10 Reasons Why I Love Shut Up! Flower Boy Band

Shut Up! Flower Boy Band (☆☆☆☆☆)is my crack drama of 2012. Even though it's only May and we still 7 months left, I'm pretty sure that no other drama would take the place of this drama in my heart. SUFBB left me crushed and heartbroken then made me pathetically happy and satisfied by the last episode. It's just so good that after almost two months since its finale, I still can't stop talking about it.

I am guessing the fact that it's quite underrated in Kdramaland makes me love it even more, makes me want to keep on convincing people that it's so damn good. It is so damn good and it is a shame that there's not that many people who watched it. I have a feeling that many people were turned off thinking that it has a shallow story and it only focuses on a boy band that only goes by its looks. But boy are they wrong. It's definitely something more, a whole lot more.

So what is this drama about? It's about a rock band who just wants to make it big in the music industry. But they encounter identity crises and relationship conflicts that would somehow be a burden to their instant stardom. Yes, it's a pretty common plot but this drama shows it in a way that isn't too cliche or cheesy. And I love that. By the way, the band is aptly called Eye Candy. Heh.

I know my ramblings won't be enough to convince you. And because I have all the time in the world when it comes to SUFBB, I came up with these reasons on why I love it a bit too much. And just to make it a bit more interesting let's do this in a countdown sort of way.

10. Amazing soundtrack.

I am no music expert but I can't stop listening to the soundtrack! It also doesn't hurt that JiHyuk (played by Bang SungJoon), the protagonist and the lead vocalist of the band, has that raspy kind of voice that I really, really like. All biases aside, okay. My favorite tracks from the OST are Jaywalking and Wake Up. They performed Jaywalking a couple of times in the series, but it's a shame that they didn't perform Wake Up even once!

9. Eye candy boys everywhere.

The band isn't called Eye Candy for nothing! Personally, JiHyuk is the most attractive one for me. But I definitely won't say no to any of the boys especially HyunSoo (played by L of Infinite). And DoIl (Lee HyunJae), of course. Haha. But seriously, they are so pretty to look at that they make watching the drama such a pleasant experience.

8. Good acting by relatively new actors.

Besides Lee MinKi who appeared for only two episodes, every member of the Eye Candy are quite new when it comes to acting. Though their acting isn't perfect, they give justice to their roles. They're just so believable. Maybe they really become good friends in real life but these boys managed to make me believe that they are real people with real problems and real relationships. These boys breathe life to their roles and it's pretty amazing.

7. Captivating atmosphere and cinematography.

I'd watch this drama for the tone alone. It is filmed during winter (going on spring) so we got all the pretty winter clothes. Every scene also seemed to be thought out so much. I especially love the scenes where sunlight seems to be leaking in. Take this scene for instance:

Just imagine a drama where most scenes are as beautifully shot as that. The scene just speaks to you. I swear I won't get tired watching this drama. It's hard not to notice that it's edited quite well and wasn't rushed at all. The scenes are well directed and you can obviously see that by the well-executed scenes.

6. Memorable characters.

I think it will take time and sheer determination to forget a character like Byunghee who is awesomely played by Lee MinKi. And it's not just ByungHee, too! Unlike other flower boy dramas, SUFBB managed to flesh out each characters. We get to know each member of the boy band and don't see them as just part of the band but also as individuals. The members aren't just part of the background but interesting characters themselves. /sigh I really, really miss these boys.

Besides, JiHyuk oppa (please let me call him oppa even though he's a month or two younger!) is definitely one of my favorite, if not my most favorite, protagonists of all time. Okay, I'm pretty sure he's my favorite hero since ever. He is flawed but that makes him even more amazing. JiHyuk oppa, daebak!

5. Strong female characters.

I love a Kdrama that introduces me to strong female characters. We've all had our fair share of damsels in distress, and this drama shows us just that. But these damsels know how to fight and triumph over their, well, distress. The girls in SUFBB know what they want and they definitely don't show much tact when it comes to going after what they want. They are also very clear with what they feel and leave no room for misunderstanding. Argh. SuAh (Jo Boa) is definitely one of the strongest Kdrama heroines I've met. Stay gold, SuAh.

4. Best OTP in the history of OTPs.

Let me just cry in a corner while I reminisce the story of JiHyuk and SuAh (Jo Boa). Hrhr. OMG THESE TWO. Okay, let me explain why I love them. First, they have so much chemistry! From the moment they first see each other to every other scene they're together, sparks were coming off the screen okay. They look so good together! Second, their cute little interactions are so, uhm, cute! Who will ever forget that lollipop scene? Those rooftop scenes? Those headphone scenes? Again, OMG. Third, they obviously need each other but they never act too dependent on each other. They live their own lives and I believe every couple has to do that, too. They're two separate individuals and they don't have to do everything together. Fourth, they weathered so many storms and they managed to trust each other despite all. And Kdramas are definitely lacking of couples who trust each other. And fifth, I don't know. Maybe I'm just incredibly biased? But every scene just make me go aaaaw, oooh, and everything else. I hope they date in real life.

3. Solid storyline.

SUFBB has a good mix of drama and comedy. But the weird thing is, it's not too dramatic and it's not side-splitting funny, too. It's something in between but it has that right amount of everything and a perfect amount of tension to keep you hanging on. This drama has enough conflicts to keep the story going for 16 episodes. There's no filler and every scene seem to be made to push the story forward. A couple of problems arise throughout the drama but they don't drag out a problem far too long. It's never boring for me!

I think girlfriday and javabeans say it way better than I do.

2. Well-explored themes.

You got music, friendship, love, dreams, and individuality. I'm pretty sure there are other themes but these five themes are the ones most explored in the series. I like how it's not just about another love-struck high school students, not just about ideals-laden teens. It's about chasing after your dream and what you're supposed to do when you finally achieve that dream. In a way, it's different from other dramas since the series show the after. SUFBB focuses on what happens next, what happens after you realize your dreams. It's actually pretty clever. It's also about forming a friendship that lasts and doing sacrifices (idiotic or noble or both) to make it work. It's about trying to learn more about yourself and not grabbing at every limelight waiting for you. It's a coming-of-age drama about a group of boys who's trying to find their places in this bleak world, trying to find solace in each other. I have so much love for this drama, and I'm pretty sure it's obvious by now that I have pretty sufficient reasons to love SUFBB.

1. Best ending I've ever watched.

No doubt the best ending I've watched since ever. I can't even remember an ending that comes close! The ending is quite uplifting and made me feel all sort of awesome. It's a happy ending but it's not the type of ending that you'd expect. It's an ending that will remind you what the drama is truly about, because we'd somehow get distracted in the middle. It's far from cheesy, and it's not a happily ever after one, too. I have watched the ending more than ten times now, and whenever I'm not feeling the best, watching the ending makes everything a bit better.

We all know that it's hard to pull off a good ending, and sometimes, the happy ones would make you feel queasy. But this one just makes you believe that though there are tough times and there will always be tough times, there are always the good ones that will pull you through.

I love SUFBB.

(Stills and poster credits: Dramahaven)