[J-Drama Review] Hana Yori Dango 1&2 + The Final Movie (2005-2009)

This drama is the Japanese version of “Boys Before Flowers” but there’s many differences between the two versions. But as the Korean version, Boys Before Flowers, this one is also about 4 guys and 1 girl and how their life changes once meeting each other and also how their hate turns to love through the drama. I can’t say i like it better then the Korean version, because there is also a Chinese, a Taiwanese, an anime and soon to be one in the Philippines. There are three seasons, as for the Korean version, there’s only one so far.

About the Drama:

Season 1: Makino Tsukushi is the only poor student at Eitoku Gakuen, the school of the ridiculously rich and privileged that is ruled by Flower 4 or F4, a group of four boys who come from extremely powerful families: Domyoji Tsukasa, the leader and heir of the Domyoji World Finance Group; Hanazawa Rui, the introverted son of a large company; Nishikado Sojiro, a player who is the heir of a tea ceremony school; and Mimasaka Akira, a madam killer with ties to the underground. If a student gets on the F4’s bad side, he/she gets a red notice and is bullied and driven out of school.Makino hopes to pass her days quietly– without drawing any attention to herself– but one day, she stands up to Domyoji in defense of her friend. The next day, Makino gets the dreaded red notice. Even though she is harassed, Makino decides to keep going to school because she is a “tough weed”. She declares war right back on the F4. Her resolve gets the attention of her crush Hanazawa Rui and oddly enough, rouses romantic feelings in her worst enemy, Domyoji Tsukasa.

The series is based on the Japanese shoujo manga “Hana Yori Dango” (Boys Before Flowers) by Kamio Yoko.

Episodes: 9 | Genre: Romance

Season 2:
This second season of Hana Yori Dango picks up right after Domyoji leaves for New York. After confessing to Domyoji, Makino has not spoken to him for a year. Rui and the other members of F4 try and help Makino meet Domyoji again by going to New York for the christmas holidays. Though F4 and Makino meet Domyoji again, he has become a completely different person, and so they leave for Japan.Some time later, Domyoji’s mother annouces that they will be returning to Japan. There, they hold a giant super-rich and classy birthday party for Domyoji and announce something very important. Domyoji, like in the first season, is engaged to a rich girl and heir. The only difference is that they are to be wed soon. What will Makino do?

On the side, Rui begins to fall in love with Makino… will this become a love… square?

Rui –> Makino –> Domyoji –> Shigeru (arranged fiancee of Domyoji)

Episodes: 11 | Genre: Romance

Season 3(Movie): Begins as Domyoji holds an extravagant press conference to announce his wedding to Makino the following spring. The press is playing her up like a modern-day Cinderella and everything seems to be going well. Later, the families offer congratulations to the couple. Even Domyoji’s mother—who was formerly vehemently opposed to the relationship and tried desperately to break them up at every opportunity—is suddenly happy for them. She even offers Makino a family heirloom: a tiara worth 10 billion yen (about $95 million USD) called “Smile of Venus”.
Later in their hotel room, Makino begins to worry that her life is about to take a drastic change from what she’s used to. Domyoji consoles her by telling her he’ll spend the rest of his life protecting her, but just as he says that a man dressed in black crashes into their room through a window and steals the “Smile of Venus” tiara. Domyoji tries to chase the man but he vanishes into the city. By the time they get back to the hotel room the glass is completely cleaned up and the window is replaced as if nothing had ever happened. Obviously there’s some sort of conspiracy going on. Could Domyoji’s mother be meddling again, hoping to make it look like Makino carelessly lost the tiara herself? Or is someone at the hotel trying to cover up the crime? Domyoji and Makino are determined to get to the bottom of things, and end up going on a wild adventure together which takes them through Las Vegas, Hong Kong, and various places throughout the world.

Genre: Romance

Characters: [after reading the descriptions you should understand the characters]

Inoue Mao as Makino Tsukushi
Matsumoto Jun as Domyoji Tsukasa
Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui
Matsuda Shota as Nishikado Sojiro
Abe Tsuyoshi as Mimasaka Akira

More Characters:

Makino Tsukushi‘s family such as, her dad, mom, and younger brother and her best friend!
Domyoji Tsukasa‘s family such as, his mom, older sister, and other people who come up in the drama related to him!’
There are more friends and people related to the other 3 guys and people the create the story.

I hope you all enjoy this version of the drama as well! ^^

Tags: Hana Yori Dango