Flower Boys Next Door (2013)
Grade:
B
16 Episodes +2 Bonus “Making Of”
type shows
Timid, single shut-in Go Dok-mi works as
a proofreading editor, living a quiet, lonely life trying to hide
from a painful past. Her window to the outside world leads to some
casual spying on the handsome neighbor in the next building, and she
would have kept on spying from her modern-day tower if the neighbor's
brother Enrique hadn't been visiting one day and caught her in the
act. Enrique is a genius, gregarious game designer with a soft spot
for those in need of emotional healing. Will Enrique convince Go
Dok-mi to finally leave her apartment and join the rest of the world
again, or are some wounds too deep for even his happy touch to
overcome? What happens when another of Go Dok-mi's neighbors
attempts to woo her, or when Enrique's fans demand he return to Spain
to continue his work?
*This
kdrama was a lot more somber than I had expected for a
romantic-comedy, especially considering Enrique's energetic character
and the upbeat opening to the show. Enrique reminds me a lot of the
Japanese anime character Naruto, with his childlike, happy-go-lucky
demeanor and even his “yellow” hair – very cute. I did not like
Go Dok-mi's
character, though – the weak, soft-spoken type of young woman is
very unappealing and frustrating to watch. I did enjoy the romance
between two lesser characters – Oh Dong Hoon (Go Kyung-pyo from
“Tomorrow's Cantabile”) and his editor; they represented a more
realistic love. Overall, it was a slow, sad, sweet kdrama, which can
be enjoyable if you're in the right mood, and it had a different pace
because it did not stick to the “rich guy, poor girl” trope. I
might watch this again.*
