- "Don't be so arrogant! Who cares about the F4?!"
- —Kimoto defied the F4[src]
Kimoto (
Biography[]
Kimoto attended Eitoku Senior High and was in class 2-C with Tsukushi Makino. He stood up to the F4, resulting in him receiving a red card shortly after. The student population most likely began to ostracize and/or bully him. After being absent for a number of days, Kimoto decided to leave Eitoku. He briefly returned to retrieve his belongings and never came back again.[1]
Physical appearance[]
He had a normal face with hair cut just above his ears. Before the bullying, he had a full, healthy face. The incident took a toll on his appearance, which gave him sunken cheeks and heavy bags underneath his eyes.
Personality and traits[]
Kimoto was a happy and popular student before standing up to the F4. He had courage, since he defied a group everyone else is afraid of. His spirit, however appeared to be defeated as a result of the incident.
Etymology[]
Kimoto's surname (樹本; きもと) is made up of two kanji using the kun'yomi readings. The first kanji means "trees," "wood"[2] and the second "book," "origin".[3] Both kanji share the radical (木), which means "tree."[4]
Behind the scenes[]
Character notes
- Kimoto appears in the first chapter of Boys Over Flowers.
- He is the first person to receive a red card in the manga, though the F4 presumably gave them to many students.
- Kimoto is mentioned in the musical, Hana Yori Dango (2019). Like in the manga, he is the latest student to be bullied until he dropped out. His friend, played by Maki Kureha, is brought to Tsukasa for talking to Kimoto before he left. Tsukasa threatens his friend with the same fate.
Portrayals
- See also: Category:Kimoto portrayals
- A version of Kimoto, named Ah Shu and portrayed by an unknown actor, appears in the first episode of Meteor Garden (2001). Compared to his later portrayals, Ah Shu has the most similarities with Kimoto. For example, they both have a short flashback sequence showing them stand up to the F4 and saying a similar statement. Ah Shu is bullied and returns to school for his things with a despondent air about him, like Kimoto. Unlike in the manga, his professor gives him some advice before he leaves.
- Kimoto is given the first name "Takayuki" and portrayed by Kazuma Sano in the Japanese drama, Hana Yori Dango (2005). In the first episode, a flashback depicts Kimoto angering Tsukasa by eating an orange, the juice of which then flies into Tsukasa's eye. He receives a red card and the whole school corners him into the cafeteria. Tsukasa attempts to have Kimoto's friend punch him. He refuses, leading Tsukasa to punch them both. Kimoto is shown again via archival footage in Hana Yori Dango Returns (2007) and Hana Nochi Hare (2018).
- Jung Eui-chul portrays the character, renamed Lee Min-ha, in the Korean drama Boys Over Flowers (2009). Like Kimoto, he angers the F4 and is bullied after receiving a red card. He threatens suicide by jumping off the school's roof, but is saved by Geum Jan-di (Tsukushi).
- In Hana Yori Dango: The Musical (2016), he is played by Ryo Kimura. His face is partially obscured to avoid confusion with Kimura's other character. At the beginning of the musical, Kimoto bumps into Tsukushi and then rushes off in fear. During the song "Good Morning," the other students talk about him leaving as he gathers his things. Another student intimidates him before he leaves for good.
- He is played by Kanaphan Puitrakul and renamed Phupha Komolpetch in F4 Thailand: Boys Over Flowers (2021).[5] Phupha was planning on exposing the F4's bullying game. However, they learn of his plan and erase all of the evidence. Some students then beat up Phupha, causing him to have a long and grueling recovery. In this version, Phupha is a good friend of Talay, making him the equivalent of Junpei Oribe's friend in the manga.
Appearances[]
Boys Over Flowers | |||||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||||||
|
References[]
See also[]