Flower Boy Next Door tells the story of a girl named Go Dok Mi (Park Shine Hye) who suffers from agoraphobia and only leaves her apartment if she has to. She spends her time working from home as an editor and catching glances of her good looking neighbor across the street. But her quiet world is turned upside when her neighbor’s brother Enrique Geum (Yoon Shi Yoon) comes into her life like a whirlwind.
Flower Boy Next Door is one of my all time favorite dramas! I love absolutely everything about it and have nothing negative to say. The drama quickly pulled me in with such endearing characters and a heartwarming story. It is also filled with so many hilarious moments. Who could ever forget Enrique and his panda hat?
This was actually my first time seeing both Park Shin Hye and Yoon Shi Yoon. They each made quite an impression on me with their heartfelt performances and wonderful chemistry. I adored them, and it made me a forever fan of both of them.
Park Shin Hye has just the right amount of quirkiness to make her character humorous yet still extremely relatable. I quickly bonded with Dok Mi and empathized with her situation. Because of difficult experiences in her past, she could only find comfort staying locked away from the world. And she was perfectly content with that…or so she thought.
When Yoon Shi Yoon comes on the scene as Enrique, he comes in with a bang. His personality is completely opposite of Dok Mi. He’s a ball of energy who seems to have a mission of making those around him happy.
He quickly becomes fascinated by Dok Mi because of just how different she is from him. He wants to help her get out into the world and overcome her fears, but he ends up learning some life lessons himself.
The other man in Dok Mi’s life is her neighbor, Jin Rak (Kim Ji Hoon). Jin Rak has had feelings for Dok Mi and watched her from afar for years. He understood her desire for privacy and always wanted to make sure she was comfortable. The problem was his complacency. By leaving everything “comfortable” for so long, someone else was given the opportunity to swoop in and win Dok Mi’s heart.
I really did love both of these guys. They each had something special they brought to the table. Who should be with Dok Mi: the guy who is more similar to her or the guy who is her complete opposite? It’s a difficult choice to be sure.
But I thought the chemistry between Dok Mi and Enrique was tangible. All of their interactions were so meaningful on multiple levels. At times, they are simply able to share in the simple joys of life. But when forced to face some difficult truths about themselves, they are able to support each other through the hurt and pain. Such an amazing relationship on so many levels.
Then we have our side characters. Another first experience for me was seeing Go Kyung Pyo as Jin Rak’s roommate Dong Hoon. He was certainly a fun guy who turned out to have more depth than I initially thought.
And the big surprise is the relationship he develops with his and Jin Rak’s boss (Kim Seul Gi) (another first!). At first, I thought she was annoying, but before long, she warmed her way into my heart with her loud, brash personality that was hiding a tender heart inside. I love this girl!
The main antagonist is Dok Mi’s high school friend, Do Hwi (Park Soo Jin), who re-enters her life. Park Soo Jin really plays these types of roles so well. Our girls have a rocky history, and it takes a lot on both of their parts to make any progress toward healing.
For me, Flower Boy Next Door combines all of the elements I love about kdramas. It creates a little world in an apartment building that is populated by endearing and unique characters that are full of humor.
We deal with some difficult issues and get to watch one girl’s journey to healing aided by her friends around her. We also get an amazing romance that just warms my heart each time I see it.
Flower Boy Next Door is perfection in my book. I loved every single episode from start to finish. It is a drama that I enjoy revisiting because I always feel so at home with these amazing people. Of course, I’m sure you would feel pretty at home too if these guys were your neighbors!
My Rating: 10/10
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