Hana Yori Dango
Hana Yori Dango
~51 Episodes Long
~Created by Yoko Kamio (think..erm..)
~30 minute alternate universe movie
Makino Tsukushi is a smart girl. She made it into Eitoku, a presitigous school. However, that doesn't mean she's happy about it. All Makino wants to do at school is blend in and not become the center of anyones attention. Why? Because Eitoku is for rich kids and she's filthy.. poor.
Unfortunately, Makino's only wish is about to be shattered ( I mean, if it wasn't, how would we have a show?!). Eitoku is "ruled" by the F4, a group of extremely rich heirs who have more power in their pinkies then the principal. They don't have to wear uniforms, they skip classes, and the whole school is afraid of them.
One seemingly ordinary day, Makino and her friend Makiko are fooling around. Makiko accidentally falls down the steps. And if that wasn't bad enough...
She lands butt-first on Doumyouji, the arrogant, violent leader of the F4. Man, is he mad and he plans on letting Makiko have it!
But Makino, who always stood up for kids in her old school, can't take it anymore. She ignored the F4 for too long. She hurries to protect her friend but manages to piss Doumyouji off by insulting him.
The next day she finds a red tag in her locker. The red tag means that the F4 have waged war on her and the whole school begins to haze her. Former students who have recieved such tags have all transferred out of Eitoku.
After a few days of being hazed, Makino
decides that she's had enough. She kicks
Doumyouji to the floor and plasters a red
tag on his head. She then declares her
own war on the F4. Well, now you know
there's gonna be trouble...
Tired of insanely cute girls with kitty ears?
Tired of wimpy, pretty girls who get all
the guys? Just plain tired of shoujo anime
in general? I've got the medication for
you.
Hana Yori Dango is the epitome of
shoujo anime. There's romance, drama,
humor, hot guys (what would shoujo be
without 'em?) and quite shockingly a
tough main character.
I watched the first episode, fell in love,
and then proceded to do everything
humanly possible to get the rest of the
episodes and watch them. I kid you not.
It has everything you could want in a shoujo anime. And it's good. I was at the edge of my sit at times, I screamed at the screen, I laughed loudly, I made that weird swooning noise. I even got a bit teary at times. It's just one of those animes you have to watch to get a better understanding of the word "classic".
There were a few drawbacks, though. One was that Hana Yori Dango was also a soap opera. It could get entirely melo- dramatic at times. And the characters sometimes underwent corny situations like being stuck in a blizzard together.
However, at the time I was watching it, I didn't notice how overused a situation was or how melodramatic the whole scene was getting because I was busy being swept away.
Another thing that tended to get on my nerves at time was that the guys some times had insanely disporportioned bodies. Their heads would be shrunken and their shoulders would be the size of a foot- ball players and a half.
Other then that, HYD was amazing and a great anime for anyone who finds them- selves wondering if big-eyed innocent girls are the only characters in shoujo anime. I recommend it to shoujo lovers. There's no real swash-buckling adventures. But there's wit, romance and greatness!
Birthday: December 28, 1977
Height: 5'2"
Weight: 98 lbs. -.-..
Blood Type: B
Favorite Color: Blue
Someone once described Makino as
the feminism spirit that has yet to appear
in Japan. They mentioned how womyn
are still not seen as complete equals and
how Makino makes sure she's equal, if not
better then the males of Hana Yori Dango.
She's never gonna be some submissive
housewife, that's for sure. That's why I
think Makino is one of the all-time best
female anime characters. She has spunk,
depth and attitude.. but she's not
invincible. Sure, she beats up Doumyouji
and protects her friends.. but there are
moments of weakness for her and that
just makes her a very realistic character.
In Makino's own words she's a "no-brand
womyn" and she can't be bought or won
over easily with luxury and sweet words.
She's a very admirable, strong girl with her
head screwed tightly on her shoulders.
She is also very kind but she does have a
pretty firery temper. ^^;..
He's the arrogant leader of the F4 with
violent and quick temper. It's always
someone else's fault to him and he
doesn't like girls who want him just for
his money and boy, is he insanly rich.
He can also be amazingly sweet,
hilariously jealous and dashingly protective.
The demure, stoic member of the F4.
Makino, at first, has a crush on him but
near the end of the show their relation-
ship changes into one that I like a lot
more. He finds Makino funny but seems
a bit out of it. He also has a love for
sleep.
The last two members of the F4. In the
anime, they are not that important of
characters. They are more like tag-a-longs
while Makino, Doumyouji, Rui and others
whip the plot around them.
They are both playboys but Akira prefers
older womyn. They also both tease
Doumyouji about his relationship with
Makino (or lack of). They can also be
helpful!
Makino's friend from her old school. Yuki
works at the dango shop with Makino.
Makino tells Yuki all her troubles and she
finds them very interesting and fun! Yuki
is a very nice and trusting person who is
a great friend to Makino.
Eitoku's leeches. They try hard to attract
boys so they can get expensive gifts and
money. They also do whatever they can
to make Makino's life a hell because they
want the F4 for themselves.
Kazuya is Makino's old friend who joined
Eitoku when he became "nouvea riche".
Makino always protected him in their old
school and she does the same in Eitoku.
They became very good friends because
Makino wants to be with someone
normal and familiar instead of the new
rich spoiled students. Kazuya has a crush
on her throughout most of the series.
Makino's parents who insist she go to
Eitoku. They are looking for a way out of
poverty and think their young daughter
marrying a rich boy is a great way to do
it. They sometimes can force Makino into
situations she isn't too pleased about but
you can't hate 'em 'cause they're funny.
I'm not introducing anymore characters
because most of them would need long
explanations that would include spoils.
There are a bunch of characters that pop
up during the series to either help or hurt
Makino and Doumyouji.
