Last night, the U.S. version of the famous drama franchise “Boys Over Flowers,” premiered last night, exclusively on Viki.com, in the United States.
You can watch the episode for yourself below. But first, check out our review, which points out a few of the most noticeable differences you'll see between the U.S. and Asian drama versions.
You can watch the episode for yourself below. But first, check out our review, which points out a few of the most noticeable differences you'll see between the U.S. and Asian drama versions.
Grown Ups and Graduate School
“Boys Before Friends” takes the classic love story out of high school and plants it in a performing arts graduate school. As we meet the main characters in the opening sequence, we learn that they are adults in their 20s who live apart from their families. This is one important difference between the American and Asian versions, which featured parents in major decision-making roles. We’ll have to wait to see whether the infamous evil mother appears in future episodes!
Bullying Is for All Ages
In the first episode, we see some familiar bullying scenes inspired by the Asian dramas: An innocent girl gets her homemade cake smashed in her face, and classmates pour trash on the heroine, Zoey. There are even some more creative tactics added to the mix. While it’s unusual to see this kind of behavior from adults in graduate school, the description of the four “F4” boys reveals that privileged backgrounds have allowed them to act like children with no consequences.
'Z3'and the Power of Friends
In the behind-the-scenes interview, cast members talked about the changes we could expect to see in the American “Boys Over Flowers” remake. Without a doubt, one of the biggest differences I noticed was that Zoey was given a strong group of girlfriends. These girls not only listen to Zoey’s stories about events at school and offer advice, they also stick up for Zoey when she’s in trouble, fearlessly facing the F4 (and naming themselves “Z3” for fun). Some of my favorite scenes were watching Zoey, Piper, and Chloe joke around with each other; their friendship will definitely be a highlight in the show.
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| The attractive, multicultural cast of ‘Boys Before Friends.’ |