CiaraRoisin
This review may contain spoilers
An Excellent Adaptation
**This is just my opinion. I sincerely appreciate all of the hard work and dedication that went into the making of this drama. Thank you. **
F4 Thailand is an excellent adaptation of Boys Over Flowers. I've seen all of the live action versions, most of them multiple times, and this is one of my favorites. It has a great cast and wonderful characters. I think that Thyme's character is the best version of the ML in any of the versions. I love the depth they gave his character, that he actually tries to make amends and see things from their perspective. Ren was wonderful but not like his character is in the other series. He still has some sweet scenes but there isn't any actual romance to speak of and the part where he shoves Gorya put me off completely. Yes, I know Thyme did awful things in the beginning and yet somehow, in the context of this show, I see them differently. I just do. Anyway... I really liked the character of MJ but wish that he had been given more time. He was intelligent, loyal and supportive while still calling his friends out when he needed to. Glakao, Gorya's younger brother, was a sweetheart, as were her parents. Thyme's mother was also written and performed the best of any of the adaptations.
There were of course, characters that were a bit of a disappointment for whatever reason. The first of those was Gorya herself. Tu Tontawan Tantivejakul is beautiful and did a great job but her character physically assaulted other people for the slightest reason, was rude and whined all the time. She doesn't ever appear to work hard at anything despite having numerous jobs. Being hardworking and having a positive outlook had always been synonymous with the female lead in this series until Gorya. She is loyal and caring though. Kavin, on the other hand, while friendly and happy to lend a hand whenever needed, lacks the charm (once again, I'm referring to the character, not the actor, who did a great job) of his counterpart in Boys Over Flowers Korean version or Meteor Garden 2018. Instead, he has some of the worst lines in the series and ends up sounding like an entitled jerk. Lastly, there's Lita. I usually really love this character and think she'd make a better match for the ML but not this time.
Ultimately this series felt more like one about bullying and being true to yourself rather than one about love and friendship as I expected, having watched the other versions. There's nothing wrong with that. I truly enjoyed it. It was well written, tells a great story and has a wonderfully talented cast that did a terrific job bringing it to life.
My disappointment lies in that I wanted more. I wanted more of the individual members of F4 and Mira. More of the bond between them and Gorya. There weren't any vacations or excursions that would have given them the excuse to play and hang out together. Thyme doesn't play the role of hero as the ML does in Meteor Garden 2018 or Boys Over Flowers Korean version (it's been too long ago for me to remember the others). He does save her once but the writing in the scene lacks the heart of the others. Just watch Dylan Wang as Daoming Si save Shancai in the kidnapping scene and you'll know what I mean. Once again, not a fault of the actors. The writing just seemed more focused on resolving the conflict between the kidnapper and Thyme than on his sacrificing himself to save the girl he loves.
The biggest difference and disappointment of mine is the virtual lack of love triangle between Gorya, Thyme and Ren. Gorya develops a bit of a crush on Ren in the very beginning but it doesn't last. You don't wonder who she'll end up with. He's a good friend and often hero in her time of need, though the reason for their closeness is not explained. Other than crying for him and urging him to go for Mira I don't see what Gorya ever did for Ren. I usually root for Ren's equivalent in other versions of the story because of their deep relationship with the female lead and I believe they are better suited. I can't do that with this series because there just isn't enough there. I wish there were.
F4 Thailand is an excellent adaptation of Boys Over Flowers. I've seen all of the live action versions, most of them multiple times, and this is one of my favorites. It has a great cast and wonderful characters. I think that Thyme's character is the best version of the ML in any of the versions. I love the depth they gave his character, that he actually tries to make amends and see things from their perspective. Ren was wonderful but not like his character is in the other series. He still has some sweet scenes but there isn't any actual romance to speak of and the part where he shoves Gorya put me off completely. Yes, I know Thyme did awful things in the beginning and yet somehow, in the context of this show, I see them differently. I just do. Anyway... I really liked the character of MJ but wish that he had been given more time. He was intelligent, loyal and supportive while still calling his friends out when he needed to. Glakao, Gorya's younger brother, was a sweetheart, as were her parents. Thyme's mother was also written and performed the best of any of the adaptations.
There were of course, characters that were a bit of a disappointment for whatever reason. The first of those was Gorya herself. Tu Tontawan Tantivejakul is beautiful and did a great job but her character physically assaulted other people for the slightest reason, was rude and whined all the time. She doesn't ever appear to work hard at anything despite having numerous jobs. Being hardworking and having a positive outlook had always been synonymous with the female lead in this series until Gorya. She is loyal and caring though. Kavin, on the other hand, while friendly and happy to lend a hand whenever needed, lacks the charm (once again, I'm referring to the character, not the actor, who did a great job) of his counterpart in Boys Over Flowers Korean version or Meteor Garden 2018. Instead, he has some of the worst lines in the series and ends up sounding like an entitled jerk. Lastly, there's Lita. I usually really love this character and think she'd make a better match for the ML but not this time.
Ultimately this series felt more like one about bullying and being true to yourself rather than one about love and friendship as I expected, having watched the other versions. There's nothing wrong with that. I truly enjoyed it. It was well written, tells a great story and has a wonderfully talented cast that did a terrific job bringing it to life.
My disappointment lies in that I wanted more. I wanted more of the individual members of F4 and Mira. More of the bond between them and Gorya. There weren't any vacations or excursions that would have given them the excuse to play and hang out together. Thyme doesn't play the role of hero as the ML does in Meteor Garden 2018 or Boys Over Flowers Korean version (it's been too long ago for me to remember the others). He does save her once but the writing in the scene lacks the heart of the others. Just watch Dylan Wang as Daoming Si save Shancai in the kidnapping scene and you'll know what I mean. Once again, not a fault of the actors. The writing just seemed more focused on resolving the conflict between the kidnapper and Thyme than on his sacrificing himself to save the girl he loves.
The biggest difference and disappointment of mine is the virtual lack of love triangle between Gorya, Thyme and Ren. Gorya develops a bit of a crush on Ren in the very beginning but it doesn't last. You don't wonder who she'll end up with. He's a good friend and often hero in her time of need, though the reason for their closeness is not explained. Other than crying for him and urging him to go for Mira I don't see what Gorya ever did for Ren. I usually root for Ren's equivalent in other versions of the story because of their deep relationship with the female lead and I believe they are better suited. I can't do that with this series because there just isn't enough there. I wish there were.
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