The Flowers of Evil
DO NOT discuss the source material beyond this chapter. If you want to discuss future events, please use separate threads.
DO NOT ask where to read/download this chapter or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Manga Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
DO NOT ask where to read/download this chapter or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Manga Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
| we never got nakamura's story, why was she crazy and deranged? I remember a scene in the first part when nakamura tells kasuga that all boys want sex and that's it, then we see in this last chapter that dirt/bugs try to come inside her, was she dumped by a boy after sex? who knows. This is my only problem with the manga, that we don't know about nakamura even though we spent 6 volumes with her, I don't care about shipping, I think she was the second focal point of the story after kasuga so we should've got an ending character arc for her, even saeki got a ending and we understood her but not nakamura. And also, why did she pushed him? Anyways, it was a good story and I liked kasuga's development, tokiwa was ok, the dumping scene was garbage, you can't do that to your bf but let's end it. Overall 6/10 (the first part 8/10) |
    |
animepp said: I know im superrr late and no one probably checks in here but i'm still going to rant. So, i watched the anime first and i was left without a season 2. So, i went to read the manga since i knew it was finished. Overall, this manga and anime was amazing but disappointing. Why did the manga continue without Sawa? Sawa and Kasuga together were the only things keeping me reading. If this series never included them moving away and never included Aya i think it might've made it better. But them not committing together disappointed me but also gave me hope that more crazy event would happen with Kasuga and Sawa. I was wrong. I was in fact so disappointed i continued from the festival, in my imagination, to make the story what i personally thought would make it better. Ill tell what i made up since i dont want to keep it to myself. I think if they actually went "to the beyond" I think that would be interesting. Honestly if they did ANYTHING else besides separating them it would've been fine. No one wants to see a sweaty anxious boy with no life, sawa and kasuga together is what kept the story good. Continuing the story without sawa was a mistake. everything from chapter 33 and up felt like a whole filler. The whole psychological genre went *poof* after chapter 33. It just became a cheesy love story, which is NOT what made it a good series. It wasn't even enjoyable after they were separated. And having Kasuga and Sawa meet up again when theyre like completely different people? Wtf. WHY WOULD YOU HAVE THEM MEET UP AGAIN WHEN THEY'RE NORMAL???? Not having the suspense of wondering what Sawa and Kasuga are going to do next made the story so bland. Either the author gave up after chapter 33, or was rushed. And to make everything else worse, they didnt even get together in the end. If u read all of this, thanks for listening to me rant. There have been several articles written about this series, but perhaps the most relevant idea to your post is that the story was always about the author, the author projecting himself onto Kasuga. All other characters in the story are based upon people he actually knew, or at least knew about. They serve to give insight into his own backstory within this story. Many things that Kasuga does are what the author wanted to do in his life, or dreamed of doing, but likely couldn't, or didn't have the stones to do. This series is quite meta, in that respect, but unfortunately Kasuga is just not that interesting, no matter how much the author writes himself into his shoes. Nakamura is the most interesting character for sure, it's just unfortunate that she was never truly defined as a person; perhaps this was by design. |
Catalano said: we never got nakamura's story, why was she crazy and deranged? I remember a scene in the first part when nakamura tells kasuga that all boys want sex and that's it, then we see in this last chapter that dirt/bugs try to come inside her, was she dumped by a boy after sex? who knows. This is my only problem with the manga, that we don't know about nakamura even though we spent 6 volumes with her, I don't care about shipping, I think she was the second focal point of the story after kasuga so we should've got an ending character arc for her, even saeki got a ending and we understood her but not nakamura. And also, why did she pushed him? Anyways, it was a good story and I liked kasuga's development, tokiwa was ok, the dumping scene was garbage, you can't do that to your bf but let's end it. Overall 6/10 (the first part 8/10) It's only recently that I started looking back on this series, after having watched the anime. If I had to wager a guess concerning your questions about Nakamura, it's that the author either didn't know how to or didn't want to fully define her as a character. We get plenty of information to define her personality, but we never truly learn the origin of that personality. Chapter 57 seemed to subvert a lot of expectations for many people, lol. I believe Nakamura pushed Kasuga off the platform was because she realized that as happy as she was that she found someone "like" herself in life, Kasuga's devotion to her was based upon his own lack of self identification, and he would never truly understand her. Honestly, having her die right there by suicide would have had much more impact in the story, but the author likely thought he'd lose all his readers, lol. Tokiwa dumping her boyfriend in public was pretty rough for the guy, but at least she was honest. I think Fujiwara needed a checking though, dude was far too into taking things for granted. He was the perfect example of someone not realizing what they had (with Tokiwa) until it was gone. |
DevLog said: Catalano said: we never got nakamura's story, why was she crazy and deranged? I remember a scene in the first part when nakamura tells kasuga that all boys want sex and that's it, then we see in this last chapter that dirt/bugs try to come inside her, was she dumped by a boy after sex? who knows. This is my only problem with the manga, that we don't know about nakamura even though we spent 6 volumes with her, I don't care about shipping, I think she was the second focal point of the story after kasuga so we should've got an ending character arc for her, even saeki got a ending and we understood her but not nakamura. And also, why did she pushed him? Anyways, it was a good story and I liked kasuga's development, tokiwa was ok, the dumping scene was garbage, you can't do that to your bf but let's end it. Overall 6/10 (the first part 8/10) It's only recently that I started looking back on this series, after having watched the anime. If I had to wager a guess concerning your questions about Nakamura, it's that the author either didn't know how to or didn't want to fully define her as a character. We get plenty of information to define her personality, but we never truly learn the origin of that personality. Chapter 57 seemed to subvert a lot of expectations for many people, lol. I believe Nakamura pushed Kasuga off the platform was because she realized that as happy as she was that she found someone "like" herself in life, Kasuga's devotion to her was based upon his own lack of self identification, and he would never truly understand her. Honestly, having her die right there by suicide would have had much more impact in the story, but the author likely thought he'd lose all his readers, lol. Tokiwa dumping her boyfriend in public was pretty rough for the guy, but at least she was honest. I think Fujiwara needed a checking though, dude was far too into taking things for granted. He was the perfect example of someone not realizing what they had (with Tokiwa) until it was gone. I liked that bolded part, true, she was really something and very complicated, I remember when we first went into her room, I expected some major stuff to define her personality, some signs, some symbols, but we only got a damn notebook, we found out too little. Maybe the author just didn't consider nakamura's story necessary, and she was ''put'' there to emphasize Kasuga, it's no secret and no one is denying that it was his story, his problems. Maybe the problem was me because I put soul into Nakamura and I wanted to know her, I thought she was the root to Kasuga's problems so a head to head sincere talk would have resolved the conflict, but we got a weird fight in the water and Nakamura saying ''kasuga, you normal man''. From my perspective, we still don't know if she's suicidal, if she has problems, she takes meds but it's too anti climatic to finish her story like oh, she took meds so she's ok, her edgy emo phase is gone. |
|
Catalano said: ...she was really something and very complicated, I remember when we first went into her room, I expected some major stuff to define her personality, some signs, some symbols, but we only got a damn notebook, we found out too little. Maybe the author just didn't consider nakamura's story necessary, and she was ''put'' there to emphasize Kasuga, it's no secret and no one is denying that it was his story, his problems. Maybe the problem was me because I put soul into Nakamura and I wanted to know her, I thought she was the root to Kasuga's problems so a head to head sincere talk would have resolved the conflict, but we got a weird fight in the water and Nakamura saying ''kasuga, you normal man''. From my perspective, we still don't know if she's suicidal, if she has problems, she takes meds but it's too anti climatic to finish her story like oh, she took meds so she's ok, her edgy emo phase is gone. If we look at this as Not the mere projection of a real-life person onto a piece of fiction, Nakamura's whole life seemed to be one giant existential crisis, with short stretches of depressing lucidity spread throughout it. She never felt like she belonged anywhere, or part of anything, or in relation to anyone. No one is 100% upfront and honest about every aspect of their life, their goals, their thoughts, or their desires; Nakamura was only interested in 'what lies beneath' the facade that everyone portrays. Why was she interested in this stuff? Probably because it was the only thing she considered as 'truth' in life. There are a number of clinical explanations for her behavior, but she obviously had become fixated with the concepts of Existentialism, Entropy, and eventually Apathy. I should note that many people who involve themselves with Existentialism highly value 'authenticity'; creating one's self, and living by whatever standards this entails. Put simply, one should act by one's self-determining will, not as "one (like them) should act", nor by what would 'normally be expected (of one like them)'; non-conformity in the extreme, if you will. |
z3 said: the darkness consumes all of us there is no escape nakamura pushed kasuga off the stage knowing that kasuga must live a normal life but even nakamura could not escape you will always crave the other side of the mountain but no matter how hard you search it will always disappear. you will never understand what nakamura was thinking, why she did all of that. she told you to give up. but you never will. it will keep cropping up, like the weed that grows in your lawn you will never understand nakamura just as you were never meant to escape Is it really that esoteric? I don't think that's the case. There are plenty of clues; what it really comes down to is one's perspective approach angle. |
| I hated the first few volumes of this series, this final chapter cleared a few things about Nakamura's character which drastically changed my view on the series as a whole. Latter half of the series was brilliant tho. Loved it! Also rip Saeki's character she's the only that didnt really 'matured'. |
 |
A1ter_00 said: I hated the first few volumes of this series, this final chapter cleared a few things about Nakamura's character which drastically changed my view on the series as a whole. Latter half of the series was brilliant tho. Loved it! Also rip Saeki's character she's the only that didnt really 'matured'. If there were a real 'loser' in this story, it would certainly be Saeki. She never got over Kasuga, not really. He was the first person she loved, and the latter two men in her life were those she settled for; even in the scenes with her eventual husband, her smile is sad and tired. When she met up with Kasuga that last time, she was upset that he had moved on, that he had found someone that he cared about more than he ever did for her or Nakamura. This really vexed her, as she could tell that he was serious about Tokiwa, and had no intention of "messing up her life, too". That statement was the 'tell' there; the damage Kasuga's involvement had done to Saeki's life was permanent. It was very interesting that at the time, Saeki's current boyfriend looked like a discount version of Kasuga, while Tokiwa is in a different league than Nakamura or Saeki. I can't say that Saeki's fate, if you will, was unexpected, since the author has a personal dislike of "girls like her". |
| I think the author did not know what to do with Nakamura's character. He shouldn't have brought her back to the manga if he was going to do her this dirty. Anyway, the first half of the manga was epic, but the second one was cheesy at times and felt like your just another redemption story. 7/10 |
| "Life is too bitter, so coffee, at least should be sweet..." - Hikigaya Hachiman (Yahari Ore no Seishun Love Come wa Machigatte Iru) |
z3 said: Oshimi Shuzo said that the second half of the manga is the manga he wanted to create. After reading his other work (drifting net cafe) I understand what aku no hana is all about now. Its about letting go of the past. The middle school days where everything felt vivid and intense are over. The Nakamura that Kasuga knew doesn't exist any more. She is a boring normal adult now. Kasuga doesn't know why Nakamura did all those things- will never know why she did all of those things- and it doesn't matter. As a boring and normal adult he doesn't need to know. He is committed to the normal life now. His family, his wife, his job. Yet deep down inside, his desperate most intense yearnings still exists, an existence he cannot admit to himself consciously. He yearns for those middle school days with Nakamura and Saeki. Back when things felt real. Back when the world had colours. That is interesting, but if applicable at all, I would say that it only applies to a small part of the latter half of the story. Especially with the last chapter, what we are shown turns that idea on its head. If one is going to simplify this story to one short sentence, it would be more about not conforming to society's or your peer's expectations, about being a rebel and a nihilist, and regret through maturity. The third paragraph above even indicates that there is more to the aforementioned idea of "letting go of the past". |
cchigu said: I think the author did not know what to do with Nakamura's character. He shouldn't have brought her back to the manga if he was going to do her this dirty. Anyway, the first half of the manga was epic, but the second one was cheesy at times and felt like your just another redemption story. 7/10 Well, perhaps the real conundrum with Nakamura is that we are never really told, definitively, what the source of her issues, if one could label them as such, were. This last chapter insinuates that she indeed has some kind of delusional mental state; or, it could be that the author is merely metaphorically projecting how the world feels to her. Does this last chapter make sense? You can't maintain that kind of volatile persona for long without detracting from the story of the protagonist, Kasuga. So, she is left out to pasture, as it were, until visited much later on by a matured Kasuga--only to quietly fade from the story shortly thereafter. |
| Looks like author foreshadowed my entire puberty to adulthood life. Ain't that lovely? |
| So that's how Nakamura found out about it......... |
| But in the end WTF is FLOWER OF EVIL ????????????? |
| Really good ending. The last two chapters were kind of an epilogue and chapter 55 is the ending as someone else mentioned above. The first half of the manga was purely addicting, my heart was beating hard while I read those chapters. But the 2nd half on the other hand is like a coming of age story. It developed Kasuga more by introducing few more characters. Both halves of this story are nearly equal in terms of quality. People complaining about the ending are probably weekly readers. Reading this in one go was really enjoyable. This one is a really good psychological manga. Solid 8.5/10 for me. |
| this shoulda just ended 30 chapters ago with them dying |
| Floyd Mayweather English Tutor |
| You either die based (on hiatus) or live long enough to turn into a run of the mill "normiefag" romcom. Seriously, you could just skip everything pre first timeskip and have a normal story about a shy guy who ends up with the popular girl because nothing else mattered for this. Heavily disappointing, this last chapter feels like a tease after giving us a dozen chapters of generic highschool romance. No developement for Saeki who was the craziest bitch, no developement for Nakamura who is the reason everyone reads this manga in the first place and an MC copypasted from somewhere else, with a standard "good girlfriend" for convenience. Manga which focus too much on a very specific book/author are always a bit cringe ngl. Not that this was especially bad, but post timeskip this turned into a completely different story, one I wouldnt waste my time on if I had known so prior. 6/10 not bad but Im pissed the interesting setting got scrapped for generic highschool romance |
Comander-07Mar 22, 2022 7:49 PM
| "This emotion is mine alone. It is for Madoka alone." - Homura or how I would descripe Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica. |
| I feel like the manga finally landed on its feet with the second part and was able to run it home. The first half was angsty and annoying, and I definitely found it a chore to get through, so I'm glad it graduated into something more grounded and thoughtful. That said, the first half really gives the second half its weight and impact, so I guess (despite it being very maddening) I appreciate it in a way. The manga really captures that feeling of looking back at your childhood and realising you were a moron half the time. All the stupid shit you got up to when you were young and anxious is embarrassing and overblown, and while at the time, it all seems like the most important, world-ending stuff, it all becomes water under the bridge eventually. I really liked the authors portrayal of maturing from adolescence. |
| Wow, some interesting takes in this thread. I guess reading it weekly/binging it might leave a different impression. I don't share the opinion that the story should've ended where it was all chaotic. It was nice to see Kasuga found himself again. |
| And now, we saw Nakamura's perspective where it all started. This manga has been really good. |
| Seriously this chapter was incredible but it should have been chapter 1, it explains so much about Sawa... what an awesome manga from the beginning to the end, the character development was one of the best I've seen and it really affected me through the whole story |
 |
| The message is basically "just move on and become a normie lol." Ouch. I'd properly set myself on fire before letting myself get broken like that. |
  |
| Honestly this was a really good read, Kept me invested from start to finish. I could relate with a few aspects about Kasuga here and there and the character development for all of them was really good. Everyone got a conclusive ending except for Sawa and for that I'll take one point from my score. Basically the lesson (Atleast what I interpreted was that whatever trauma you go through you have to eventually grow out of it because you're never alone in what you do, Your friends and family are also affected by what you do and to me this manga emphasized how one can move on and be happy instead of being guilty for being happy. 9/10 For me, Really wish this gets a proper adaptation someday. |
 |
| The whole ending was a bit cheesy and disappointing. Well at least we got to see the world from the POV of the schizophrenic heroine. The manipulation story was great, I think there just wasn't a good way to wrap it up. |
| خ |
| Every once in awhile, I peek back into this thread just to look at the new takes. I remember scoring this story fairly high, when considering '5' as an average, so it is something I recall from time to time. I believe anything beyond a 7.5 or possibly an 8 is a bit generous. It's interesting to note that as the world changes, so do the views on this story. Too bad we never got a series based upon Tokiwa's novel. Imagine how the story would have gone if Nakamura was medicated from the start? Would it even be worth a read? Saeki and Kasuga probably would have ended up together. |
More topics from this board
Poll: » Aku no Hana Chapter 46 Discussion ( 1 2 )KitKatKaz - Jun 6, 2013 |
82 |
by Sahil_K_Chandio
»»
Mar 27, 9:45 PM |
|
Poll: » Aku no Hana Chapter 39 DiscussionStark700 - Feb 4, 2013 |
31 |
by Sahil_K_Chandio
»»
Mar 27, 9:29 PM |
|
Poll: » Aku no Hana Chapter 37 DiscussionJavi-Hime - Feb 2, 2013 |
31 |
by Sahil_K_Chandio
»»
Mar 27, 9:19 PM |
|
Poll: » Aku no Hana Chapter 26 Discussion ( 1 2 )Explicitz - May 14, 2012 |
85 |
by Sahil_K_Chandio
»»
Mar 27, 8:07 PM |
|
Poll: » Aku no Hana Chapter 25 Discussionnotsureifsrs - May 14, 2012 |
38 |
by Sahil_K_Chandio
»»
Mar 27, 8:05 PM |