Boys Over Flowers
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Boys Over Flowers, known in Japan as Hana Yori Dango (花より男子) is a Japanese manga series written by Yoko Kamio.
It was serialized in the bi-weekly anthology magazine, Margaret, which is aimed at high-school-age girls. The manga series ran continuously from October 1992 to October 2002, and has been collected into 36 volumes. Recently, the series has started to be released in a deluxe edition (larger pages and with all the color artwork from the magazine reproduced).
As of this writing, the story has been adapted in Japan into an anime TV series, an animated one-shot OVA, and a live-action movie. It has also served as the basis for a live-action drama TV series from Taiwan called Meteor Garden, which has spawned off an idol-singer group, F4.
As of Summer 2003, both the manga and anime TV series are available in English in the United States and Canada from VIZ Media under the title, Boys Over Flowers.
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Story
Tsukushi Makino (牧野つくし Makino Tsukushi), a working-class girl, attends an elite elevator school, populated by children from rich, high-society families. The son of the wealthiest, most powerful family in Japan, Tsukasa Domyoji (道明寺 司 Dōmyōji Tsukasa), takes an interest in Tsukushi and tries to woo her. The physical obstacles and emotional challenges of their rocky high-school courtship form the basis of the story. Other themes include Tsukushi's attempt to fit in at the school, the problems of her family's lifestyle and income, and the decadent lifestyle of upper-class Japanese girls.
Setting
Modern-day Tokyo, Japan is the main setting, with a focus on its current social flaws and economic problems. Atami, Japan; Paris, France; New York, New York, United States; and Canada are also featured in the story. All of the characters are normal humans, and most of the main cast are high-school students in the 10th to 12th grades (ages 16 to 18).
References
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen has been cited by fans as a possible inspiration because of the similar central story of two headstrong people in love separated by class differences and clashing personalities.
The series' title, Hana Yori Dango (literally "Boys before Blossoms"), is a word-play of a Japanese saying, "Food before Blossoms", with the implication being that boys and romance are a necessity for living akin to eating.
External links
- Toei's Hana Yori Dango website (http://www.toei-anim.co.jp/tv/hanadan/)
- Recollect: The Hana Yori Dango Project (http://hyd.owarinai.net)
- Emily's fanpage (http://niko-niko.net/hana/hana.html)es:No me lo digas con flores
Categories: Anime | Manga