in age). Its things like these, that look so pretentious, and make the script shallow, in my opinion.
Also, if someone gets bullied, the way its shown in the drama, its kind of next to impossible to ever fall in love with such a person. I find this concept utterly unrealistic.
Another thing that i really hated, literally kids in school, making huge decisions of life like marriage and stuff, like seriously. What would it take to make it a story about atleast college-goers, that would make more sense. Kids in school are pretty much clueless about a lot of things, and their thoughts, beliefs and fellings are vulnerable to change.
And yes no matter how rich and influential your family is, you need education to run a business. Thyme literally finished school and went on to become the deputy CEO at the singapore branch. Seriously what the heck.

But, It was not all bad and ugly, so
Coming to the good part:
It did bring on camera some good stuff (which i did not found anywhere in 'The Heirs' (and thats why i hate it)) like
- social issue like Body Shaming, promoting Self Love, Bullying(obviously)
-'Consent of a women' matters. I really liked it that, being so powerful and previledged how Thyme never forced Gorya to be in a relationship with him(which he could have easily done). He just tried his best and left the rest on her. He patiently waited for her to reply, which she did.
-Friendship- This is my favorite part about the drama. The frienship that the f4 had, was very special. I loved how dedicated MJ was, to keeping the group together. How patient, helpful and sacrificing Ren was, not just to Thyme, but to Mira as well. Not a fan of kelvin, coz he's pretty much on neutral grounds mostly, but we see a glimpse of his way of reciprocating, when he signs the deal as per Thyme's modified business model, to help him out. Also Kaning, she was a sweet &understanding friend to Gorya. This drama gives us a glimpse of what true friendship means, and how important it is for us to help each other and grow together, coz an eye for an eye will eventually make the whole world blind.
And yes, another best thing was when Thyme and Gorya had a fight sort of and Ren took her out on a date, and later Thyme got really furious and they have this fight in the school stadium. It was hilarious, all four of them, just fight each other & end up solving all their grudges, and they leave happily. (I don't know, maybe its a boys thing).
I also really liked the specific scene where thyme regains his memory after the incident, causing retrograde amnesia. It was sweet. (The best scene between them).
And yes, how can i forget Thyme's mother's (Roselyn's) heart change. While whatching, I was wondering what's gonna melt the heart of this woman. But it turned out just perfect. The way Gorya made Roselyn change her mind was just perfect.

On end note, the drama was fine, with the usual amount of drama (as expected from a drama).

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The Perfected Rendition of Boys over Flowers

Once again, the Thais remade another famous drama series and perfected it. Out of all the dramas I watched, this is truly a masterpiece. I'm so sorry, this review is going to be really long but this show is really that good and I can't help myself!!

In the making of this drama, the director said that they spent over a year getting the storyline and script ready for these 16 episodes and you can truly feel the effort in every episode. Having watched all versions of Boys over Flowers (Japanese, Korean, Chinese), this is topped the charts by a large margin. It retains every unique feature of the show that makes it 'Boys over Flowers' and makes it better. From the first episodes, the series is filled with surprises regardless whether you have watched other versions of it.

Each character, regardless main or side casts, has their own backstory and played an important role in contributing to this masterpiece. Visually, the cast is perfect. Everyone fits their role, and added charisma to each character they are playing. For Bright, he has a boyish yet mature look that screams Thyme. For Thyme, I really liked the character development in this version. It is well-paced and fleshed out which makes you understand his every action. A hot-headed, cold-hearted bully, you get to understand how his family turned him into what he is, and his conflicted emotions as a boy that is eager to prove himself yet is also uncomfortable with how he is acting. Along the way, Thyme develops and grows into who he really is thanks to the support of his friends and Gorya. Furthermore, what awes me is the development of his character. Despite the drastic change in becoming a better person, you can also feel that this is the way he is and the directors managed to let his personality remain the same till the end, creating a link from the old and new him. Furthermore, when i mean that the character is much more fleshed out, I feel that Thyme is more 'humanised' in this version for the audience to empathise and grow together with this character. In this version, Thyme is more defined and has more sides to him then just being in love with Gorya. He not only shows that he have changed for Gorya, but he changed more for himself, and this is reflected in all his actions and scene and not just in front of Gorya. You can tell it is deeply ingrained in him and it is also his conscious effort to keep improving himself. In this version, the relationship he has fostered with F4 and Gorya feels much more real and stronger compared to the other versions. Moving on to Gorya, Tu really really suits the role. At first glance, she seems like an average student. Not too pretty, not standing out. However, Gorya's looks and personality will charm you in and it makes you understand why she is so loved by many. In this version, Gorya makes sure she draws the line and doesn't lead someone on when she isn't interested. She sticks by her actions and doesn't waver. She also values those she values as friends and her storyline doesn't just revolve over Thyme. She is herself, steadfast and strong. Furthermore, I really liked how in this version she fitted into the F4 group. It feels like she isn't just Thyme's girlfriend but outside of Thyme, she is also recognised and treated like a sister by the F4.

I can't stress anymore how well the casting was done for this drama. When Dew/Ren appears on screen, it just feels so calm, soothing and serene. Ren is quiet, yet he is observant and kind. You understand why people like Thyme and Gorya gravitate towards him. Once again, in this Thai version, everyone's feeling is respected. When Gorya has feelings for Ren at the beginning, Thyme respected her feelings and did not dismiss them. Similarly, for Ren, he respects the feelings Gorya and Thyme towards one another. In other versions, Ren's feelings for Gorya are very blurred. He always feels like he is threatening to break the bro code and feels like the SML that secretly loves the FL till the end despite her being your best friend's partner. However, for this version. Ren is like a rock that is stable, and trustworthy. He is like the brother you can lean on. He understands Gorya and Thyme, and supports them in their decisions. You can feel that he supports Gorya in every way as a brother who really fights for her happiness with Thyme by allowing her to understand how she really feels. For Kavin/Win, I really liked how his character played out. It is much more logical (the part about his first love) and Win really did well in portraying the flirty yet warm side of Kavin. From the beginning, his relationship with Kaning starts off right, with him treating her as not just another girl but the best friend of Gorya, his friend's partner. I am very impressed with this version of MJ. In the other versions, MJ always felt to me like a shadow of the F4. He doesn't have a strong presence or storyline and always felt to me as a redundant guy just to fill a place in the 'Flower 4'. However, MJ shined in this version. He has a unique charisma and stands out on his own. His strong support for his friends and his love for those around him makes him a very valuable character. Furthermore, I liked the added computing skills of his that allowed him to play a stronger role in the different parts of the show. MJ becomes a strong warm addition that is greatly lacking in previous versions.

I think this review is getting too long but I just want to applaud all the side characters as well! Cindy as Thyme's mum really stole the show for me. Unlike other versions where she is just this big bad crazy evil mother that disregards her child, Roselyn portrayed a mother who really loves her children but used the wrong method. And Cindy really portray this love very well. Furthermore, I also liked the reason that forced Gorya to leave. It depicts how smart Cindy is at controlling people and using people's weaknesses to achieve her goals. The storyline is so good and all the side characters had their own charisma and had significance to the entire show. They were consistent and their presence can be felt throughout the entire 16 episodes. Yes. I'm talking about Thyme's sister Tia. In other versions, the sister appears momentarily. Although she says that she supports Gorya and Thyme's relationship, you don't get to feel much support. However, Tia is different. Tia stands strongly by Thyme and Gorya's side and fights alongside them. You can see that she truly values their relationship and supports them and every way possible.

There is so much more to this version of Boys over Flowers. It is not just about romance, but is a modernised version that uses the opportunity to highlight social issues like bullying and the gap between social classes (Not just the monetary aspect). It also showcases the strong bonds between the characters and the support that you can draw from your friends and family. I cannot stress how much I love this version compared to the others. And I LOVED the Korean and Japanese versions. But for this version, every scene makes me marvel at the details (The message they are trying to bring across, the personality they are trying to show). There are no filler scenes and you can feel the effort and thought that goes into every bit of this drama. Everything and the entire story is so well constructed. They managed to show the disparity between the rich and poor so well without just shoving money in your face. It makes you feel like it is beyond a money issue but it is a whole different world on its own. I'm trying my best to not spoil too much so that everyone can get first-hand experience in this HAHAHAH. BUT WOW.

I really appreciate all the changes that were done to this remake. I have watched many dramas and the remake of many dramas and I have to say this has really topped the charts. I am still so impressed on how they managed to do so much with just 16 episodes. These 16 episodes have been a joy. You know how many dramas start off well and end so shittily that you just feel just frustrated and empty? This drama is consistent till the end and you will enjoy every bit of it till the last second. At the end, you feel satisfied with a smile on your face though and makes you look forward for more. Thank you director, producer, screenwriters, crew, actors and actresses for pulling this work off!! :')

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Rating may depend on if you have already seen the other adaptations of the orginal manga..

If it's your first adaptation of Hana yori dango manga..then...it may be a 7..the story has its flaws, sometimes it is unrealistic, there's a lot of gratuitous and unjustified violence, but the acting is good and, in the end, it is a classic impossible love story between two people belonging to different worlds. The "everything is possible if you hold on and really believe"-feeling is always catchy.

If you have already seen other adaptions as I did (started with Chinese Meteor Garden, passing through Korean Boys over flowers and Japanese Hana yori dango before this one)..well...for me it's a 10..the focus is more on the main couple and their personal struggles, less space given to side stories and therefore less wasted time. Gorya and Thyme are better described and also their thoughts and reasons are better explained. This couple is also the one with the best chemistry and they seem not to be stuck in some simple stereotypical character.
Special mention: Gorya's best friend..finally she has some dignity and, even if she appears a little less than in the other adaptations, she is not a simple naive teenage girl passing by and falling blindly in love for the pretty and rich one.

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An Excellent Adaptation

**This is just my opinion. I sincerely appreciate all of the hard work and dedication that went into the making of this drama. Thank you. **

F4 Thailand is an excellent adaptation of Boys Over Flowers. I've seen all of the live action versions, most of them multiple times, and this is one of my favorites. It has a great cast and wonderful characters. I think that Thyme's character is the best version of the ML in any of the versions. I love the depth they gave his character, that he actually tries to make amends and see things from their perspective. Ren was wonderful but not like his character is in the other series. He still has some sweet scenes but there isn't any actual romance to speak of and the part where he shoves Gorya put me off completely. Yes, I know Thyme did awful things in the beginning and yet somehow, in the context of this show, I see them differently. I just do. Anyway... I really liked the character of MJ but wish that he had been given more time. He was intelligent, loyal and supportive while still calling his friends out when he needed to. Glakao, Gorya's younger brother, was a sweetheart, as were her parents. Thyme's mother was also written and performed the best of any of the adaptations.

There were of course, characters that were a bit of a disappointment for whatever reason. The first of those was Gorya herself. Tu Tontawan Tantivejakul is beautiful and did a great job but her character physically assaulted other people for the slightest reason, was rude and whined all the time. She doesn't ever appear to work hard at anything despite having numerous jobs. Being hardworking and having a positive outlook had always been synonymous with the female lead in this series until Gorya. She is loyal and caring though. Kavin, on the other hand, while friendly and happy to lend a hand whenever needed, lacks the charm (once again, I'm referring to the character, not the actor, who did a great job) of his counterpart in Boys Over Flowers Korean version or Meteor Garden 2018. Instead, he has some of the worst lines in the series and ends up sounding like an entitled jerk. Lastly, there's Lita. I usually really love this character and think she'd make a better match for the ML but not this time.

Ultimately this series felt more like one about bullying and being true to yourself rather than one about love and friendship as I expected, having watched the other versions. There's nothing wrong with that. I truly enjoyed it. It was well written, tells a great story and has a wonderfully talented cast that did a terrific job bringing it to life.

My disappointment lies in that I wanted more. I wanted more of the individual members of F4 and Mira. More of the bond between them and Gorya. There weren't any vacations or excursions that would have given them the excuse to play and hang out together. Thyme doesn't play the role of hero as the ML does in Meteor Garden 2018 or Boys Over Flowers Korean version (it's been too long ago for me to remember the others). He does save her once but the writing in the scene lacks the heart of the others. Just watch Dylan Wang as Daoming Si save Shancai in the kidnapping scene and you'll know what I mean. Once again, not a fault of the actors. The writing just seemed more focused on resolving the conflict between the kidnapper and Thyme than on his sacrificing himself to save the girl he loves.

The biggest difference and disappointment of mine is the virtual lack of love triangle between Gorya, Thyme and Ren. Gorya develops a bit of a crush on Ren in the very beginning but it doesn't last. You don't wonder who she'll end up with. He's a good friend and often hero in her time of need, though the reason for their closeness is not explained. Other than crying for him and urging him to go for Mira I don't see what Gorya ever did for Ren. I usually root for Ren's equivalent in other versions of the story because of their deep relationship with the female lead and I believe they are better suited. I can't do that with this series because there just isn't enough there. I wish there were.

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Almost Perfect BOF/MG Version

This was the almost perfect Boys Over Flowers/Meteor Garden version I have watched so far. I especially liked that this version is not merely a rich guy poor girl drama, the ending theme of the younger generation seeking social justice humanity above money/material was nicely weaved into the story for the audience. There is no shortage of funny, flirty and emotional moments all spiced up like a truly modern lakorn. Cinematography and locations are beautiful. The entire cast acted spectacularly well. I was surprised almost everyone superbly delivered their crying/emotional scenes. I just wished our ML could be more emotional in his crying scenes but then he was still awesome portraying Thyme overall, can't imagine anyone else for the role. Meteor Garden 2018, even with all it's many flaws, has been my favorite and this version I like as much so now it's a tie for me. This version is shorter than MG2018 so the writers and director had a chance to smoothly condense the story into meaningful episodes which the team did amazingly well. For anyone thinking "oh no, not another BOF/MG", give it a chance, this drama is still a highly recommended watch on my list.

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trop bien !

Je ne voulais pas commencer F4 Thailand car j'étais trop attachée à « Boys over flowers » qui est mon deuxième Kdrama et que j'ai adoré, j'avais tellement pleuré...
C'est donc pour cela que je ne voulais pas en commencer un autre, j'avais peur de moins l'aimer et c'est un peu le cas, mais pas totalement.
J'AI PASSÉ UN EXCELLENT MOMENT EN REGARDANT F4
THAILAND, MAIS J'AI EU UN TRÈS GROS PROBLÈME AVEC THYME ET SES CRISES DE COLÈRE.
IL EST ASSEZ VIOLENT ET JE NE PEUX PAS SUPPORTER CE GENRE DE CHOSES. IL Y A UNE SCÈNE QUI M'A MARQUÉ (JE VOUS LE DIS DANS LA PROCHAINE STORY POUR NE PAS SPOIL) MAIS JE N'ARRIVAIS PAS À PASSER OUTRE MALGRE LE FAIT QU'IL SOIT DEVENU MEILLEUR !
J'ai apprécié le côté moderne et réaliste de l'harcèlement (surtout avec les réseaux sociaux).
Mon personnage préféré est Ren !
Et je ne déteste personne :)

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✨The bestest version of boys over flowers ✨

I know this is a remake....& Most of us know the original story....so what this series make me sit & watch it is , this series unique way of telling the story
That makes us feel that it's a different story...not the one we know
I was not a fan of boys over flowers.... cause i felt that the ml is super toxic & the 2 nd lead did a shitty job by kissing the fl....
Bt in this version..I can see/ feel the difference..
They did a good job by making the ml less toxic, & they are also gaving us explanation on his rude behaviour , the meaning behind the red card etc..
They also made the series focus on cyber bullying which is common now in our society
& Don't make me start on fl.....she is a badass.... stronger & independent than any other versions...
She can really make ml a better person
The 2nd lead couples is so cute ...I wish they will have much screen time to show their story
Other thing that made this version better is...they give importance to each & every character & their chemistry is super.....they will make us sit & watch themm
Whoever made the casting did a good job...coz their visuals & chemistry is 🔥
& The ost?.......I can't believe that f4 has such beautiful vocals...the ost just added the spice the series needed
& I hope next episodes will also be as good as the previous ones
I can't wait 1 whole wk to watch the next ep....its really horrible...the wait😭

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Great story, not the best adaptation

Maybe its my fault for having seen all other adaptations of the story, but I found this one lacking. This story should be a story of love conquering absolutely everything. The universe seems to be against them. Every time a crisis is overcome, another is at the corner. It's desperate, its fated, it's BIG LOVE. And that's exactly what I missed in this one. The feeling of desperation, of having to be together despite the odds. Bright and Tu both give a great performance and Ren is so lovable it's almost a crime. The other F4's MJ and Kavin deserved more story and screen time. It's still a good story, and I liked the pace and the original take on certain topics but it did not really get to me as much as the other adaptations do.

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Best f4 version

This Thai drama caught my eye from the very beginning, it was enough that I just glanced at it. Bullying is an important issue that should be discussed more. The bullying in this series was very harsh and horrible to see someone go through, one thing I paid attention to with the bullying was that they approximately made it truly different from the order adaptions. They showed the reality of bullying, meanwhile, they did not surely put it in the other adaptions.

Thyme is written immaculate, the way he will wait for Gorya is so loveable. You can not miss out on his soft heart for her. In my opinion for instance I did not like the way Dao mang si was written from Meteor garden. I did not like that he always would mess with Shancai, after a while it was just too much. But, in the f4 version, they did not even drag out on the time he was messing with Gorya.

The truth is that I'm so excited for each episode every Saturday, I'm not ready at all for it to end in April. Honestly, this one is one of the few Asian dramas that comforts me.

I don't know how I got this attached to this show, but I do know that I will never let it go. Thanks for the amazing cast and production that has changed me as a person. The cinematography and visuals are appealing and alluring.

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Nope

Honestly, I didn't expect much from this adaptation because the plot of Hana Yori Dango (HYD) is quite awful. Yes, it is a beloved classic, but it can't get away from its very horrible storylines - normalization of bullying and abuse of power, entitlement, abusive male lead, toxic relationships, betrayal, flaky female lead, absent parents, abandoned children. A re-make means recycling these terrible storylines because they make up the main plot.

One of my biggest gripes with HYD is that the F4 are portrayed as rich and popular boys who are good at everything, except they don't do anything to be good at everything. This show did a very good job at showing them wasting time not going to class, bullying their classmates, partying, and drinking alcohol all the damn time. I would think a modern adaptation would flush out this plotline to show them participating in some activities to make their talents more believable and to give them some goddamn personalities. When Domyoji /Thyme is not a psychotic bully, he obsesses over Makino/Gorya making her want to get away from him.

To make up for the lack of character development, the actors overacted the characters' feelings making the scenes look very forced. There was very little motivation behind their actions and everything looked thrown together just to move the story forward. Thyme's mother had a lot of screen time, but the writers didn't give her any personality. In the original, she was already very cold. Here, she was a female terminator in pursuit of some mythical "perfection" while treating her children as stepping stones to achieve that perfection. Some plot lines were not in chronological order, and I quit the show as soon as the fiance showed up. I hated that storyline anyway.

Gorya and Thyme spent most of their time yelling at each other and having no romantic chemistry. Watching them together quickly became a chore. The cheating kissing scene with Ren was turned into an awkward hugging scene which wasn't properly resolved. And, the acting altogether was quite terrible. I did like that Gorya's parents were tolerable and not as stupidly annoying as in the original.

Overall, this show was just another awkward attempt at resurrecting an old skeleton that should stay buried.

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