Title:
Boys Over Flowers, Book OnePublisher’s rating:
T for TeenGenre:
Publisher's Website:
VizAnime:
Viz DVDSound bite:
A spunky girl stands up to a powerful clique.My rating:
An attempted rape and some frank sex talk make this more suitable for older teens.Kid Reviews:
More details:
Plot Summary:
Tsukushi Makino is a middle-class student at the prestigious Eitoku Academy, where most of the other kids are rich and snobbish. Although she hates her school, Tsukishi is doing her best to fit in for her parents’ sake. The school is dominated by four boys who call themselves F4, or the Four Flowers. They bully other students, and if they leave a red slip in someone’s locker, it is a signal that that person should be shunned. At the beginning of the book, Tsukushi sees a schoolmate whose life has been ruined because he was singled out by F4. But she also sees one member of F4, Rui Hanazawa, who seems to have a streak of decency—as well as beautiful eyes.
Soon it is Tsukushi’s turn to be bullied. Her friend Makiko falls on the stairs and accidentally knocks over Tsukasa Domyoji, the leader of F4. Makiko apologizes but Domyoji threatens her, and when Tsukushi stands up for her friend, F4 decides to target her instead.
Rather than being cowed, Tsukushi declares war on F4, which gives her new energy and a renewed sense of purpose at school. Things turn nasty when F4 pays some students to gang-rape Tsukushi, but she is rescued at the last minute by Rui. After the rape attempt, Tsukushi delivers a shonen-style beating to Domyoji, which makes her feel better. Walking out of the school, she hears music and discovers Rui playing the violin. She thanks him for rescuing her but he gives her the cold shoulder.
Domyoji’s next move is to kidnap and drug Tsukushi—and subject her to spa treatments and a haircut from a trendy stylist. He then presents her with an expensive dress. Domyoji, it seems, has decided to let Tsukushi be his girlfriend, although he declares “Rui is off limits.” Offended, Tsukushi declares “I’m not for sale!” and storms off.
Back at school, the torments continue when the words “Tsukushi Makino—the only girl in her school who had 2 abortions” appear on a blackboard. By now the F4 boys have gotten bored with bullying Tsukushi, but a group of rich and snobbish female classmates invite her to a party at a fancy nightclub only to humiliate her and tell her to stay away from Rui.
Character and morality:
Volume 1 is a straightforward morality tale. Tsukushi is a strong girl who refuses to give in to her tormentors, and fights back in a likable way.
This manga presents a depressing view of high school that many teenagers will identify with, although it is obviously exaggerated. The school is dominated by a small, bullying clique; the rich students look down on the scholarship students; and the ordinary students follow the alpha teens with sheeplike submission. Once Tsukushi is singled out, even her best friend Makiko—the girl she stood up for—is afraid to be seen talking to her.
Tsukushi, on the other hand, refuses to be intimidated and uses her brains as well as her feet and fists to defeat the torments of F4. When they throw eggs at her, she stops them with a flyswatter; when the “abortion” graffiti appears, she announces that she is a virgin. One troubling aspect is her crush on Rui despite the fact that he is cool to her and puts her down.
Violence:
The violence in the book is cartoony and unrealistic: Tsukushi kicks Domyoji’s butt, literally. Domyoji’s sister also beats him up; Tsukushi is kidnapped and drugged. In the attempted rape, the boys are shown chasing Tsukushi and holding her down but the scene gets no more explicit than head shots and long shots of the group.
Sexuality/body functions:
They’re supposed to be the bad guys, so it’s not surprising that F4 has an appalling sexual ethic. They hint that Domyoji is obsessed with his sister. One of the boys announces he is having an affair with a married woman, while the other can’t remember his girlfriend’s name. There is no nudity or overt sexuality. During the kidnapping, a spa worker opens Tsukushi’s blouse (her bra is shown).
Language:
Used sparingly: bastard, bitch, damn.
Substances:
No substance use.
