Anime from the archive - Boys over flowers

Some friends and i were exchanging funny you tube videos the other night and one of the videos was of an American guy trying marmite for the first time and we started talking about things that can be both yum and yuck at the same time (think pain for pleasure). It got me thinking about the last time i had watched something that I both liked and hated at the same time and funnily enough it got me thinking about one of my favourite anime - Hana yori dango,

If you ever look for a list of shoujo anime, somewhere near the top you will find 'boys over flowers'. So it was with some excitement i sat down to watch the series many moons ago, but i was in for a shock. The first few episodes and many of the later episodes are hard to watch and i mean really hard!
For those unaware Hana yori dango is set at an elite high school for rich children, the main character Tsukushi Makino is sent there by her parents even though they are poor in the hope that she will marry rich and they can lead the lives they have always dreamt of. However her parents are completely unaware that the school is riddled with bullying and at the heart of the bullying are four of the richest and handsomest boys at the school. Known as the 'flower four' they entertain themselves by leaving red cards in the lockers of those who accidentally cross them, thus marking them for the school to torment.
Tsukushi gets one of these cards and some of the bullying she endures is horrific to watch, chased, beaten, attacked by boys and girls alike and tormented daily it's hard to watch. But there is an honesty in the way the bullying is portrayed.
Those who start it never have to lift a finger and those who are so desperate to never be that person on the outside blindly follow, committing the worst offences in the name of the 'flower four', even her best friend Makiko stands by too afraid to help at first, only helping her in secret. But when Tsukushi stands up to the bullies refusing to be pushed out of the school by them the culture of fear begins to crumble and when she bravely tackles the problem head on by attacking one of the 'flower four' -Tsukasa Domyouji, he begins to fall in love with her.
Thus the story becomes about one girls effort to change her surroundings i.e the school and one guys journey to be a better man and to make up for his mistakes. The manga ran for 37 volumes and although it was uncomfortable in places i'm glad i read it.
So too it seems are many fans, as the manga was so popular that not only was it turned into a 51 episode anime it also spawned not only a Japanese live action tv series that was preceded by a movie but also a live action tv series in Korea, China, Taiwan and even India!

Sometimes the anime that you start out unsure of, turns into one of the best you've seen. If you have any anime that you've started of by thinking you wouldn't enjoy it and then loved every minute let me know in the comments maybe i'll check it out too! ;-)