Nathalie B
This review may contain spoilers
I'll try to keep the spoilers to a minimum in my review.
A detour before the actual review cause this has been stuck in my head for a while: As a whole, FLOWER BOY NEXT DOOR is phenomenal. It truly is of its time, I don't think it could have been made at any other point, from the aesthetics to the casting and tone. The early 10s (really any time before 2015) was a weird time for Korean dramas, at least stylistically. From the early to late aughts (07/08) melodramas were all the rage, so many dramas during this time were melodramas or melodrama-lite. This is not to say that there weren't any silly or cutesy dramas, they just tended to be less popular or not as critically successful; they tended to be backed less and associated with pre-teen/teenaged girls, who, as an audience, weren't taken that seriously. The dramas that did get made tended to bet on I'm-in-a-boy-band actors, who may be chosen for their looks or potential monetary popularity over their ability to act or suitability and chemistry in their role (this isn't just for dramas directed for teens during this time, but I don't want to do more research and work so let's move on), and who, most likely, didn't hold any prestige (this doesn't mean that they can't be successes, but the companies didn't necessarily care about the quality of the content so larger budgets tended to be allocated elsewhere). (Think of dramas like YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL or GOONG, things primarily targeted at a younger audience that have an extremely different aesthetic from something like A LOVE TO KILL or QUE SERA SERA.) This was the model until a little drama called BOYS OVER FLOWERS came out. I cannot stress enough how much of a surprise knockout hit BOF was, and then everything attempted to be BOF 2.0. It, for better or worse (I personally think worse), changed the way, for a period of time, dramas were made, from the tone to the overall aesthetic and editing of dramas, it even changed what were popular forms of acting styles. Corny dramas have always existed but BOYS OVER FLOWERS is in a category all of its own. Its influence can be seen in an earlier Flower Boy installment, FLOWER BOY RAMEN SHOP (can we all think about how insane this drama was for a moment). By the time FLOWER BOY NEXT DOOR came out (2013) the style popularized by BOF was starting to die down, though you still remnants in various facets of FBND, especially through the occasionally weird tone shift of straight melodrama that was slowly coming back (though in a different form) and the extremely goofy comedy popularized by BOF. So what I'm saying is that this drama is BOYS OVER FLOWERS impact.
Story: As I explained before, due to the tone shifts in FLOWER BOY NEXT DOOR from extreme comedy to intense drama, at times to the detriment to the show as a whole, lead to some of the less good parts of FBND. While I agree that some of the plotlines are 100% unnecessary, a number of the plotlines, even the ones I particularly hate involving the worst character on the show, add to the story the show is telling. This is the story of an extremely damaged woman, Go Dok Mi, who pushes the world away as a means of protecting herself and her learning how to heal and exist in a world that will inevitably hurt you through the help of her manic pixie dream boy neighbor and immediate best friend, Enrique. The drama adds to the tension and creates a contrast to the ridiculous comedy, going from the almost naive beliefs of not just Enrique but also Go Dok Mi herself, and even some of the other side characters, to the stark reality of their lives. This story is one of my favorites of all the dramas made during this post-BOF craze, and I personally think that it did the bubbly, eccentric aesthetic that was popular post-BOF the best.
Acting/Casting: FBND’s casting is phenomenal, it must be said. There is not an off choice in the main cast, even the side characters are well cast. I’ll go through the important cast members and work up to the main leads: First up, Park Soo Jin as Cha Do Hwi, the female lead’s ex-best friend and bully. Park Soo Jin was perfect for this role; not only did she portray this character as a genuinely not nice person but also as a complex person who has many, many flaws. You never necessarily feel like she’s a decent person but you do feel pity for her and how she became who she is in the show, trading her best friend for hollow happiness that did not last, desperately clinging onto the popularity she had in high school, It’s a shame that Park Soo Jin retired after 2013, I truly think she is an amazing actress and would have been the perfect villain-heroine lead. Go Kyung Po as Oh Dong Hoon is phenomenal in comedy and subtlety, which would eventually lead to him getting a slew of leading roles from 2015-2017. While he is great, let’s talk about the second half of his comedic duo on this show. Kim Seul Gi as the deputy manager. Can we talk? In one word: iconic. In many words: one of the best comedic performances of 2013. She steals the show; it is absolutely disgusting that she has not been offered the leading role in a rom-com yet. Kim Ji Hoon portrays Oh Jin Rak, the worst character on the show (like as a character, intentionally, not acting-wise). Even when I first watched FBND back when it originally aired his character did not appeal to me, the way his character acts and thinks, especially in comparison to the male lead, is repulsive. In part, this is intentional within the story, comparing him to Enrique, Oh Jin Rak is obsessive and possessive of Gok Dok Mi, not seeing her as a complex person but rather as a blank canvas to paint all of his fantasies onto. Let’s move on to the main leads - first up, Yoon Shi Yoon as Enrique Geum, the charismatic, silly game developer. This is a career highlight for Yoon Shi Yoon, he is so amazing in this drama, it shows how talented an actor he is. Listen, most actors would have not been able to pull off this level of comedy and still make it seem like you want them to be your boyfriend, but Yoon Shi Yoon was able to pull it off. Finally, Park Shin Hye as Go Dok Mi. There was no way this role would have been a bad career choice for her, it is meaty and makes her seem relatable. The year this came out, 2013, was also a career highpoint for her, as this is the year she also starred as a lead in HEIRS. I personally think it is a travesty that her work in this is overlooked for HEIRS, she plays a traumatized, anxious, bitter woman with such skill and it makes sense why she continually gets lead roles in dramas when you see her in this.
Music: This drama is an example of how music and sound design/editing can enhance the quality and experience of a drama. I wish I had a rant for this section, but when it’s good, it’s good.
Rewatch Value: Yes! 100% percent. Every time I rewatch it, I come away with something new; it is always engaging for me. (Keep in mind I'm biased, but this drama is genuinely fun so give it a try.)
A detour before the actual review cause this has been stuck in my head for a while: As a whole, FLOWER BOY NEXT DOOR is phenomenal. It truly is of its time, I don't think it could have been made at any other point, from the aesthetics to the casting and tone. The early 10s (really any time before 2015) was a weird time for Korean dramas, at least stylistically. From the early to late aughts (07/08) melodramas were all the rage, so many dramas during this time were melodramas or melodrama-lite. This is not to say that there weren't any silly or cutesy dramas, they just tended to be less popular or not as critically successful; they tended to be backed less and associated with pre-teen/teenaged girls, who, as an audience, weren't taken that seriously. The dramas that did get made tended to bet on I'm-in-a-boy-band actors, who may be chosen for their looks or potential monetary popularity over their ability to act or suitability and chemistry in their role (this isn't just for dramas directed for teens during this time, but I don't want to do more research and work so let's move on), and who, most likely, didn't hold any prestige (this doesn't mean that they can't be successes, but the companies didn't necessarily care about the quality of the content so larger budgets tended to be allocated elsewhere). (Think of dramas like YOU'RE BEAUTIFUL or GOONG, things primarily targeted at a younger audience that have an extremely different aesthetic from something like A LOVE TO KILL or QUE SERA SERA.) This was the model until a little drama called BOYS OVER FLOWERS came out. I cannot stress enough how much of a surprise knockout hit BOF was, and then everything attempted to be BOF 2.0. It, for better or worse (I personally think worse), changed the way, for a period of time, dramas were made, from the tone to the overall aesthetic and editing of dramas, it even changed what were popular forms of acting styles. Corny dramas have always existed but BOYS OVER FLOWERS is in a category all of its own. Its influence can be seen in an earlier Flower Boy installment, FLOWER BOY RAMEN SHOP (can we all think about how insane this drama was for a moment). By the time FLOWER BOY NEXT DOOR came out (2013) the style popularized by BOF was starting to die down, though you still remnants in various facets of FBND, especially through the occasionally weird tone shift of straight melodrama that was slowly coming back (though in a different form) and the extremely goofy comedy popularized by BOF. So what I'm saying is that this drama is BOYS OVER FLOWERS impact.
Story: As I explained before, due to the tone shifts in FLOWER BOY NEXT DOOR from extreme comedy to intense drama, at times to the detriment to the show as a whole, lead to some of the less good parts of FBND. While I agree that some of the plotlines are 100% unnecessary, a number of the plotlines, even the ones I particularly hate involving the worst character on the show, add to the story the show is telling. This is the story of an extremely damaged woman, Go Dok Mi, who pushes the world away as a means of protecting herself and her learning how to heal and exist in a world that will inevitably hurt you through the help of her manic pixie dream boy neighbor and immediate best friend, Enrique. The drama adds to the tension and creates a contrast to the ridiculous comedy, going from the almost naive beliefs of not just Enrique but also Go Dok Mi herself, and even some of the other side characters, to the stark reality of their lives. This story is one of my favorites of all the dramas made during this post-BOF craze, and I personally think that it did the bubbly, eccentric aesthetic that was popular post-BOF the best.
Acting/Casting: FBND’s casting is phenomenal, it must be said. There is not an off choice in the main cast, even the side characters are well cast. I’ll go through the important cast members and work up to the main leads: First up, Park Soo Jin as Cha Do Hwi, the female lead’s ex-best friend and bully. Park Soo Jin was perfect for this role; not only did she portray this character as a genuinely not nice person but also as a complex person who has many, many flaws. You never necessarily feel like she’s a decent person but you do feel pity for her and how she became who she is in the show, trading her best friend for hollow happiness that did not last, desperately clinging onto the popularity she had in high school, It’s a shame that Park Soo Jin retired after 2013, I truly think she is an amazing actress and would have been the perfect villain-heroine lead. Go Kyung Po as Oh Dong Hoon is phenomenal in comedy and subtlety, which would eventually lead to him getting a slew of leading roles from 2015-2017. While he is great, let’s talk about the second half of his comedic duo on this show. Kim Seul Gi as the deputy manager. Can we talk? In one word: iconic. In many words: one of the best comedic performances of 2013. She steals the show; it is absolutely disgusting that she has not been offered the leading role in a rom-com yet. Kim Ji Hoon portrays Oh Jin Rak, the worst character on the show (like as a character, intentionally, not acting-wise). Even when I first watched FBND back when it originally aired his character did not appeal to me, the way his character acts and thinks, especially in comparison to the male lead, is repulsive. In part, this is intentional within the story, comparing him to Enrique, Oh Jin Rak is obsessive and possessive of Gok Dok Mi, not seeing her as a complex person but rather as a blank canvas to paint all of his fantasies onto. Let’s move on to the main leads - first up, Yoon Shi Yoon as Enrique Geum, the charismatic, silly game developer. This is a career highlight for Yoon Shi Yoon, he is so amazing in this drama, it shows how talented an actor he is. Listen, most actors would have not been able to pull off this level of comedy and still make it seem like you want them to be your boyfriend, but Yoon Shi Yoon was able to pull it off. Finally, Park Shin Hye as Go Dok Mi. There was no way this role would have been a bad career choice for her, it is meaty and makes her seem relatable. The year this came out, 2013, was also a career highpoint for her, as this is the year she also starred as a lead in HEIRS. I personally think it is a travesty that her work in this is overlooked for HEIRS, she plays a traumatized, anxious, bitter woman with such skill and it makes sense why she continually gets lead roles in dramas when you see her in this.
Music: This drama is an example of how music and sound design/editing can enhance the quality and experience of a drama. I wish I had a rant for this section, but when it’s good, it’s good.
Rewatch Value: Yes! 100% percent. Every time I rewatch it, I come away with something new; it is always engaging for me. (Keep in mind I'm biased, but this drama is genuinely fun so give it a try.)
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