Hana Yori Dango.

That manga title still rings in my head. I had just finished it and it was like I was suffering from a manga hangover. I felt like I was sucked in their world.

It all started... I dunno, sometime when I just started high school. People here got crazy about "Meteor Garden" and I was like, "Hah?" I was no fan of TV soap operas especially subbed ones (and it was dubbed here in my country), and I was a die-hard "Sub it, DON'T DUB it!" person. I had absolutely no interest in Meteor Garden, and I kept telling myself, "Stick to the original, Hana Yori Dango!" But I had a problem: I can't watch the anime due to lack of resources, and I still wasn't stuck in the world of manga. Then they started showing the HYD anime here (dubbed) and I got sick of it so, after a long long long time when I was finally introduced to the manga world, I started DLing it like mad and read it in a 3-sitting marathon.

So, here I am now, still enthralled and in love with it. It's already shown in the other comments, but the char dev is good, probably the best I have ever read (and I read a lot of manga). At first it's hard to believe how Tsukushi could live her life that way (and still fall in love with one of her previous bullies), but that shows so much of her good side, how she could be so strong in herself.

The way she handles herself is admirable and down-to-earth. *I'm alive, I'll just be me.* The way she gets confused or scared or angry shows the readers how she is just a normal girl living in Tokyo. This is her life, she breathes, she feels, and she has a personality that isn't just any normal 2D type but is a very real 3D. The same goes to the other main characters.

Sure there are some aspects of the story that seems unreal, but this is what makes the plot run, isn't it?

Reading the first few volumes made me cringe because of the art, but like any long on-going manga, the art improved dramatically, making you feel as if the way they look changed as you got to know them more.

If you're a first time reader, forgive the art and get on with the story. It's very likely that you won't be disappointed.

I just wish that the ending was a bit different and wasn't a cliffy. Though I guess this is what tests how well you know the characters, no?

... Last updated on May 3rd, 2007, 1:51am

what can i say i love hana yori dango. I loved season one of the drama and the first episode of season two was really good. The manga i think was great. Yeah there were time when reading it that i just thought it wouldnt get any worst. But eventually things got better. And once Tsukushi stoped hidding her feelings for Domiyoji. man i love HANA YORI DANGO. I think alot of people should read it... THEY ARE MAKING A MOVIE!! ITS GOING TO CONTINUE FROM THE END OF THE SECOND DRAMA!!! YAY!! I LOVE IT summer 2008

... Last updated on August 22nd, 2007, 9:56pm

one of the best shoujo manga all around. Really really good! One of my favs. HYD is definitely worth reading,

Okay. So you're all like. Ew Domyouji's so ugly.
Well I'm like stop being a superficial ... person.
Domyouji is one of the most romantic... manga men I've ever read! He's arrogance is so lovable. Ok so you dont like Domyouji, there's enough F4 to go around. All a different variety of personalities. And now to the girl. Makino Tsubasa isn't your every day girl. She's not your typical airhead cliche maniac.
This is a serious must read.
All in a girls opinion.

What can I say, you'll laugh, and you'll love to see how each character here developes, and you'll dying to see the real version of them. Make a glance on the Taiwan version, titled Meteor Garden, and don't miss the new Japanese Dorama version.

This is a shoujo classic!! I definitely recommend.

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.

... Last updated on March 11th, 2009, 9:21pm

there is always a problem is fine i love it and every thing but i hate that there where to many obstacles or.......whatever is funny and romantic i recommended but I warn to you he is frustrating with so many problems that pair has but is very good

... Last updated on July 24th, 2009, 1:00am

To tell the truth, I did enjoy it at first. It seemed like a good story, and had great characters - well, character(ess). The heroine was one of the best I have seen so far. She's strong and believable, but she's not overdone about it either.

The art is alright, not the best, and not 'pretty', but it's certainly not a child's scribble. (Once you've learned to like Nodame Cantabile art, you can like anything) The thing that put me off it was how repetitive it was. Oh, it was subtle! It pulled you in with some tasty promises at the beginning, and the repetition wasn't easy to spot - but it was there! Different scenes, different characters, but, sadly, all of the same essence.

So, all in all, Hana Yori Dango is a relatively good manga, but in my opinion, did not reach the status its hype did. Maybe I had too high expectations of it? Who knows.

Makinos personality is very annoying and irritating. Shes always in denial and in defensive mode. I just wish she wasn't such a b-@ch all the time to Domyouji. For someone to be in that type of relationship is just nasty and toxic.
To read the whole thing with her aggressive personality was annoying.
I loved the live action, but I knew I just had to read the manga to understand what Im missing for the past 10 years lol. I love discovering new things about Hanayori Dango, but Makino needs to chill and stop running away. It was getting getting old and hella tiresome.