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.