Hana yori Dango

Hana Yori Dango is a cautionary tale about the pitfalls of letting a manga series run for too long. After finishing it, I felt rather disheartened—not because the story was particularly poignant, but because it squandered so much potential. It seemed that Kamio had a clear vision at the outset, but this intent got lost over time.

The manga spanned more than a decade in serialization, yet its storyline only covered about a year. This was a monumental error. Too many events transpired—enough to fill around 37 volumes—for such a brief timeline. Early on, plot points revolved around pagers, while by the end everyone had cell phones. It would have been wiser for Kamio to advance the characters through high school graduation and into college or the workforce. Their school even had an affiliated college they could all attend together, making this transition feasible and sensible.

The tone of the story underwent a dramatic shift as well, unfortunately not for the better. Initially, it hinted at darker themes like severe bullying, abuse, attempted rape (multiple instances), and psychological breakdowns. However, it eventually devolved into typical shoujo fluff with numerous arcs that did little to further character development, serving merely to prolong the narrative.

Character development was also lacking, especially considering the series' longevity. The main characters remained largely static. I can't even count Tsukasa's "development" since it mainly occurred in the first half. Secondary characters received minor subplots but showed minimal change from start to finish, mostly serving to advance the protagonists’ stories. Some characters vanished without explanation, never to be seen again. Few interactions felt natural; most were toxic, yet inexplicably, everyone ended up best friends forever.

The artwork, though, was probably the highlight for me, and the sole reason I kept reading until the end. While not exceptionally beautiful, there was a significant evolution over time. I wouldn’t say it improved per se—I preferred the 90s art style initially, which aged better than some contemporaries—but it certainly became cleaner and more modern. Watching this transformation was fascinating.

In conclusion, I'd still recommend Hana Yori Dango to anyone interested in shoujo. Despite its flaws, it remains one of the longest-running and most renowned shoujo manga series, setting the stage for modern shoujo narratives. For this alone, it deserves recognition.

At the start of the manga, you might find the artwork a bit underwhelming, but trust me, it improves significantly as you progress. The storyline is absolutely captivating. This series is incredibly humorous. Its characters are well-developed and engaging. It's an absolute must-read for fans of shoujo and romance manga. Personally, this is my top pick. Occasionally, you may feel frustrated by some characters' indecisiveness, wanting to shout, "OH SHUT UP! Just go with it!" But let's be honest, we've all had those moments while diving into a good manga. Overall, this manga is simply fantastic, cute, funny, and lovely.

This is my first review, and it's not meant to be a formal critique but rather an outlet for my intense loathing towards this series:

NOTHING happens in this wretched manga. All we see are the genuinely wonderful and likable characters Makino COULD'VE ended up with, but no, she had to be with that arrogant, selfish, egotistical brat who has ZERO redeeming qualities. The other characters try to justify his behavior with flimsy excuses. I just ADORE boys who cause everyone in school to bully and humiliate me publicly, nearly rape me, and then walk away when I'm being dragged by a car with my hands tied because he was ~insecure~. Reading this was infuriating beyond belief, and I must warn others not to fall for the hype of "best-selling shoujo manga of all time" like I did. With its endless clichés and plethora of unlikable characters, I wish I could give my enjoyment score a zero.

I expected good things. Good things don't exist in Boys Over Flowers.

I have never hated a character as much as Domyouji Tsukasa. I struggle to articulate my feelings adequately, but if you read the top two reviews, which both give this series very low scores, it should help convey my sentiments towards him. I started this series about 8 hours ago, and he is the one thing I despise with every fiber of my being.

It's worth noting that I only read 14 volumes before I realized I didn't need to waste any more time on this garbage. I could tell that each "arc" would be more of the same stale crap.

Tl;dr: The story goes nowhere, the characters never develop, and Domyouji is an infuriating piece of shit whom I'd gladly sacrifice everything to strangle to death.

I began reading this manga with almost no prior experience in long-running series. Before completing Hana Yori Dango, the longest series I had finished was Hana-Kimi, which spans twenty-three volumes. Known as Boys Over Flowers in the U.S., Hana Yori Dango is a shojo manga by Yoko Kamio, who previously published small works in the weekly shojo magazine Margaret. The thirty-six volumes of HYD showcase Kamio's eleven-year progression, starting from early artwork transformations to the development of her characters, evolving from unfocused and one-dimensional to relatable and understandable.

Although the "F4" men, or Flower Four, are quickly established as extremely wealthy and attractive, they each have their own genuine problems. Domyouji's mother is domineering and a primary source of conflict in his relationship with Makino. Hanazawa Rui is the most complex character, though we don't fully understand him until later in the series. The other two F4 members are unrepentant playboys; Nishikado, in particular, has a deeper reason for his behavior. Initially friendly and personable, Nishikado's dark past is explored in depth during the series. He is my favorite character due to his overwhelming realism and ability to evoke reader sympathy.

The relationship between Domyouji and Makino eventually becomes tiresome and drawn out, but credit is due to Domyouji for enduring Makino's issues for as long as he does. The art was initially simplistic and naive. Domyouji's hair looked like random corkscrews attached to his head! However, the art gradually improves beautifully, reflecting Yoko Kamio's dedication to her work.

Overall, while the story becomes repetitive, it never gets boring despite familiar plot arcs. The character development is among the best I've seen in a manga and alone makes it worth reading. If the thirty-six volume commitment seems daunting, rest assured that HYD is a very fast and enjoyable read. I finished the series in one school week and still enthusiastically recommend it. Stay tuned for more reviews.

Ugh, I am utterly disgusted. I couldn't believe that a manga of this popularity and seemingly one of the "classics" in manga, anime, and dramas turned out to be such a disaster. This might have set the stage for the cliché tropes we see in other shoujo mangas today. In the first few chapters, you think the main character will be a strong, stubborn woman who doesn't take crap from anyone. THE ONLY THING SHE IS IS OBSTINATELY STUPID (along with everyone around her). Not only does she pine after this guy who walks all over her, but she also forgives others for almost RAPE. This manga continues to romanticize possessive, childish, IMMORAL behavior JUST BECAUSE THE PERPETRATORS ARE HOT AND RICH. All those people who left positive reviews must be brainwashed; imagine if all the F4 were greasy, ugly guys doing the same things. Honestly, all these double standards are ridiculous.