Friday the First: Flower Boy Next Door

Why, hello there, Drama of Cuteness.

When I decided to watch this in the middle of the year, I wasn't sure whether it would be good or not. The reviews I had read had said that Flower Boy Next Door was difficult to watch (KDramaFighting! compared the drama to exercise) and that it was boring. 

I thought otherwise. I'm part of what I guess is the majority, apparently, as a result. Flower Boy Next Door is adorable (well...not necessarily fangirl-moment-inducing adorable, but laughably so). I found it easy enough to watch to almost ignore the faults in the last few episodes.

Summary (from Viki):

Dok Mi is a young woman with a comfortable routine - every morning, she wakes up and spies on her good-looking neighbor, Tae Joon, from her window and voyeuristically copies his morning routine. Unable to face people, Dok Mi works as a freelance copy editor with as little interaction with the outside world as possible. But her comfortable, predictable existence comes to a halt when her peeping is discovered by Enrique, Tae Joon's younger brother who returns from a year in Spain and moves in with him. Suddenly, Dok Mi finds herself surrounded by a menagerie of young, good-looking neighbors who will not let her live her life in solitute. Jin Rak, a web comic writer who lives next door with his drawing partner, Dong Hoon, is intrigued by Dok Me and develops a new web series about her. Watanabe, an aspiring chef, also moves in on the same floor. Will these pretty boys allow Dok Mi to return to her reclusive lifestyle or will they force her to come out of her shell?

This actually could have been someone's first Kdrama. Back in November, I was talking with one of the sophomores at my school, and she decided that, since I bring dramas into the conversation so often, she might try one. This made it to the final three, but her first drama - when she gets around to watching it *glares* - will probably be Soul...

Anyway, let's move on to why this could still have a chance to be another person's first drama...

1) The female lead is cute.

Even if you don't think she's cute, she's relatable, at the very least. Come on, admit it; deep down, you know you're alike! Loners unite!

2) The male lead is cute.

There are two types of people:
those who laugh at this scene for its adorable humor;
and those who laugh because of how uncomfortable they
now feel.

For some viewers, he is like frosting that has way too much sugar. That's how sweet and adorable he is. Kawaii. To. The. Max.

But there are two male leads, so I might as well throw in a picture with Kim Ji Hoon in this category...

3) Almost everyone in this drama is cute...

...and relatable. (Sleep, must you be so elusive?)

Sometimes nonsensically so. (Hello again, Kim Ji Hoon.)

4) The humor is mixed in with the cuteness to make for natural fits of giggling.

Idiocy and sarcasm make for great laughs.

As do arguments.

5) The female lead curiously spends her days wearing her winter coat, isolated in her locked apartment. Her observations about herself and about relationships are interesting, to say the least.

Metaphor Overload.

6) Honestly, this drama is filled with fluffiness upon fluffiness.

That's really the main thing I have to say about Flower Boy Next Door. Besides the emotional analysis the script brings to the drama, there really isn't much else to say, to be honest...

If you want an overwhelmingly sweet start, Park Shin Hye, Yoon Shi Yoon, and the rest of the cast may be a fitting choice.

Disclaimer: Pamela is not responsible for any arguments, addictions, loss of social lives, increased understanding, or ridicule that may result from this post.

-Pamela