Popular Culture Review
The “Flower Boys”: The F4
The most prominent male character of Boys Over Flowers is the leader
of F4, Jun Pyo, who is the heir to the Shinhwa Group, the most successful
corporation in South Korea. Jun Pyo’s grandfather established the Shinhwa
schools so that Jun Pyo had a safe environment in which to grow up and receive
a high quality education from the world’s leading scholars. Jun Pyo’s physical
attributes combine macho masculinity with kkonminam traits. Oftentimes he
is shown shirtless, with a slim body, six-pack abs, and smooth skin. He wears
clothing that would be considered in the “Beau Brummel” style: dressing
elegantly, and using accessories to showcase that a person may belong to
an upper, more luxurious class (Crawford, 2006). Jun Pyo displays this type
tight pants, all in pastel colors. However, counter to his clotheshorse image,
a martial arts studio. Jun Pyo appears to be high maintenance, pretentious,
immature, and stuck-up in the beginning of the series, but as his relationship
with female main character Jan Di progresses, his attitude slowly becomes
more compassionate and caring.
Ji Hoo is another member of the F4; he is grandson to the former
president of South Korea, who became a physician after his term. When he
was four years old, Ji Hoo’s parents were killed in a car accident he himself
instigated when he playfully covered his father’s eyes while his father was
long, straight, shiny orange-dyed hair, groomed very well; and often wears
vests, sweaters, scarves, and earrings, all in light pastel colors that are nearly
transparent at times. Ji Hoo’s pastimes and hobbies include both masculine
and feminine-typed activities. For example, when he hangs out with his F4
friends, he tends to do what they do, and has a masculine-like competitive
mentality while he partakes in those activities. However, when Ji Hoo hangs
out with Jan Di, he is oftentimes seen nurturing her, displaying a somewhat
feminine-typed persona, such as cooking an elaborate breakfast to cheer
later falls in love with her, creating the love triangle between him, Jan Di, and
Jun Pyo. Ji Hoo’s personality is portrayed as being sincere and empathetic,
results in a close friendship instead of a romance.
Known as the “Casanova” of F4, Yi Jeong is skilled in all areas of the
(or “hooking up” with) beautiful girls. His family owns the most prestigious art
museum in South Korea. In terms of physical appearance, Yi Jeong wears
very dark colors and a lot of tight clothing. His hair is well groomed and
straightened quite frequently. He often wears scarves and ascots, along with
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