ok today i want to talk about the recent remake of boys over flowers (i'm calling it a remake but i don't know if it is "officially" a remake, more like a retelling of the original story??)
first of all tho, i've seen the j-drama and k-drama and read the manga (multiple times) jsyk. i'm familiar enough with the characters to talk about them k.
and i'm not going to review/rate this yet because it's only up to ep 5. that's why i've called it a [wip] because my feelings might change by the end of the series.
i'm just gonna chat about how i feel about everything in general and address a lot of the confusion of recent times. don't worry :)
NO H8 - just opinion
the changes; the american element
okay so i think to say that this series was "highly anticipated" throughout the k-drama/j-drama/asian drama fandoms is stretching it a bit. from the beginning a lot of people didn't like the idea, people were worried that it would be "made american" (the presumption is that this is BAD and america can't add anything to this; i disagree). it has been "americanised" tho. because it's set in america, about american people...(?!?!?!) i think there can be a kind of snobbery around culture from those in the west who like asian culture, "ugh i don't like any of that stupid rap but i love gd-oppa and byg-oppa" like i get where it comes from, (for example) a lot of western rap is misogynistic, racist, homophobic and hateful and k-rap can be sensitive, poet and complex. but you're missing the point. the bigger picture. being american doesn't make something bad, it's bad things that make it bad, like poor representation, ignorance etc.
i honestly don't know why people think this is a serious problem, like were they like "omg korean remake ew it's gonna be all about koreans". "ermagod maKINO WOULD NEVER DO THAT makino wouldn't each kimchi" because, when you look at it, the korean remake is completely different than the j-drama and manga. the characterisation (plotlines, pace, themes etc) for one is completely changed, it exists in korea, and the characters are korean; something appropriate in japanese society might have no meaning in korean society. we also get to see how korea put its special stamp on the japanese manga. things like location, the places gjd (geum jan di; i'm lazy) and gjp (gu jun pyo) went to represent korea and korean society. when gjp is making kimchi with gjd's family; an utterly korean thing that shows (not just the importance of kimchi kimchi ftw but the importance of the working family unit in asian societies incl korea).
right, so now i hear you saying "but america isn't asia, not even a bit like it, if you change things to make it american it will lose the original plot". okay, i get it- a massive incentive to watch asian dramas is that they offer things that western media has lost; there's little or no skinship and open sexuality, which allows the romances to fully develop into love before any hanky panky. and i get that people feel like if you make it western you'll get rid of the main sparkle of the story. but the story's about growing up, becoming better people, falling in love, friendship, revenge, social class, prejudice, tradition, remaining true to yourself... these are human themes, all humans relate to these things. there's no reason that because it's set in america it will be shallow and immoral. i mean, yes there's a lot missing in terms of bulking out the storylines and plots but there's also a lot of really promising stuff happening.
i've noticed people saying that american adaptations are "too raunchy" or "all about sex" and it's just like wuuuut. like, the media literally cannot win. with asian dramas there's no sex, no sensuality, no sexual tension and sense of the physicality in relationships (try saying that 10 times) but then there's a load of people in a k-drama complaining that it's ep 6 and "they haven't even kissed yet!". and then on the other hand ppl are chatting about how in the american version of bbf they aren't wearing very much...or they have "too much makeup on" or remarking about tattoos and people's personal appearance. wtf do you even want netizens
IMO making an asian drama isn't about doing the same story but transporting it to a different place. it's about retelling the story, in a new way appropriate to that place, while keeping a sense of the original characters and main themes.
like i said, different things have different meanings depending where they are. for example, the fact that makino has to go to school, her family are depending on her to find a rich husband (yes, this is still a thing), and gjd similarly only goes to the school by pressure of her family.
/characters
zoey, the american makino, is inevitably very different. instead of family-oriented she's friend-oriented. it's an obvious difference; asia values the family/community unit more than anything (in terms of society) and the west is a society that values the individual more than anything. to make zoey like some kind of goody two shoes who works 6 different jobs to keep her family above water would just be a crime to the character. it would make her weak, which is the exact opposite of what she is...to carry on working herself to death because of her dad's selfishness, foolishness and carelessness (*careless careless...*) is silly. it's a completely different culture, zoey in america wants to do what she loves (dancing?) and look after her friends, and generally be a good person. she resents the f4's power, status and money but over time comes to understand that it's been hard for them too. in ep 5 we are just getting into the time where they are getting to know each other better, something i think was missed out in the korean version (like, makino and tsukasa spend a lot of time together, and a lot of things go on (every single boy that ever meets makino falls in love with her inej) before they actually fall in love, although tsukasa is always honest to her about how he feels and she remains consistently dense until the very end) and it's natural that they would start to come together quicker in a western society.
so they like each other, okay, but it'll be interesting to see how the relationship develops and changes. what's great about the makino-tsukasa thing is how they make each other better people, he brings out her passion and reminds her what she finds important, and she pretty much sorts out a completely fucked up human being. (he doesn't beat up people for fun anymore! yay!)
they give each other what they need and while they are completely opposites in many ways they are so similar. that's what relationships are supposed to do, that's what makes this relationship development awesome. we haven't really had a chance to see this because of the actor changes. :/
but in reply to people saying they've changed zoey "too much" or saying that it bears no resemblance to the manga...i'd have to disagree. we've already heard zoey's opinion on the f4, and the z3 (zoey and her friends) work hard, doing what they love while the f4 are free to do what they want at leisure. that all sounds completely right to me. the f4 (sojiro and that other one...nishi...? o.O woo bin? won bin???) find makino funny and entertaining, and they sorta slip into friendship without realising. the manga takes a lot of time explaining each of their stories and why they are the way they are and i love that noah and chase play such big parts in this, and that they've both got history (not with each other-i don't ship that. ew).
the thing missing with characters is that sense of knowing them completely, like with very little budget how are you supposed to get across tsukasa's immense wealth (like, immense), and with no money how do you dress him in sharp designer suits and expensive shoes (that people can spill things on). simple answer, you can't. but then again class is different in the west. i'm british so i don't really know about america (wot is a merica>?) but here its like, wearing a designer suit doesn't immediately make you upper class. like, the symbols for class are much different now than say, a hundred years ago. there's almost a sense of shame about shamelessly flaunting your money about (in the uk), like you come across badly if you're strolling about manchester in armani. like i'm not saying there aren't people in the west who are born into rich families and wear designer and follow etiquette or whatever...just that it's not so pronounced as it was once. so i can sort of forgive that side of the american version because all those scenes of fancy buildings, businesses and designer clothes that are in the k-drama just pander to korean society at the moment, and the romance around money. i can't imagine a korean ceo or heir to a company wearing primark clothes...?? idk, if you're korean or live in korea feel free to disagree with me. perhaps having money in the uk is more about, say, being able to take a lot of holidays abroad, or not having to be in economy seats everywhere, or buying branded things in waitrose as opposed to tescos own brand? i'm only mentioning this because it all has a direct impact on the story, right? like, if you don't have a mansion for a rich pompous ass to sit in, how do you get across the idea that he's a rich pompous ass?
quality
okay so a lot of people have been talking about the quality of production, lighting, music, sound etc and just whatever man. their budget is very small, they have a small team, this is to be expected.
in eps 3/4/5 the actors are coming into their own and the drama is definitely improving as a whole, the actors were always good but because of the production in the first two eps it wasn't as apparent. add that to a really awkward wtf moment when zoey came back as a different person after a makeover. if only i could get one of those...
yeah there's been a lot of technical difficulties. hitting deadlines, problems with actors etc but that's totally to be expected, they're not some major company. there's only a handful of them dealing with this thing so ofc it's gonna be majorly different.
and i actually really like the reality tv feel to eps 3/4...that's something that's american/western and i feel like a lot of that natural dynamic between the actors comes out in those times, and the relationships between the actors is beneficial. going for a reality style was 5000000% a better decision than trying a asian melodrama (zoey talking out loud to herself, tapping herself on the head in frustration "aIISh!" lmfao)
professionalism of the team/rumours/scams etc
i didn't really want to talk about this because a) i don't want to create more fuss and confusion surrounding recent events and b) i don't know the full story. but since a lot of people are throwing words around like "professionalism" i feel like i have to say something. this is a small team that (as far as i know) have been as honest as they can, even going so far as to create a video addressing some of the problems. like, excuse me, but if you have never been involved in the creative industry/any industry that often has an immense risk attached to it, then you literally have no idea what it's like. it's all very well to sit at home on your laptop chatting about how this team aren't creating something to your tastes but let's see you walk a mile in their shoes. be a bit understanding.
new actors
okay so for whatever reason (reasons that we will probably never know) the production has had to cut the two leads zoey and liam. for viewers (who've been watching since the beginning) this is not only disappointing but hard because we've already had the character change of zoey once. i feel like this needed to be sorted out before the series began. i know it's super hard because deadlines mean that stuff just has to get done, come rain or shine. but was there not a way they could work this out? compromise? idk. i really liked the dynamic between zoey and liam, i'd got used to seeing them together and it felt rewarding when they started hitting it off.
having said that i really like the new zoey and liam so w/e. i'm over it. ;) it would be a great idea to re-do the first few episodes (once the series is finished?) and then release it as a whole thing, that would help with the consistency and they could fill in any blanks in character development.
and just while i'm here i'd like to big up the current actors, they are great and they've made the whole thing a lot better to endure from the beginning. i actually loved the first zoey but the first 2 eps were so awkwardly done that it made me want to fast forward to whenever the z3 were on, honestly props to jackie and suteara they've been consistently amazing since the beginning. most of the other actors are great and all of them have improved to be much more comfortable in the 5th ep. also props to trent for being super hot ☑
final words
also, just in case anyone who's involved in the production is reading this. remember that humans have like, this stupid crowd sensibility that means that when one person starts chatting about how something's "rubbish" or "unprofessional" or "a joke" other people will follow suite....because they're stupid. (pack mentality?) so take what everyone's saying with a pinch of salt. on social media (esp. viki comments) you are likely only getting the people who really like or really dislike something, you don't get to see all the other people who are waiting patiently, with respect. *hwaiting!*
i, for one, have a lot of respect to a team that is willing to share so much with the viewers. the big companies don't do that, whether or not because it's "unprofessional" or they simply don't care, i don't know. but it's appreciated that you care so much about how it's being received. so thank you <3
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