花より男子

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Reply #1 - 2008 May 06, 1:57 pm
mr_hans_moleman Member
From: Toronto Registered: 2007-06-24 Posts: 179

This is apparently some famous drama. But, why does everyone call it hana yori dango, when it is actually read as hana yori danshi?

Reply #2 - 2008 May 06, 2:07 pm
amthomas Member
From: Japan Registered: 2006-06-22 Posts: 104

I think it's supposed to be a play on words... there's a Japanese idiom "Hana yori dango" which is similar to the English "Function before form" or whatever.

But, it's a drama about young kids conflicted by loads of different factors in relationships, one of which is whether to aim for the pretty boys/girls, or to try to hook up with someone who is a good match for your personality. So, I think they are trying to be punny by pretending that "danshi"s "dan" pronunciation is kept, but the "shi" is pronounced "ko" (but, since it's after a consonant, it's changed to "go".

That's totally wild speculation, but that's all I got...

Anyone else? Anyone know the *real* story?

-ang

Reply #3 - 2008 May 06, 8:37 pm
JimmySeal Member
From: Kyoto Registered: 2006-03-28 Posts: 2279

I don't know the "real story" either, but my expert opinion wink is that it's a pun on the proverb　花より団子, just like amthomas said.

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Reply #4 - 2008 May 06, 9:43 pm
Dragg Member
From: Sacramento, California Registered: 2007-09-21 Posts: 369

yeah, its definitely a pun.  "Dango" is phoneticized in hiragana below the kanji title on the manga cover.  Otherwise, nobody would ever read it that way.

Reply #5 - 2008 May 06, 10:48 pm
Smackle Member
Registered: 2008-01-16 Posts: 463

Another meaning comes from the fact that there are these popular, rich, and pretty boys named F4 (Flower Four). They are said to be precious like flowers. So this is another reason why 花より男子 pun was chosen for the title.

Reply #6 - 2008 May 06, 10:59 pm
Jarvik7 Member
From: 名古屋 Registered: 2007-03-05 Posts: 3946

amthomas wrote:

So, I think they are trying to be punny by pretending that "danshi"s "dan" pronunciation is kept, but the "shi" is pronounced "ko" (but, since it's after a consonant, it's changed to "go".

Being after a consonant has absolutely nothing to do with the expression of rendaku.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rendaku

Reply #7 - 2008 May 06, 11:02 pm
mr_hans_moleman Member
From: Toronto Registered: 2007-06-24 Posts: 179

I got it.

わかった

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