Ranked #252

Hana Yori Dango (Manga)

Hana Yori Dango or Boys Over Flowers, as it has been translated, shall forever have a very special place in my heart.

It may be pegged as a "Cinderella story". If you're looking at it that way, yes, it is. A girl from the lower middle-class attends a school for the very elite and very wealthy, and as fate would have it, she became the centre of attention for the four wealthiest, most influential and powerful young men on campus. But what makes this manga so much more brilliant is the twist of it. Yes, she's a Cinderella. But she's no secret princess. This story's about a tough, straight-forward, simple girl, who can do extraordinary things such as change the lives of the stubbornest, most difficult of people.

Hana Yori Dango has a compelling tale. It isn't the most innovative, it isn't the best, it isn't tremendously original, but it is able to capture you in all the right ways, draw you in, and make you want to learn more about the lives of these people and the stories they have to tell.

The series ran for more than a decade. Given that, there have been vast improvements in the mangaka's skill over the years. The art from the first couple of volumes do have a dated, shoujo manga, flowery look to it. However, in the later volumes, especially coming closer to the end of the series, the art becomes very defined. The character designs, though simple, become more expressive. The backgrounds are better-looking as well. On the whole, this manga has a nice, clean look to it. There isn't much shading and sketchiness. You'll find crisp, clear drawings here.

One of the manga's definite strong points is its characters. Personally, I think Makino Tsukushi is one of the best protagonists in the history of shoujo romance. She is a strong, level-headed, hard-working girl. But she is not a simpleton. She goes through emotional turmoil as her life has been turned upside-down and inside-out by the attacks and attention by the series' second protagonist, Domyouji Tsukasa.

Tsukasa is another great character. He comes off as mean, foul-spirited, vicious, spoilt, wicked guy, and that's because he is. But that's not all he is. He is also caring, gentle with those he loves, and brave. Of all the character interactions, Tsukushi and Tsukasa's are the most important. They share an almost Jane Austen-esque relationship, where they grow, learn, change and develop for the better because of one another.

And then there's Tsukasa's best friend and a boy who is Tsukushi's first love: Hanazawa Rui. He can be named the third most important character in the series. He starts off cold, aloof, distant, but as the story progresses, he develops through Tsukushi's influence into a much warmer person. Hana Yori Dango fully utilises its impressive length to create a wide cast of characters, most of whom are very well-rounded and have interesting personalities.

This is a great shoujo manga. I cannot begin to express how enjoyable it was. Every cliffhanger leaves you wanting to get to the next page or volume. Every declaration of love or hate will cause your breath to hitch. Every joke might put a nice smile on your face.

Hana Yori Dango is one of the most romantic, funniest, dramatic and intriguing shoujo manga ever written. It is definitely worth the read. read more

I read this after I watched the drama, and having watched the drama - which I liked a lot - I didn't think the manga would be as good.

My expectations were blown away; the manga is absolutely fantastic, and despite its age compared to the newer dramas, the newer films etc... it still shines. The characters are absolutely fantastic - Kamio Yoko managed to turn around the high school genre on its head, and managed to produce a female teenage protagonist that actually WORKED. She was a brilliant character, with her own flaws, and her own strengths, and is definitely a character I and others can look up to, rather than the 2D static characters I'm used to reading highschool manga.

Her love interests were brilliant; a main female character in an anti-harem of attractive, respected males, in a school where everybody hates her? It doesn't sound very original, and yet Kamio manages to pull it off spectacularly.

It's interesting watching her progress; at the beginning, the art was not the best, but over time she improved an immense deal. If you compare the art near the beginning to the art near the end... it's almost unrecognisable.

The plot was brilliant, and as original as you can make this genre be. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and also plan to re-read at some point - considering how I rarely re-read manga, and how long it is, I can assure you that's quite some achievement for this manga!

If you've seen the drama, or watched the anime, and are interested in the manga... this is a must-read.

And if you haven't seen any of this series at all, then this is also a must-read! read more

Well, what can i say i didn't first read the manga i watched the anime then the live-action show then i thought you know what i'm going to read the manga. It is like the anime but more detailed stuff.
At first i wasn't really going to read it since i had watched the anime but now i'm glad that i read the manga also. What i liked about this manga was that the story line was different from your typical boy meets girl and they fall in love.In this manga you will find many different things love triangles, fights,some things make you sad, other things make you want to yell at makino, and there are the moments when you just are smiling without realizing it
And yes sometimes in the manga makino(a poor girl in a rich highschool talk about feeling out of place) can kinda piss you off because of her attitude but i still liked her character very much. She was nice(except to tsukasa whom since the beginning she doesn't like, but peoples feeling change ), she also had a strong character to be able to take all that bullying, and she had her weed power haha if you read it you will know what i mean. Other than her there is tsukasa or domyoji(the leader of the f4 and someone who makino just can't stand or can she?) now he was one violet guy, but he did have his funny moments in the manga and when he wanted to he could be nice, but most of the time he was an ass.
Rui(makino's savior and crush) now he was a mysterious character, while reading you want to know more about him as to why is he silent and stuff. Rui also had many funny moments and he was like makino's prince in shining armor.
Well i'm guessing that i like this manga because of the character's and the plot i mean this manga can make you have so many different feelings. Many times i would find myself laughing, feeling sad, worried, angry, and happy. well i can explain to you in detail why i felt all these things since i would probably spoil the story which i will not do.
Well, writing this review i want to say so much more about it, but as i said i will not spoil it. i really do recommend that you read this manga it is a great story
or if you don't want to read it watch the anime(graphics are a little old haha but that didn't stop me from watching it) or you can watch the live-action.
well, hope this review was in the least bit helpful read more

When I first was recommended this manga, I thought to myself "Wow...why would anyone want to read this story? For one thing, it's too long. And for another thing, one of the guys in it has the weirdest-looking hair I've ever seen in a shoujo manga." However, I would soon find out that I would have to eat my words.
Hana Yori Dango is by far the best manga I have EVER read, and believe me, I read tons of shoujo manga. The storyline is typical, but the characters are so unique. Here's a girl, Tsukushi, who isn't afraid to say what she feels. She isn't clingy like most females in manga are. She's upright and self-reliant. She's competent of taking on the tasks that no other individual, male or female, would be capable of taking on. She's amazing, both mentally and physically. And then there's Domyouji Tsukasa, the male lead of the story. He's violent, self-centered, hot-tempered, and doesn't know how to treat the woman he loves. However, deep inside, he is extremely caring and reliable. He's willing to sacrifice all his fame, wealth, and family name all for the sake of love, a feeling that he's not used to due to his cold childhood. Although he's not the ideal image of a shoujo male who can sweep a woman off her feet, he's definitely sweet and has his nice moments. Another thing I liked about this story was that it didn't focus so much on starting a relationship. Most shoujo mangas are about a girl and a guy who like eachother but can't admit it to one another until the very last chapter. This typical kind of story is SOO boring and OVER-USED. However, Hana Yori Dango is contrast because the relationship between the main characters initiate from the beginning chapters. The rest of the story is rather focused on building UPON the relationship and strengthening it when outside forces try to break them up. Hana Yori Dango teaches the reader to keep their head held up high and their hopes ignited even when it seems as if their love was falling into the depths of shadows and despair. The lessons of love, life, friendship, family, unity, and acceptance will forever hold a place in my heart.
Believe me, I read Hana Yori Dango in less than 3 days [and it's 240+ chapters!] I also read the top-rated shoujo manga such as Vampire Knight and I still would choose this manga over it because its lovable storyline and the unforgettable characters.
I'm currently watching the Japanese drama and it's wonderful as well.
DEFINITELY WORTH READING. This manga will be in your mental list of best mangas for years to come :D read more

At the beginning of the manga, u think the art looks lame, but later on it gets better 100%! The story line is great. This is hilarious. The characters are great. Definitely a must read for shoujo/romance manga-lovers. This is my favorite. At times u may get annoyed by mixed feelings like yelling "OH SHUT UP! Just go with it!" but we all have those moments while reading manga. This is just fantastic/cute/funny/lovely.

For me, the way that the artist draws is very important. In the begining, the characters are drawn very, very bad. The f4 (which is what the hotest guys around call themselves) are drawn very akwardly, well just plain horrible to put it bluntly! But I got over thr drawings and later on they slowley changed and stared looking actually cute.
I really did like the story, it had drama, romance scenes that make you saw, "aww!" and it just makes you smile. I wished the ending was more of a happier union but it was still good.
The characters have depth and you start to really like them. The heroine in here is a bit slow but it all seems real and in real life people are sometimes slow to realize they like someone and it takes a while to know what to do next. I really do recomend this manga to anyone who wants to read a sweet story. read more

I entered this manga having little to no experience in involvement in a long-term series. Before finishing Hana Yori Dango, the longest series I had ever finished was Hana-Kimi with twenty three volumes. Hana Yori Dango, or Boys Over Flowers as it is known in the U.S., is a shojo manga by Yoko Kamio, who mostly had small works published in the weekly shojo magazine Margaret prior to HYD. The thirty-six volumes of HYD show Kamio's eleven year progression with the series, beginning with the transformation in artwork early on to the development of her characters, which began unfocused and one-dimensional to relatable and understandable. Although the "F4" men, or the Flower Four, are quickly explained as extremely wealthy and good-looking, they each have real problems of their own. Domyouji's mother is demanding and are the main reason for any sort of turmoil within Domyouji's and Makino's relationship. Hanazawa Rui is the most complex character of them all, although we don't understand the true him until later on in the series. The other two members of the F4 are unrepetant playboys, one of whom, Nishikado, truly has a deep meaning for his behavior. Nishikado seems friendly and personable at first, however later within the series there is a large arch describing his dark past. Nishikado is my favorite character in this series for his overwhelming "realness" and skill to demand reader sympathy.
Eventually, the relationship between Domyouji and Makino becomes annoying and drawn out, but credit must be given to Domyouji to sticking it out for Makino and all her issues for as long as he does. The art was a little bare and naive in the beginning. Domyouji's hair looked as though he had corkscrews randomly attatched to his head! However, the art gradually evens out beautifully and is a result of Yoko Kamino's love for her work.
Overall, the story becomes repetitive but never boring despite the obvious "we have seen this before" archs. The character development is one of the best I have ever seen within a manga and is certaintly worth a read for that alone. If the thirty six volume commitment shocks you, do not worry because HYD is a very fast, yet enjoyable read. I finished the series in one school week and still rant and rave about it. Stay tuned for more reviews. read more

At 37 volumes, Hana Yori Dango first seemed like a daunting read for a strictly-shoujo-reader such as myself. However, I won’t hesitate to say that the length of the series plays to its strength. I don’t think that the manga would have had such an emotional resonance if it had been a short series.

Starting out, HYD is very much like your typical shoujo. It features this seemingly meek heroine who, in fact, is much tougher than her exterior suggests. I would daresay that it’s Makino Tsukushi that really keeps the manga afloat for some of the early volumes.

At times it felt like much of a chore having to sludge through the first half of the series - dated art, and an inordinate amount of dissembling from the often dense heroine. The ever-revolving door of love interests that kept appearing in the story got old and frustrating really fast. Yet, like almost everyone here, I couldn’t stop once I got started.

Thirty-seven (36) volumes flew by, and like many other people have mentioned, the manga actually gets better after the first 20 volumes. Of course, our beloved manga-ka exhausts a fair amount of clichés to get there, but because HYD is so character-driven, it’s nearly impossible to stop once you’ve begun.

It is the characters, above all else, that endears you to its story. Youko Kamo strikes a delicate balance of a strong, but vulnerable teenager in the admirably bold and earnest Makino. Tsukasa Doumyouji, similarly, is an exceptionally vibrant character. At first, he appears to be the typical bully bishonen archetype (with bad hair at first ^_^), but unlike many other shoujos, Doumyouji is a surprisingly rounded character. His demanding, spoiled, and violent personality is redeemed by his unrelenting determination to fight for what he wants. He’s honest to himself regardless of everything and anything else, and it’s probably this particular quality that makes him so attractive.

My biggest complaint about this manga would probably be the gradual loss of Doumyouji’s perspective later on down the road. For a good portion of the manga, the budding romance between the two seemed to be told as much from his view as it was from Makino’s. Nonetheless, with all its flaws, Hana Yori Dango has been well-worth the time and emotional investment. It is my regret that I never gave this manga a chance when I had first heard about it, so don't make the same mistake I did, give Hana Yori Dango a chance. read more

I enjoyed so much while reading this manga. Main character is so strong and so self-confident. I envy her so much. Enough with the 'so's. There were so many times when I've felt happiness, sadness and anger with the character. This is one of my favorite mangas, definitely.