Flowers of Evil Volume 8 Review: Old Ghosts Resurface
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
While these chapters didn’t feature any shocking scenes, you know, the kind meant to make the reader uncomfortable or go, “WTF did I just read?”, this still turns out to be one of the strongest volumes of Flowers of Evil by Shuzo Oshimi. No more underwear stealing, shack burning, knife wielding, and crazy criminal stuff for now.
Volume 7 ended with Kasuga’s new friend, Tokiwa, announcing that her boyfriend was coming to visit. So, Volume 8 opens with Tokiwa asking Kasuga to remain in her room while she goes out to meet her boyfriend, Koji, outside her house. Eventually, though, she introduces the two, leading to a very awkward encounter. Both irritated and intrigued by Kasuga’s sudden closeness to his girlfriend, Koji pressures him into attending a party with them, which only amplifies the protagonist’s discomfort.
Beyond exploring how Kasuga’s growing friendship with Tokiwa impacts both their lives, this volume also reintroduces a familiar face to stir up trouble in Kasuga’s ‘new’ life. If nothing else, this character acts as a trigger for the eruption of buried thoughts and feelings in the now subdued Kasuga. I don’t want to reveal too much to keep the review free from major spoilers and disrupted your reading experience, so let’s keep things cryptic.
While the earlier volumes of Flowers of Evil might have felt like they could be classified as horror manga, thanks to the creepy, bizarre events unfolding between the characters, instead, Volume 8 is more grounded, yet brimming with emotional turbulence. For instance, at the party, Kasuga is low-key bullied for being “different,” especially when he awkwardly admits, “I don’t really get that stuff,” in response to a question about his dating life. Or how Tokiwa quietly reveals that none of her friends know about her reading habit, since no one else shares her interest. These high school dynamics will strike a chord with many readers.
Tightly paced and well-drawn, Flowers of Evil Volume 8 is an engaging read that ends on a cliffhanger, one that hints at a significant shift in Kasuga and Tokiwa’s relationship.
Rating: 4 on 5. ‘Flowers of Evil’ is also on Kindle Unlimited.
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