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Name: Hana Yori Dango

English Title: Boys Before Flowers

Genre: High School Romance/ Drama/ Comedy

Length: 9 Episodes (Season 1) & 11 Episodes (Season 2)

Year: 2005 (Season 1) & 2007 (Season 2)

Theme Songs: “Wish” by Arashi & “Love So Sweet” by Arashi

Insert Songs: “Planetarium” by Ai Otsuka & “Flavor of Life” by Utada Hikaru

Soundtrack: To hear a preview, check out this playlist.

Hana Yori Dango is a Japanese drama based off of the popular manga with the same name. It is about a working class girl named Makino Tsukusi who attends a super elite school ruled by four boys from powerful families known as the “Flower Four”, or “F4″.

In a school where the hallways are more like runways where students show off their designer handbags and expensive jewelry, Makino Tsukushi tries not to stick out like a weed. She already stands out enough being the only student not chauffeured to school in a limo.

Despite her best attempts to stay in the background, her conscience takes a beating as she watches F4 (mainly their leader, Domyouji Tsukasa) misuse their popularity to target anyone who gets in their way. When Domyouji lashes out at Makino’s friend, she finally fights back.

Reasons to Love It:

1. Makino Tsukushi

After standing up to F4’s leader, Domyouji, in the school cafeteria, she becomes a target. She receives a red notice and the school takes revenge on her.

She is attacked by classmates, teased, and ignored by her only friend in school. Despite their attempts to make her withdraw from the school, she turns the table and issues her own red notice to F4, declaring she will never give up because she is “Makino, the tough weed!”.

 

2. Domyouji Tsukasa

He is the incredibly wealthy heir to the Domyouji family empire and the leader of “F4″. He’s spoiled, arrogant, abrasive, quick tempered, yet adorably quirky. He lives alone in his family’s mansion and hides his loneliness by venting his anger by bullying others.

3. Hanazawa Rui

He is the quiet and mysterious member of F4. He is usually off to the side reading a book or lost in his own thoughts. He always wears lighter colors giving him a prince-like appearance. He does not always approve of Tsukasa’s actions, he does not go against him either. Because of his introverted nature, it is hard to tell how he really feels about Makino.