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.
| I liked the ending, I see Aku no Hana as a bildungsroman (a.k.a. comig-of-age) Instead of showing us an absolute ending Shuzou shows us in the last arc how Kasuga starts to accepting himself and growing as a person, as well as Nakamura having a good life and being just fine, I think her development came when she interfered in Takao's suicide, whe saw nothing about her for a long time neither about Nanako but we saw how the three of them became more consistent people, even if Nanako stayed as a "bitch" he grew and was honest about herself, Takao found someone to love and to be himself. Chap 56 was indeed the last chapter, it was an open ending, not the best, that is why I like it, because it tries to be realist. Chap 57 was an interesting one because we see Nakamura's motives and we can relate a bit more to her, I think Nakamura and Saeki needed a more defined background and the art at the begining of the manga wasn't the best, so 8/10 Still an amazing manga |
 |
Rachmaninow said: Personally I didn't like it too much. And this is not about me missing the subtle hints yadda yadda, it just felt out of place. Yes, getting a glimpse of what's going on in Nakamura's mind was nice and in a sense needed. It made us understand her a bit better and what finding someone similar to her really meant to Nakamura. But then why not build on it? Why not expand the chapter a little and give us another 30 pages worth of Nakamura? Why not jump through the major events of the story and give us her view, ultimately ending with the scene at the beach and what she's up to now. Has she really come to terms with the world, or rather, the society? Is there still something left in her? A feeling of desire? One of regret perhaps? Seeing how this manga basically revolved around a pair of protagonists, we sure didn't get to see much of the other in the latter half of the story. And that, fellow readers, is a real shame. Mod Edit: Removed citing of manga reading site. I agree with a lot of this. I still enjoyed the series but I really want to know what happened to nakamura during their time apart and what made her change to the extent that she did. It left me feeling unfulfilled and like I was left hanging. I still enjoyed it though but a 7/10 for me. |
| Examining one series under the magnifying glass at a time. |
| That ending was garbage. |
  |
| The ending was disappointing but I still enjoyed the manga. I'll read it again when all of the volumes are out in english. |
| Idk |
 |
| I don't know how I feel about this. |
| wow gay |
| I feel like people didn't get what the author meant. The actual conclusion and ending too the story was Chapter 56. To quote others here: I mean for the people who are disappointed enough, to drop their score below 8, what did you exactly want? the story is complete, and chapter 56 was a very good ending to the story and chapter 57 was a great thematic ending to the author's work. |
 |
| Wow just wow. I'm left speechless. Any way ,that explains why Nakamura was the way she was before. Sigh. Great chapter. I'm gonna miss this manga. Now on to reading his other work. |
The higher I get , The lower I'll sink. |
| I don't know how I feel about this. I can see some of the merits I suppose, but definitely unsatisfying. I think I can rate this better if I just think of Ch 55 as the end. 9/10 in the end for me |
| Well, that was interesting. Not an ending that I was expecting at all. Anyways, this was a really good manga to read. |
 |
| Kind of a disappointing ending, huh... Oh well. That doesn't change the fact that I still enjoyed this a lot. |
 |
| Meh, great at the beginning, bad at the end. I'm disappointed. Same thing as Oyasumi Punpun. |
| Ummm... OK... I'm not sure this last chapter explained anything for me. Does all the blackness and flies represent what Nakamura is actually seeing? If so, this would represent some serious mental illness. Or, is the blackness and flies just a metaphor for the disdain she feels about the society she lives in. (small town, cliques, gossip, teenage boys who only think about sex, do gooders, etc.) Maybe it's a little of column A and a little of column B. Not sure... I can't really buy into the "it was entirely a mental illness" theory. I always thought it was more of a "teen angst, suffocating in a small town, surrounded by people I despise" sort of thing. Then again, she did ask Kasuga to remove his skin and started digging into his chest. So who knows... And in the end, what difference does it make. This is what makes chapter 57 kind of sucky for me. No new insight... Looking back at chapter 56... Wolfeystein pointed this out and I can see it now. The dream represented two paths. In the first half, Kasuga's a normal guy. In the second half, he's in pursuit of becoming a writer and possibly Nakamura. In one translation of chapter 55, Kasuga's professor said, "Baudelaire spent much of his life in pursuit." I'm not quite sure what that was referring to. Jeanne Duval? Becoming a great writer? The "other side"? I'm sure it's something along those lines. Overall, what kills this manga for me was how slow the second half was compared to the first half. If it had better pacing, I think the ending in chapter 56 would have been fine. Ending on chapter 57 took what little wind there was out of the sails. Don't get me wrong though... I still like this manga. |
| A bit conflicted about the way this story turned out. It's not a matter of subtleties or symbolism, I love that stuff and eat it right up (hell I like Kami Inai Nichiyoubi). But I feel like there were more interesting ways to reach this conclusion. Ever since the high school time skip, I feel like it just decided to take the safe path to exploring Kasuga's coming of age when the earlier stages of the story set up much more creative means of exploring each character's psyche. By no means am I disappointed with the end result, but I feel like this was masterpiece material at some point. I could really connect to Kasuga's disconnection from society after the high school time skip. I wasn't expecting some epic descent into madness and chaos with the return of Saeki and Nakamura, but again it just felt like it uneventfully faded away before I knew it. Now on the other side of the coin, I do think that this manga was well done and seeing things from Nakamura's perspective at the end added to my intrigue with these characters. I bet this chapter would have been a real jaw dropper animated. A one of a kind journey through very conflicted and damaged people. I'll probably have to give the themes a bit more thought on the side. Overall an 8.5/10, although I don't know which way I want to go my MAL score. Still too conflicted to decide. |
 |
| I really love this manga and the ending. I love the endings where they leave it to you to piece together and it's not handed to you on a plate |
 |
| WTF was this... no continuation of chapter 56...? Overall a 7.5/10 series. |
 |
| really enjoyed that series |
"Urushibara Ruka. The mannerisms and voice of a woman... No... More feminine than any woman. But he's a guy. Taller than Mayuri, but so very thin... But he's a guy. Looks great in a miko outfit... But he's a guy. It's already twilight And yet, it's so hot. The cicadas are crying. But... He's a guy." |
| I DON'T KNOW HOW TO FEEL |
 |
| MIND=BLOWN |
| Man, this series got really cheesy in the last part. I never really liked it too much, but the first part was still pretty good. Aside from all of the awful drawn out panels in the last chapters, this whole thing was a real disappointment. It shouldn't have been dragged on this long. The last chapter was pretty nice though, but it felt out of place after this whole part. What a shame. |
| получить деньги моего друга |
| At the beginning of the manga, I really connected with Kasuga. We've all been kids before, and done reckless things (for me, definitely not to this extent, but the statement still stands). The ending was almost anti-climactic, but I do feel it answered the questions left about Nakamura, so I guess i'll have to let it slide like most others who read it. Still kind of confused about "the dream" and what it symbolized. Did he dream everything in the time skip or only in chapter 56? |
 |
| Didn't like the ending. Well, 8/10 overall. |
| neh, I would prefer an epilogue, if the author does plan one, the final chapter was about Nakamura's point of view...i'm not satisfied...!! epilogue please!! |
Got something to live for, I know that I won't surrender, A warrior of youth, I'm taking over, a shot to the new world order I Am Bulletproof. . .  |
| This manga is worth a re-read, as the last chapter seemed to me like the last piece of a puzzle. Being this a story where most of what's happening over the characters' heads (aside from Kasuga) goes for the most part unsaid, to get a little glimpse of Nakamura's mind must be necessary to have a better understanding of her actions through the story instead of seeing her as a plain psychotic school girl. She remained the most complex character to the very end. |
| Aww.. Yes I also agree with what the other user said. Nakamura probably saw Kasuga as her last hope to stay as a "pervert", but I guess... around the festival part, before they were about to suicide, she realizes she will always be alone no matter what. But do people here actually thought Nakamura loved Kasuga back..? I'm sure she liked him back, but doesn't completely show it or acknowledge that she is in love because she didn't want to "be like the other shitheads". Perhaps this has to do with the relationship of her parents... Her parents are probably divorced and had very destructive relationship. Even her father said Nakamura is just like her mother. That makes me wonder if that is why she pushed him during the festival. Perhaps she felt pity or thought of his "happiness". She knows Kasuga will have a better life as a "normal" person. I'm convinced this is so because even she pushed Kasuga during their second meeting and told him to go away (with Aya) because he is normal. Overall, I feel bittersweet about the ending. I also agree that chapter 56(?) or 55 was the actual ending and the chapters after them were the specials or chapter 0. I feel like it could be longer.... Too many unanswered questions that are killing me.. I'm still happy that Kasuga ended up with Tokiwa. He dealt with enough crap in his life. But I can't help feeling so sad for Nakamura...... |
| Hmm like many people here, I don't know what to think either. Except that this definitely just felt like an omake that allowed us to see the world through Nakamura's eyes, as well as offering an explanation as to why she was how she was. Other than that, it was definitely an interesting ride, and I'm also surprised to learn that this was like an autobiography of the author? The interview was quite informative regarding the author's intentions and what he wanted to convey through his manga. I also enjoyed browsing through the comments to see what others got out of Aku no Hana. Still, it was quite a confusing manga, and I believe the majority of the people most likely did not see the same thing the author wanted his readers to see, which in a way, is a failure. The author shouldn't have to explain so much for us to understand what he was trying to get at, at least that's what I think. Of course, it could also just be that many of us aren't willing to take the time to dissect his work. However, after piecing together my own thoughts with the author's intentions, I am able to appreciate his work more than I did before. I'll re-read it one day just so I can keep in mind the themes the author wanted to convey as I am reading it. |
MegaUltraTom said: If you need everything spelled out for you and dislike subtlety, I can understand why someone would hate this ending and this series as a result. For me Aku no Hana is complete. There are no lose-strings. This ending finally let's us look into Nakamura's mind. She really was "hentai" (perverse), she was lonely, she had demons. You could easily infer she may even have had psychological disorders (delusional, schizophrenic). Based on Chp 53, her mom mentioning she's been calm lately, and considering her poor memory, her preoccupation with the Sun, it's not a stretch to believe she was on anti-psychotic meds. Kasuga was weird and Nakamura realized that. She thought maybe Kasuga could would be able to understand her, her feelings of disgust at the world, her loneliness, what she was going through with that voice inside her saying "I want out". She wanted him to "tear down his walls", to embrace what she thought they both were. Kasuga was in love with Nakamura and wanted to help her get "to the other side of the mountain", which he thought a public suicide would accomplish. However he just wasn't at her level. She realized no one will able to understand her, not even Kasuga. In the end, Nakamura couldn't make the world as she wanted it, so she had to adapt and become normal. Kasuga on the other hand really matures and we're encouraged to assume he get's a grip on living a fulfilling life. ... ^ Very well put. I'm not one for serious analysis, but your explanation resonates with me. When the anime was first announced, I got curious. I read the first chapter... and then proceed to read all the available material all through a single night and into the early morning. Been following ever since, and now it's finally come to a close. The first half was absolutely spectacular, and I think the second half held it's own. Glad to see where Kasuga has gone since that first chapter, and it was just the right amount of closure in the end. |
-Trippwire-May 26, 2014 10:11 PM
nakoruru66 said: I'd like to think that Kasuga, in chapter 56, when he wakes up of his dream, takes a pencil and he is about, not to write, because he has never been able to, he is starting to draw (yes, to draw) because he is holding a pencil. He is about to draw the story of why nakamura acted like she did, trying to solve his own questions (because nakamura never solved his questions) and trying to give sense to all the things they lived. that's an interesting idea, would fit into the fact that the author says it's an autobiography... lots of interesting posts, I think I'm in the same boat as the people who don't know what to think, need more time to digest the epilogue, probably going to read it all again and look into the life of Baudelaire before a definitive verdict. |
| Is that really the end? MAL wrote that 58 is the finishing chapter, right? :/ It's good though, somehow I like it when it represent the past event by different point of view. |
| *insert philosophical quote here* |
hublaa said: Is that really the end? MAL wrote that 58 is the finishing chapter, right? :/ It's good though, somehow I like it when it represent the past event by different point of view. I thought of it too, but then I remember there was a special chapter, 17.5. MAL is probably taking it into account in the chapter count. |
| At first glance, the chapter was mehhh... After giving it a second thought, I found it amazing I will consider chapter 56 as the epilogue with the dream section being the characters' actual futures. This last chapter tried to prove that what Nakamura perceives as perverted isn't the same with Kasuga's point of view. I liked the theory that Nakamura suffers from schizophrenia and the dementia element in this chapter kinda justifies it. After some time, Nakamura realised that she and Kasuga are different and tried not to drag Kasuga with her since he, as a healthy person has the ability to live a normal life. Probably that's why she told him: "Don't come back. You are a normal person" and pushed him in the festival. ^ At least that's my opinion and I'm glad that such a manga has put me into these thoughts rather than not having any mystery, thrill and questions at all |
NaughtyNoddyMay 30, 2014 10:06 AM
 |
Artsy said: well, I call it completed then.hublaa said: Is that really the end? MAL wrote that 58 is the finishing chapter, right? :/ It's good though, somehow I like it when it represent the past event by different point of view. I thought of it too, but then I remember there was a special chapter, 17.5. MAL is probably taking it into account in the chapter count. The same thing is going on TWGOK manga, MAL wrote the final chapter was 271 when the final chapter is 268 :/ |
| *insert philosophical quote here* |
| Welp, it was an 8/10 up through the first acts of the story, but sort of on a downward decline after that. I think I understand parts of what the author wanted to say and do with this, but I just don't think the ending act was executed well at all. It was, nonetheless, cool to see things from Nakamura's point of view. But I'm really thinking the author just didn't know how to end his own story properly, and that's why it ended up like this. |
| Signature removed. Please follow the signature rules, as defined in the Site & Forum Guidelines. |
| This better not be the fucking ending lol. |
 |
DoctorWasabi said: This better not be the fucking ending lol. Well, it is. |
| |
| So I finished the anime around 1:30pm (I started it about 6am...went out for 2 hours before resuming) and immediately after that I started reading the manga (took a break when I got to chapter 34 to play my 360 for a tiny bit) and just finished it. It would be nice to see a 2nd season but I've heard that the DVD and Blu-Ray sales for season 1 wasn't very good....is this true though? So after finishing the manga, chapter 56 deals with Kasuga having a dream after having sex with Aya, where it depicts his future desires and hopes everyone else gets a happy ending with Sawa potentially getting her whole family back, Saeki and Kinoshita reuniting, I think there's one for Saeki having a family...not sure who it was on chapter 56 page 15. However, he wakes up and realises he's still at university and is still going out with Aya, who's great. The final chapter showed us how Sawa saw her world at that time and the whole "other side" thing was probably her way of saying she wants to live with her mother rather than her father as the town she ends up moving to can be read as "the other side". After finishing that manga, I felt a little empty beacuse even though it was bittersweet...it did sting a little but it really was an incredible read. I'm so glad I just decided to just do it....I had been holding off it for a while because the anime was retro-scoped, which I ended up not being bothered by it and in a weird way I appreciated it. I gave both the anime and manga a 10/10 |
Ale1212 said: DoctorWasabi said: This better not be the fucking ending lol. Well, it is. Yup. No loose ends here. The author even gave you a glimpse into what the "future" is like for the characters. Infer all you want, but I'm pretty sure this is all that you're going to be hearing officially about this one. Perhaps they'll twist things around in the anime, but I won't be going down that road anytime soon. Strange stuff be strange, but in all a good, creative, twisted story. |
   |
ravagestorm said: Chapter 55 is the real ending. chapter 56 and 57 are just epilogues for Kasuga and Nakamura. Anyway it is a shame the anime sucked so bad. If it was handled by a decent and NOT SELFISH director then the show could have been a cult classic. I bet we will be seeing Nakamura figmas if they only used the original art style from the manga. *sigh...So much potential and it's wasted by a selfish director. Agree, is very sad the anime was a crap, but fortunately the manga still better. For me the true end in when they get separated after the festival and the tentative suicide, after that part the rest seems more a pace filler toward a sorta of resolution and habby ending. Overall a good serie, 8/10. |
Fn76Jun 2, 2014 1:28 AM
| I'm probably going to repeat what a lot of people already wrote here but I'm not going to bother reading everything. I'm just going to write my thoughts after finishing it last night. chapter 56 the end chapter 57 epilogue In chapter 56 you see how the Flower once again grows inside Kasuga which you can see because how his crazy eyes. Then he starts to write again for Nakamaru. Why for her? Well in the past Kasuga was only able to write when he was 1. possesed by the Flower and 2. if it was to make Nakamaru "happy" Now to chapter 57 you see the beginning from Nakamarus perspective. This is kind of weird but the author is showing us the future through the past in a way because you see how she meets him for the first time and realises how he is a Hentai. This brought a bit of balance her severe mental problems I think, because she has someone who is just like herself. What I'm trying to say is that I think Kasuga is writing for Nakamaru to awaken the Flower in her once again. Not sure if this makes sense, I'm not an native english speaker but whatever. I give Aku No Hana 9/10 |
 |
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 |