Spotted Flower

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Was a pretty enjoyable "Alternate Universe" spin off story, but not as compelling as the author's other works. Started to fall in love halfway through until the author decided to take a COMPLETE left turn and jump the shark in the last couple chapters.

I am not being hyperbolic when I say it completely ruined everything up to that point and kind of bothers me now knowing it is hinted as being a future into the Genshiken storyline.

Even if it isn't canon it leaves a bad taste in your mouth for sure. :/

I'm hoping this is just some bad bizzaro timeline ... and that Kio develops it more, though I doubt it'll make up for how much of a slap in the face that twist turned out to be.

KINDA SPOILERS AHEAD

I was really, really enjoying this series as an alternative continuation to Genshiken. It has some really cool insight into the future of some of our favorite characters, and overall was very wholesome/heartwarming. It is very reminiscent of regular ol' Genshiken, lots of weeby references but more of a focus.
However.. in the latest few chapters, the writer made an absolutely strange plot choice that drags his wellbuilt characters in the mud. It completely ruins the heartwarming feels built up over the 20 chapters, and IMO stains Genshiken. I don't know how I will ever be able to read Genshiken again without flashbacks ... of this tragedy.. Not going to say I didn't wish I read it, but I wish I could forget it exists.

Spotted flower.

Or rather: waisted premise.

It started as a weird spin-off or an alternative take on archetypes from Genshiken, but all went south for no reason really.
Last time I was this disappointed about pointless turnarounds and shockers, was when I did watch the Disney's Star Wars trilogy.
But from the top.

Me, like probably most people here, looked at this series because of the author's previous works, the "Genshikens". Those two series were long serializations about students spending their free time at the uni manga and anime club. Something like Big Bang Theory, but funny and sans cringe.

So "Spotted flower" takes archetypes from that series, looks and traits, ... mix it up, and leaves the reader with pregnant wife and hers husband, who likes to rub out to some loli and shota porno games. Like any normal Japanese man would, right?
Wife is progressively getting more into her pregnancy, and because of that, and how actually many men feel, she wants sex and her husband is reluctant.
Funny shenanigans happen, comedy, slapstick, slice of life and some dirty adult jokes as well. All is fine.

This manga started before Genshiken Nidaime (second Genshiken manga "season") really took off, and surpassed that publication because it was made at slowest pace possibly.
And as the Nidaime started devolving into weird harem-gay tropes for no good reason, same did happen to this series.
It degenerated.

For me personally events in the series, which should be a one shot, or 2-5 chapters at most, are just random.
There's the power-duo of husband with weak character and his wife, who's strong and rather direct, which is then supplemented (to call it lightly) with 10 or so "side characters", who take the lead and derail the narration.
Series goes for a full plate of cheap soap opera plot twists.

I'm wondering if those events are some repressed urges? Or did Shimoku Kio and his editor just spent too much time indoors and forgot how world filled with humans works? Even for a comic series, and I've read some unbelievable junk, events in Spotted flower just don't add up. None is cohere after few chapters here.
Those are, again, just disconnected events, and plot holes are filled with more and more idiosyncratic people, popping every chapter.
Narration is chaotic and story just loses its core to wander aimlessly around some weird fantasies I presume?
It would be all good, if it was connected with buildup, premise or at least some logical hints. But nothing like that was present before hand.
Story just randomly drops the bomb, and the drama ensues - just like in Nidaime? No. Just like if you were reading a book about carrots, and in fourth chapter there would be only explanation how different diesel engines work, and no more mentions of said carrots.

Because I was following said previous works for very long time, and it was probably the only serialized comic that made me wait at night for the next chapter to be released, this off-brand "Genshiken" is tarnishing the good memories I had of the adventures of the otaku club members. Author unintentionally made a stinker, and I have so little words to stress this fact until I go into excessive swearing to express my anger.
It's that bad.


After reading what is available as of May 2024, there's just this one question: why?


If you are also someone who knows Shimoku Kio because of Genshiken - just stay away from this. If "Spotted flower" is your first read from this author, just know, it's probably his worst piece to date.

DISAPPOINTED!!/10