I believe I first read "Aku no Hana" two years ago at the time I was 14 years old, many would say I was far too young to be reading such a graphic work and I have to agree. Something about this manga captivated me, I think it was because I was at a point in my life where I just kind of felt stuck. I was a melodramatic teenager who was going through those angsty teenager feelings two years too early. We all realize when we get older than our lives aren't "ending" and that if we make one social mistake that we're screwed, but this manga takes this teenage paranoia to an extreme.
I think the reason "Aku no Hana" works is because we're experiencing it from a teenagers point of view. To someone in their later years they would remember those time with a bit of embarrassment and feel distanced from those feelings, but during the time you experience them, they feel very real. Takao is a character who lives off of these feelings and thrives in them. He thinks he's unique because he considers his feelings of feeling distanced from the others and reading fancy poetry makes him "special" and "outside the norm". The harsh reality is that everyone goes through these messy times and it's how you compose yourself in them that truly shows what kind of person you are.
Without Nakamura, I think our protagonist would've seemed just sort of..." meh". A disgusting guy who is stupid enough to try to steal him crushes gym clothes. Nakamura is the perfect example of a "foil" I think the best foils in writing are the ones who SEEM similar to the protagonist, but actually, have stark differences that bring you to realizations about the lead. Takao isn't truly living in this dark world he's just going through a phase. While Nakamura definitely has some serious issues. It may be the effects of living in a small town, but no one takes Nakamura's issues seriously enough I often wondered why not a single teacher tried to get her issues for her obvious psychological issues, but then I realized. "Nobody gives a shit" all the teachers saw was a disrespectful student who they would love to get rid of and never stopped to think about what she might be feeling.
Finally, we have the "love interests" of our lead. While some may consider Nakamura a love interest I do not. He was devoid of romantic feelings or her it was more like some desperation he had to fill the empty void she was living in. First up we have Nanako who is just might be the biggest bitch in anime/manga history. I despise her so much. Nakamura may have done some batshit crazy things, but they come nothing close to the shit Nanako pulled. Although the manga may brush it aside (I do believe that the author took this issue very seriously, but what trying to show how Takao tried to repress it) Nanako's sexual assault of Takao was one of the grossest things I've ever seen. It was not glorified or brushed off quickly, but it was quick, and Nanako acted like it was just...nothing. She thought it was fun for him. Let me make this clear she raped him and that is a topic that is rarely discussed in manga. A woman raping a man.
When she meets Takao again she acts like he's in the wrong. Like he's some kind of freak who won't move on maybe its because she felt pitiful when her own life was exactly that, obsessed with the past.
Next up we have Aya who is far superior to the previously mentioned...roach. I really liked this character she wasn't just a boring character who our lead was forced to be with because he couldn't get with the two obviously manipulative women. They seemed to have a genuine bond and I loved it. I hear a lot of people complain about the second part of the story being dull, but I loved it. Life moves on. You're not going to always be stuck in the deep pit of depression and feel like your life is over when it's just beginning.
The funny thing is, I think I was a lot like Takao myself when I read this. I thought I was so impressive because I was reading this adult story that only an "intellectual" could understand. Instead, I just ended up being really confused and..upset. It made me feel things that I didn't want to feel because even with the dark stories manga often present they usually feel separate from our own reality. What upset me the most was that I wanted to understand it so bad. I wanted to feel like this angsty main character of her own soap opera, but I wasn't and I'm glad I wasn't.
I do like this manga and even if you don't enjoy it I really do suggest you check it out.
