Never have I been an avid television watcher. Sure, I’ve had my bouts of Grey’s Anatomy addictiveness here and there, but I have never seen an entire season of any show from start to finish. That is, until now.
A short time ago, I wrote that I had been enjoying Korean television as I got ready for work in the mornings. A particular show caught my attention and after seeing and becoming completely hooked after a few episodes, I decided to try to find it on the Internet, preferably with English subtitles so I could fully understand it. After plugging in some keywords on Google, I located it on MySoju. Since that day, my life has revolved around 꽃보다 남자 or “Boys Before Flowers.” While I am still trying to analyze the significance of the incredibly popular Korean drama’s title, I know one thing is for certain: this is the best damn TV show I’ve ever seen.
Kim Bum, who plays So Yi–jung, the “Cassanova” of the F4 models for a shoe store. He is sooooo adorable.
Lee Min Ho, aka Gu Jun Pyo, is the face of Etude House, a popular cosmetics store, on posters and TV.
Min Ho again in cardboard cutout form in the window of Dunkin Donuts. He also stars in his own commercial.
Kim Bum on the facade of It’s Skin, another popular cosmetics store.
Kim Doo Young advertises for DK soda at a bus stop in Suyu.
F4 even has contracts with food products, such as this coffee brand.
In any case, I have a huge fat crush on Gu Jun Pyo, played by Lee Min Ho. This week, after seeing my Lee Min Ho cell phone charm (don’t judge me), one of my day students who shares the same love for him brought me pages of stickers of his face as well as trading cards of the other characters. Another student ran up to me and though slightly out of breath she informed me she had very important news: “Teacher, Gu Jun Pyo was at Carribean Bay this weekend! You should go next weekend to look for him!” I even use examples from the show to help the students understand vocabulary words: “Attitude. When Gu Jun Pyo started to like Jan Di, his entire attitude changed. He was no longer so mean to everyone.” “Ooooooohh,” the students reply.
It’s especially fun to talk with the kids and my Korean co-workers about the show- they love that I love it. I’ve also started to convert my friends, and they have quickly become just as obsessed. It’s slightly scary that we squeal like schoolgirls when we talk about the unfolding events and crazy drama on the show. Besides entertainment purposes, watching BBF has been a great way to learn even more about the Korean culture and improve my vocabulary. It’s also pretty cool to see scenes occur in places where I have been: the Seoul Art Museum, the teddy bear museum, Seoul Tower, and the topic of a recent post: the Seoul Zoo. One of the most adorable scenes took place in the zoo and some of the areas in the pictures I posted can been seen here. See the clip.
I have finished watching 22 of the 25 episodes. I do not know what I will do with my life when I’ve watched #25. I think the withdrawals will be worse than those I experienced after finishing the Twilight series. In the meantime, I’m looking forward to potentially meeting Kim Doo Young next weekend at the Korean Wave Festival. If this happens, I may, for the first time in a long time, wet my pants.