The Meteor Garden drama series of Taiwan aired in the Philippine television brought by ABS-CBN on 2003. It was then when Filipino viewers started having fancy to shows from our neighboring Asian countries like Taiwan, Korea and Japan. The Meteor Garden t.v. series is originally adapted from Manga series Hana Yori Dango, then a cartoon drama series, eventually a popular television show.
The Meteor Garden televesion drama was a big hit in Taiwan likewise as it was introduced here in the Philippines. The Filipinoes crazed about Meteor Garden drama Taiwanese version, especially teenagers. Brought by its phenomenal success, Meteor Garden became a fad. Avid viewers became Shan Cai (Barbie Hsu) look alike and F4 boy band (Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Zhu) wanna-be.
Meteor garden from comic book series to television drama is a Cinderella type of story. An ordinary citizen girl from a common class society whom a famous good looking rich man fell in love to.
It seems today ABS-CBN will try to bring back once again the Meteor Garden fever among Filipino viewers by introducing Meteor Garden Korean version Boys over Flowers with new charming KOrean F4. The Boys over Flowers is Korean adaptation of Meteor Garden, it has 25 episodes broadcast by South Korean KBS2TV television network in January 2009. Is korean F4 can dazzle teenage girl or young at heart viewers again?
Cast of Characters
• Koo Hye Sun: Geum Jan
Jan Di is from a poor family with a fierce and weed-like determination. She first liked Ji Hoo, who was the only one who showed any compassion while she was bullied. Eventually Jun Pyo begins to fall in love with her, and as he expresses his feelings towards her, she gradually begins to reciprocate those feelings. Jan Di later is determined to pursue the medical industry after realizing she can't swim because of her shoulder.
• Lee Min-ho: Gu Jun Pyo
Jun Pyo is the hot-headed leader of F4. Exasperated by Jan Di's act of defiance, he makes her a target of bullying. But as time passes, he begins to admire Jan di's determination and will and falls in love with her. He is the heir of Shinhwa Group, and after his father passes away, he inherits and begins to run the Shinhwa Group along with his mother.
• Kim Hyun-joong: Yun Ji Hoo
Ji Hoo is a calm and soft-spoken boy who likes to play the violin, piano and guitar and conduct an orchestra. Seo Hyeon was Ji Hoo's first love, after she helped him overcome trauma after the death of his parents when he was little. He attempts to fight for Seo Hyeon's love by following her to France. When he comes back, he has already realized that he had fallen for Jan Di. However, Jun Pyo has already announced his love of Jan Di. Ji Hoo decides not to betray his friend by trying to fight for Jan Di. He is a grandson of Korea's former president.
• Kim Bum: So Yi Jeong
A playboy who often flirts with girls, Yi Jeong is himself a reputed potter. He is from a family of well-known artists, who own an art gallery exhibiting national treasures.
• Kim Joon: Song Woo Bin
From their origin in the underworld, Woo Bin's family now runs a prominent construction business. The family owns real estate throughout the country.
* Kim So Eun: Chu Ga Eul
Ga Eul is Jan Di's best friend since kindergarten. Ga Eul starts developing romantic feelings for Yi Jung after he helps her get over her boyfriend who just played with her.
Synopsis
A middle-class girl,Geum Jan-di , becomes admitted to a rich, prestigious school known as Shinhwa. The school is filled with rich people who can afford to go there. She becomes admitted after saving a man from committing suicide. At the school, she meets people with various personalities. There are the mean girls, fake friends, and last but not least: The F4. The F4 consists of 4 people:Goo Joon Pyo,Yoon Ji Hoo , So Yi-jung, & Song Woo Bin . Goo Joon Pyo is the head of the F4 and is also the heir of the shinwa group.At first, he insults and makes Geum Jan-di 's life miserable. The only person who seemed to have sympathy for her was jihoo. However, as the drama progressed, Goo Joon Pyo developed feelings forGeum Jan-di . It turned out to be a twisted love triangle between geum jan di, goo jun pyo & Yoon Ji Hoo .
Differences between the other versions
• In the Taiwan version, Jan Di's character was an only child. In the Japanese and Korean version, she has a younger brother.
• In the Taiwan version, the heroine attends college. In the Japanese version, the characters are in high school in season 1, but F4 (minus Domyoji) attend Eitoku University in season 2. In the Korean version, the characters are also in high school, but the F4 move on to Shinhwa University from episode 13 onwards. Shinhwa High School and Shinhwa University are located within the same campus.
• In Taiwan and Japanese version, Jan Di’s character was already studying at the university for rich people. In Korean version, Jan Di was admitted after saving a boy for jumping off the roof of Shinhwa High School on a swimming scholarship.
• In both Taiwan and Japanese version, the relationship between the two characters: Sojiroh and Yuki ( also known as Yi Jung and Ga Eul in the Korean version) ends up no where. But in the Korean version, the relationship between these two become more than just close friends.
• Akira, the fourth member of the group, seems to be the youngest in Japanese version, and is unknown in Taiwanese version. In Korean version, Song Woo Bin seems to be the oldest of the four.
In the Taiwan version, it is not so obvious that Ji Hoo's character is in love with Jan Di's character, but in the Korean Version, it is obvious that Ji Hoo's character is in love with Jan Di's character where he eventually confesses his feelings.
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