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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 is published 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 37 volumes. 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
Communications under the title, Boys Over Flowers.
Story
Tsukushi Makino, 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 (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.
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
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