The Flowers of Evil, Vol. 6

惡の華 [Aku no Hana]

by Shuzo Oshimi

In this sixth volume of The Flowers of Evil, Takao and Nakamura are now deep in the darkness. After creating their own secret world in the rice paddies of rural Gunma, someone who resented their relationship attempted to destroy that haven, in an attempt to disrupt the beautiful chaos the pair had created. Now the duo have been wrongly-accused of a crime, and their previous hijinks -including many school pranks- have placed them in an awkward position within their tiny community. Furthermore local authorities now involved and are more than willing to blame all strange behavior this small town has seen recently on the two teens. Is this the end of this drama? Will being treated as outcasts in their own community keep these two from crossing over to the other side?! No! It is just the end of the second arc...

Genres: Manga, Comics, Horror, Fiction, Romance, Graphic Novels, Psychological

200 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 8, 2012

About the author

Shuzo Oshimi (押見修造, Oshimi Shūzō) is a Japanese manga creator.
Drawn in a realistic art style, his comics tend to be psychological dramas exploring the difficulties in human relationships and often touching on disturbing situations and perversions.
Oshimi debuted in 2001 with the manga series Avant-Garde Yumeko, appeared in Kodansha's 'Monthly Shōnen Magazine.' Most of his works since then have been published by Kodansha and Futabasha.
Among his first successes the single volume manga Sweet Poolside (2004), later adapted into a live-action film, and the series Drifting Net Café (2008–2011), also adapted for TV.
Oshimi reached international acclaims with The Flowers of Evil (2009–2014) and Inside Mari (2012–2016), both adapted into successful anime. Other notable works are Blood on the Tracks (2017–2023) and Welcome Back, Alice (2020-2023) .

Reviews

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first 33 chapters of Aku no Hana, which is divided into two sections, are about Kasuga's middle school years and all the bizarre occurrences that happen to him up until a time jump. The remaining chapters detail Kasuga's life in high school after the time skip and his efforts to become a well-adjusted person. The first 33 chapters are, to put it mildly, nothing short of addictive, so I'll just pull this bandage off now. As soon as you open the first chapter, you are engrossed by the story's entirely dismal tone.

[Keiko, the manga enthusiast ♒︎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

When she, against the rite the cult devised, let her sweet body be the rutting-ground for a brute…
—Charles Baudelaire, Lesbos

[Paul Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume really gets deep, I really don't want to spoil anything but I'll just say that everything gets turned upside down and completely unfolds for Kasuga and Nakamura.

Nakamura just gets crazier and Kasuga continues to spiral out of control swept up in Nakamura's madness and unhealthy mental state. Saeki seems to be the only sane one at this point. I really hope volume 7 improves on Seaki x Kasuga, all I know is that there's a time skip come volume 7 and I want to see how that plays out.

The Flowers of Evil is completely unique for a Shonen manga. It does not fit into any of the typical genres that Shonen usually relies on such as battle, harem or contest manga. It is a deep, dark, psychologically unsettling work that penetrates into the heart and mind.

This is another amazing volume in this series and the artwork is outstanding as always.

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

I can't seem to quit reading this, kind of like watching a car accident, just can't look away.

[David Turko · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think I said it before but this series has really gone off the rails. The story is pure chaos now and I'm really curious as to where this goes.

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book via Kindle Unlimited.

Their sanctuary has been burned down. Everyone has now found out about what they have done. The school and the police are involved and their parents are fighting to keep them apart. Kasuga has been grounded, his parents forcibly keeping him in the house at all costs. However, these two won't stay away from one another for anything. They find a way to get together and take their plans to disrupt the summer festival to a whole new level. Their parents are looking for them there, not knowing their teenagers are planning for this to be the final act in their story. Their suicide pact comes to a head when they douse themselves in kerosine and plan to light themselves on fire. After an impassioned speech, this volume ends with Nakamura pushing Kasuga off the stage telling him she's going solo this time. This book feels like a massive break in the tension. The suicide pact. Saeki being put into a detention centre for starting the fire. I wonder what is going to happen in the next volumes, I can't see how these kids will ever be allowed near one another again.

[Irene ➰ · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5

And it looks like we are reaching a big story conclusion.

I honestly appreciated more this volume considering it looked more "realistic".
There are finally parents stepping in and the police as well, so it does look different like this.
There are now various ways of seeing this story, from different POVs and this definitely helps the story for more credibility.

So many things happened in this sixth volume and there's of course the festival part, where we finally discover what those two are planning on doing.

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things are really going insane in this series now. The culprits were caught and somehow they fully embrace their perverted natures. It looks like Nakamura and Kasuga are building up into something deeper than run of the mill perverts, they might be escalating into full blown convicts. It’s exciting to watch such unstable characters in love with each other’s dark side, like Bonny and Clyde.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Las flores del mal 6

Y si hubo problemas, pero entre un enfrentamiento con Saeki, y lo que hace la amiga, al final Kasuga y Nakamura toman una decisión, que deja el final del tomo en tremendo cliffhanger, que ocurrirá???

4.5 star

[nomid · Rating 3 out of 5]

dom gf sub bf

[AB · Rating 2 out of 5]

the author seems to spout all these ideas but he doesn't go anywhere with it.

[Mark Robison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume is my favorite since the first one as our pervert protagonist hatches a plan to upend the status quo in his community while staying true to his deeply disturbed muse. His parents get drawn into the story more fully as his actions begin to catch more notice from authorities. In the US, there would definitely be a school shooting being planned. Instead of guns, in this smallish Japanese city, stolen schoolgirl panties are the weapon of choice to make his statement.

[Camilaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

[cynne★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

i cant even imagine what else might happen

[Moises Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este volumen es quizás el más oscuro hasta ahora. interesantes diálogos pero se aprecia que en nakamura hay una creciente inestabilidad, conflicto.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Half-way through this volume I felt like the story should have ended. What more can the author offer for five more volumes? Then came the cliffhanger. Oh, boy!

After putting out the fire set by Saeki to the fort, the police find Kasuga and Nakamura's notebook where they wrote down their plan for the Summer Festival. Seriously, did they really need to write it down? Was it that easy to forget? Painted panties on public display - that was it. The police visit Kasuga's house, asking about the notebook. He lies, they leave, but Kasuga's parents ground him.

Kasuga gets a visit from Saeki. You can safely say she is unhinged by this point. She wishes she could also see the Other Side, but she believes it is unattainable. Their talk makes Kasuga's mission clear in his mind - save Nakamura.

Ai can no longer stand idly by while her best friend Saeki's life is destroyed. After Saeki confesses to starting the fire, Ai tells the police about everything else and soon the whole town knows. They even vandalize Nakamura's house and demand that the family leave town. Kasuga's parents are also humiliated by the whole affair and decide to move away.

Nakamura breaks into Kasuga's house and takes him away, but not before assaulting Kasuga's father with nothing short of a real-life baseball bat. That was a scene! She wants Kasuga to peel off the skin that makes him mediocre like everyone else in town, but she soon realises, just like Kasuga concluded, that the Other Side is within her. She wants to be rid of it even if she has to die for it. They decide to kill themselves during the Summer Festival.

[Ash Raven · Rating 3 out of 5]

…

I still don’t know why I’m still reading this. Like is there supposed to be a deeper meaning that I am not quite understanding or seeing? I don’t know maybe I’m still reading just to see where is all goes in the end.

[Shreya · Rating 4 out of 5]

this.... is getting out of hand

[Gren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, let's see where this goes now

[Somnium · Rating 5 out of 5]

Summer is here. The season where the heat makes you stupid.

I to je tačno. Leto često pored lepih sećanja sa putovanja, budi i osećaj dosade. Ljudi su na odmoru, gradovi se prazne, manje je dešavanja i za one koji ne mogu podneti sopstveno društvo, eto dosade. Ne kaže se zalud "an idle mind is the devil's workshop" iliti po našem da je "dosada đavolja rabota".

Svakakve ludosti čovek radi iz dosade i unutrašnjeg nezadovoljstva, pa u istom stilu nastavlja i Nakamura, ali je ovog puta slepo prati njeno zamorče, Kasuga. Jeste, onaj Kasuga koji je nosio Cveće pod miškom i kleo se u njega. Sad iste te knjige odbacuje. Šta "ljubav" učini od čoveka! I dalje ovo dvoje mladih prati teskobno osećanje zarobljenosti, strah da iz tog malog grada neće nikada i nigde otići i da će srasti na kraju s tom sredinom.

Prva tri tankobona su se završila Kasuginom izdajom. Izdao je i svoju muzu Saeki i svog tlačitelja Nakamuru. Na tim poslednjim stranicama shvata da sa Saeki ne može da bude, a da Nakamuru ne može da pusti. Proganjaju ga Nakamurine reči - Kasuga, I had faith in you. That you'd shed all your skin and follow me to the other side. Liar man!

Nakon jednomesečnog zatišja, Kasuga uspeva da stupi u kontakt sa Nakamurom. Shvata da "a place where Nakamura smiles, that's my other side'". Ovoga puta će oboje prigrliti svoju tamnu stranu, ne nužno perverznu, ali tamnu svakako, i krenuti putem ludosti i gluposti. Kasuga obećava Nakamuri da čak i da nikada ne napuste grad u kome žive, on, Kasuga, nikada neće dozvoliti da joj bude dosadno. Jer kao što reče Viktor Igo - There is something more terrible than a hell of suffering - a hell of boredom.

Ova tri tankobona (4-6) su upravo to - hell of boredom. I, u najmanju ruku, čudni i uvrnuti pokušaji da se iz tog pakla izađe.

Konačno i Nakamura otkriva i priznaje veliku istinu o sebi i kaže - There is no other side. Nothing at all. No shitbugs, no pervs. Now there's nothing left. Cause no matter where I go I can't get rid of me.

[Alessandra S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

"He estado pensando, ¿por qué todos llegamos a esto? Yo... tú sabes... ¿crees que he cambiado? Haber hecho algo así..., pero sabes, no tenía ninguna mala intención en absoluto. Realmente yo sólo quería hacer lo correcto. Sólo quería dejar salir lo que realmente estaba en mi corazón, ser sincera conmigo misma. ¿Qué hice mal? Debe haber sido... desde el comienzo. No he cambiado nada, siempre fue así. Al igual que tú me malinterpretabas, yo también te malinterpretaba, nada siempre es tan claro. Nadie... nadie puede llegar a ser especial. Todo el mundo es el mismo, la mayoría es sólo una cuestión de impresión. ¿Es tan especial que seas un 'pervertido'? Es por eso que no puedes llegar a 'el otro lado'".

"Siempre, siempre estaba gritando. El pervertido dentro de mí, gritándome a mí con palabras que no podía entender. Kasuga, los gritos rebotaron de ti, y comprendí lo que la voz gritando podía decir. Podía oír 'quiero salir', 'déjame salir, por favor, déjame salir', ¿dónde está la salida?, ¿dónde está el otro lado? Pero yo sabía que no había 'otro lado'. No hay 'este lado'. No hay nada, no come mierdas, no pervertidos, no hay nada en absoluto. Porque sin importar dónde vaya, no voy a ser capaz de desaparecer".

Reseña en el último tomo...

[Sneha Jaiswal · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume of Flowers of Evil is fast-paced, slightly twisty, and drenched in teen angst and frustration. The already troubling dynamic between Kasuga and Nakamura (where she dominates as the bully and he submits as her passive lackey) takes a darker, more violent turn by the end.

What makes many of Nakamura’s actions feel hollow and frustrating is Shuzo Oshimi’s refusal to provide any backstory or clear motivation for her behavior. Then again, that might be the point: Nakamura is simply a restless teen acting out, her cruelty driven not by trauma, but by sheer boredom and the desire to disrupt. But then there is still the Saeki problem, why that smart girl keeps getting caught in their muck is simply inexplicable.

[Miss Ryoko · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have such conflicted feelings about this series. I really don't care about it - truly I don't. I hate all these characters. They're all annoying and stupid. Yet, when I read a volume, I read it quickly and want to read the next one. Perhaps it's because the underlying storyline IS intriguing and so perhaps I'm hoping it'll finally be executed decently. But... seems like it just never is. And this series is utterly boring.

Also, exactly how much time has passed in these first six volumes? When we started, Kasuga looked like a 10 year old boy. Now he looks like he's 17.... I have no clue. Yeah, kids grow fast, but it's strange.

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kasuga got caught by the police over the journal he left behind in the fire. Kasuga and Nakamura are not to to see each other. Kasuga was planning to do something to make her happy and not bored. He discovered in his own thinking that the other side was in Nakamura. Saeki, on the other hand, had other ideas. She had her haircut short in the style of Nakamura’s. They were to be gone from their town. But not before Kasuga and Nakamura launched an event at a festival that nobody’s gonna forget. However, this reader will see something utter pathetic, and won’t be very impressed. But, still expect a surprise.

[AsianMerr · Rating 2 out of 5]

There is so much wrong here. Even with almost dying this idiot still sticks to her, looks like they’re gonna try to kill themselves next volume and that would be a cop out. I wanted the MC to be saved and it looked like his parents were gonna do that but he betrayed them. I don’t care that Nakamura cried, he’s brain washed and I think the only way this ends is with them dying.

P.S I see where Oshimi got the inspiration for Blood on the tracks, MC is manipulated by a female, hiding stuff up and then the cops get involved but he will defend her till the end even though she’s a walking red flag

[ℂ ✧ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fins ara el volum que més m'ha agradat perquè comences a veure repercussions versemblants a tot el que està passant. El crescendo de la trama continua fins al cliffhanger del final en el festival. Primer cop que es veu a la Nakamura patint de debò per tot el que li passa pel cap, et fa empatitzar un pèl... però el Takao segueix amb el seu complex d'heroi intens/deprimit, així que m'espero el pitjor.

[Facundo Hermosid · Rating 5 out of 5]

La verdad, es un manga excelente. Tuve la suerte de poder leerlo como un adulto, ya pasada la adolescencia, lo que me permitió apreciarlo con mayor profundidad desde una "distancia segura".

Trama entretenida, personajes profundos y bien diferenciados y cierto grado de identificación. Una de mis mejores lecturas del año pasado.

Es un manga que no dejo de recomendar.

[Maurine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alors qu'on pense que la situation est sous contrôle... C'est reparti pour un tour 🤪 Et cette fin... Omg que va-t-il se passer ? J'imagine le pire.
Toujours aussi malsain comme histoire... Mais c'est étrange, j'ai vraiment envie de connaître les évènements futurs même si c'est dérangeant.

[Xavier · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm surprised there's more after this issue. It seems like a fitting way to end the series on a high note that's open ended. I suppose that isn't satisfying for many readers but with everyone knowing what was done and the complete alienation from the rest of the town, it seems fitting.

[Kristin Katsuye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay it was picking up but then it kind of lost me here. Don’t think it’s quite my kind of ugliness trope. Parts I like, but then some I’m just… Maybe that’s the job of horror…

I’m reading the complete editions. Volume 2 had 4-6. Ch. 18-25