[Thai Drama 2022] F4 Thailand: Boys over Flowers

[partyon]

6 hours ago, joccu said:

@partyon  that sound really good first episode. Will watch it tonight. And will tell you how I liked it or not.

 

Great, do share on this thread how you liked the first episode.

5 hours ago, kokodus said:

did you not like the oguri shun version also?

 

Ms. Koko, never really liked the sad violin guy in any version. He was fairly bearable in the c-drama adaptation, but the most handsome one was in the TW version.

Liking his character the most in this version.

Are you watching this drama, Ms.Koko?

 

 

4 hours ago, agenth said:

Ren: Oh Ren. He likes her already, he rescues her with cool detachment, except the unnecessary fire alarm set off.

 

Yeah, I was surprised about this too. It's evident he likes her...

[kokodus]

35 minutes ago, partyon said:

 

Are you watching this drama, Ms.Koko? 

 

 

 

 

Yeah I'm watching the 1st ep right now. 

The bullying seems very elaborate here. The male lead looks like he is enjoying it, if you notice in other versions, they (Domoyouji counterparts) always look bored or annoyed. 

Here he even understood why all this bullying is happening...and he tells that poor guy that its the way of life. Hmmm this is an interesting take.....

[partyon]

16 minutes ago, kokodus said:

Here he even understood why all this bullying is happening...and he tells that poor guy that its the way of life. Hmmm this is an interesting take.....

 

Yup, that's what I am liking about this drama. It's realistic!

 

Where is @Ameera Ali twin when we need her...? How can she be missing a drama like this?

[joccu]

@partyon  First episode watched.  this is so far the best version.  well I have seen only three versions( korean, japanese and meteor garden 2001)

 

 I love the realistic output. 

 

the music was so spot on. 

 

the Mom. Scary as hell but I think she is the best version. 

 

 

[kokodus]

There is going to be only one ep per week? Oh noooo.....

[partyon]

cr. gm4queen

 

Only a few more days until Christmas! Remember to be and do you whatever age you are! You rock!

 

 

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Original post:

I take it as you liked the first episode, Ms. Koko?

 

Thoughts?

[kokodus]

I agree with the others that its more realistic than the other versions. But that exactly was the reason why I liked the other versions. The over the top, cheesy world of BOF has its own unique charm.

As mentioned by others, this version definitely looks a bit darker. 

All the actors have done a good job, no one feels out of place. Thyme's actor especially.....he is delivering the crazy RickRoll'D energy of domoyouji quiet well. That last scene was perfection. You could tell that he was angry, confused and impressed at the same time. Bwahahahahaha. 

 

[partyon]

Poll: F4 Thailand - First Impressions

 

It's poll time, peeps! Let us know how you liked the first episode.

 

@kokodus @joccu @agenth @confusedheart @Table122000 @VeraV @Chibi8535

[Table122000]

I have watched Ep.1 and....I think I'm in love!

Was this drama worth the wait? So far, Yes! I'm a bit worried about the drama being able to include everything in 16 episodes without feeling rushed, but hopefully the writers will be able to do it. My biggest problem is the fact it's only 1 episode a week-the waiting is killing me already!

 

What I Liked About Episode 1:

 

The more realistic feel- Having the characters and situations more grounded gave this version a freshness. I was worried we might see the typical Thai exaggerated acting and slapstick comedy elements, but thankfully there wasn't as production went for realistic acting by all of cast. Example was Gorya's family who are often used for comic relief. I was expecting we might see the "crazy comedy" of a typical Thai lakorn for the parents and brother, but show kept them understated and real. Viewers saw a loving, supportive family only wanting the chance for their daughter to have opportunities for herself and to be able to rise up the socio/economic ladder, like any parent all over the world. (Although they did tease Gorya about finding "a rich handsome boyfriend.") Much more relatable.

 

Serious exploration of bullying- I liked how the issue of bullying was handled in this first episode, calling it out for the destructive issue that it is and not being afraid to say that people who do nothing and just watch are wrong. When Gorya said that Ren was wrong to just stand by as the bullying continued and not try to talk to the rest of F4 to stop it....slow clap! I think it's the first time I've seen an acknowledgement by the FL that all the members of F4 contribute to the bullying, not just ML. I liked how the drama included the social media aspects into th  bullying to update the story.  I hope that show continues to explore the bullying issue in a  deep way. 

 

Character of Gorya- I LOVE this girl!  The character is so relatable. She wants to do the right thing but struggles with herself as we all do.  She's not clueless or stupid or spacey. FL actress Tu is doing a great job so far!

 

Character of Thyme- He's pretty scary here but definitely a more realistic take and not over the top. I also like that he's smart and not played as stupid or silly.  ML actor Bright is doing a great job so far!

 

The cinematography-love the look for this first episode. Everything has a muted feel-grey sky, muted colors, reflecting the emotional turmoil of the characters and adds to the realism. 

 

Production Values- Yes! Sets, costumes, props, etc. everything is bringing me into this "elite" world. The old, crumbling stadium where the bullying happens--genius!

 

Thyme's Mother- just had to give a shoutout for this character-truly a scary woman! I think the toughest take that I've seen so far. Her line" I don't care what kind of games you play for fun at school but you have to control it"... chills. Talk about stone cold!

 

Favorite Scene: The Iconic Kick Scene-WoW! First off, it was so satisfying!  Not over the top or exaggerated. Next the fact that Gorya kicked him with the dirty shoe that Thyme just destroyed, oh the symbolism! Expressions of both actors for that scene were on point-kudos to both Bright and Tu!

 

 

[confusedheart]

I don't much care about the sappy romance between violin guy and his model GF! So I will really cheer for Ren and Gorya romance. 

 

Also, I hate the poor rich boy trope.This has been done to death and 'bad' boys should learn to take responsibility instead of their 'pressure' etc for being mean.

 

The icecream girl/ spaghetti girl is annoying. So is Goryo's super enthusiastic family. No surprises there. Reminds me of Goong family. They were super annoying too, especially FL's brother.

 

I liked the OST though. The school looks like a school but I refuse to believe that the authorities have no idea what F4 is up to behind their backs or what the whole student body is doing or that the kind of bullying arcade the old stadium is. There is nothing teachers do not know!

 

I loved the sprinkler scene though I know chingu @agenth hated it. It was very aesthetically shot.  Loved the slow-mo water droplets falling over the two leads.

 

The kick wasn't as iconic as the one in BoF. That was disappointing.

[kokodus]

 

[Table122000]

New BTS Clip with English subtitles. (Click on CC)

 

Short English Language Interview with Bright from Dec 2020:

 

[Chibi8535]

My take on f4:thailand, having watched 2001(taiwan), 2005(japan), 2009(korea) & 2018(china) versions, plus having followed the first 1/3rd of the manga...

What I liked so far:
-Bright's interpretation of Thyme/ Domyouji. His one line in the making video: 'you'll feel sorry for him' is proof he REALLY gets the character.
-The concept of '4 equally beautiful but lonely princes stuck in a high tower' versus the older concept of portraying just the ML as someone desperately craving love & companionship... the lyrics for the OST really hammer it in. All 4 kinda live shiny but empty lives...
-Tu's interpretation of Gorya/Makino. She is realistic and isn't her plucky, warrior-self 24/7, which has always seemed very caricaturish to me. Plus side: much like the manga description, she's actually REALLY convincingly 'diamond-in-the-rough' kind of pretty!!
-Gorya's family... they have a functioning purpose to the narrative (as a source of Gorya's constant support & courage, esp in contrast to the f4's non-existing family life) instead of being plain cringe comic-relief.
-Thyme is no longer a ditz. Him getting proverbs wrong was amusing, but the humor around his 'issues' gave me whiplash, & was always disturbing to say the least. Glad we ain't sugar-coating nothing!
-The scene where f4 enters the dog-eat-dog scenario in the run-down stadium much like Roman elites to a Gladiatorial match, looking like Squid Games VIPs watching death games for their amusement. The reference was not lost on me. Thyme's animal prints made it more obvious...
-Mama-bear Thyme. Not only does she verbally insult and emasculates her son, she also encourages him to do what he doez, in her own twisted way. Wow...
-The last scene, oof! That look was EVERYTHING. I'm sold on the fact that it was the moment that Thyme fell in love. Much like Gorya does with Ren, in the sprinkler moment!
-They seemed to have paid homage to all the versions by picking out the best: a very k-pop sounding theme track, casting of 4 musically talented boys as f4 (like taiwan), keeping the darker elements of the story (like japan), the good fashion & polished visuals (like china).

What I'm excited about for the future:
-Ren's character interpretation. Contrary to many SLS-fangirls, nobody talks enough about what a tool his character is. Sure, he's better than the ML, but anybody is, if the ML is the benchmark! xD I'm looking forward to f4:thailand not white-washing him.
-Or sanitizing Thyme (which they haven't as of ep1). Or even Kavin... heck!
-Potential angst. Never dug the comedy tbh. I'm glad we filtered out all of the former, and discarded the latter...


Not so exciting things:
-Bright's uneven delivery of Thyme: He is stellar in some scenes (like the introductory shot where f4 takes their seat in the stadium; his smirk made my bones shiver). The last scene was equally powerful. Dinner-hall scene, not so much. Wish he toned-down the crazy-eyes. I think, however, Bright does an excellent delivery of a 'besotted-boy'
-Tu's uneven delivery of Gorya: Brilliant in the last scene, not so much in the post-assault scene.
-Dew is visually perfect, but too smiley to be a spaced-out guy on the autism spectrum. And his smiles seem fake and forced, really.
-16 eps, is TOO rushed for Thyme's character development & for Gorya's denial & dilemma. On the plus side, the lesser time Thyme spends being an active a-hole, the lesser time it takes to convincingly redeem him? He has so far cut up a shoe, and verbally intimidated our FL, whereas him doing rather less forgiveable acts (like being physically violent) is limited to NPCs we don't care about. Neat though

General +points: camerawork, color-grading, music, updated visuals & reinterpreting ideas, manga's treatment as the true canon
General -points: the excruciating 1-ep weekly wait till April.


Ps. Now that Gorya has half a pair of wearable shoes, I think next week will be Shizuka's entry with a brand new pair of shoes for our Fl, with the iconic quote: 'pretty shoes take you to beautiful places'

[Table122000]

wit and folly is reviewing F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers at their Youtube Channel. Their analysis videos are very interesting. Check it out!

 

Episode 1 Analysis:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1w7oCeDmHQk

 

FUN FACT: I just found out that the name of the flower shop where Gorya works is Meteor Garden in Thai. Love how the production keeps giving us these type of little details.

[Chibi8535]

11 hours ago, Table122000 said:

I just found out that the name of the flower shop where Gorya works is Meteor Garden in Thai.

What a NEAT little touch. Very fitting, since it's a florist shop after all!

Thank you for sharing the Easter Egg! 

[partyon]

Ep 2 continued with a fast pace. They are really condensing this drama into 16 episodes, aren't they? Something that I am definitely happy about

 

Ep 2 also saw some changes in the original story line. I am actually surprised about some of the changes, but I did feel that they worked in its favor.

 

• The remake scene made a lot more sense in this version. Originally it felt forced that Thyme's character would so quickly fall for Gorya. In this version he was bribing her with a car and a makeover so that she would apologize to him and save his face in front of everyone. I loved how she called him out on his shenanigans and said that he only is doing this because he is feeling apologetic and then proceeded to kick him right between his legs..
  AHAHAH - made me laugh a lot
  
• We saw Thyme's mother look at him with an unapproving face - he clearly felt conflicted in that moment, but it reminded him that he needs to stay strong and crush his opponents
• In ep 2 we did experience Thyme's problems remembering Thai sayings... I am kind of glad that they kept this part because we need a bit of humor as well
  Gorya's and Thyme's bickering is explosive btw!
• Thyme going after Hana was definitely unexpected! He is definitely going too far this time.
  Loved how Gorya wasn't about to let her friend be bullied.
  "You're just a spoiled brat!" was just what the doctor ordered in this situation. She's clearly his moral compass and is about to teach him a thing or two about himself.
  In the end though, Ren was the one who saved the day - in a great way too.
• I am liking Mira in this version a lot. Her advice to Gorya was healthy and sane.
• I feel like it's quite interesting that Thyme is clearly oblivious to the fact that he is having feelings towards Gorya - he definitely hasn't admitted to himself that he likes her. Yet he can't hide his jealousy when Ren compliments Gorya.
• Ren is showing empathy and seeing past Gorya's exterior. He cares about the inner qualities more than outer ones, and it doesn't go past Thyme who had only measured Gorya on outer qualities....
• Ren and Thyme are already facing each other already early on in the show head to head. It's gonna be an interesting ride....

As for the last scene.... The accidental kiss.

 

Not gonna lie, I laughed out loud. It was sooooooo cheesy...

 

But what made me laugh even more was the fact that Thyme was the one who ran away in embarrassment. How unexpected was that!

 

It does underline the fact though that he already has feelings for her.

[agenth]

On 12/22/2021 at 10:59 PM, Chibi8535 said:

-Ren's character interpretation. Contrary to many SLS-fangirls, nobody talks enough about what a tool his character is. Sure, he's better than the ML, but anybody is, if the ML is the benchmark! xD I'm looking forward to f4:thailand not white-washing him.

 

I must agree with you - although I may be in the minority. The fact that his family backtround is "hospital" already showcases him to be "better" than the rest of F4. However, Ren is as much part of F4 and the game system, as the others. 

 

On Episode 2 - ++++++:

• The highlight is always the end scene so far. Just like Ep1, the ending of Ep2 blew my mind. I found it hilarious that she was attacking Thyme/breaking up the fight, but ended up kissing him. And Bright's acting was excellent - the way his eyes grew large, but the - unwilling - grin, it made me think this must be his first kiss, before my hypothesis was confirmed by his friends. 
• I suppose that also explains why he catches feelings~ he hasn't ever really looked at girls, because the fawning is rather superficial, and they did hint something about his sister: they show her in a wedding gown. Perhaps her marriage is a love match?
• Another scene that made me laugh out was this, Mira asking this during the fight, when before she was all:  "i love you for kicking Thyme" 
• 
• Mira is like a bright light / fairy godmother. She seems to matchmake Ren with Gorya. Ren also has caught feelings for Gorya, but he also has a longstanding crush on Mira. Mira, however, treats Ren like a little brother (the way she became very juvenile in the airport scene)
• Thyme going after Hana (Gorya's friend) was unexpected, but reasonable - going after someone she likes was supposed to give him the edge over her (and he needs to take control again, as his mother demands of him with just one warning glance, not even a word). 

 

Minus points: 

• As much as Gorya looks beautiful in fancy clothing, I must admit it just seemed less principled of her. If she became all glamorous, she'd become one of them. 
• The trio of mean girls' acting is really grating on my nerves. When they acted nice, it was far more natural and pleasant, than when they are over-the-top giggling mean.
• I am getting tired of the rooftop shouting scenes, especially when she does it to meet Ren. You could see on her hopeful gaze that she was looking for Ren, only for him to show up in the opposite direction. 
• Ren is a guy who likes to brag subtly, and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. He is the same as Thyme, only the other side of the coin, the lighter one. While MJ and Kavin try to talk to Thyme and persuade him to stop, Ren is off flirting with Gorya or in lalaland with Mira, until he makes a big show of stopping Thyme. That may have impressed me a decade ago, but now I watch this new BOF with a cynical eye. 
• Also I hated when Ren's thumb wiped away milk from her, it reminded me of "Senior don't put that lipstick on" (the reason why I dropped Rowoon's drama). 
• Still no scene justifying Gorya's "athletic" scholarship... HMMM Not even training, or her gear.
• I didn't like Gorya leaving her friend alone at the party to pout. She should have immediately left the party with her friend, instead, albeit then there wouldnt have been any other scenes  I just think they should have cut it to her trying to leave, and then the confrontation between Mira and the trio of mean girls.

 

 

[Chibi8535]

15 hours ago, agenth said:

• Ren is a guy who likes to brag subtly, and that leaves a bad taste in my mouth. He is the same as Thyme, only the other side of the coin, the lighter one. While MJ and Kavin try to talk to Thyme and persuade him to stop, Ren is off flirting with Gorya or in lalaland with Mira, until he makes a big show of stopping Thyme. That may have impressed me a decade ago, but now I watch this new BOF with a cynical eye. 
• Also I hated when Ren's thumb wiped away milk from her,

A. Ren's MASSIVE hero-complex is often at odds with his un-bothered persona, and his need to avoid conflicts at a very profound level. Which is why we can see him always lurking on behind with the f4, almost looking as if he doesn't want to be there. Though, he steps in for Mira when Thyme gets handsy with her at the party, but it's only Gorya, & her alone, that can get him to defy Thyme & his leadership. In the world of f4, it prolly sucks not to be Gorya! :') His holier-than-thou attitude, double-standards and entitlement has always irritated me to no end. Like man, you clearly aren't that great to begin with

B. Dude clearly flirts with her, leads her on & is very likely aware she harbors a huge crush on him, all the while being in love with Mira. He's an RickRoll'D, like in all the versions, I'm sorry. I don't understand why more people don't see it.

[partyon]

@agenth @Chibi8535 Agree with you guys that Ren is no angel.

 

My main issue with him has always been the fact that Rui Hanazawa is the sad violin guy, and he has never been my favorite in any version I have watched. Have I ever had Second Lead Syndrome? No way.

 

I have always found him bland and manipulative and boring.

Spoiler from BOF

Spoiler

For example when they go New Caledonia and Yoon Ji Hu kisses Jan Di on the beach. Because he wants to pay back to Goo Jung Pyo for breaking his toy robot when they were 7 years old.

All the while it cannot go unnoticed to him that Jan Di is interested in him....

That's manipulative. And not cool.

 

I know that he is supposed to fall in love with her too but he backs off when he understands that Jan Di is in fact in love with Jung Pyo... Guess the acting always was so bad when it came to his character, because I never felt in any version that he was in love with Jan Di

 

But I have to say that they toned his character down in this version, and even though he chooses to turn a blind eye to the bullying he at least shows some empathy towards Gorya compared to the rest of the F4 gang....

 

So of all the Rui Hanazawa versions I've seen so far, I like this character more than previously. Again, no angel, but he doesn't annoy me to no end like before.

Surprisingly, I have not yet found Thyme to be as endearing as I have found him in other versions. But I am sure that this will change within the next few episodes when we get more scenes of him and Gorya together.

[Chibi8535]

11 hours ago, partyon said:

My main issue with him has always been the fact that Rui Hanazawa is the sad violin guy,

I appreciate his character purpose though. He's the guy who makes her grow up. I think the FL gets wayyy less naive, after she discovers and realizes the whole dynamic b/w Shizuka & Rui. Poor girl. In a way, her whole pre-Paris arc with Rui is a very universal experience amongst girls. Which means a LOT of guys are actually jerks

'Sad violin guy with Autism does whatever he wants & gets a free-pass from everyone, including the FL' was always his shtick, I guess? The reason why we keep forgiving & turning a blind-eye to his d*ck-moves, is because there is always this crazier, pettier, more idiotic & violent dude than him, so he always appears better in comparison. The fact that the story is from the FL's rose-tinted glasses, also filters out a lot of his BS.

Somehow, the reaction to Rui's character is always a clue to me if the person is a first-time viewer, and also *very* indicative of their age. I admit I had major heart-eyes for him the first time around, so I completely understand! :') My heart was too busy breaking for the FL, so I never saw through him!

 

11 hours ago, partyon said:

But I have to say that they toned his character down in this version, and even though he chooses to turn a blind

Oh certainly!! He isn't as rude to her for disrupting his privacy. 

 

11 hours ago, partyon said:

So of all the Rui Hanazawa versions I've seen so far, I like this character more than previously.

He's the most awake, and least spaced-out version of him, I believe?  ^^ I also think I'll end up forgiving Ren for a lot of things I couldn't, in the previous versions! xD

 

11 hours ago, partyon said:

Surprisingly, I have not yet found Thyme to be as endearing as I have found him in other versions.

Trust me, you do not want to find him endearing too early on. I watched MG 2018, and all 50 (minus 1) episode was the ML being all fluffy and adorable, and I was like 'excuse me, but how am I supposed to hate this absolutely smitten little puppy?' It took away from the watch experience, but I still recall him, and his pineapple-head very fondly! :'D

What I really liked in this version though, is Gorya very accurately observing that his makeover is very likely because he feels guilty. The script includes these tiny new details, that do make you feel sorry for the guy! ^^

Edited December 27, 2021 by SC2019
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