Flower Boy Next Door (Korean Drama)
Thursday, January 30, 2014
A story about good people, good hearts, kindness, universal love, romance, innocence, purity and empathy. Too soft and delicate... Almost fragile.
About the drama 'Flower Boy Next Door' which aired recently in 2013. Its Korean Name is 'Ilchib kkumminaam', and stared Park Shin Hye, Yoon Shi Yoon, Kim Ji Hoon etc. It was based on a webtoon named 'I steal Peeks at him everyday', written by Yoo Hyun Sook.
Its not loud. It feels like a page from life. You might definitely feel like you are similar to one of the characters in the story. There will at least one character you feel 'so like me' in this story. (For me, I felt the lead Go Dong Mi's character is too similar to me).
And hence the flow of story is a bit slow and soft some of you might get slightly bored while watching. And not everyone like soft innocence. So if you like loud and too much entertaining things and cant understand innocence then better you don't watch this one. Coz as I told, this story contain so much innocence and goodness of world and hearts that its almost fragile.
For me, I really liked this drama. Coz it has the real feel of soft innocence. And I could relate so well to female lead character - Go Dong Mi. Seriously, I sometimes feel that life would be a bit easier to live inside a home never having to get out, coz d world out there is a bit too bad and viscous. So I knew what Go Dong Mi felt like. I could understand her fully and completely... I could understand her innocence and purity and cuteness...
As I did, you all might find a character you fully relate to...
Characters:
Go Dong Mi : She lives in the apartment number 402 in ocean village building and she rarely go out. Go Dong Mi is a innocent pure soft spoken girl. Some thing happened in her past that made her scared of the world outside. So Dong Mi never steps out of her apartment usually. She works as a book editor and does work at home. But she has a crush on a guy who lives on d apartment opposite yo her building. She doesn't even know d name of d guy but like to watch that guy through her window.
Enrique Guem / Ghae Geum : A non resident Korean, and a world famous video game creator. His Spanish name is Enrique and Korean name is Ghae Guem. At a young age Enrique achieved a lot... And maybe coz he is in the gaming industry, Enrique himself is like a grown up kid. Or like he doesn't want to grow up . Always talkative,.always extra energetic... Always childish toned talks and childish ways to do things. But too good at heart...
His fans say he is like a fairy who will spread a smile on the face of even people who are crying.
Like a human Peter Pan...
Enrique comes to Korea on d request of his childhood best friend and first love Yoon Seo Yong to act as a cupid between his cousin brother and Seo Yong since Seo Yong likes the cousin brother since a long time. And that cousin brother happens to be the one Go Dong Mi has a crush on.
Oh Jin Rak : A webtoon artist living in apartment number 401 in Ocean Village building. He is a honest gentleman... He believes in innocence, purity and internal beauty of things. But he like to do things at a slow and steady phase. Not hurrying anything... Trying his maximum to not hurt anyone or brake d phase of things.
Thats why despite having feelings for his neighbour Go Dong Mi, he has never yet confessed to her...
So he starts drawing a webtoon with a character similar to Go Dong Mi as d lead character.
Oh Dong Hoon : Oh Jin Rak's assistant. A realistic boy with realistic wishes and likes. Since he thinks there is not much honesty and innocence in the world, he likes girls who are not that much soft spoken and innocent.
Watanabe Ryu : A Japanese boy who moves in to Ocean Village apartment no 403. He doesn't know much Korean. He is a cook and he wants to learn the cuisine of all countries. So he plan to travel all over the world.
He is a simple and lovable character.
Chief Editor : The Chief Editor of the webtoon which is drawn by Oh Jin Rak and Dong Hoon. This character doesn't have any name. But Chief Editor is one of the most catchy characters I have ever stern. She is temperamental and always yells at people. She cant sleep more than 4 hours a day coz of a busy work schedule. She works in office wearing a protest band demanding fixed working hours. But she still is sleepless have heavy dark circles and messed up hair and hot temper making it unable for her to be liked by a guy, though she want to be liked...
Cha Do Hwi : Go Dong Mi's childhood friend who betrayed her in d end. Do Hwi was Go Dong Mi's best friend during elementary, middle and high school time. But Do Hwi was involved in what happened to Dong Mi in d past making Dong Mi scared of the world.
Do Hwi now return to Dong Mi's life after all these years and ask 'what's so much of a big deal, cant you just forgive me...what did i do that much badly for you to avoid me and all...' Coz Do Hwi need to stay close to Dong Mi coz Do Hwi has a crush on Oh Jin Rak. Do Hwi is pretentious and selfish and flashy and fake, but she still might not be 100% evil inside.
The Madam : She lives in the apartment no 400 in Ocean Village building. She seems like a rich and classy lady, so every one wonder why does she live in a shabby apartment building as Ocean Village. The rumor is that The Madam is the owner of the apartment and that she like to keep this fact top secret. Since no one has seen the owner of the apartment we don't know if the rumour is true or false for a while...
But we know that The Madam lives in Ocean Village, when she could afford a better place is because she like to live among all the flower boys who live in Ocean Village. She likes to think she is young and like getting attention of boys in a cute way...
(This character also doesn't have a name mentioned).
The Watchman : The Watchman of the Ocean Village Apartment Building. He knows who the owner is... And he is the sole communication between the owner and the residents. But he never tell the residents who the owner is... Then hints that the owner could be The Madame.
Anyway, the watchman seems to have a serious crush on The Madame and always try to convey that to Madame.
Yoon Seo Young : Enrique's childhood friend cum best friend cum first love. Though she appears to be a bit rude at first she is a nice girl and feels sorry that she cant return Enrique's romantic feelings for her. Since childhood Enrique likes Seo Young and Seo Young liked Enrique's cousin brother Han Tae Jun. She is a bit frustrated as Han Tae Jun try to avoid her always and not accept her feelings. So she ask Enrique to play cupid for them...
Han Tae Jun : Enrique's cousin brother. Go Dong Mi's crush. Seo Young's crush as well.
He is a some what handsome guy and is a doctor. He never accepts Seo Young's love for him because he know Enrique likes Seo Young too, and even if Seo Young will never like Enrique back, he cant like a girl who his little brother also like and hurt his brother...
Story line :
Go Dong Mi likes to just stay home and never go out. She is scared of the outside world because something that happened in her past. At this time she starts to have a crush on the man that lives on the apartment opposite to her home and she spends her day watching him through the window. At the same time Go Dong Mi's next door neighbour Oh Jin Rak thinks Dong Mi is a really pure and innocent girl and hence like her. But Oh Jin Rak and his assistant Dong Hoon's life is at crisis when their webtoon 'Zombie Soccer' is rejected by the main editor coz it seem similar to the game famous game developer Enrique developed. But Oh Jin Rak proposes another Webtoon,.a melodrama, where a girl lives in an apartment never going out. He had inspired this from Go Dong Mi.
Mean while Enrique arrives in Korea in order to play cupid between his childhood friend and first love Seo Young and his cousin brother Han Tae Sung. Though Enrique still likes Seo Young she always just apologize to him for not being able to return his feelings.
And Enrique's cousin brother Han Tae Sung happens to be Go Dong Mi's secret crush.
On the second day of his stay at his cousin brother's place Enrique catches Dong Mi looking at their house through binoculars and go to her to fight on this matter. Oh Jin Rak gets involved in d matter and deviates the topic.
But soon Enrique and Go Dong Mi gets acquainted and Enrique is doing everything he can to bring Go Dong Mi out from her house.
The main point of this drama seems to be its different type of characters and how they all come together. How the apartment building in itself becomes a good backdrop for all of them to live in.
Small small elements in this drama set it really apart in a good way and make us smile or laugh. Like the mystery of the building owner. No one know who the owner of the building is. The rumor is that it is the madame who lives in apartment no. 404. And that she doesn't like to reveal the fact that she is the owner. But is she the owner??? The mystery of the owner seemed to put a really good interest to the story.
My Ratings of this Drama : 9/10 ( 1 point cut coz it tends to get a bit boring around at the middle)