First Impressions: Meteor Garden 2018

There's a new version of Boys Before Flowers in town (yes, we're pretending that the failed U.S. attempt of 2013 never happened) and it's a Chinese remake starring Shen Yue and Wang He Di.  The 2009/2010 series seemed more loosely based on the original story, while the current drama is sticking closely with the original premise.

The one glaring difference, though, is that the F4 is thoroughly de-clawed.  Keeping with the present day sensitivity toward bullying, the threat and menace of the F4 and their influence over the student body has been completely disarmed.

After the first episode, I found myself sympathizing with Dao Ming Si (Domyoji) and quite irritated with Dong Shan Cai's (Makino) rude, violent and aggressive behavior.  The production quality and casting seem to be good, but the script is lacking.  Not only is the main female lead unlikable, but there is no sense of tension, conflict or intrigue to the story.  Nothing is really at stake.  There are no wrongs that need to be righted.  Perhaps the characters will mature, but nothing in the first episode stirred any interest in me.  The only motivation I would have for continuing to watch is the fact that I've seen all the other versions, but I'm not sure it's enough at this point.

Boys Before Friends Cast Overhaul

Another one bites the dust...

Anyone who is watching the American Remake of Boys Over Flowers, whether it's for sh*ts and giggles or they seriously enjoy it (really?) knows whats been going on later. After an episode and a half, their leading lady was switched out for Dawn Morrow. It was a pretty hilarious transition as Zoey, who was previously tattooed and had the side of her head shaved, was kidnapped by the F4's goons and given a "makeover". Zoey is now without tattoos and has a full head of hair, to which Liam responds "Wow, you look like a totally different person" upon reveal.

After the delay of episode 2, episode 3 was unveiled and things seem to go a little smoother for the production. Camera angles and transitions seemed better than the first episode. Things seemed to look up for them. Sort of. There were still loop holes and mishaps, including the script, that drove the production to subpar standards.

Now the lead actors that play Liam and Zoey are no longer in BBF. (WHAT?!) I know, I know, it's terrible. But while the team decides to keep the reasons undisclosed in order to maintain "professionalism", Dawn Morrow and Joseph Almani, took to social media outlet Twitter, to voice their reasons. The argument is this: They left vs They were fired. The crappy attempt to cover up the truth was later debunked by Almani stating that due to lack of professionalism on set, his management voiced some opinions and the BBF team didn't like it very much so he was left go. WTG, Almani, I have some respect for this guy being straightforward.

This comes to no surprise as Panda Unnie has had her share of dealing with admins and staff for the BBF team while voicing her opinion on the series even before it began.

Though writer, Kel Williams, says they will be moving forward with the 16 episodes as promised, I don't see how this is going to hold up. With statements that this production is made and will be maintained for the fans, I think it's a load of bull. Fans of the other adaptations have voiced opinions about this drama only to be ignored as racism and invalid opinions. Anything for the people should at least listen to the people. Negative or positive, the criticism could have been used for the better of the series.

They are now asking the public for suggestions on who should take Morrow and Almani's place. My suggestion is bring back the old Zoey, Riley Baker, during another makeover while Liam is killed off in a yachting accident. I am sure you guys can pull it off just as smoothly as before. And its not like you need the actor to be there with the crap camera angles you guys use anyway. Oh, and get your company website and stuff looking more professional, hell just get everything looking more professional if you want to be taken seriously. That's an obvious step. Get your sh*t together. And don't fire Jason S. Mordeno, that's the only eye candy I have left.It's hard to root for something when there a lack of...everything. I hope to see some fans make a BBF youtube version that doesn't look like a parody.

Source: DramaFever, Twitter

Recap:// Boys Before Friends Episode 1

No one is more surprised than I am, that I'm actually doing a recap for episode one. Okay, maybe Batzy-chan is more surprised than I, especially since she knows I could not get past the first 20 minutes of this when I tried to watch it last week.

However, I took some time to reflect, and I've come to think of it as providing a service for those fans who can't bring themselves to watch the American version of Boys Over Flowers but want to know in some detail how it was portrayed (at least for the first episode), and for those who aren't familiar with the original storyline and are therefore completely at a loss as to what is going on in this program!

Boys Before Friends' Final Leading Lady

With the American version of Boys Over Flowers premiering on Viki December 26, it's about time they decided on a permanent leading lady. I'm so very relieved that they settled on Dawn Morrow, an experienced actress and dancer for the role.

Age:  27

Height:  5'2"

Weight:  108 lbs

Hometown:  Jacksonville, FL

According to IMDb, Dawn began dancing at age four, and acting at 13. She's had small or uncredited roles on shows like Unfabulous, Victorious and The Tonight Show with Jay Leno. The good news is that she does have talent in both acting and dancing, which gives me hope for Boys Before Friends.

Review:// Hana Yori Dango (1995 Movie)

Hana Yori Dango (Boys Over Flowers) was based on the manga by Yoko Kamio that enjoyed serialization from 1992 to 2003.

The anime version was still a year away, but it seemed as though director Yasuyuki Kusuda was trying to achieve the feel of an anime with this film.  It employed some of the comedic techniques used in Taiwanese productions;  over-exaggeration in movements and amplified delivery of lines that you would normally see in a stage performance where actors are playing to a large audience. But there's also the slapstick treatment of scenes that they really could have done without.

F4 and the Girl

For those die hard BOF fans who want a complete and comprehensive comparison chart.  Too bad the rumored Filipino version never came to be.  Their F4 lineup was quite pleasing!

The Many Faces of Boys Over Flowers Part 1

 

It's a scary proposition;  an American version of Boys Over Flowers, produced independently, and having a cast of unknowns.  But more on that in part 2.  Before we open that can of worms, here's a refresher on the faces of this much beloved production.

The Many Faces of Boys Over Flowers Part 2

WillKinn Media has undertaken the task of producing the American remake of Boys Over Flowers, entitled Boys Before Friends.  While you may be relieved that a big studio isn't twisting the original plot right out of the story, there are other worries when a smaller operation is making it an independent internet series.  But first, we should meet the main cast of unknown actors.