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The first fourteen chapters of the manga were serialized in Shueisha's CUTiEcomic magazine from June 2000 to July 2001, and was serialized in Young YOU thereafter. With the demise of Young YOU in 2005, the series moved to the magazine Chorus, where it has formally ended its serialization, running until July 2006 with chapter 64.

In 2003, it won the 27th Kodansha Manga Award.

The series was adapted into an anime series by J.C. STAFF, first premiering between April to September 2005 across Fuji TV's Noitamina programming block. A second and final season, Honey and Clover II, premiered from June 2006. The series was also adapted into a live action movie, which was released across theaters on July 22 2006.

The title of the series, Hachimitsu to Kurōbā, stems from Chika Umino's two favorite albums: Hachimitsu by SPITZ and Clover by Suga Shikao, due to which Spitz and Suga Shikao's songs are featured prominently in the anime.

The story takes place in a fictional art college that is based on Musashino Art University, Kodaira city, in which SPITZ vocalist Masamune Kusano was also once a student.

Yūta Takemoto, Takumi Mayama and Shinobu Morita are three young men who live in the same apartment complex and are students at an art college in Tokyo.

One day, one of the art professors, Shūji Hanamoto, introduces his cousin's daughter, Hagumi Hanamoto, who has come to live with him and is a first year at the art school. Upon introduction, Takemoto and Morita fall in love with her. Morita expresses his love for Hagu in ways that scare her, especially calling Hagu 'mousey' and constantly photographing her, while Takemoto hides his feelings and tries to be a friend to Hagu. Hagu herself, though initially timid and afraid of company, gradually warms up to the three.

The group also includes another female: Ayumi Yamada. She is a master of pottery, and is well known by her name "Tetsujin" (Iron Lady). When not at school or hanging out with friends from the college, she helps her family run the liquor store. She is very popular with all the guys, whether they are from the shopping district or the other male pottery students, but Mayama is the only man she is in love with.

Unfortunately, although Mayama considers Yamada a friend, he doesn't return Yamada's love and is busy chasing an older woman, Rika Harada. Rika runs an art business which she used to run with her husband, Harada before he died in a car accident which also left Rika disabled. Rika Harada and Shūji were very close friends and roommates in college. Mayama is sent by Shūji to help Rika, who has a hard time taking care of herself and running her business.

The story follows these five characters in their love triangles, graduating from college, finding jobs, and learning more about themselves.