Japan’s popular original manga-turned-drama “Hana Yori Dango” aka “Boys Over Flowers” has casted Lee Min Ho – Kim Hyun Joong – Kim Bum – Kim Jun as the F4 (Flower 4) for the Korean version of the drama.
The drama’s producers, Group 8, revealed through press releases on the morning of the 2nd, who the four main lead males were going to be.
Lee Min Ho will play the Japanese manga role of “Tsukasa” aka “Goo Joon Pyo.” The character of Goo Joon Pyo will be the heir to the Shinhwa Group Enterprises and the leader of the F4.
Lee Min Ho has already participated in the drama “Run Mackeral”, “I am Sam”, and the movie “Our School’s ET.” The production company explained that Lee Min Ho was casted for his dark-lined face and his height which towers over 180cm.
Romantic and Quirky young man “Yoon Ji Hoo” (Rui in the original Japanese version) will be played by SS501 Leader Kim Hyun Joong. Kim Hyun Joong was cast the earliest out of the main 4 and has received acting training since then. With the announcement of the casting news, there has been many comments about how he fits the role.
The remaining two F4 members “Seo Lee Jung” and “Song Woo Bin” (Soujiro and Akira in the original Japanese version) will be played by talent Kim Bum and boy band T-Max’s Kim Jun.
Jun Ki Sang PD of “My Girl” and “Delightful Girl Choon Hyang” fame will produce the series.
“Hana Yori Dango” is about a poor, but bright high school student named “Tsukushi” who attends an exclusive high school where only the rich go. She ends up having encounters with the bachelor F4 and experiences love and friendship in his romance manga. It has been running for 11 years in Japan with 36 books. The books have sold 5.8 million copies to date (I’m not 100% on the number…)
The manga has been translated into English, French, and Spanish with 14 other languages translated and the manga has been made into a drama in Japan and Taiwan. The actors cast as the F4 in both versions of the drama have been skyrocketed into fame and there has been a lot of interest in who the Korean cast of the F4 would be because of this trend.
The Korean version of Boys Over Flowers will begin in December and will have 24 episodes.
