Hana Yori Dango -- In a Psychological Viewpoint

Most teenagers love this "J-dorama" or this Manga turned a real TV series which invaded the international screen. However, what insight can we gain from this?

Synopsis:

 Makino was a 17 year old high school student who crossed path with F4. Tsukasa, the leader of this group, developed a special feeling towards her. Even they always went to a cat-dog situation, they went along just fine. At young hearts, they faced many challenges, primarily when Mrs. Doumyouji hindered their relationship.

 It had great effect on Makino’s life. Mrs. Doumyouji was really serious to set her apart from Tsukasa. Because of this, her father lost his job. It also made the sweet shop she was working on to be closed. Although she greatly showed importance in studying, she was forced to take a leave in EitokuHigh School to help her family earn a living. Nevertheless, F4 was by her side and she was able to pull her self together and make her best out of every trouble that Tsukasa’s mother gave her.

 With the other characters, the story became more colorful, interesting and exciting.

 Attitudes & Behavior of the Main Characters

 Makino had the leading role while F4 portrayed important part on Makino’s life. However, in F4, Tsukasa and Rui had occupied more of Makino’s ‘life space’ in the sense that she became closer with them than with Soujiro and Akira. Thus we shall explore more on their attitudes towards each other and how it was manifested on their behaviors.

Makino

She was a commoner yet she was able to change the views of F4 about them. She was the only girl whom Tsukasa found amazing. Her spirit also warmth Rui’s frozen heart.

Makino to Tsukasa

ATTITUDE: She believed that Tsukasa was stupid and selfish but with a good heart. She also had an ambivalent attitude towards him. She was not sure of her feelings with him.

BEHAVIOR: She often shouted calling him a jerk, a stupid and a moron. Despite of that, she never left Tsukasa. At one point, they had a fight. She told him that she was tired of handling his yanking and mood swings. Thus, she decided to go out with Rui but still, she remained thinking of him. After they settled things over, she spent time with him again.

On the other hand, Makino did not completely respond to Tsukasa’s affection towards her. At times she denied her feelings but there are also times that she confessed.

Makino to Rui

ATTITUDE: She believes that he is her Prince Charming and Rescuer. She believed that he was mild and of a mature character. She also thought that she has feelings for Rui.

BEHAVIOR:After Rui’s return from France, she could not look at him in the face. She also became tongue tied while blushing. She treated him very nicely. She boosted up his spirit, telling him how grateful she was for his presence when she was lonely, appearance when she needed to be saved and handkerchief when she became wet. She was more open to talk about her problems when she’s with Rui.

Tsukasa

He had treated commoners lower than his kind. He met Makino who happened to study in the high school he was in. Because of her, he changed for the better.

 Tsukasa to Makino

 ATTITUDE: Tsukasa was certain that he loves Makino. He thought that they were destined to be a pair. He found her strong character amazing.

 BEHAVIOR: Because he was very rich, he tried to adjust on a ‘commoner’s level’. He strived to change for her. Even though Makino hadn’t reply to his confession, he acted like he was her boyfriend. He disobeyed his mother and he even had the guts to call him ‘old hag’. He also gave her many gifts, a cell phone, house furniture and necklace. He always called her and he even decided for things she should or should not do.

 Tsukasa to Rui

 ATTITUDE: As his childhood best friend, he believes that Rui was a dependable guy. He also knew that Rui would take care of Makino.

 BEHAVIOR: When he was about to leave to New York, it was Rui whom he asked to give his farewell gift to Makino.

 Rui

 He was a member of F4 and a close friend of Tsukasa. He had undergone a heart breaking experience, of having his first love married to someone else. Thus he found happiness on being with Makino.

 Rui to Makino

 ATTITUDE: He believed that Makino had the power to make her really happy. He somehow felt that he likes Makino but somehow ambivalent over this matter.

 BEHAVIOR: He laughed really loud at Makino even though she did not intend to joke. He asked Makino out for a date. He easily opened up his problems to her.

 Rui to Tsukasa

 ATTITUDE: He was his childhood friend and he values that friendship.

 BEHAVIOR: Even though he felt something special for Makino, he decided to suppress it because he knew that Tsukasa loved her so much and wish for their happiness.

 Fisbein’s and Ajzen’s Theory of Reasoned Action

 The theory identified three components to predict a social behavior. These are the attitude, subjective norm and behavioral intentions. From these, the theory derived a formula which is Attitude (A) + Subjective Norm (SN) = Behavioral Intentions (BI). It is however important that the weight placed on A and SN differs relatively on each individual thus, the BI also varies.

 With this assumption, the behavior of Tsukasa, as to why he continued seeing Makino despite his mother’s refusal, shall be explained.

 He had a positive attitude towards the action. (A had more weight)

                                              + 

His mother and their different social status hindered the action. (SN had less weight)

                                               =  

                       He had the tendency to do the action

                                       He did the action

 Tsukasa was really in love with Makino. At adolescence people tend to care more on what they want. They are aggressive and so were him. They also tend to search for independence over their parents. It was exactly why A (Attitude) had more weight.

 Tsukasa’s attitude towards his mother was very negative. This then made his motivation to comply weaker. He believed that she was self-centered who cared more about the corporation than her children’s happiness. He knew well that she did not listen to other’s suggestion. This along with the precedent statement could be the cause why the subjective norm was of less weight.

 Taking these into consideration, it was no wonder why he chose to disobey his mother and continue going out with Makino.

 Traces of Egoistical Relative Deprivation

 Crosby claimed that if five preconditions were not met relative deprivation would not be felt.

 In this account, Makino was very well aware that their different status would not allow her to be entitled of Tsukasa. Therefore, even though she sees that others were not hindered of having Tsukasa as a boyfriend, that she wanted him so much, that she thought that it was feasible to have him because she knew that she loves her and that she felt injustice over the situation, she just could not feel RD. The absence of one precondition would allow him to feel disappointment — a different emotion.

 However, according to Crosby, disappointment for wanting X yet not being entitled to it would allow a person to think and think about it over and over. This then would produce a rationalized thought that the person deserved it. Basing on the occurrence, disappointment would turn to relative deprivation. Since that was the case of Makino, it is safer to assume that she would have RD.