Kdrama Review: Shut Up Flower Boy Band (AKA Bromance & Rock n' Roll)

Keeping with my music kdrama theme, the next drama I watched was “Shut Up Flower Boy Band” (also translated “Shut Up and Let’s Go”)! Which I went into with really low expectations! I mean, flower boy is in the title… Which is a clear warning that this pretty boy, high school drama might be just as scarring as “Boys Over Flowers” or “Flower Boy Ramen Shop.” However, I was caught off guard and quickly fell hard for this drama! My feels are still reeling.


“Shut Up Flower Boy Band” (SUFBB) follows a gangle of guy friends in a band together, bad boys who regularly get in fights, book illegal gigs, and are constantly on the verge of getting suspended. Difficult families and financial situations make them fiercely loyal to one another. When their jank school closes down, they get transferred to the fancy, rich-kid school, where they don’t fit in and quickly make rivals. A sudden tragedy and then a chance to make it big set them on a new path to stardom, though fame and fortune might not prove to be all that they dreamed. Friendship, romance, music and “real-life” grit won me over in this teenage experience drama.

I haven’t so thoroughly enjoyed a high school show since “Dream High,” and I can’t even think of a drama that can compare in the bromance / group-of-friends department. Think “Answer Me 1997” or the dudes from “Rooftop Prince.” The guys in SUFBB were interesting, hilarious and a delight every time they were on screen together. Maybe it’s the American in me, but I rooted for these underdogs from start to finish. Each of them had unique personalities (no filler characters), with believable back stories and a chemistry that made every fist fight painful and every pillow fight flat-out fun.

Other aspects of this drama that I appreciated: The antagonists weren’t pure evil villains but flawed human beings. Okay, Female Lead was stereotypically broke, but at least Male Lead was broke, too. The main plot and subplots rarely (if ever?) panned out perfectly happy or as I expected, making the story feel realistic and keeping me on the edge of my seat. Realism took precedence over warm fuzzies. Even though older actors played the guys, their characters convinced me they really were high school students. Oh, and this drama made excellent use of guyliner and pleather.

A few minor drawbacks for me: Romantic interest Female Lead wasn’t super strong, yet she wasn’t a weak pushover either… I put up with her puppy-dog eyes. She wasn’t nearly as annoying as her best friend, who provided the obnoxious humor component yet was always so informative. Weird for a Western audience, two different girls consistently pursued disinterested guys in this drama. (Romantic vulnerability isn’t as nearly as taboo in Asia as it is in the U.S.)

SLIGHT SPOILER: As always, so much pain and misunderstanding could have been avoided if Korean drama characters simply practiced open, honest communication. Also stereotypical, characters lied to / broke up with each other for the other’s greater good (though I thought it was portrayed more realistically in this drama than usual).

SUFBB featured a few actors I’ve seen before. This was my second drama in a row with kpop group Inifinite’s L. (What kind of stage name is one letter?) It was great to see that he can actually act. He’s got that intense, emo stare down perfect. I didn’t realize until I had finished the drama and was stalking SUFBB on Pinterest that I’d also seen one of the other guys before, Sung Joon, in “Lie to Me” (he was male lead’s little brother / second male lead in that one).

“Shut Up Flower Boy Band” was surprisingly really, really good, and definitely the best kdrama I’ve ever seen with flower boy in the title. Major points to the writers and the cast.

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