Boys Over Flowers (TV series)
Boys Over Flowers (Korean: 꽃보다 남자; Hanja: 꽃보다 男子) is a 2009 South Korean television series that is based on the Japanese shōjo manga series Boys Over Flowers (花より男子, Hana Yori Dango) written by Yoko Kamio.[1] The series is about a working-class girl who gets tangled up in the lives of a group of wealthy young men in her high school. It earned high viewership ratings in South Korea and popularity throughout Asia.[2][3] It starred Ku Hye-sun, Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyun-joong, Kim Bum, Kim Joon and Kim So-eun. It aired for 25 episodes on KBS2 from January 5 to March 31, 2009.[4] Lee Min-ho played a totally contrast role as the leader of F4 compared to his role in Mackerel Run which earned him overseas popularity.[5]
Boys Over Flowers | |
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![]() International Promotional poster for Boys Over Flowers. | |
Also known as | Boys before Flowers |
Genre | |
Based on | Boys Over Flowers by Yoko Kamio |
Written by | Yoon Ji-ryun |
Directed by | Jeon Ki-sang |
Starring | |
Opening theme | "Paradise" by T-Max |
Ending theme | |
Composer | Oh Joon Sung (오준성) |
Country of origin | South Korea |
Original language | Korean |
No. of episodes | 25 |
Production | |
Executive producer | Kim Hyeong-il (KBS Drama Headquarters) |
Producer | Gwak Jeong-hwan (KBS Drama Operations Team) |
Production locations |
|
Production company | Group 8 |
Distributor | KBS |
Release | |
Original network | KBS 2 |
Original release | January 5 – March 31, 2009 |
Chronology | |
Related shows | Meteor Garden (2001, Taiwan) Hana Yori Dango (2005, Japan) Kaisi Yeh Yaariaan (2014, India) F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers (2021, Thailand) |
External links | |
Website |
Korean name | |
Hangul | 꽃보다 남자 |
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Hanja | 꽃보다 男子 |
Revised Romanization | Kkot Boda Namja |
McCune–Reischauer | Kkot Poda Namja |
Synopsis
Shinhwa Group is shown to be one of South Korea's largest conglomerates and is headed by the strictly arrogant Kang Hee-soo. Her son Gu Jun-pyo (Lee Min-ho) is the leader of F4, the most popular and powerful group of boys at the prestigious Shinhwa High School. Yoon Ji-hu (Kim Hyun-Joong), So Yi-jung (Kim Bum), and Song Woo-bin – Gu Jun-pyo's friends and rich heirs in their own right – are all members of the group. When F4 bullies a boy to the verge of suicide, the poor but vivacious Geum Jan-di (Ku Hye-sun) saves his life and receives a swimming scholarship to attend the High School. Geum Jan-di's family runs a dry cleaning business and she lives in a small home with her parents, Geum Il-bong and Na Gong-joo, and her younger brother Geum Kang-san.
Immediately, Geum Jan-di dislikes her wealthy classmates and is disgusted by the obsession surrounding the F4 boys. Irked by her strong-headed nature, Gu Jun-pyo singles out Geum Jan-di to bully but she stands up to him and he begins to fall in love with her. Meanwhile, Geum Jan-di develops feelings for Yoon Ji-hu. She soon discovers that Yoon Ji-hu fosters a one-sided love for Min Seo-hyun, a successful model and his childhood friend.
After Yoon Ji-hu leaves the country to pursue a relationship with Min Seo-hyun, Geum Jan-di begins to grudgingly spend more time with Gu Jun-pyo. He declares to the school that she is his girlfriend. Shortly afterward, Geum Jan-di's friend Oh Min-ji drugs her at a party and takes pictures of her lying unconscious in bed with a guy. When the photos are leaked in the school, Gu Jun-pyo is outraged and believes that Geum Jan-di has been cheating on him. Subsequently, his fans and crowd of adoring classmates begin to bully and abuse Geum Jan-di. Oh Min-ji secretly discloses to Gu Jun-pyo of her involvement with the photos. It is revealed that they have been classmates since kindergarten, and that Oh Min-ji has long been trying to win his attention by undergoing cosmetic plastic surgery. Gu Jun-pyo shuns Oh Min-ji for betraying her friend and rushes to save Geum Jan-di, who is attacked by bullies. He apologizes for doubting her and their bond grows stronger.
Yoon Ji-hu returns, causing Geum Jan-di to feel confused about her feelings. While Gu Jun-pyo relentlessly tries to shower her with affection, she is increasingly distracted by Yoon Ji-hu. During a weekend trip on a private island, Gu Jun-pyo walks in on her sharing a kiss with Yoon Ji-hu and he expresses his hurt in a rage, and punches Yoon Ji-hu in distress. The next morning, he leaves the island and becomes reclusive, causing Geum Jan-di to feel guilty. She realizes that she is in love with him and declares this when Gu Jun-pyo feigns an accident. In the meantime her best friend, Chu Ga-eul, bonds with F4 member So Yi-jung and she develops a crush on him.
When Kang Hee-soo learns of Gu Jun-pyo and Geum Jan-di's relationship, she executes numerous attempts to humiliate Geum Jan-di and her family due to their social status. Geum Jan-di perseveres and finds a friend in an overly-helpful model, who helps her earn money by modeling for a magazine. This angers Gu Jun-pyo as he feels hurt by Geum Jan-di seeking help from someone else. When she is kidnapped by the model, it is revealed that he is the younger brother of the student whose suicide Geum Jan-di had prevented, and he seeks revenge. Gu Jun-pyo arrives alone and the model has him beat up in front of a tied up Geum Jan-di, but they are rescued by the F4 members in time. However, in this incident Geum Jan-di hurts her shoulder, which prevents her from swimming in the future.
After Gu Jun-pyo's father falls ill, his mother forces him to begin training to lead Shinhwa. He leaves the city, turns cold toward his friends and Geum Jan-di, and begins to accompany his mother for formal arrangements. After 6 months, Geum Jan-di and F4 pursue him and try to convince him to break free, however he turns them away. Kang Hee-soo plots to keep the distance between them and arranges Gu Jun-pyo's engagement with the heiress Ha Jae-kyung. Geum Jan-di approaches Gu Jun-hee, Gu Jun-pyo's loving older sister, to help her find work and she becomes Gu Jun-pyo's personal maid. It is evident that both Gu Jun-pyo and Geum Jan-di still love each other, however Ha Jae-kyung falls in love with Gu Jun-pyo and tries to win him over. She soon realizes that it is futile, and during the procession of their wedding, she refuses to marry Gu Jun-pyo and expresses that she will feel guilty that she was standing in the way for a meant to be relationship.
Geum Jan-di and Gu Jun-pyo reunite, however due to her friends being threatened by his mother, Geum Jan-di leaves the city after spending loving moments with him. Gu Jun-pyo is heartbroken and gets into trouble with the police, later that week he meets with a car accident while trying to save Yoon Ji-hu's life that causes him to lose his memory of Geum Jan-di. Encouraged by her mother to pursue her heart, Geum Jan-di returns but is saddened that Gu Jun-pyo cannot recall who she is. After asking him to try to remember her name, she falls into a pool as he watches, causing him to be flooded by memories of them saving each other from drowning. He calls out her name and rescues her and they unite once again. Although he asks her to marry him, they decide it is best to pursue their individual dreams first. Gu Jun-pyo leaves for America, where he furthers the Shinhwa group and becomes a successful businessman.
Four years later, it is shown that Yoon Ji-hu is graduating medical school and Geum Jan-di is still a third-year medical student, while So Yi-jung is a successful architect and returns from Sweden for Chu Ga-eul, who has become a teacher. Gu Jun-pyo arrives in a helicopter and proposes to Geum Jan-di at the beach side; the rest of the F4 arrive at the same time and they all walk alongside the beach, smiling happily.
Cast
Main
Actor | Drama Character | Manga character | Characteristics |
---|---|---|---|
Geum Jan-di 금잔디 | Makino Tsukushi | A dry cleaner's daughter, who is offered a scholarship to attend the prestigious Shinhwa High School. Her name translates as "lawn/grass". Headstrong, optimistic, stubborn, and kind-hearted, Jan-di readily stands up for her friends when they are being bullied. She gets on Jun-pyo's bad side when she stands up to him, but he soon professes his feelings for her.[6][7] | |
Gu Jun-pyo 구준표 | Doumyouji Tsukasa | The leader of the F4 and heir to the Shinhwa Group, one of the biggest companies in South Korea. His mother is a cruel woman who believes that only beneficial relationships are allowed. He is hot-tempered and believes that there is nothing that money can't buy. Though he's unable to express his feelings, deep down, he has a heart of gold. He always try to protect Jan-di even if it means hurting his own feelings. He torments Jan-di after she stands up to his bullying ways, but ends up falling in love with her and will do anything to protect her.[6][7] | |
Yoon Ji-hu 윤지후 | Hanazawa Rui | A member of the F4 and the grandson of a former president of Korea. He has a driving phobia after being involved in a car accident that killed his parents and left him the only survivor. He is initially in love with his childhood friend Seo-hyun, who helped him overcome his social anxiety. Calm and gentle, his musical talent catches Jan-di's attention and she begins to develop feelings for him.[6][7] | |
Kim Bum | So Yi-jung 소이정 | Nishikado Soujiro | A member of the F4 and a skilled potter. His family owns the country's biggest art museum. After losing his first love to his brother, he becomes a womanizer. He eventually changes his playboy ways when he realizes that he likes Ga-eul, Jan-di's best friend.[6][7] |
Kim Joon | Song Woo-bin 송우빈 | Mimasaka Akira | A member of the F4, his family runs the country's largest construction company, which Woo-bin later admits has strong connections to organized crime. He also likes to mess around with girls since he was hurt by a previous woman in his life. However, he has excellent business sense and is very charismatic.[7] |
Kim So-eun | Chu Ga-eul 추가을 | Yuki Matsuoka | She is Jan-di's best friend who later develops romantic feelings towards So Yi-Jung. |
Supporting
Drama Character | Actor | Manga character | Characteristics |
---|---|---|---|
Na Gong-joo 나공주, Jan-di's mother | Im Ye-jin | Keiko Makino | Desperate to get Jan-di married to a rich man, she forces Jan-di to attend Shinhwa High School. |
Geum Il-bong 금일봉, Jan-di's father | Ahn Suk-hwan | Haruo Makino | Although a loving father, he brings financial problems to the family. |
Min Seo-hyun 민서현 | Han Chae-young | Shizuka Todou | Ji-hu's first love. |
Oh Min-ji 오민지 | Lee Si-young | Sakurako Sanjou | She at first seems to be Jan-di's only friend at school, but later betrays her. |
Gu Jun-hee 구준희, Jun-pyo's elder sister | Kim Hyun-joo | Tsubaki Domyouji | As the elder child, it fell upon Gu Jun-hee to raise Jun-pyo as their parents were largely absent. She did so through aggressiveness, which included hitting and kicking him. She is the only person who can control him, as he listens to her. She also defies their mother by openly supporting his relationship with Jan-di, and they become close friends. |
Kang Hee-soo 강희수, Jun-pyo's mother | Lee Hye-young | Kaede Domyouji | A leading businesswoman in South Korea, she uses a number of methods to separate Jan-di and Jun-pyo (a technique which she used to successfully destroy Gu Jun-hee's relationship with her boyfriend many years before). |
Ha Jae-kyung 하재경, Jun-pyo's fiancée | Lee Min-jung | Shigeru Ookawahara | She is a strong-willed girl who is pressured into an arranged marriage with Jun-pyo by both of their families in order to merge companies. She asks to be Jan-di's friend and Jan-di cannot say no. Ha Jae-kyung does all she can to get Jun-Pyo to love her, but gives up when she knows that he will always love Jan-di. |
Extended
- Park Ji-bin as Geum Kang-san 금강산, Jan-di's younger brother
- Kim Ki-bang as Bom Choon-sik 봄춘식, Jan-di and Ga-eul's boss
- Jung Ho-bin as Jeong Sang-rok 정상록, Jun-pyo's mother's secretary
- Song Suk-ho as Butler Lee, Jun-pyo's family's butler
- Kim Young-ok as Jun-pyo's family's head maid
- Seo Min-ji as Jang Yu-mi 장유미
- Lee Jung-gil as Yoon Seok-young 윤석영, Ji-hu's grandfather
- Lim Ju-hwan as So Il-hyun 소일현, Yi-jung's older brother
- Park Soo-jin as Cha Eun-jae 차은재, Yi-jung's first love
- Gook Ji-yun as Choi Jin-hee 최진희 (aka Ginger)
- Jang Ja-yeon as Park Sun-ja 박선자 (aka Sunny)
- Min Young-won as Lee Mi-sook 이미숙 (aka Miranda)
- Jung Eui-chul as Lee Min-ha 이민하 / Lee Jae-ha 이재하
Source: HanCinema
Original soundtrack
Boys Over Flowers Original Sound Track Part 1 | |
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Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
Released | January 8, 2009 |
Genre | K-pop |
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Paradise" | T-Max | 4:23 |
2. | "Because I'm Stupid" | SS501 | 4:20 |
3. | "Do You Know?" | Someday | 4:12 |
4. | "Stand By Me" | Shinee | 4:05 |
5. | "Lucky" | Ashily | 4:00 |
6. | "Starlight Tear" | Kim Yoo-kyung | 4:04 |
7. | "Some" | Seo Jin-young | 4:42 |
8. | "One More Time" | Tree Bicycle | 4:23 |
9. | "I Know (Saxophone Inst.)" | Oh Jun-seong and Lee Jung-sik | 2:04 |
10. | "Dance With Me (Inst.)" | Oh Jun-seong | 1:47 |
11. | "Blue Flower (Inst.)" | Oh Jun-seong | 1:46 |
12. | "So Sad (Inst.)" | Oh Jun-seong | 2:05 |
13. | "Main Title (Paradise Intro)" | Oh Jun-seong and T-Max | 0:51 |
Boys Over Flowers Original Sound Track Part 2 | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by Various Artists | |
Released | March 6, 2009 |
Genre | K-pop |
No. | Title | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Say Yes" | T-Max | 3:28 |
2. | "Wish Ur My Love" | T-Max feat. J | 4:48 |
3. | "Yearning Heart/feeling something" | A'ST1 | 3:06 |
4. | "Making A Lover" | SS501 | 3:13 |
5. | "What Do I Do" | Jisun | 4:02 |
6. | "Love Is Fire" | Kara | 3:20 |
7. | "Love U" | Howl | 3:41 |
8. | "Something Like Love" | Brand New Day | 4:30 |
9. | "Tears Are Falling" | Lee Sang-gon | 4:10 |
10. | "Cellogic" | Kim Young-min | 2:04 |
11. | "Approach" | Dong Yo | 1:40 |
12. | "Strange Sun" | Various artists | 3:40 |
13. | "For The Sake Of Love" | Park Hye-ri | 2:02 |
Reception
Elle Magazine ranked Boys Over Flowers #6 (out of 10) on the October 2020 10 Best K-Dramas To Binge-Watch On Netflix list.[10]
Boys Over Flowers attracted high viewership ratings and buzz throughout South Korea during its broadcast in 2009.[11] The cast members became household names and shot to stardom overnight, and after the series ended, several of them became the faces of various endorsements and advertisements. The show is credited with launching the career of its lead actor, Lee Min-ho, who had previously appeared in a small number of low-budget high school dramas.[12]
During its broadcast, the series influenced South Korean men to take their appearances more seriously to copy the metrosexual or "pretty boy" image (kkotminam, lit. "men as beautiful as flowers") of the F4 characters in the drama. This led to an increase in South Korean males wearing cosmetics, preppy and cruise outfits, and clothing in traditionally more feminine looks like the color pink and floral prints.[13]
The drama's local filming locations became tourist attractions, such as Damyang Dynasty Country Club in South Jeolla Province; Ragung hanok hotel in Silla Millennium Park in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang Province; Hilton Namhae Gold & Spa Resort in South Gyeongsang Province; Grand Hyatt Seoul ice rink; Lotte Hotel World's Emerald Room; Farmer's Table in Heyri; and Yangpyeong English Village. The overseas locations featured such as New Caledonia and Macau also became sought-after holiday destinations.[14][15]
The series' international popularity extended to Japan,[16] Thailand,[17] Vietnam, Singapore, India, Nepal, Malaysia, Philippines,[18] Taiwan,[19] Sri Lanka,[20] Zambia and among others. The cast members held various sold-out events across Asia, such as concerts and fan meetings.[21]
The Seoul chapter of the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) criticized the series for being the epitome of materialism and the Cinderella complex, saying it sets a bad example for Korean dramas by depicting school violence, and teenagers indulging in pleasure and prejudice toward others based on their appearance and social class. The YWCA report also singled out the leading female character (Geum Jan-di) for being passive and dependent.[22]
Ratings
South Korea
In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
AGB Nielsen[23] | TNmS | ||||
Nationwide | Seoul | Nationwide | Seoul | ||
1 | January 5, 2009 | 13.7% | 13.8% | 14.3% | 14.4% |
2 | January 6, 2009 | 16.1% | 15.9% | 17.6% | 17.4% |
3 | January 12, 2009 | 18.2% | 17.2% | 20.8% | 21.1% |
4 | January 13, 2009 | 17.7% | 17.8% | 21.4% | 21.6% |
5 | January 19, 2009 | 22.2% | 21.4% | 24.8% | 24.3% |
6 | January 20, 2009 | 23.2% | 23.0% | 24.8% | 24.6% |
7 | January 26, 2009 | 18.1% | 17.4% | 19.5% | 19.1% |
8 | January 27, 2009 | 22.6% | 22.1% | 25.9% | 25.3% |
9 | February 2, 2009 | 25.8% | 24.9% | 29.7% | 29.4% |
10 | February 3, 2009 | 26.7% | 25.6% | 30.5% | 30.2% |
11 | February 9, 2009 | 26.2% | 25.6% | 31.5% | 31.8% |
12 | February 10, 2009 | 27.6% | 27.0% | 31.4% | 31.2% |
13 | February 16, 2009 | 27.6% | 27.7% | 31.5% | 31.5% |
14 | February 17, 2009 | 27.7% | 26.8% | 31.9% | 32.0% |
15 | February 23, 2009 | 29.2% | 28.5% | 32.4% | 32.3% |
16 | February 24, 2009 | 30.1% | 30.0% | 33.2% | 32.9% |
17 | March 3, 2009 | 26.6% | 27.3% | 29.9% | 30.6% |
18 | March 9, 2009 | 32.9% | 33.3% | 35.5% | 35.7% |
19 | March 10, 2009 | 26.6% | 26.3% | 31.2% | 31.3% |
20 | March 16, 2009 | 30.6% | 31.2% | 32.6% | 31.6% |
21 | March 17, 2009 | 30.8% | 31.1% | 33.6% | 33.8% |
22 | March 23, 2009 | 29.9% | 30.8% | 31.8% | 32.4% |
23 | March 24, 2009 | 30.3% | 31.7% | 31.8% | 31.6% |
24 | March 30, 2009 | 29.0% | 30.1% | 30.2% | 29.2% |
25 | March 31, 2009 | 32.7% | 33.5% | 34.8% | 34.9% |
Average | 25.7% | 25.6% | 28.5% | 28.4% |
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2009 | Best New Actor | Lee Min-ho | Won | |
Popularity Award | Kim Hyun-joong | Won | ||
Lee Min-ho | Nominated | |||
Best Drama Actor | Lee Min-ho | Nominated | ||
Best Drama Actress | Ku Hye-sun | Nominated | ||
Hot Male Drama Star | Lee Min-ho | Nominated | ||
Kim Bum | Nominated | |||
Hot Female Drama Star | Ku Hye-sun | Nominated | ||
Hot Character ("Gu Jun-pyo") | Lee Min-ho | Nominated | ||
Popular Drama | Boys Over Flowers | Won | ||
Popular Actor | Lee Min-ho | Nominated | ||
Kim Hyun-joong | Won | |||
Song of the Month (February) | "Because I'm Stupid" - SS501 | Won | ||
Best OST | Won | |||
Best OST | Won | |||
Best TV Drama Song of the Year | Won | |||
Best New Actor in a TV Drama | Kim Hyun-joong | Won | ||
Top Excellence Award, Actress | Ku Hye-sun | Nominated | ||
Excellence Award, Actor in a Mid-length Drama | Lee Min-ho | Nominated | ||
Excellence Award, Actress in a Mid-length Drama | Ku Hye-sun | Won | ||
Best New Actor | Lee Min-ho | Won | ||
Kim Hyun-joong | Nominated | |||
Kim Bum | Nominated | |||
Best New Actress | Kim So-eun | Won | ||
Best Young Actor | Park Ji-bin | Nominated | ||
Netizen Award, Actress | Ku Hye-sun | Won | ||
Popularity Award, Actor | Lee Min-ho | Nominated | ||
Kim Hyun-joong | Nominated | |||
Best Couple Award | Lee Min-ho and Ku Hye-sun | Won | ||
Kim Hyun-joong and Ku Hye-sun | Nominated |
References
- Han Sang-hee (February 10, 2009). "Boys Over Flowers Continues to Bloom in Korea". The Korea Times. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- Jin, Dal Young, ed. (2010). "Hybrid Regionalism in East Asian Popular Culture, Korean Television Drama: Boys Over Flowers". Global Media Convergence and Cultural Transformation. IGI Global. pp. 84–85. ISBN 978-1609600396.
- Kang, Hye-ran; Lee, Young-hee (July 9, 2009). "The next 'Korean wave' washes ashore". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- "꽃보다 남자 프로그램 정보" [Boys Over Flowers Program Information]. KBS (in Korean). Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- https://metro.style/beauty/grooming/lee-min-ho-evolution-through-the-years/24801
- "Boys over Flowers". KBS World. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- "Boys Over Flowers". Korean Tourism Organization. Archived from the original on July 14, 2014. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- "꽃보다 남자 OST - Various Artists" [Boys Over Flowers OST - Various Artists]. Mnet (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- "꽃보다 남자 Part 2 - Various Artists" [Boys Over Flowers Part 2 - Various Artists]. Mnet (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 3, 2018. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- YAPTANGCO, ARIANA (October 1, 2020). "The 10 Best K-Dramas To Binge-Watch On Netflix". Elle. Retrieved October 1, 2020.
- Yoo Bo-lam (March 11, 2009). "Boys Over Flowers explodes in popularity". The Korea Herald. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- "Korea's Flower Boy". My Sinchew. March 29, 2009. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
- Lee Hyo-won (February 12, 2009). "Men, Be Beautiful for Spring, Summer". The Korea Times. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- Bae Ji-sook; Kwon Mee-yoo (February 26, 2009). "TV Drama Getting People Travelling". The Korea Times. Retrieved November 17, 2012.
- "Gyeonggi Bus Tour Targets Tourists". The Chosun Ilbo. June 30, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- Han Sang-hee (February 24, 2009). "Stars Look to Revive Hallyu in Japan". The Korea Times. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- "Boys Over Flowers star visits Bangkok". The Korea Herald. April 13, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- Jonathan M. Hicap (September 6, 2009). "Korean Dramas Continue to Captivate the Philippines". The Korea Times. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- "Koo Enjoying High Popularity in Taiwan". The Korea Times. July 10, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- "Boys Over Flowers | TV Derana". www.derana.lk. Retrieved January 23, 2016.
- Han Sang-hee (November 4, 2009). "Lee Min-ho to Meet Japanese Fans". The Korea Times. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- "YWCA calls Boys over Flowers failure". The Korea Herald. April 15, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- "Nielsen Korea". AGB Nielsen Media Research (in Korean). Retrieved January 5, 2009.
- Santiago, Erwin (May 11, 2009). "TNS National TV Ratings (May 8–11): Boys Over Flowers smells sweet on its debut". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- "TNS National TV Ratings (June 23–25): "Kambal Sa Uma" scares away "Wowowee" | I Am Athan". I Am Athan. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- Santiago, Erwin (August 24, 2009). "TNS National TV Ratings (Aug. 18-24): 'Dahil May Isang Ikaw' and 'Katorse' enter the primetime race with a good start". Philippine Entertainment Portal. Retrieved March 2, 2018.
- "Boys at Baeksang". The Korea Times. March 1, 2009. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- "Popular Prize winners - 4th SDA 2009". SeoulDrama.org. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
- Jonathan M. Hicap (March 2, 2010). "2NE1 wins big at Cyworld Digital Music Awards". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on July 16, 2012. Retrieved February 18, 2013.
- Han Sang-hee (January 3, 2010)."2009 Drama Awards Wrap Up With No Surprises". The Korea Times. Retrieved October 20, 2011.