Better Than Meteor Garden, Up There With 花より男子.
This adaptation of 花より男子 is more enjoyable to watch because it has more fighting than it's predecessors. The fighting scenes actually look more realistic and less melodramatic than Meteor Garden and 花より男子.The music (OST) was not really my favorite. Not sure why, it just never struck the right cord for me. Making the score of some scenes a little off in my opinion. I do, though, love the acting. The cast swept the board compared to the other adaptations. Which follows into the production which was very well-done.
(Watched: DRAMACOOL)
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This review may contain spoilers
Good adaptation
Well, this is the different one from other adaptations with >20 episodes into 16 episodes. Fast paced. but it succeed. Tu Tontawan and Dew already made it very great in their debut.However, Bright still have to improve his expressing skills in this drama. Not saying that he's bad, just needs some improvement. Win and Nani succeed to bring the character the joy to their friends, like the narrator said in the last episode, "The one who looks like a mafia, but actually has his soft spot, and really love his friends". And I have to admit the perfection of the villain (Thyme's mother) because i really... really like the acting. Idc she's a villain i still like her acting lol. I recommend this!
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Nothing to lose my mind over..
A decent story overall. I generally enjoyed the elements of realism when it came to the school bullying and the depiction of poverty and struggle in contrast to wealth and power. The characters for the most part were fine, but not that much developed. I get that the protagonists need more screen time, but I needed for the side characters to have their own goals and motives instead of their life revolving around the main couple 24/7. And speaking of the main couple, their love story I can't say it won me over. The actors did their job, but I wasn't convinced to root for them based on the writing. It felt kinda forced.I was more intrigued in the first half of the show, but it kinda flopped after a point. The plot was all over the place, the writing wasn't that good and many things were wrapped up fast, which I guess has a lot to do with the number of episodes being fixed and not with the writers.
Still I'll recommend it to anyone who likes a typical romantic story with.
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Simple Thoughts
In simple words, F4 is a better version of Boys Over Flower. The things that I found cringy in the previous adaptations were almost gone from this drama. The cast was perfect. They did a wonderful job portraying their characters. Especially the second lead couple captured my heart, they were too cute. If they make a squeal with these two, I will definitely watch it. One thing that could have made this drama way better is the stop of random product promotions. Like what they did in the hospital when Thyme was injured. I mean seriously, you guys need to stop with the product promotion. Anyway, if you love BOF, Korean or Japanese, you will love this drama.Was this review helpful to you?
LOVED it but...
I honestly loved this series, everything is great the acting, the plot is good an all and there's something I particularly/specifically don't like about this drama, or should I say hate? well I'm not sure maybe that's too strong of a word lol. I feel like the FL trusts anyone BUT the ML and honestly it frustrates me, contant making of wrong or should I say bad decisions and the thing is that she doesn't really ✨️communicate ✨️and jumps into conclusion without making thorough consideration, and again everyone has their own opinion. But honestly worth to watch. LOVED TYE ACTORS AND ACTRESSES AAAAA THEYRE SO MAJESTICWas this review helpful to you?
Very worth your time! I HAVE REWATCHED IT MULTIPLE TIMES
This drama has 16 episodes with about 50-60 minutes long each. I love the cast so much, when I finished the drama for the time I immediately searched up the actors/actress in the drama. Their acting is so good! They paint the perfect image and makes you feel some type of way. The cast is very talented, and their acting is my favorite. I love how the FL doesn't cry pretty and she really sobs not like a lot of dramas where they barely show pain. Except, I do have to say, the FL is kinda naive and she trusts people way to easily even after what she goes through she never learns a lesson, and she doesn't learn to what others want to say.The story/plot is very interesting... that's all I can say, there's a lot of plot twists but some of them are kinda predictable, some plot twists are very deep. I love how there are very little details and it captures the moments perfectly. I wish I could give the story line a higher score but there's a lot of times I just want to smash my device across the room because of how random the character developments are. It is a very deep drama and it makes you want to watch more and more to the point you don't sleep at night.
The couples are incredibly cute and totally worth watching! <3 9.5/10 ONE OF MY FAVORITES!
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Good Start, Disappointing ending
This is actually my first-time watching boys over flowers, I’ve never seen the other versions, however, I was quite impressed with this one because it was actually interesting to watch. It's cheesy, cute, and funny, and I do recommend it.GOOD
-Lead actors have great chemistry. Tu had such great chemistry with all the boys in F4 and it was interesting to watch their dynamic. The chemistry between the supporting actors was great as well. Normally I don’t really care for the romance between supporting roles because I find them to be a bit boring, but this drama made them fun to watch, I guess.
- Casting is good
- The acting is great from most of the actors
- Main characters are interesting and have great dynamics.
- Nice visuals
- Attractive cast
- Wardrobe department did a good job
BAD
- Poor development between main leads – As much as I loved Gorya and Thyme, I gotta say that their relationship was not developed well. Bright and Tu have amazing chemistry, but I thought it made no sense for their characters to date. Their relationship, while very fun to watch, could have been developed way better. Most people didn't seem to mind because apparently Thyme is gentler in this version, and he had character development.
Thyme was a bully to Gorya yet two or three episodes later Gorya went on a date with him? Secondly, Thyme was a walking RED FLAG, and literally the most toxic out of all the boys. The guy threw tantrums every time he didn’t get what he wanted, AND he acted like a major spoilt brat in most episodes. So how is it possible for Gorya to like this guy, especially when she had feelings for Ren, who was a WAY better choice at the time? Thyme had a very complex and interesting character, and he grew to be more likable, however, it was just not believable for Gorya to like him at all.
- STORY – The story went from exciting to boring, and it was all over the place. The last episodes did not pull me in and I lost all interest. In my opinion, there were too many side plots. Some were enjoyable but most were meh, and I zoned out half of the time. Some parts of the story were a bit over-dramatic and unrealistic, especially the one with that kid Talin or Tavin (don't remember his name). The first 10 or so episodes were the most enjoyable.
Also, they did MJ so wrong, all he did was KFC commercials.
Music - I don’t remember it lol.
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[Dropped] Poor acting by lead actor!
You shouldn't be fooled by the high ratings of Bright's fans. Why is he so popular and achieving such major roles when he acts so poorly!? Hopefully, he will improve soon -- unless his fans convince him he does not need to!
There was nothing new in the plot/story, all actors and actresses contribute well, but the lead character/acting was so bad that I had to stop watching it. [Dropped after the 9th episode]
The drama is an entertaining watch if you are bored and can't think of anything else to watch; there is not much to miss if you don't.
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The best version of Boys over Flowers ?
I knew this version was going to be good & successful even before it aired because,(1) I had already seen the director's other works before and he's someone who always does something different & amazing... I knew F4 Thailand was in good hands and he's the perfect person to tackle the issue everyone had with this plot - Romanticizing bullying. He promised he's going to change it and I believe he will. Also the fact that he included cyber bullying in this version is commendable!
(2)THE CAST! oh my god I'm not exaggerating when I say this version has the most talented and the most famous actors and actresses under its belt and there's no way this would flop. I am a huge fan of Bright and Win and I think all the 4 boys are perfect for their respective characters!!
Now the actual series is pretty fast paced and I'm living for it... I love how they don't drag the scenes unnecessarily like the previous versions. Thyme (Bright) is probably going to be the most loved Doumyouji because from the very first ep, we get to know why he's the way he is. We just can't hate him. We can see he's a real softie inside and he's aware what he's doing is wrong. We often get to see him questioning himself when MJ tries to talk some sense into him. But because of his mother's pressure he has to be ruthless and be in "control" of the students, and his way of doing it is through the red cards. I love how he didn't ask Gorya to be his gf at his house, instead he asked her to record an apology video which is REALISTIC. I'm so glad they changed that scene! This version shows us what a baby Thyme is when he's with the people he's close to - his sister or his friends (airport scene was so damn cute) and Bright does a damn good job delivering it - he has such a cute face with a fierce look - the perfect Doumyouji in my opinion ❤️
I love how Ren actually shows emotions in this version. He doesn't look dead inside even though there's probably a storm inside his heart. He's also not rude to Gorya for no reason unlike other versions; the only time he got annoyed with her was during ep3 and other than that he actually had pleasant interactions with her. He actually acknowledges Gorya's presence even though his head is filled with Mira. He actually "SAW" Gorya even when Mira was a part of his life; because of that it will make sense when he falls for her after he comes back. I feel like Dew was born to be Ren, his mannerism, his looks everything screams Ren & he's actually a talented artist in real life which is amazing!
Hands down Gorya is the best version of Makino!! She's smart, she's brave, she's beautiful and she's REAL. I love how she was living a lowkey life out of F4's way because she wanted to graduate without a problem. She never approved or liked what F4 was doing but she's not stupid enough to stop them or make a scene. She only fought back because she's a great friend and she had no choice. Even then we see the internal conflict she has with herself before doing that. She even runs and hides so that she won't be found by other students. I think all these are close to real life events. I'm glad they didn't make Gorya a feminazi fighting against all the injustices that goes on around her. That's not how real life works. She's definitely brave, but she's not stupid. She stands up for herself and her loved ones only when necessary.
Kavin's storyline still hasn't started but when I say he's already a scene-stealer I mean it! He's mysterious, he only speaks a few words but they are powerful. He has a dark aura around him that he masks by his seductive smile; I could tell by the minor changes in his expressions when he was talking about his family in ep1 that there's a deep background story. Win is an outstanding actor and I can't wait for Kavin-Kaning storyline to start so we can see more of him!!
I like how F4 Thailand didn't let MJ's character get lost behind the other 3 characters - something we commonly saw in other versions. Here KAVIN-MJ are the ones that keep the group together. They don't follow Thyme blindly. Yes they don't actively stop him but they warn Thyme when they feel like he's gone too far. I really like that aspect of the story.
They call Thyme the leader of F4 - but that maybe in the eyes of the ordinary. When F4 is together, there's no leader there, they are all equal. They are just a normal group of friends who tease each other and do cute things like we saw in ep3.
Overall I'm in love with this version. One might think I am biased because I'm an old fan of Bright and Win, but I genuinely believe people who are not watching this version are seriously missing out on a good series.
It's the same story, yet it's so different and fresh. I think everyone should give it a try ?
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Gorya & Thyme = Chef's Kiss
So far so great!To be fair, I haven't watched the other renditions of F4; Korea, Japan, Taiwan, etc but I'm quite familiar with the storyline and has seen a fair amount of clips from them. The story is cliché, but a good kind of cliché, and although it's quite problematic at the root, I believe Thailand really did the series justice just from what I've seen so far, and I'm excited for what is to come. But I want to talk about the two main characters specifically: Gorya and Thyme. Man....
Gorya: What an absolute complex and amazing character she is. So precious and really easy to like. She isn't made out to be the savior of the day, or over the top exaggerated in comparison to the other versions. No. She's realistic in the sense that you can understand and feel for the choices she makes. At the beginning, even though she's aware of the bullying going on, she chooses to blindside it. Because that's what 99% of us would do. Knowing the extent F4 goes to, it's only common sense she did what she did to avoid inconvenience. But what makes her great is she stands up when those close to her are in trouble, and even better, she persist through hardships when she's the one being targeted. Her humble upbringing, the pureness she radiates when she's with Ren, and her view on the world is what solidifies her as a flawed, yet perfect character, and the series does a great job of portraying her vulnerable side, while also showing us she's just trying to make the best of her situation.
Thyme: Where do I even start, haha. Well, he's an ass BUT the show did such an awesome job at bringing out his character and his conflicts. Bright as an actor as well, killed this role. You can see it in his eyes and his facial expressions about everything he's feeling at the moment. He's pretty much like a man-child that's had everything handed to him on a plate but at the same time, he's also so clueless about the real world. His reaction to the kiss, and the fact that he doesn't know what to do about his first crush, is adorable Lmao. Thyme is a character that you really need to focus on his body language; then you can tell everything about him. You can see when he feels guilty about something: that dinner scene with his mom and the maid, the way he gives Gorya an option to back out although he told her to cut her hair, you can see he didn't actually mean it, and that makeover scene when he offered all those luxuries to Gorya, to which she commented "You're giving me all this stuff because you actually feel bad." which rings true because his eyes tell it all Lol. He's such an interesting person and I'd love to see how the writers will go on about his character in the future. Everybody raves about Ren, but Thyme is so much more exciting XD
Also, just have to add that the song Who Am I is thebomb.com. It fits the drama to the T and I feel like I've ascended to heaven every time I listen to it.
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Nuance and Cinematography
This is hands down the most nuanced and most fleshed out version of Hana Yori Dango (that I've watched), and for a drama that seems so chock full of cliches and out-of-the-blue plot developments and cliches, it felt like F4 Thailand was the most cohesive of them all too — I never once felt like things were underdeveloped or came out of nowhere. Side character arcs were all given their time and space.I really love how modernized this is in terms of all the tropes; HYD is basically a hodgepodge of all the tropes but F4 Thailand managed to pull them off without making them seem tired and annoying. The bullying, insecurity, economic class, familial pressure themes were kept really consistent throughout the entire show even as different characters come in and out.
I do think the vibe of the show was pretty modernized as well — older versions of HYD added a really dramatic layer to some of the scenes and I was glad that everything just felt a little more realistic (as realistic as HYD could be, at least). Gorya was a really likable protagonist who used her brain a lot and didn't rush into things without thinking. Thyme's character development was done really well. The downside, and I don't know if this has to do with the fact that I know the story, but it's that I never felt as though the stakes were very high.
I have to admit that HYD was never my favorite drama so there are some arcs that I wish weren't included but of course they were, and there were other arcs like Kavin/Kaning that I wish had gotten more time to be developed.
I also think that for the most part, the actors did a great job — but you could definitely tell who was experienced and who was a rookie; I felt as though I could feel Bright and Win's emotions with my entire soul, but when other characters were crying or breaking down, it sort of just felt like acting.
Overall, definitely the best version of HYD out there; I think a bigger HYD fan might enjoy it but I admit it was never one of my favorite stories anyways. Even then, I felt like cinematography throughout the entire show was beautiful and I really liked that there were even mini tropes that were gently subverted in small scenes. The OST is beautiful and these are pieces of artistry that anyone can enjoy.
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Things I Dislike about this series
Acting - Bright needs to step up his acting. He is being overshadowed by newbie actors. His facial expressions are the same regardless of what emotion he is trying to convey. Tu is fine but has the tendency to overdo things. Win has the most convincing acting in this group.Story - Haven't finished the entire series yet but so far, the story is generally similar to the previous versions (and kind of tiring already because of the numerous adaptations)
Set - Compared to the Taiwanese and Korean versions, the set is less grandiose. I cannot feel how intimidatingly rich the boys are. Maybe it has something to do with the acting especially the male lead.
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