Title: Skip Beat!

Mangaka: Yoshiki Nakamura

Genre: Romance, Comedy,  Drama

Length: 23 Volume (ongoing)

Summary:

Kyoko Mogami is the childhood friend of superstar Sho Fuwa. Kyoko was so in love with Sho that she followed him to the city on his quest to become a famous singer. But when Fuwa Sho finally becomes a famous singer, he treats Kyoko as his maid even after she dropped out of school to work so she can live in the city and be besides him. He doesn’t care about anything but himself. One day Kyoko listen to a conversation between Fuwa and his manager and realizes that Sho was only using her as his personal maid to take care of household chores and pay for rent. Kyoko is now heart-broken but she swears she’s going to get her revenge by beating Sho in the show biz world!!! Kyoko changes her style and her personality (in a little darker way XD) then she tries to be an actress and meets Tsuraga Ren a famous young actor, who Sho hates since Ren is more popular than him. He was originally unhappy with Kyoko, because she joined show business for revenge. However, he gradually warms up towards her. Ren at first couldn’t stand Kyoko, but once he realizes that Kyoko isn’t just trying to become an actress for revenge, he supports her growth as a budding idol… and starts having feelings for her.

The Anime

Title: Skip Beat!

Genre: Romance, Comedy,  Drama

Episodes: 25

Year: 2008-2009

Title: Hana Yori Dango

Genre: Comedy , Romance

Episodes: Season 1 (9) Season 2 (11) + Movie

Year: 2005-2007

Language: Japanese

Main Cast:

Inoue Mao as Makino Tsukushi
Matsumoto Jun as Domyoji Tsukasa
Oguri Shun as Hanazawa Rui
Matsuda Shota as Nishikado Sojiro
Abe Tsuyoshi as Mimasaka Akira

Others:

Sato Megumi as Sanjo Sakurako
Nishihara Aki as Matsuoka Yuki
Seto Saki as Asai Yuriko
Fukada Aki as Ayuhara Erika
Matsuoka Emiko as Yamano Minako
David Ito as Nishida
Sada Mayumi as Todo Shizuka
Kato Takako as Sengoku Sachiyo
Tomiura Satoshi as Makino Susumu
Kobayashi Susumu as Makino Haruo
Ishino Mako as Makino Chieko
Matsushima Nanako as Domyoji Tsubaki
Kaga Mariko as Domyoji Kaede

Description:

Based on the manga with the same name Hana Yori Dango by Kamio Yōko.

Makino Tsukushi is a student at Eitoku Gakuen, the school of the all the rich and famous, but she is the only one who is poor… the school is ruled by F4, the are four boy that comes form powerful families: Domyoji Tsukasa, the heir of a Finance Group; Hanazawa Rui, who is really quiet is the son of a large company; Nishikado Sojiro, a player who is the heir of a tea ceremony school; and Mimasaka Akira, who likes older woman with ties to the underground. If someone in the school receives a red tag means that  you will be tortured not only by the F4 but the whole school will be against you. Things get complicated for Makino, when she stands up to defend her friend from Domyoji so the next day she gets a red card, but even if she is harassed, she won’t give up and declares to fight back against Domyoji and the rest of the F4. Later on she develops feelings for Hanazawa Rui since he is the only one who is kind to her… but Rui is in love with Shizuka no her… an also Domyoji have growing feeling for Makino even though they fight most of the time.

The Manga

Title: Hana Yori Dango

Mangaka: Kamio Yōko

Genre: Romance, Comedy, School Life, Drama

Length: 37 Volumes

Licensed by Viz Media

There’s also a Spin-off story Ore no Hanashi wo Shiyouka (2 chapters) This is the story about Rui Hanazawa trying to find love …with the help of Doumyouji who decides to  set him up with a girl named Kimiko…?

The Anime

Also with the same title with 51 episodes and a movie (not related to the story in the manga, the movie is about Tsukushi an aspiring dancer attempting to win a role in a large stage production)

Licensed by Viz Media

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Korean Drama Version: Boys Before Flowers

Title: Shugo Chara!

Genre: Comedy, Magical Girl, Romance, Supernatural

Episodes: 51

Year: 2007-2008

Description:

Hinamori Amu is a new student at Seiyo Elementary school, all her classmates thinks of her as “cool and spicy” since she seems more mature and confident, but her real personality is of a shy girl who doesn’t show her true feelings easily.

One night Amu wishes to be more confident and be true to herself the next day when she wakes up there are 3 eggs in her bed. These eggs represent her different personalities and they are known as the Guardian Character (Shugo Charas). Each egg will be born when Amu accepts each one her different personalities.

The red egg is Ran she represents the athletic one and is more honest with her feelings. The blue egg is Miki, she is good in arts and is more intelligent and there’s the green egg Su who is good at domestic skills and more caring.

Later on Amu discovers she can change personalities and make a transformation with each one of her guardian characters, thanks to the Humpty Lock but when a boy suddenly appears wanting to steal Humpty Lock, Ikuto Tsukiyomi who has the Humpty Key and is looking for the Embryo a egg that can any wish to the one who possesses it.

Then when the guardians of the school become aware of Amu’s powers the king decides to make her one of them as the Joker. The Guardians are the 4 more popular students of the school, The King Tadase Hotori and his guardian Kiseki. The Queen Nadeshiko Fujisaki and her guardian Temari. The Jack, Kukai Souma who has Daichi as his guardian, and the Ace Yaya Yuiki with her Guardian Pepe. Together they search for X Eggs and X Characters, the corrupted forms of the children’s souls.

But there’s also other enemies like the Easter Company who is using Ikuto Tsukiyomi and Utau Hoshina, two siblings who also have Guardian Characters and are employed by the Easter Company to search for the Embryo. There’s also the teacher of the school Yuu Nikaidou that can change the eggs into X personalities and Yukari Sanjo, Utau’s manager that use her songs to find the Embryo and mass-produce X Eggs.

Eventually, Nadeshiko leaves the country and Kukai graduates and leaves for middle school. So the Guardians are replaced by Rima Mashiro the new Queen  she’s little and beautiful girl who has Kusukusu as her Guardian and represents her desire to laugh. Kairi Sanjo the new Jack who is uptight, very organized, and blunt about faults. Kairi’s Guardian Character, Musashi represents the personality of a samurai.  Kairi later leaves and is replaced by Nagihiko Fujisaki (Nadeshiko’s real identity).

Second Sequel: Shugo Chara!! Doki

Episodes: 52-102

Year: 2008-2009

Description:

As the story continues… Amu is more powerful now and a fourth Guardian Character appears the yellow egg Diamond, she represents Amu’s desire to shine and be noticed in front of others. But for some reason Amu is unable to transform with Dia (Diamond) and so new powers comes with new enemies like Lulu de Morcerf, she is the new Easter Company worker who can turn Heart’s Eggs into Mystery Eggs (or enigma eggs) using a ruby necklace. (Lulu only appears in the anime)

Now Easter’s new plan to get the Embryo is using Ikuto’s power to collect the X eggs, this time fighting Easter can be even more dangerous. Will Amu and her friends be able to save Ikuto and finally find the Embryo?

You can watch this anime at: Crunchyroll

Third Sequel: Shugo Chara! Party!

Episodes: 01 – ongoing

Year: 2009

Description:

The new Shugo Chara Party! series will be part anime, entitled “Shugo Chara!!! Dokki Doki” , and part live-action… A short Shugo Chara spin-off called “Shugo Chara Pucchi Puchi!” the anime, Shugo Chara! Party! will have regular appearances by the Shugo Chara Egg! female idol group as program hosts.

The Manga

Title: Shugo Chara!

Mangaka: PEACH-PIT

Length: 8 Volumes (ongoing)

Licensed: Del Rey Manga