The world is still reeling from the global phenomenon known as Boys Over Flowers (also called Boys Before Flowers). In this 2009 KDrama, we experienced love at first sight (thank you, Gu Jun Pyo), adorable bromance (thank you F4), and of course, and awe-stricken disgust (and that would be you Geum Jan Di).
Looking at it realistically, I’ve come to realize that there really is no actress worthy of the world’s favorite flower boy also known as Lee Min Ho. Although Son Ye Jin was adorable and amazing in Personal Taste, and Park Min Young gave a spectacular performance in City Hunter, I spent half the drama cursing them for having bodily contact with Lee Min Ho, and the other half drooling over him. Now, I can respect the fact that these lovely ladies are merely making a living as actresses. They’re not the ones writing the script, they are just acting in a notably realistic manner. I am very sorry to say, that this does not apply to Gu Hye Sung, the actress behind the train wreck of Geum Jan Di.
Boys Over Flowers was the first KDrama I ever watched. Because of that, it will forever hold a special place in my heart. A couple weeks ago, I thought it would be pleasant to revisit the memory so I started again from the first episode. 10 minutes in, I had to stop and ask myself, “Did I really enjoy this show? How the hell did I put up with this ridiculous character for three months?” Right off the bat, Jan Di’s absurd facial expressions, ludicrous responses, and overall nonsensical demeanor had my left eye twitching in disbelief. Three questions: How did Gu Hye Sung even get casted for this role? Why did YG choose to employ her? Why in this world did I spend approximately 25 hours of my life watching her sucky acting?? (Of course the answer to the last question is LEE MIN HO)
I have the understanding that the character of Jan Di was supposed to be a gutsy, moral, and determined high school student, but was it really necessary for her to act like a comedian on a gag show? I don’t see how scrunching up your face like a 2-year-old forced to eat lima beans, or pouting like a tweenage who isn’t allowed to go to Justin Beiber’s concert is supposed to have the effect of making viewers admire Jan Di’s good qualities.
She was supposed to be the traditionally relatable character that we all love to see; coming from humble backgrounds, Jan Di defies social norms at a school for the elite, stands her ground, and doesn’t allow anything to faze her. But how am I as a viewer supposed to focus on that if she’s running around the screen like a clown?
What amazed me even more was that the instant Jan Di “grew up” and began to face reality, her sole facial expression for the rest of the drama looked something like this:
or this
Where’s the consistency people? I know that she was forced to bear a lot of mental baggage due to Mama McEvil, but are we supposed to be convinced that such occurrences would change the demeanor of our protagonist in such a drastic way?
Honestly, I don’t think Gu Hye Sung is really that bad of an actress. I think she just misinterpreted her character. In the scenes with her best friend Ga Eul, we got to see a softer, more natural side to Jan Di. Such scenes were acted wonderfully on both sides. Unfortunately for Gu Hye Sung, she was surrounded by swarm of outstanding actors. Lee Min Ho killed it as the emotionally confused Jun Pyo, Kim So Eun acted wonderfully as the loyal best friend, Chu Ga Eul, and Lee Min Jung outshone most others through her role as Ha Jae Kyung, the “monkey” and fiancée of Jun Pyo.
It was a shame that Gu Hye Sung kinda sorta ruined Boys Over Flowers for me. Of course that doesn’t mean I won’t watch it again. For Lee Min Ho, I will watch it over and over and over…
–Temi
DramaPop 
i have to agree with what you said. BOF was sooo long and gu hye sung nearly made me quit so many times. it was my first k-drama as well, i watched it after my friend started spazzing about it (i had never even heard of kdramas or kpop at the time – unbelievable now). i remember thinking how do people watch stuff like this towards the end but at the same time OMG Lee Minho is HOT!!! and i HAVE to finish this.
so glad i watched it though and continued to watch kdramas 😀
Thanks for commenting! My friends basically forced me to start watching BOF, but after a couple episodes, I was hooked (on both the drama and Lee Min Ho)
=)
-Temi
I like how Jan Di acts. I feel she’s strong and funny, a little exhuberant and rambunctious, but a joy to watch. I feel that women should be able to act strong and even a little odd, that’s what makes them quirky, rather than reserved and calm such as others have been taught.
It was my first K-drama too
Agree. Watching on Netflix for Lee Min Ho and Kim Bum. The character as envisaged by Ku Hye Sung is annoying and cringey. What are those expressions and why is she always screaming at everyone except Ji-Hyoo? Even the way she walks is irritating. She could learn a lot from Gianna Jun and Son Ye Jin.
Her responses were ignoring. Frankly Gu Jun Pyobwas a toxic character with a toxic evil mother that deserve to push ptf a cliff. I like Yun Ji-hoo character he wasn’t negative.. The fiancé was needy and desperate to be someone who loved someone..I mean really. Unfortunately, Ji hoo was the same but he did meet her first and liked her first. I hate he fell in with love inspire if knowing that she lwas toxic and dramatic like her love interest Jun pyo. I think she stuck with Ji hoo she would have been softer and easy going.
Nit ignoring i meant, Annoying..lol. my apologies.
LOL! I saw one episode and had to quit. Luckily, Lee MinHOT starred in other, better dramas afterward. City Hunter was my crack all summer haha.
Haha Yes I mean we did like him BoF but not as much as we loved him in City Hunter and Personal Preference/Taste. 🙂
Should I watch Personal Taste? I saw up until maybe ep 10? It was hilarious at first, but then it got kind of boring and angsty. Is the ending worth it?
LOL can’t agree more. I didn’t think i can find sb who thinks like me ab this drama, BOF, esp Go Hye Sun. She’s the reason why i quit BOF *yet i’m a fangirl and F4 are handsome, but i can’t bear that girl* But, I must THANK her, because thanks to her, I knew Hana Yori Dango (Japanese ver) and started my love for Jdrama. (I think you can try HYD, it’s a good drama with awesome actors, and Jandi (Tsukushi) is the character I love most in it. :”))
Seriously, I can’t understand why they love Jan Di? I’m sure if sb else (maybe Kim So Eun or Lee Min Jung) had played JanDi I wouldnt have to quit BOF.
“Honestly, I don’t think Gu Hye Sung is really that bad of an actress. I think she just misinterpreted her character. In the scenes with her best friend Ga Eul, we got to see a softer, more natural side to Jan Di.”
Same for me. xD I found she’s so beautiful and cute (esp her smile) in real life but whenever I see her as Jan Di……. :-<
Same here I love makino and San chai but not jandi.both makino and San chai make is lovely and pleasant to watch which make I understand why dao ming si /domyouji falls for her. Jandi is Hmm mmm.. What a waste. Lee min ho is the reason I stuck to bof and rewatched it 3 times.
me too, me too.. i thought it was just me ’cause u know.., she tries too be hard to get to lee min ho which i find really annoying.. and i always find myself cursing her every single freaking time she hurts jun pyo/lee min ho… after finishing the whole series, i just thought that my hate on her was just because of lee min ho.. however, after watching personal taste, i just found myself loving son ye jin, the main lead actress in the series. and i’ve been like rooting for her to be with minho in real life ever since.. i dont really like park min young.. i dnt know why….
I totally agree. I thought it was just in my nature to hate every actress who films with Lee Min Ho, but I loved Son Ye Jin in Personal Taste as well. I’m still trying to figure out why I dislike Park Min Young so much…maybe I’ll write a post about it!
for me goo hye sun is a good actress..i like she act in bof thats her role u know..bof is a great korean teledrama..dont say that shes like a clown there..its amazing..dont insulted her..being the role of goo hye sun was perfect…look at lee min ho he really love the act of jandi..soo go go goo hye sun..love u jandi and jun pyo.
I completely agree with you. Geum jandi almost made me top eatching. I hayed her at some parts so much and it really bothers me. I didnt like the character at all
i couldn’t agree more. her facial expressions are over the top and annoying, she is prude as hell. I agree that the actress completely misunderstood the character and behaves like a retarded person instead of dim witted person. Towards the end it made me question why would anyone in the world get attracted to this person? i really loved the drama and this is my first k-drama series, but i couldn’t stand jan di character, her acting is so irritating i have to forward certain scenes.
It took all my power to not punch the screen, or your face for that matter. It seems you’re a little jealous of her, and disn’t read the script or dig in to the show a bit more. SHE WAS ASKED TO DO THOSE THINGS. If you watch behind the scenes of boys over flowers you would know THE DIRECTORS TOOK TIME OUT OF FILIMING TO TELL HER “HEY THIS IS WHAT WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO DO!” Please do your research before you spew hate on a girl that not only got to act whith attractive men, but flawlessly accomplished what her directors asked of her. Honestly she must be very very special and significant to you, if you took time out of your day to bash her and her character all in one post.
Have a lovely day/ night 🙂
i was allready see f4 grups acting so i like it and every seen was beuti ful place.
really couldnt stand her character in bof .not sure what the writers and director was trying to accomplish . left me with a sour taste
I am watching this drama again in 2016 & get super annoyed with jan di.. her expression was super unnatural and sometimes overreacted!
Finally someone said it! I hate that I have to watch her act just for the sake of my love for romantic series. She is making me cringe every time! I am on episode 6 and hopefully her acting will improve as the series progresses.
Nope. Remains the same till the end. Even when [SPOILER ALERT] Gun Jun Pyo and her reunited on the boat, she still kept her poker face.
I totally agree with this statemement, thanks! I thought I was the only one no really liking her acting. There’s no connection btw LMH and her . I She just has no emotion. I more than 10 times was about to give up but because of Gun Ju Pho…
Well written paper
Exactly.. 100% i agree with you.. If only her acting is better, I would have watched it even more times.
I’ve started watching this series in 2020, many years after it came out. However, the personality of the main actress annoyed me so much that I had to write this. I’m not sure who to blame, the writer, the director or the actress. Or all of them. There’s nothing likable about her. Everything about her is annoying and dumb. She makes these exaggerated facial gestures, she eats like a pig with her mouth full and talks, she is not funny or kind or smart or at least pretty. She ruins everything around her with no sense of responsibility. I just couldn’t take it anymore and stopped watching the show in middle of it.
I swear. It’s the same for me. I started watching it last month (May 2021). watching it for Ji-Hoo only. it’s like punishing myself to watch Jan-di on screen.
Everything about her is so pissing off. Like the way she eats (Ewwww gross!!) her extremely annoying and exaggerated facial expression, running around like a clown. makes me want to quit watching the show!!
It’s kinda sending out the wrong message as well, “Act like a clown and make a complete fool out of yourself, you might end up getting a boyfriend” LOL.
Agree wholeheartedly. Finding it difficult to watch her. Watching for Lee Min Ho and Kim Bum.
The lead actress killed me with her over the top acting. Her pouting and lip smooshing made her look unattractive. It is beyond my comprehension how Gu Jyun Po fell for her. And she is overly dramatic with her words and thoughts towards Lee Min Ho’s character. Not to say that he was perfect, cuz he had a mean streak in there too.
I am trying to finish this show since I really enjoyed the latest version, Meteor Garden. I might have to dig up the original show and watch that. That is if I can get through BOF
You are right……if the character of jan di was done by any othet actresses who know how to act 😣…..her acting is really horrible.. I hated that character just because of her expressions on her face etc…
If that character was done by any other actresses’ we can see the development of jun pyo and jan di relationship and their chemistry…… For me if goo hye sun didn’t did this role and anyone else did,i think i will never hate the character ji hoo (bcoz when she is with him she did the expressions she should do when she is with jun pyo so ji hoo got more special Memories and things like that and there are many other reasons to hate that character not kim hyung joong only that character but jan di is the main reason )and will never felt sorry for jun pyo (her expressions with jun pyo is like… I don’t know how to explain it but still if she did some romantic expressions with him i will never get this much sad )i cried a lot for jun pyo….. Thanks for reading…. Overall i love jun pyo character the most in bof(not because lee min ho i love the character jun pyo beforing loving and knowing min ho but now i love lee min ho very much)
Agree. I am watching for the first time and on episode 5 and she really is the most annoying (the ridiculous facial expressions and constant jerky movements) and kind of disgusting (eating with mouth open). I can’t help wondering why they would write the character in this way as completely unappealing.
Yes , I personally don’t like her dumb character .
I was totally disgusted with Gu Hye Sungs part. I blamed the writers until I read the above review. Why did she have to carry herself like a bulldog and shovel food in her mouth like a starving pig? Why would any of the boys find her appealing, much less three?