The title, which translates somewhat cryptically to 'Boys Over Flowers,' refers to the so-called Flower 4, a group of four outrageously wealthy and androgynous boys who rule over their exclusive prep school sadistically but charmingly, wearing the most au courant fashions and hairstyles at all times. Girls literally faint when they approach. All the girls, that is, except for the new girl, a humble scholarship student named Tsukushi Makino (Mao Inoue) who has no patience for bullies or pretense. By the end of two seasons of the TV show, she has won the heart of Tsukasa Domyoji (boy-band dreamboat Jun Matsumoto), the leader of the pack, and has even won over his bitch of a billionaire mother (Mariko Kaga), who, after spending two years devising diabolical schemes to drive them apart, has finally agreed to their eventual marriage.
As the film begins, the couple, now a few years out of high school, are ready to formalize their engagement with a summit meeting of the two families and the presentation of the $100 million 'Smile of Venus' tiara to Tsukushi. No sooner does she have her hands on it, however, than it is stolen by a ninja-style thief. If Mother Domyoji finds out about this, the wedding will be off, so the couple heads out on a worldwide hunt for the stolen loot.
Their silly but beautifully photographed journey takes them to Las Vegas, Hong Kong, and even a desert island. All along the way are private jets, fancy cars, gowns, cute boys, and pretty much anything else on the typical 14-year-old girl's wish list. Throughout, Tsukushi and Tsukasa bicker and make up, but their relationship seems strangely buddy-like rather than love-based until you realize that Tsukushi is merely a stand-in for all the girls in the audience, and there's no way she could actually kiss Tsukasa without sending them all into a jealous rage.
Could it be that the entire theft and treasure hunt is something of a setup to test the couple's true love for each other? To quote Bugs Bunny, 'Uh... I dunno... could be.' It isn't hard to guess that the film can only end with the ritziest, glitziest (Western-style) wedding scene since The Sound of Music. Plus, of course, a really catchy pop song.
Aka: Hana yori dango: Fainaru.
Hana yo!
