Hana Yori Dango (TV series)

Makino Tsukushi is a tough, hard-working, middle-class student at the prestigious escalator school Eitoku Gakuen. Initially, Makino wanted to attend Eitoku because her idol, an internationally renowned model named Todou Shizuka, was an alumna of the school. Not long after however, Makino discovers the superficial nature of her classmates. Their arrogance and her inability to relate to them because of her social status, limits her chances at making friends. Worse yet, the school is ruled by the F4 or Flower Four, composed of playboys Nishikado Soujiro and Mimasaka Akira, introverted and having both intelligence and beauty Hanazawa Rui and violent and bratty Domyouji Tsukasa. The F4, sons of Japan's wealthiest and most powerful tycoons, bully fellow students out of boredom or malevolence until they are expelled or quit.

Makino's only wish was to remain invisible in Eitoku to avoid getting into trouble. However, she is immersed into the lives of the four legendary bullies after her first and only friend at school, Sanjo Sakurako, accidentally spills juice on Domyouji's white shirt in the cafeteria and she defends her. The next day, she receives a red tag in her locker (an order from the F4 to bully the target student in whatever means possible) and as a result, the whole school turns against her. Despite the harassment, Tsukushi, the "tough weed", refuses to give in and quit. After Domyouji crushes the prawn her parents painstakingly cooked for her with his shoe, she finally snaps, knocks him out and declares war back on him. This unexpected retaliation catches him by surprise and causes him to fall in love with her. But Tsukushi is in love with Rui, who in turn harbors romantic feelings for his childhood friend Shizuka.

The courtship between Tsukasa and Tsukushi is the main theme throughout the series. Various challenges threaten their blossoming relationship including Tsukushi's wavering feelings for Rui, the envy of fellow Eitoku students, an obsessed childhood classmate, their differences in social class, Tsukasa's brash and possessive nature, and the animosity of Domyouji Kaede, Tsukasa's mother. The first season ends with Domyouji giving the saturn necklace to Makino and her confession of love right before he leaves for New York.

• Original writing: Kamio Yoko
• Screenwriters: Satake Mikio, Fujimoto Yuki, Takahashi Natsuko, Arai Shuuko
• Producer: Setoguchi Katsuaki
• Directors: Ishii Yasuharu, Yamamuro Daisuke, Katayama Osamu
• Music: Yamashita Kosuke

In the Philippines the drama aired on GMA-7.[1]

• Actor Takuma Takayuki, which is also the screenwriter for this drama (credited as Satake Mikio), appears in Episode 4-9 as the men Okami-san (Kato Takako) loved. He portrayed characters such as John Lennon, Tora-san, similar to Tadano Hitoshi and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.

• Official TV Drama Website from TBS (in Japanese)
• Hana Yori Dango
  (花より男子) at IMDb
• Hana Yori Dango
  (花より男子) at TV.com