recent spate of sad news from K-drama stars' breakups, there is one sliver of hope from Japan. Mao Inoue and Jun Matsumoto, the stars of the Hana Yori Dango series (Japan's Boys Over Flowers), have been dating for 9 years, and may even get married this year. That is, unless their agency gets in the middle and makes them break up for none other than business reasons.
Fans of the original Hana Yori Dango story have seen the first TV series made in Taiwan as Meteor Garden, in Japan as Hana Yori Dango, and in Korea as Boys Over Flowers. But the only lead stars of the show that have become romantically linked in real life are Mao and Jun. They rose to idol fame with Hana Yori Dango, Hana Yori Dango 2, and then the Final as a movie. For years paparazzi have been trying to get photos of them together. Recently, they were caught eating at a restaurant together. Apparently they have been dating for 9 years, but only recently have they NOT denied their relationship. There is news that they are even considering a surprise wedding this summer. However, Mao has a new show coming up in August, and agencies are known to dissuade romantic relationships to preserve the single, and considerably more marketable, status of their hottest stars.