Get Ready To Be Charmed By The OG ‘Boys Over Flowers’ Anime

We’re throwing it back to where it all started. The anime adaptation of Hana Yori Dango is coming to Netflix! 

In case you need a refresher, it’s the source material for one of Asia’s most iconic romance stories, adapted a number of times over the past years. There’s Taiwan’s Meteor Garden, South Korea’s Boys Over Flowers, Thailand’s F4 Thailand, and of course, Japan’s own drama adaptation of the same name.

Ready to meet the OG F4? Here’s everything you need to know about its characters, plot, release date, and more.

The ‘Hana Yori Dango’ animated series.

Hana Yori Dango: fun facts, characters, and plot

Hana Yori Dango is an iconic shōjo manga (meaning it’s made for female teens and young adults) that was written and illustrated by Yoko Kamio from 1992 to 2004. With over 59 million copies published, the Guinness World Records recognised it this year as the highest-circulation comic series for girls by a single author.

This manga spawned the anime that first aired in 1996. A high school girl from the middle class finds herself in a prestigious high school and gets entangled in the lives of the richest heirs in the country (known as the F4 or Flower Four).

Creator Yoko Kamio thanked fans for the Guinness World Records achievement.

If you’re a newbie to the anime or would like a quick recap, Tsukushi Makino is our tough and honest female lead. Her two love interests are the hot-tempered Tsukasa Domyoji, the leader of the F4 gang, and the calm and collected Hanazawa Rui. Beyond the love lines, it has themes of high school hierarchies, bullying, and friendships.

Even though it might sound simplistic at first, Hana Yori Dango’s fun, at times relatable, and fairytale vibes have been well-loved by many generations. Various countries have produced live-action dramas and movies based on it.

A decade later, Yoko Kamio released a sequel titled Hana Nochi Hare in 2015 which was adapted as a TV series in 2018. Both versions featured characters from the original Hana Yori Dango storyline.

Hana Yori Dango: release date and where to watch in Singapore

If binge-watching high school rom-coms is your guilty pleasure, save the date because you’ll be able to stream Hana Yori Dango on Netflix on 31 October.

(Cover photos from: boysoverflowers.fandom.com)