Last year, I watched Boys Over Flowers and was charmed. Admittedly, it's a cliché story with quite a few problematic scenes. But look, I had just come out of a virtual university cycle that drastically increased my anxiety (I lost weight, lost my appetite, had constant nausea and chills, all bad). And I needed a simple story that didn't take itself seriously and would amuse me. Boys Over Flowers was that story, and I liked it so much that I watched Hana Yori Dango (the Japanese version and my favorite), and now I'm watching Meteor Garden (although I'm not liking it as much as I should).

In fact, I feel that nope, it's not the best love story. Yes, it has many problems. But it has something that is very captivating, and it's not just because I love the enemies-to-lovers trope. There's something in the cliché of "the poor girl who faces the arrogant rich boy and makes him change" that I really like.

So I'll try to review all the volumes. Probably compare some scenes to the dramas I watched, but what else can I do? In this first volume, I realized that the most faithful version is the Japanese one, at least for now. And can we talk about the fact that Hanazawa Rui wasn't really that nice? Obviously, he doesn't reach the level of stupidity of Tsukasa, but he is quite rude and for no reason. I also thought that Tsukushi here is more feisty and stronger than any adaptation she had, including the Japanese one. And finally, is it just me or did I feel that the way Tsukasa falls in love with Tsukushi is very fast? I feel that in the dramas it's slower.

But, well, I'll keep reading and maybe finish the other one today or tomorrow gg

Boys Over Flowers is a shojo manga that centers around Tsukushi Makino. She manages to get accepted into the highly esteemed Eitoku Academy. Tsukushi has a strong determination to stay out of the limelight, all for the sake of her education. However, this proves to be extremely difficult when her closest friend becomes the target of the F4. The F4 is a bullying group consisting of handsome, rich, and powerful boys. Just by standing up for her friend, Tsukushi quickly becomes the next target. Fed up with their actions, she bravely declares war on the F4 and refuses to back down.

Looking at the cover, the first volume gives the impression of being romantic. But in reality, it's far from it, unless one finds bullying to be romantic. I'm all in favor of the enemies-to-lovers trope, but not in this way. For example, there's a part where Domyoji pays a group of other male students to essentially rape Tsukushi. Although it doesn't actually occur, it's still a disturbing attempt. As payback, Tsukushi attacks Domyoji, and that's it. Everybody acts as if the attempted rape never happened. Sigh, unfortunately, this is a common occurrence that I've come across in shojo manga. Rape is not something cute or funny and should never be written about in such a manner. There's also a rumor spread that Tsukushi had an abortion. These bullying tactics are far from harmless.

Despite all this mess, there are still some aspects that I enjoyed. I really like the art style and Tsukushi's character. There are certain scenes that I truly loved, like when Tsukushi refers to herself as "name brand" and you can clearly see that's when Domyoji starts to fall in love with her. I also appreciate the very bittersweet short story shown at the end of the volume. This manga would be so much better if it didn't include those gross bullying tactics.

I read this for a specific reason.

It is because I have a deep affection for the Korean adaptation of "Boys Over Flowers". The series had such a huge impact on me that I couldn't help but get caught up in the excitement and the hype surrounding it.

The story, the characters, and the overall atmosphere of the Korean version were truly captivating. It made me eager to explore more and continue with that sense of excitement.

I was curious to see if there were any other aspects or details related to the series that I might have missed or that could further enhance my enjoyment.

So, I decided to read this in the hope of finding that additional something that would keep the magic of "Boys Over Flowers" alive for me.

I searched for this manga upon learning that one of my favorite series that I just finished (Boys Over Flowers) was an adaptation. I found out that it is a manga from the 90s and quickly started reading it.

There is no disappointment. Although there are some parts that were modified in the series, the essence remains the same. I enjoyed it, but I felt it was very short. Definitely, it is one of those ridiculously romantic stories that you love.

Also, at the end, there was a small story (I don't know if it has a continuation), and I must admit, it seemed fantastic to me. Simple, "heartbreaking", and tender. I will definitely continue, looking to progress in the story.