Flower Boy Next Door is like a breath of fresh air. In this cliche rom-com environment, the romantic comedy genre is distinct with charming characters and a simple atmosphere. At first when I watched the promo, I thought it would be a colorful and happy-go-lucky drama; but turned out to be very different in their treatment.
Flower Boy Next Door is the third installment in Oh Boy! serialized by tvN, the other two being Flower Boy Ramyun Shop and Shut Up, Flower Boy Band. I’ve never seen one before and didn’t have any expectations regarding this series. I loved the cast and premise and I love that the show made me feel good.
The story is about a girl Dok Mi (Park Shin Hye), who remains aloof from the outside world. He was an editor, but rarely came out of his flat and did not meet anyone unless necessary. He has Jin Rak (Kim Ji Hoon) as his neighbor, who finds out about his habits and falls in love with him secretly. He cares for her through small gestures. Dok Mi’s world is turned upside down when Enrique (Yoon Shi Yoon) is from Spain, who is the complete opposite of Dok Mi: a person who likes to make friends and sees the outside world. The story then develops with how these people learn and improve themselves.
The show’s greatest strength is its depth and character development. Each one is clearly and beautifully defined in its own way. Apart from the main cast and flower boy, we have people like security guard and editor Kim Ji Hoon, who are very supportive of this drama and put on adorable performances. The dialogue is also very good and each episode has a central theme, which I really like. This drama has cut notes of life and warmth, with moments that touch the heart. The OST is very calming and makes the scene much more powerful and captivating. The story just flows.
I have to admit that the drama got less interesting in later episodes, where I lost most of my interest as the story revolved around a few minor issues, and it took way too long to reach a final conclusion. It hangs on too long on certain issues and the fun is lost somewhere that way.
What makes Flower Boy Next Door much more enjoyable are the performances. She easily sinks into Dok Mi’s role, giving all the right expressions and keeping her act low-key. He is really cute. Their chemistry is also adorable.
It is the for the first time that I was having a second lead syndrome. I always root for the OTP, but this is one time that my heart really ached for the other guy. Kim Ji Hoon gives an amazing performance, which looks so natural and effortless.
Go Kyung Pyo has acted really well, and his comedy is perfect. And I really liked his and editor’s storyline. That was unexpected and fun.