Rise of the 'Flower Boys'

Maybe the time has finally arrived for women in this formerly Confucian society to openly appreciate the beauty of the opposite gender.

Or it may be that boys have actually become much "prettier" than before, and are beyond the traditional male attributes defined in such vocabularies as "tall, dark and handsome."

Well, the four main male characters in KBS hit drama "Boys Before Flowers" are definitely tall, handsome, and all of them jaw-droppingly rich. But that's hardly enough to describe the huge pop culture sensation that has literally engulfed Korea.

The four "flower boys" or "F4" have captivated the hearts of women of all ages in the country, be it a seven-year-old girl or 50-year-old housewife. Many men also watch it, though the majority of fans are women.

"Boys Before Flowers" can be considered something like the Asian version of America's huge hits "The O.C." or "Gossip Girl" that depict a hyper-luxury lifestyle of teenagers.

The series is only mid-way through, but the cast members (led by oh-so-charming Lee Min-ho playing main character Goo Joon-pyo) have become household names. The ratings hover around the high 30 percent and could climb higher.

"By watching these unrealistically rich and charming boys going out of their way to help Geum Jan-di (main female character played by Koo Hye-sun) in her quagmires, as well as watching the scenes where she is reluctantly showered with gifts and makeovers, I get a sense of satisfaction at least inside the television," said Lee Ji-ah, a 26-year-old graduate student, who watches the show religiously.

The drama is so popular that some shows are dedicated to it. Putting a comedic spin on the series that some say are simply "too corny," such comedy programs as Gagya of MBC and Gag Concert of KBS have recreated the main characters for parody.

This is undoubtedly the big break for Lee Min-ho, 22, who was a struggling actor before the drama and now the envy of a multitude of aspiring actors. He is expected to take in as much as 1.5 billion won ($970,000) in profit this year, not to mention fast becoming the most coveted celebrity in business advertisements.

Apparel company Bean Pole, a sponsor of "Boys Before Flowers" and creator of the famous school uniform featured in the drama, has also seen a burst in recognition and a rise in sales.

Korea's largest community site Cyworld has also benefited from the latest pop phenomenon by producing emoticons for each of the five major cast members, which they say are in high demand from users.

Fashion magazines are filled with pictures and stories about the flower boys, while portal sites of Korea are filled with news, pictures and blogs dedicated to them.

It seems people just cannot get enough of them.

"Boys Before Flowers" or "Hana Yori Dango" in Japanese is actually a familiar story for women in their teens, 20s and 30s. The original comic book with the same title by Japan's Yoko Kamio is considered like a bible for those who enjoy Japanese romantic manga. The series ran between 1992 and 2003 to eventually comprise a whopping 37 volumes. It sold over 54 million copies by 2005.

The title is a pun on the Japanese old saying "Dumplings before flowers," referring to people who attend Hanami (flower festival), but instead of enjoying flowers, focus more on the materialistic side of the event such as getting food and buying souvenirs.

The plot is quite old school as well. Geum Jan-di, the main female character, is a girl from a poor family but has an unrivaled sense of optimism and drive and is by chance admitted to a prestigious private high school.

There she meets the infamous group of four astonishingly good looking and rich boys. The group's leader is Goo Joon-pyo, who is a spoiled heir to world-leading conglomerate Shinhwa. He is joined by mysterious and breathlessly handsome Yoon Ji-hoo, played by member of idol pop group SS501 Kim Hyun-joong, So Yi-jung played by Kim Bum, and Song Woo-bin, played by Kim Joon. Their love story moves from Seoul to New Caledonia to Macau, while their wardrobes, vehicles and houses also entertain the eyes with their over-the-top extravagance.

With their super powerful parents and backgrounds, it almost seems there's no stopping these boys, until of course, they are met by the "harsh" reality of having to follow to their destined routes, such as inheriting the Shinhwa Group.

"I actually am so over the whole immature high school love story, but I end up watching it because there's just so much to see. It is like eye candy on all aspects combined into one show," said Shin Se-young, a 35-year-old office worker.

Lee Ji-yeon, a 30-year-old single woman, explains that she is a fan of the show because it is blatantly lavish and dreamlike. She says it's easy to just fall into it without bothering to think about whether the plots are realistic or not.

"It's like watching real people play out the comic book to a tee."

There are also other interpretations as to why "Boys Before Flowers" is such a great hit in Korea.

The obvious reason is the near perfect casting of the F4. Fair to say, their acting skills are considered not up to par, sometimes even cringe-inducing. But main player Lee Min-ho shines, with his believable adaptation of the Joon-pyo character. Lee actually manages quite well to portray the spoiled kid of a billionaire who shows little to no respect to people around him, but turns all soft and mushy once in a while, at least to the love of his life Jan-di.

"One of the reasons for the character Goo to be so popular could be that he touches the embedded masochism of viewers by being mean and then he can be kind all of a sudden, getting the counterpart to appreciate that even more," said Kim Mi-hyun, literature critic and professor of Ewha Womans University.

It is also a shared opinion among the fans of F4 that while watching it, they forget about everything else and the less-than-rosy reality of life, especially at this time of economic hardship.

"This may represent a distorted adoration or aspiration towards people with money or chaebols. It is usually the case where the worse the economy the more popular the wealthy become.

The popularity of this program also represents the new aggressive nature of consumption," Kim said.

"One problem, however, with the program is that these boys represented in the stories are in their teens and spending like kings. The unreality of it may be the attractive factor but it may also provoke a sort of wild-goose chase," she said.

Whatever the reason, it appears that the F4 phenomenon is here to stay for now as fans appear to be not getting enough of it.

The original manga "Boys Before Flower" is enjoying a resurrection of its sales. Over 132,000 copies were sold in the months of January and February, according to its publisher Seoul Media Group. This is a huge surge compared to about 42,000 copies in yearly sales of the past.

The series is already signing deals with overseas television networks for viewing, following the footsteps of Japan and Taiwan, which have also reprised the comic book series in television series and movies.

New Caledonia, which was featured in the earlier part of the drama as the set where the main female and male characters confirm their love, is seeing an increase in the number of potential travelers.

"It will take time for the actual number of travelers to New Caledonia to rise considering the current economic situation here. But New Caledonia definitely put itself on the map of coveted travel destinations through this drama series. Now, everyone from kids to adults in their 40s and 50s know Goo Joon-pyo's New Caledonia. We are satisfied enough for having raised its recognition," said Lee Myeong-hwan, who heads the Korean office of New Caledonia Tourism.

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