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.

Hana Yori Dango is probably the most perfect shojo manga and anime series ever created haha! I read the manga series first and was immediately addicted to the crazy drama and romance. It is by far the manga that is closest to my heart and I think if anyone is a shojo-lover (like me

What can I say? I absolutely adore this manga. I love it so much that I decided to write my first review for it.

I should start by saying that in order to read Hana Yori Dango, I feel like I had to overcome a few crucial things.

First: the art: I'm a stickler for pretty drawn manga (I'm shallow, hah), so when I first saw HYD, i was skeptical. It was a bit dated, with the characters all looking kind of...heavy? But the story was so funny and so engaging, that I kept going.

Second: the shoujo "cliches". Yeah, they are to be expected of this genre, but when I encountered the first one in HYD, I wondered how it would be handled. Yokio Kamio knows how to write in cliches with panache and A LOT of humor, trust me. And her characters make what would be boring situations into something funny, heartfelt, and marvelous . And so I kept reading...

Third, and final: translation gaps. This wasn't a problem with the manga itself, but with my own resources. I'm not a native Japanese speaker, so I had to rely on the English Scanlations I found online. At a certain volume, I think in the late teens, there would be a lot of empty speaking bubbles. This is understandable, since this manga is long, and it has to be difficult to translate the entire thing. At first it frustrated me, especially since I was so hooked into the manga, but I went on, drawing my own conclusions from the pictures alone. Thankfully, these weren't very crucial scenes. I kept reading.

And was it was all worth it. The art grew significantly better, the plot just kept getting more exciting, and the translated speaking bubbles came back again (side note: the missing bubble encouraged me to buy the manga all the more!)

Before I knew it, 3 days passed had by, and I had read all 200 + chapters and extra side stories. Since that time, I have reread some of the chapters too.

Overall: I love this manga. It is one of my favorites. I love the characters, the story, the art. It is a masterpiece. It is no wonder that it is Japan's bestselling shoujo manga of all time. Braw Yokio Kamio, bravoo!

Never have i read a manga have been more conflicted on whether or not i should recommend it.

https://myanimelist.net/reviews.php?id=371863 Anime review Which adapts the first 18 volumes. I'm writing this review presuming that you have read anime review.

Boys over flowers is a reverse harem romance comedy series about this heroine who is really poor who attends this really super duper rich school. In this school there is 4 top dogs. Known as the F4. As well as the really poor FMC who has some of the worst parents ever. The story is about her appearance and how it changes not just the F4 but the people around her too.

The beginning part of the story sucks. Like hard. In my anime review i talk about how complete piece of shit the characters and this is still true. The first 15 volumes this series is trash. Though there are some light hearted moments and enjoyment to be had its just too little compared the absolute garbage the characters usually do in the series.

So imagine my surprise when this series just goes uphill and keeps going albeit with some bumps on the road. The series takes a massive turn as the MMC's mom shows up. This woman is easily the best character in the series. She pulls such massive plots to make sure that her son doesn't date the FMC but she has such a dominating presence that i just cannot wait for her show up. She easily carries the series and is responsible for many many femdom fetishes that is to come.

But its not just her the characters grow evidently but not like ridiculously. They mature and grow in a reasonable rate to the point that you would notice but the author wouldn't dump 1000 words of exposition to make sure you know that they have changed and this is one my favorite parts about this series. The character change in both of the main characters is astounding yet subtle. It is incredibly well done.

Its hard however for me to recommend this series however. The FMC actually starts making rape jokes... WHEN SHE WAS THE VICTIM. Maybe the comedy is too high for my brain to truly understand. Some of the other issues include the amnesia arc which seemed entirely pointless. Even the new character that was introduced was just.... weird. She practically served no purpose. Also how the amnesia arc is resolved is pretty damn stupid too.

2 more things I'd like to talk about is the fact that how important it is for a series to pick itself back up again rather than start strong but lose steam. Its harder to get hooked on this manga because of its weak start but the overall experience feels better. Another thing I want to add is the fact that an age of the series does not matter. Berserk, Hajime no ippo, Lone wolf and the cub. These are all series i hear are phenomenal yet I've never heard anyone use the term "you have to cater in the fact it was released in the 80's". When i reviewed Love Hina the whole catering in cuz its old is something i heard a lot. which is weird because when people say that its practically admitting the fact thats its a piece of shit if you read it now. So if you have reached this far in the review i would like to you know that I'm reviewing Boys over flowers not as if it was released in the 80's but rather im reviewing based on the quality of the manga now.

So back to the review would i recommend Boys over flowers? I don't know. Is it worth wading through 15 volumes of shit for 22 volumes of fun? 2/5ths of the manga sucks. But the question is, is 3/5ths of the manga good enough to forgive the 2/5ths.

I have no idea.

I did enjoy the manga. I did start liking the characters. The romance made more and more sense as the series progressed. The ending is a bit disappointing but nothing majorly upsetting. The series still has its downs but goddamn i could not stop reading this manga. I tried to put it down but i just wanted to know what happens. What keeps its going. I could not wait for what happens which is such a massive difference between the first 15 volumes.

TLDR: if you are willing to wade through garbage..... 15 volumes. Then your in for a solid albeit a bit of a broken series. 6/10

Fuck me.

To be honest, I was really expecting more out of this manga. I had heard so much ranting and raving from the readers, but the art was very disturbing (epecially domouji's hairy) and the story was shallow. It's hard to explain, but i felt as if the characters were being developed too quickly, and there were too many problems all piled up at once.

The japanese show turned me on more than this manga did

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

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

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!

WHen i started Reading The manga I dit not think it was anything in paticular, I was really trying to read it, but after I think the first book I started loving it, and could not put it away, I read it all the time! It is really An amazing story, and it's the best shojo, romance drama manga that i'v ever read. And I would really recommend it! Don't think about the fact that the persons are drawed in a wired way in the start. the drawers gets better and in the middle ore before they are all alot prettier.. So don't get fooled by the way they look.. Cus the story is a masterpiece :)

Hana yori Dango is a cautionary tale of what happens when a manga is allowed to live for too long. After finishing it, I'm just left feeling depressed. Not because the story was especially moving, but because it had a lot of potential that was ultimately wasted. I got the feeling that Kamio had a fairly good vision of what the manga should be in the beginning, but over the years that intent got lost.

First of all, the manga was being serialized for over a decade, yet the story itself took place over the course of about a year. I think that was a HUGE mistake. Far too many things happened (approximately 37 volumes worth of things, actually) for that sort of timeline. In the beginning, there were plotlines about pagers, and by the end of the series everyone had a cell phone. It would have been a lot better if Kamio had just bit the bullet, had everyone graduate from high school, and continued to follow their development into college and the working world. There was no good reason NOT to do that since their school had a college campus they could have all gone to together.

The overall tone of the story did a huge 180 over time, too, and not really in a good way. In the beginning, it seemed like things would get pretty dark. There was really awful bullying, abuse, attempted rape (multiple times), psychotic breaks... but eventually it just turned into typical shoujo fluff with a lot of arcs that served no purpose to the characters other than to prolong the story.

The characters didn't get as much development as you'd expect from such a long running series, either. The main characters were mostly static. I can't even count Domyouji's "development" because it really only happened in the first half of the series. The side characters got a few VERY minor subplots, but never changed much from beginning to end and were primarily used to further the main characters' story. Some characters just ended up disappearing, never to be seen again, with no explanation as to where they went. Very few of the characters' interactions felt natural. Most of them were completely awful to each other, yet somehow... for some reason... that's not totally explained... they all become besties 4 lyfe.

The art, though. The art. The art was probably the best part for me, and the only thing that kept me reading until the very end. Not that it's especially lovely, but there was just such a BIG change over time. I wouldn't necessarily say it improved--I really liked the 90s art style in the beginning, and it certainly aged better than some other manga from the same era--but it definitely became more clean and modern. It was fascinating to see.

In the end, I'd still recommend it to anyone who's interested in shoujo. Despite its shortcomings, it's still one of the longest and most well known shoujo manga series out there, and it helps set the stage for what more modern shoujo is like. It deserves respect for that, at least.

I tend to stay away from long mangas, just because of the time consumption. After realizing that I had limited options left within my comfort range, I decided to pick up HYD. To my surprise, it was a quick read, but not in the sense that it was lacking plot. The character development was fantastic in all the characters, which is something you don't always see in a shoujo manga. I was thoroughly impressed with the constant pace and overall plot. Basically, I would recommend this manga to anyone, because it fits most manga cravings. I plan to watch the drama next!