Hana yori Dango

I wasn't so sure about this manga when I saw it, but wanting to know what is popular in the Asian countries, I gave it a try. I didn't regret it!

First, the story. I got so much into it, the ups and downs - it's like an emotional roller-coaster. There are some little flaws though, as at some point I thought that some bits seemed illogical in the story but the whole main plot from a to z worked.
It has some under-themes going on as well, like bullying, appearances in the society, the money, and more which on the top of my head I can't remember.

Then the art, I think it was good as it was clear and the boys were fashionable!

For characters, I think Tsukushi is a strong female character and is brave to go through all these troubles and I don't know how she fell in love with Tsukasa, but I think the mangaka took strongly the side of "you never know when love will hit you" which adds to the tragic side of the story.
There are strong females characters in the story which I like to see, Shizuka, Tsukasa's sister, Shigeru, the old maid, which all are willing to help Tsukushi because of how she is.
As for the boys, despite that the main ones are good looking and fashionable, they are mostly seen as very rich boys - we see only two major developments with Tsukasa and Rui.

I really enjoyed this manga even if it was long. I felt annoyed, I cried, I laughed, I was caught in the story.

Overall, I think it's a good romantic/dramatic story if you are into this genre, then go for it!

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.

This is a manga series that I have a love/hate relationship with. When I first began reading this series, I was extremely involved and adored the comedy and romance that ensued without. The characters were sincere, and the problems the main character faced were relatable and honest. As the manga became more and more serious, the plot became dull and boring. The conflicts became repetitive and I ended up not favouring a certain character based on his actions towards the main character. I wish the author would have continued with the elements that made the series so great to begin with, because I was not entirely sold on the idea at the end.
Overall, I would recommend this to Shoujo fans but not people who are entering the genre itself.

STORY - 8
ART - 6
CHARACTERS - 8

Hana Yori Dango. What an amazing manga to read. This manga seriously is outstanding, and words aren't enough to describe the true beauty of the entire story. So, basically the story is about a poor girl named Makino Tsukishi (however you spell her name) and she happens to enroll into this really prestigious school. Along the way, she meets the F4 (Tsukasa, Rui, Sojiro, & Akira), a group adored by almost all the girls at the school. Incidents start to happen between Makino & the snobby rich kids; but the culmination of the story is when Tsukasa "the all mighty leader," aka the invincible one begins to fall for this Makino Tsukishi. It's amazing how a rich, gorgeous, & unique guy can fall for a wonderful, kind, & genuine girl. The only downfall about her to other girls probably is her status, since she's poor in this case. BUT, who cares?! True happiness isn't just based on status, beauty, or intelligence. It's based on the way you choose to live your life. If wearing baggy clothes & reading manga makes you happy, then so be it! And, that's exactly what Tsukasa did in this story! He didn't care about the attention he was getting from those annoying bimbos at Eitoku (however you spell that), or the wealth that he possessed! The only thing he cared about was Tsukishi Makino; as stated in the manga, she was his dream! I simply envy Makino even though she doesn't exist. To me, I think she exists in this complicated world. Makino is one lucky girl, and one day I'd like to go through the hardships & wonderful moments that she endured.

Overall, this manga is extraordinary. I respect the mangaka for conceiving such a beautiful story! It's amazing! I love it! And if I do happen to meet her, I will thank her for the wonderful excitement she provided to me! This manga made me realize that anyone can life a decent & happy life. And everyone deserves a spotlight, and fortunately .. all of us will get to meet that one special person. Hopefully, I'll meet someone like Tsukasa someday, if not someone as rich as him ;) Good luck everyone, and I definitely recommend this manga! I also recommend the anime, j-drama + the movie, & the k-drama! The Taiwanese drama wasn't so bad, it was just their accent I guess. I tried to endure their accent, but it was really hard. I just can't listen to Taiwanese people talk in dramas o.o I tried watching Playful Kiss in the Taiwanese version, but apparently I gave up within the first 3 minutes of the episode LOL. Anyway, this manga is amazing & any hater who hates on it surely doesn't have a life. Toodles! :p

Hana yori Dango or "Boys over flowers" is one of the best selling shoujo manga of all time in Japan. It's simple, predictable and to be honest there's nothing new to find for a veteran shoujo reader, yet it's highly enjoyable and to be honest quite well deserved of its popularity.

There's nothing that puts HyD above others in the same category because it really is your typical shoujo manga - poor girl enrolls in a rich high school and accidentally makes the richest guy in school her enemy. Thus her quiet life makes a 360 turn and rich guy also realizes that "oh she's different from others" once he "gets to know her".

That's the start of 244 chapters of love drama that you've surely seen before in another shoujo.

The only thing that sets it apart from others of its kind is probably the two MC's personalities AND relationship. A poor, tomboyish, violent and strong willed girl and a rich, incredibly immature, violent and short tempered guy? It's quite a sight to behold watching the two converse, and also very frustrating at times.

HyD also touches on heavy themes such as attempted rape, abuses and more. The later is meant to be taken jokingly - much like small kids fighting over petty things.
Though I understand if people feel offended since it's not always handled very well.

Hana yori Dango is at it's core just a typical shoujo manga who does what it's supposed to do - entertain the reader. Which I think it has done an amazing job.

If you're looking for an incredibly fun and romantic read - this is the one.

Shut your brain off, don't question too much and just enjoy. :) Because entertaining the reader is where it shines the brightest.

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.

Hana Yori Dango is the first shoujo manga I read, therefore it always hold a special place for me. If you have seen the anime or any of its drama adaptations, you should definitely check out this manga as well.

In the times when feminism is yet to conquer Japan, Makino Tsukushi (the heroine) retaliates against the F4's bullying. Yes, I'm aware that she doesn't have the fighting skills of Wonder Woman but what makes her strong is the strength of her spirit. She's spunky, independent, hard-working, refuses to be a subject of social humiliation and stands up for what she believes is right - traits that, I believe, perfectly define her as a "weed." And yet, despite all this, Makino has a warm and forgiving heart and sees people the way they are. It's true that she had her own moments of weakness but that just makes her more human and realistic in my opinion. However, the bullying part only covered like 20% of the manga - and the rest is your typical shoujo/romance plot between a rich troubled guy and a poor plucky girl.

And because of this, I'm not surprised at the number of readers who complain about how cliche it was. This manga is supposed to be a CLASSIC and since it was the best-selling shoujo manga of all time, it's no wonder that it's one of biggest inspirations from all the cliches you've been reading in the mainstream shoujo titles now.

But what makes this manga stand out for me are the CHARACTERS. Each of them are multi-faceted and well-rounded and for that, I was too emotionally invested with them more than the plot. They have their good and bad traits that you can actually love or hate them as the story progresses on.

Perhaps there are even a few people aware of the fact that Hanadan was Yoko Kamio's "experimental" work. Back then, she planned to make Makino end up with Rui - which explains why the Domyouji/Makino ship doesn't seem like a "match made in heaven" in the earlier volumes and "doesn't seem right" for super feminists.

But since the mangaka changed ships, transforming Domyouji from a mess to a human being (so Makino will change her opinion about him) became the basic premise of Hanadan - and I believe that it's one of the biggest strengths of this manga.

Both the character growth (especially that of Domyouji) and how the pairing development was handled is quite impressive. Every mistake and transgression he caused her, he pays for it a thousandfold. How he does it? Words of apology are the hardest things to come out especially from a character who has the biggest pride in this manga - but he did show it by RISKING HIS LIFE for her a lot of times. Not to mention that he has to undergo one hell of an emotional rollercoaster just to win her over. He suffered as much or even more than she does. I wouldn't date a guy like Domyouji in real life but since Makino is a character neither me or you can insert yourself into, I believe he and Makino suit each other well.

The change wasn't one-sided since you get to see that happen in Makino as well. Throughout the course of their relationship, they both became mature and better people. If you compare Domyouji in the beginning and in the end, you get yourself two different people. And not just Domyouji, you can also see how much influence Makino brought to the rest of the F4 as well.

As for the art, I'm probably part of the minority who wasn't bothered by the earlier style since I began reading this during the 90's. Trust me though - the more you read, the more you see how much both her art + story-telling improved.

In my opinion this should be at least in top 10(of all times) manga.The story is incredible and the characters are so perfectly made ^^.
I've read a lot of mangas most of them were comedy/romance (it depended on my mood),but this was the greatest i can't explain the feelings that i've witnessed reading it, the moments of love and drama really made my cry(and i'm a guy -__-).
A great manga is not about how much popular other say it is,you just have to read it and you will know for sure because slowly you will start to be addicted to it and you will want it to continue for ever.. Mainly your read something because you like it because you learn something that might help you in life/make you stronger or even make you a better person.
Overall i've said to much(to many unnecesarry things). Remember NEVER give up,love ,friends&family can't be brought with money(like Domyouji that had everything except love and his family) and if you think that i'm pathetic(some scenes made me cry) than try to read it and see for yourself were are you really standing in life.Enjoy ^^

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.

I really liked this manga but it got a little bit annoying. What was probably the most annoying thing for me was that almost EVERY guy liked her. I mean seriously? Yeah, obviously most mangas aren't that realistic, but this is going a bit too far.

Although I liked the main female protagonist, she could be a bit annoying.

"Do I like him?"
"I don't like him!"
"I do like him!"
"I don't like him!"
"Wait...I'm not sure"
I swear it felt like she was confused about her feelings for more than half of the manga.

All in all though, this is a great read.

I really liked the main male protagonist, and I liked how his character changed as the manga went on.
(but the dude is seriously screwed up in the head without Makino and he needs to stop slapping girls)

I really liked how long the manga was, Makino and Domyouji's relationship and the characters in general.