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Flower of Life #1
Flower of Life, Volume 1
Forced to enroll one month late after recovering from a serious illness, Harutaro does his best to remain optimistic about enrolling in a new school. The other students try to make Haru feel welcome – especially his chubby, loveable pal, Shota – but Kai Majima, president of the manga club and all-around hard case, seems intent on making Harutaro’s high school life a living nightmare. Join Harutaro as he makes new friends, learns to draw manga and discovers surprising facts about his “kinda gay” teacher!
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2004
1 person is currently reading
168 people want to read
About the author
Fumi Yoshinaga
144 books248 followersJapanese: よしなが ふみ
Fumi Yoshinaga (よしなが ふみ Yoshinaga Fumi, born 1971) is a Japanese manga artist known for her shōjo and shōnen-ai works.
Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She attended the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo.
In an interview, she said that "I want to show the people who didn't win, whose dreams didn't come true. It is not possible for everybody to get first prize. I want my readers to understand the happiness that people can get from trying hard, going through the process, and getting frustrated."
Little is known about her personal life. She mentions that her favourite operas are those by Mozart in the author's note of Solfege.
She debuted in 1994 with The Moon and the Sandals, serialized in Hanaoto magazine, but was previously a participant in comic markets.
Of Yoshinaga's many works, several have been licensed internationally. She was also selected and exhibited as one of the "Twenty Major Manga artist Who Contributed to the World of Shōjo Manga (World War II to Present)" for Professor Masami Toku's exhibition, "Shōjo Manga: Girl Power!" at CSU-Chico.
Outside of her work with Japanese publishers, she also self-publishes original doujinshi on a regular basis, most notably for Antique Bakery. Yoshinaga has also drawn fan parodies of Slam Dunk, Rose of Versailles, and Legend of Galactic Heroes.
Fumi Yoshinaga (よしなが ふみ Yoshinaga Fumi, born 1971) is a Japanese manga artist known for her shōjo and shōnen-ai works.
Fumi Yoshinaga was born in Tokyo, Japan in 1971. She attended the prestigious Keio University in Tokyo.
In an interview, she said that "I want to show the people who didn't win, whose dreams didn't come true. It is not possible for everybody to get first prize. I want my readers to understand the happiness that people can get from trying hard, going through the process, and getting frustrated."
Little is known about her personal life. She mentions that her favourite operas are those by Mozart in the author's note of Solfege.
She debuted in 1994 with The Moon and the Sandals, serialized in Hanaoto magazine, but was previously a participant in comic markets.
Of Yoshinaga's many works, several have been licensed internationally. She was also selected and exhibited as one of the "Twenty Major Manga artist Who Contributed to the World of Shōjo Manga (World War II to Present)" for Professor Masami Toku's exhibition, "Shōjo Manga: Girl Power!" at CSU-Chico.
Outside of her work with Japanese publishers, she also self-publishes original doujinshi on a regular basis, most notably for Antique Bakery. Yoshinaga has also drawn fan parodies of Slam Dunk, Rose of Versailles, and Legend of Galactic Heroes.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
July 1, 2007
This is an entirely skewed take on the good old new-transfer-student-comes-to-high-school story. I don't know why more of my Antique Bakery-loving friends haven't glommed onto this one, for it is absolutely wonderful. I had no idea what to expect when I randomly checked this out of the library, so it was really a pleasant suprise. Especially Harutaro, his adorable friend, his really annoying friend, his odd teachers, and his family. (The bit about his parents just kills me.) My library can't get volume 2 of this in fast enough for me.
June 21, 2007
Oh my gosh, so cute, so cute, so cute! I picked this up in Borders to read over lunch, not expecting much: while I really enjoyed Antique Bakery, I haven't been that blown away by Fumi Yoshinaga's other stuff. But this is so adorable! The main character and his mochi best friend and the creepy otaku and the teachers and Fumi Yoshinaga's delicate handling of subtleties of relationships and life in general, oh yay. I love all the characters madly, and the short comic at the end about Majima attending Comiket is absolutely hilarious. Beautiful Life in a Trappist Convent is the greatest title for a manga ever. I'm definitely picking up the next volume.
July 7, 2020
Charming and an unexpected slice of life. It’s also humorous with endearing characters. I’m in no rush to read the rest since the story isn’t really compelling and is just little pieces of stories.
October 20, 2012
3 1/2 stars
Ahh, the adventures of the new kid at school. Thankfully the characters aren’t too annoying or too boring, but interesting enough to get you reading. Harutaro Hanazono is an impulsive kid who returns to school after taking time off because of an illness. Shota Mikuni is a sweet, friendly boy who first befriends Hanazono. Kai Majima is Mikuni’s friend and resident otaku.
Like Yoshinaga’s other offerings, the art is attractive (Mikuni is especially cute, like those massive teddy bears that you find at toy stores). All the boys, even the “normal” ones are drawn like bishonen, but not in obnoxious way that it bothers you. Also, every mangaka has their own set of superdeformed/exaggerated facial styles and Yoshinaga’s are really funny.
There isn’t much of a story yet as Hanazono is just beginning to make friends and people are just being introduced, but the pull to pick up the next volume to read more stories of high school antics is definitely present.
Ahh, the adventures of the new kid at school. Thankfully the characters aren’t too annoying or too boring, but interesting enough to get you reading. Harutaro Hanazono is an impulsive kid who returns to school after taking time off because of an illness. Shota Mikuni is a sweet, friendly boy who first befriends Hanazono. Kai Majima is Mikuni’s friend and resident otaku.
Like Yoshinaga’s other offerings, the art is attractive (Mikuni is especially cute, like those massive teddy bears that you find at toy stores). All the boys, even the “normal” ones are drawn like bishonen, but not in obnoxious way that it bothers you. Also, every mangaka has their own set of superdeformed/exaggerated facial styles and Yoshinaga’s are really funny.
There isn’t much of a story yet as Hanazono is just beginning to make friends and people are just being introduced, but the pull to pick up the next volume to read more stories of high school antics is definitely present.
May 21, 2020
I continue to be a fan of Yoshinaga, but it's rough going from a series like What Did You Eat Yesterday? with its compassionate and realistic depiction of an average middle-age gay couple to one where the joke is that . I still found the style and "earnestness" I guess you'd call it of the manga, and I'll keep reading the series.
April 4, 2021
A great manga about a highschool boy named Harutaro whose held back due to cancer treatment. What I love about this one is how Harutaro has signs of autism as I’m autistic myself. Even though we are quite different from each other. By the way, I love Shota.
May 23, 2024
A schooldays story about Hanazono, a teen who's been kept back a year because he was being treated for leukemia. His cheerful, straightforward nature (and, possibly, his good looks) makes him popular among his classmates. His closest friend is Mikuni, a short, chubby boy whose cheer and insight have their own appeal.
I think these students are in junior high. Their interactions and outlook, their excitement about sleepovers, and their describing visits as "coming over to play" indicate they are younger than high school age, at least.
Adults and their interactions are baffling to the students, particularly Hanazono. Why is that sensei acting like an okama? That didn't make any sense to me, aside from overturning the reader's expectations.
Hanazono's school and family life is full of cozy detail, including the packed lunches his sister sends with him. It made me smile to see how the bento reflected how the sibs were getting along, as did the meals' volume increasing so that Hanazono could share the bounty with his new friends. (Yoshinaga's What Did You Eat Yesterday? is also really good at showing cooking for family as both a form of communication and expression of love.)
There are little troubles and conflicts along the way with Makita, Hanazono's compatriot in the manga club. I'd like to see more of him, maybe because he's a bristly nerd and that's more than slightly relatable. I hope they can sort out their differences in a way that works with Makita's weird, unsentimental personality.
I have only the first three (out of four) volumes of these, but I'll definitely enjoy what I have. Yoshinaga has quickly become a favorite mangaka. Since some of her titles licensed by Digital Manga Press have gone out of print in the last dozen years (unbelievable!), I'll have to be satisfied with what I have of hers: Gerard and Jacques, Antique Bakery, What Did You Eat Yesterday? and Ooku. :)
I think these students are in junior high. Their interactions and outlook, their excitement about sleepovers, and their describing visits as "coming over to play" indicate they are younger than high school age, at least.
Adults and their interactions are baffling to the students, particularly Hanazono. Why is that sensei acting like an okama? That didn't make any sense to me, aside from overturning the reader's expectations.
Hanazono's school and family life is full of cozy detail, including the packed lunches his sister sends with him. It made me smile to see how the bento reflected how the sibs were getting along, as did the meals' volume increasing so that Hanazono could share the bounty with his new friends. (Yoshinaga's What Did You Eat Yesterday? is also really good at showing cooking for family as both a form of communication and expression of love.)
There are little troubles and conflicts along the way with Makita, Hanazono's compatriot in the manga club. I'd like to see more of him, maybe because he's a bristly nerd and that's more than slightly relatable. I hope they can sort out their differences in a way that works with Makita's weird, unsentimental personality.
I have only the first three (out of four) volumes of these, but I'll definitely enjoy what I have. Yoshinaga has quickly become a favorite mangaka. Since some of her titles licensed by Digital Manga Press have gone out of print in the last dozen years (unbelievable!), I'll have to be satisfied with what I have of hers: Gerard and Jacques, Antique Bakery, What Did You Eat Yesterday? and Ooku. :)
October 24, 2024
Even though there's some pieces of writing in this that I'm not too crazy about, I really like Yoshinaga's writing style in general.
I feel like she portrays just enough realism to really feel like she's relaying a true memory. And she captures the sort of complex storm of youth in a really realistic way, the way kids fight and conflict with each other, but at the end of the day, are still in such close proximity because of school that they're still friends. I feel like the two teachers portrayed in this manga also juxtapose the kids by showing that even when you're older, things don't get less complex and mixed up -- you can still love and hate the person you're closest to.
I'm interested in reading more!!
I feel like she portrays just enough realism to really feel like she's relaying a true memory. And she captures the sort of complex storm of youth in a really realistic way, the way kids fight and conflict with each other, but at the end of the day, are still in such close proximity because of school that they're still friends. I feel like the two teachers portrayed in this manga also juxtapose the kids by showing that even when you're older, things don't get less complex and mixed up -- you can still love and hate the person you're closest to.
I'm interested in reading more!!
July 19, 2019
There were some elements of this that I really liked, such as the main character, and his friend Shota, and the MC's family. I thought the inclusion of leukemia added some nice depth to the story as well. However, the romance (what little there is so far, which is basically none) honestly didn't really work for me. So not sure if I'll continue the series, but an okay start. 3 stars.
August 28, 2019
Fumi Yoshinaga never fails when writing character personality and depth.
April 21, 2022
I am endlessly confused with the plot, although the representation and discussion of bullying was interesting and well done.
April 25, 2016
I had low expectations going into Flower of Life because, well, high school manga-- but I was pleasantly surprised. Fumi Yoshinaga takes a refreshing, down-to-earth approach that goes to show how hackneyed most school stories really are.
The small stakes and light touch means there's nothing in the first three volumes of Life that insists on being read; only the simple joys of relaxing into a slice of life tale, well done. But it is the realistic treatment of old worn tropes (the new student with a secret) and scenarios (the school festival) show how rewarding these can be when they are treated in a way that is subservient to the characters, rather than the other way around.
The fourth volume is ridiculously out of print so I don't know how it resolves the few minor dangling threads, including a hairy subplot involving a teacher-student affair. This has been treated lightly in various manga I've encountered before, so maybe my unease is something to just chalk up to cultural difference. (To Yoshinaga's credit, it isn't treated as a grand romance, but rather an arrangement which arises from a certain immaturity of both parties.)
Yoshinaga is a tough nut to crack, even as one of the most acclaimed mangaka making it to this shore in today's reduced market. Her Tiptree Award-winning Ōoku: The Inner Chambers is a meticulous, generations-spanning court drama that considers an alternate, female-centric history of the Tokugawa period, after a deadly plague killed three out of four men. Her other ongoing, the aptly-named What Did You Eat Yesterday?, is ostensibly about the life of a semi-closeted lawyer and his hairdresser boyfriend, but really serves as a vehicle for Yoshinaga's culinary acumen.
Such as it is, I can't parse an easy uniting thread for her work. Powerful women? Bishonen? Food? At any rate, this unpredictability has me interested in seeing what else she's capable of. Rating: 3 stars
The small stakes and light touch means there's nothing in the first three volumes of Life that insists on being read; only the simple joys of relaxing into a slice of life tale, well done. But it is the realistic treatment of old worn tropes (the new student with a secret) and scenarios (the school festival) show how rewarding these can be when they are treated in a way that is subservient to the characters, rather than the other way around.
The fourth volume is ridiculously out of print so I don't know how it resolves the few minor dangling threads, including a hairy subplot involving a teacher-student affair. This has been treated lightly in various manga I've encountered before, so maybe my unease is something to just chalk up to cultural difference. (To Yoshinaga's credit, it isn't treated as a grand romance, but rather an arrangement which arises from a certain immaturity of both parties.)
Yoshinaga is a tough nut to crack, even as one of the most acclaimed mangaka making it to this shore in today's reduced market. Her Tiptree Award-winning Ōoku: The Inner Chambers is a meticulous, generations-spanning court drama that considers an alternate, female-centric history of the Tokugawa period, after a deadly plague killed three out of four men. Her other ongoing, the aptly-named What Did You Eat Yesterday?, is ostensibly about the life of a semi-closeted lawyer and his hairdresser boyfriend, but really serves as a vehicle for Yoshinaga's culinary acumen.
Such as it is, I can't parse an easy uniting thread for her work. Powerful women? Bishonen? Food? At any rate, this unpredictability has me interested in seeing what else she's capable of. Rating: 3 stars
May 8, 2010
I didn't really know what I was jumping into when I started to read this. I chose it because it was written by Fumi Yoshinaga, who did Ooku (which won the Tiptree), and because I could borrow it through ILL. I guess I expected some interesting gender stuff, and I did get that.
So far, this series is about a new kid in high school. He's a year older than everyone else because he had leukemia. He has some weird teachers and some weird classmates. He joins the manga club, knowing not very much about how to draw manga. Except that he does, because he's very very good. He just doesn't know all the things like what tools to use and techniques and things.
At the very beginning, I had a little trouble understanding what was going on and who the characters were, but as I got into it, it was easier to understand. I will definitely read the next two volumes to see where the story is going. Especially as I have them right here already.
One thing I just realized is that there were no endnotes to explain some of the Japanese words or culture things. I really appreciate them when they're included. I only have a vague sense of what 'moeh' is, for example, and it would've been nice for the translator to tell me.
So far, this series is about a new kid in high school. He's a year older than everyone else because he had leukemia. He has some weird teachers and some weird classmates. He joins the manga club, knowing not very much about how to draw manga. Except that he does, because he's very very good. He just doesn't know all the things like what tools to use and techniques and things.
At the very beginning, I had a little trouble understanding what was going on and who the characters were, but as I got into it, it was easier to understand. I will definitely read the next two volumes to see where the story is going. Especially as I have them right here already.
One thing I just realized is that there were no endnotes to explain some of the Japanese words or culture things. I really appreciate them when they're included. I only have a vague sense of what 'moeh' is, for example, and it would've been nice for the translator to tell me.
October 25, 2014
today i have learned a lesson about prejudice
i have ignored this series for ages because yaoi! yaoi which does hyper heteronormativity without even giving me a girl to root for! no i refuse, nyet, nyet, i will not have my fumi yoshinaga love so tainted
oh miss susan, where is your faith? did you really think fumi yoshinaga was going to write the stereotypical seme/uke tale of rape culture? shame on you, what kind of fan do you even call yourself
this is my longwinded way of saying this is hella cute and i should really work on that kneejerk reaction i have against yaoi
i mean honestly, as though there isn't terrible shoujo out there. do we judge shoujo by the likes of miki aihara? no we do not unless we want to hear miss susan give a ten minute enthusiastic lecture on better examples of shoujo to read
do we know why we have suddenly switched pronouns? mysteries!
anyways i'm actually not sure if this is gonna go the full yaoi? it's more gen slice-of-life with subtext atm. but either way i entirely approve of hanazono/mikuni. hanazono is highly relatable here, mikuni is ridiculously cute and i'm pretty sure i'd also end up doing p much anything he asked
3 stars
i have ignored this series for ages because yaoi! yaoi which does hyper heteronormativity without even giving me a girl to root for! no i refuse, nyet, nyet, i will not have my fumi yoshinaga love so tainted
oh miss susan, where is your faith? did you really think fumi yoshinaga was going to write the stereotypical seme/uke tale of rape culture? shame on you, what kind of fan do you even call yourself
this is my longwinded way of saying this is hella cute and i should really work on that kneejerk reaction i have against yaoi
i mean honestly, as though there isn't terrible shoujo out there. do we judge shoujo by the likes of miki aihara? no we do not unless we want to hear miss susan give a ten minute enthusiastic lecture on better examples of shoujo to read
do we know why we have suddenly switched pronouns? mysteries!
anyways i'm actually not sure if this is gonna go the full yaoi? it's more gen slice-of-life with subtext atm. but either way i entirely approve of hanazono/mikuni. hanazono is highly relatable here, mikuni is ridiculously cute and i'm pretty sure i'd also end up doing p much anything he asked
3 stars
April 20, 2008
I picked this up because it was nominated for an Eisner. I had never heard of it, and it made me wonder how it earned such notoriety.
To be honest, I am a little baffled. There is not much of distinction here, not even great drawing. The first two chapters in this debut volume were actually poor enough to make me consider stopping my reading, but I carried on. It got better as it went, getting beyond the strange gender-bending and peeping-tom elements from the beginning. There is some interesting dialogue stemming from the teenagers' love of manga and their references to specific genres, and there might also be some worthwhile developments stemming from the lead character having beat leukemia prior to the start of this comic. Even so, I don't really find myself all that eager to find out if this upward trend continues in the next volume.
To be honest, I am a little baffled. There is not much of distinction here, not even great drawing. The first two chapters in this debut volume were actually poor enough to make me consider stopping my reading, but I carried on. It got better as it went, getting beyond the strange gender-bending and peeping-tom elements from the beginning. There is some interesting dialogue stemming from the teenagers' love of manga and their references to specific genres, and there might also be some worthwhile developments stemming from the lead character having beat leukemia prior to the start of this comic. Even so, I don't really find myself all that eager to find out if this upward trend continues in the next volume.
April 2, 2013
Fumi Yoshinaga is one of my favorite mangakas, but the opening volume of her four part series "Flower of Life" left me less than impressed. The story takes place in a school where students and teachers alike are engaged in complicated relationships. In the center is Harutaro, an outider who enrolls to the school late because he has just recovered from leukemia.
The book is formed by very short flashes into the lives of the characters, there's little to no cohesion to the whole thing and none of these small threads of drama manage to gather enough momentum. It's a laid-back read, but somewhat tedious in its excessive lightness.
The book is formed by very short flashes into the lives of the characters, there's little to no cohesion to the whole thing and none of these small threads of drama manage to gather enough momentum. It's a laid-back read, but somewhat tedious in its excessive lightness.
September 9, 2010
A somewhat disjointed series of vignettes concerning a class that recieves a new student, a handsome young man who has survived cancer and has a carpe diem outlook on life. He adopts some of the odder characters of the class, two nerds who are complete opposites in nature. Also entertaining is the exploration of his teachers' sexuality and the general nature of kids' to harass and tease each other mercilessly.
December 30, 2014
This series is marketed as "yaoi," but I don't find that it fits in with other series marketed as such.
Once I read Volume 3, I'll probably be able to properly review this series, but after two volumes, I can say that's funny, endearing, but not awesome like Antique Bakery (arguably the author's most well-known work).
Once I read Volume 3, I'll probably be able to properly review this series, but after two volumes, I can say that's funny, endearing, but not awesome like Antique Bakery (arguably the author's most well-known work).
March 14, 2015
I remember that I tried reading this before, but since I had seriously misguided expectations when I did, I couldn't get into it at all. This time it was different. It's a great coming-of-age story, funny and moving and with lovable characters and Fumi Yoshinaga's great art.
September 10, 2009
Strange manga about a kid who has leukemia and is one year behind in school. He makes friends with a fat kid and his teachers are having an affair. Typical.
Read
July 28, 2011Underwhelming and uninteresting. I couldn't get into any of the characters.
December 18, 2011
What a strange storyline....This book was a 1.5 star read for me.
Check out my full review on my blog:
http://turningthepagesx.blogspot.com/...
Check out my full review on my blog:
http://turningthepagesx.blogspot.com/...
February 12, 2012
I adore this series. 2nd manga series by Fumi Yoshinaga I've read. I declare myself a fan. Too bad it's so hard to find an affordable volume 4 :(
December 23, 2012
It's cute- not yotsuba cute, but high school kids sort of cute.
November 17, 2013
too funny
October 8, 2008
this was a diferent story, then what I was used to from her.
Read
December 13, 2018This was ridiculous, but not a humorous way.
The art was okay, though.
The art was okay, though.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews