Boys Before Friends

I watched the Korean version (Boys over Flowers), the Taiwanese version (Meteor Garden) and the Anime (Hana Yori Dango.) I watched the entire first episode of the American version and felt they massacred it. A lot of us die hard fans are going to find it hard to watch or even brutal due to the poor acting as well as the actors. Boys over friends lacked some of the larger and smaller details of the other versions that make them stand out, I understand they tried to add some originality but its just not working.

Watch the first episode and formulate your own opinion but honestly for those of you who watched the Korean version the American one will make you want to "unsee" it.

Before you start saying bad things about this show please read this. I sent them a rude message and then immediately apologized because i realized my mistake. this was the response i got. I feel awful. "Hi, I'm one of the writers on the show and I have to say your comments and everyone else's are very hurtful. Thank you for saying you are sorry. One of the things we want to point out is that this project was largely made with our own funds because when we went to big networks we were told that there is no market for Anime, KDrama and that it would not fit into American culture. With so many negative comments online about the small project we have put out, it is making sure that no other company in America will touch it so we are going to be stuck with things like Gossip Girl. This is a low budget project but even with that, the creators of this series have put in over $250,000 of their own money to try and get the project done. Please take that into consideration when you are watching the next episodes. We are doing this out of love for a series as well as wanting to start a new era of television. Instead of the fans helping us, all they are doing is making us want to give up and prove Big Networks right that this is not worth their time."

First I give props to the dedicated cast and crew of the series. They are definitely giving their all and they themselves are fans of the original manga and want to do a good job. With that said, keep in mind that they are working with a minimal budget and the script is being written inspired by the original but also needing to make reference to more of American culture - and finding that balance is not easy. In every version that has been made there have been actors or scenes that were over the top or obnoxious and at times sound or lighting issues, so I take some of those issues with this series with a grain of salt. Each episode (currently writing this with episode 4 just released) has drastic improvements and though there are enough differences that might turn away some die-hard fans, if you watch it from the perspective of an original show, it's very entertaining and you'll probably find yourself appreciating more the aspects of it that do in fact mirror the original manga. There are still 12 more episodes to go and so long as it continues to improve as it has been, I think it will be a series that many can come to love. I'm going to give it a chance and recommend others do too!

OK, I was giving it a chance it being a low budget and all. But no, it's awful. I mean I was already liking Dawn as Zooey, now it's a different actress once again. And a different Liam. I can't, I just can't. I hate recasting and it looks so unprofessional to switch the actors, not to mention annoying. The leads aren't supposed to change IMO. The first few eps were great. But when I decide to just watch once again, they decide to keep swapping actors. I can't stand for that. Guys, watch at your own discretion. This American version of it really isn't worth your time. I'd rather stick to the Korean, and Japanese versions.

I completely and utterly wasted my effort into watching this version of it. Not any good.

Ummm did the sound and video quality get worse since episode one? Not to mention the acting. And why is there a different girl playing Zoey??? Like for real do you think the audience wouldn't notice such a huge difference in voice, body structure, and the lack of a tattoo. I was willing to defend this in episode one and say it had potential but this clearly shows horrible directing. As much as I wanted this to be a thing its not working and needs to be closed before it permanently damages the actors and the directors careers. For real this is why no one wanted to fund this and those that did lend their support are probably wondering where their money went. This was far to much of an ambitious project to take on for beginners, Take a step back focus on the acting and the cast and of course audio quality, seriously if you-tubers can make short films with 10 times better quality,effects and acting then there should be no excuses. Hate to sound like an ass but the truth is never pretty. Honestly I know it's a low budget and they don't have a lot to work with but you I could live with the bad audio quality and stuff and I actually think the writers did a good job with making an American version that sticks to the familiar plot we all know and love. But the forced acting and from these beginners is just a huge risk even if it is all they can afford. I think that if they do get enough support, a bigger budget to work with, and an acting coach on set to help out then this could actually be really awesome. But if they continue to do stuff like the actress switch with it only being the 2nd episode then I'm afraid no company will want anything to do with them and the careers of all involved are gonna be judged by this. I will try and hold on for a few more episodes but please people use some common sense.