Aku no Hana is one of those anime I can confidently say changed the way I see the world. It was an emotional roller coaster and I could identify with many of the characters. Basically, it's is a slice of life anime, if you will, but with a psychological twist. Manipulation, depression, insecurity, and deception are major themes in Aku no Hana. I found myself feeling pretty down in the dumps while watching it, but for me that was a sign of how incredibly immersive and realistic it was. Many scenes in Aku no Hana are moving and the type that you will probably remember vividly in 20 years.
The animation was, to me, beautiful in a million ways. The animators used rotoscoping techniques, which means they hired actors to portray the main characters and filmed them, then traced over the live action film to make the anime. Many people disagree with this choice and the fact that they chose to make the characters so simplistic, but I personally enjoyed every second of it. I think the fact that the characters were so simplistic yet conveyed so much emotion is amazing. One of the main characters, Nakamura, was especially animated and every facial expression and action from her is a visual treat. I also have to give a shout to the director/storyboard artist/camera man? because the choice in camera angles is spectacular.
This review is already much longer than I planned, but I guess that's a sign that I have a lot of good things to say about the series.
TL;DR In my opinion, Aku no Hana is, in the most literal sense, an outstanding anime. If you're into fast-paced action sequences this...is definitely not the anime for you. But if you're into surreal, unsettling fiction, and unique animation, I highly recommend it.
