Hana-Kimi: For You in Full Blossom, Vol. 23

花ざかりの君たちへ [Hanazakari no Kimitachi e] #23

by Hisaya Nakajo

GOODBYE, HIGH SCHOOL DAYS
Mizuki's secret is exposed...and her days at Osaka High School are numbered. Can she keep the friends she made as a boy...and does she have a future with Sano after graduation? The flowers of youth are scattered to the winds in the bittersweet final volume of Hana-Kimi!

Genres: Manga, Romance, Graphic Novels, Shojo, Comedy, Genderqueer, Young Adult

192 pages, Paperback

First published November 19, 2004

About the author

Hisaya Nakajo (中条比紗也) was a Japanese shōjo manga artist. She also used the names Peco Fujiya and Ryou Fumizuki for doujinshi with her circle, Daisanteikoku.

Reviews

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Here we are at the end of Hana-kimi, a mere 20 years after it ended in Japan. Below are a few thoughts on this volume, and on the series as a whole, so look away if you want to avoid spoilers. Caveat lector!

***

Mizuki's situation has become untenable, and rather suddenly, considering she's been performing this charade for well over a year now. Mizuki's immediate circle of seven boys or so is supportive of her, but others in the school suddenly become leering or even abusive. Right around the seniors' graduation, she decides to leave the school, and from there we jump cut to a year later when Sano meets her again and they embrace.

As a situation comedy/drama, Hana-kimi got into a pleasant groove, and, for better and for worse, never veered very far from its light schooldays idyll where camaraderie, hanging out and fun dominated the students' lives. In this last volume, the paper-thin and unconvincing setup that initiated the series must be addressed. Author Nakajo returns to the stereotypical plotting that didn't impress me in this series' first few volumes, with its constant threats of Mizuki's secret being exposed, and putting her into damsel situations. There's a minor difference this time, in that it isn't just Sano jumping in to the fray, but various members of her friendship group.

That was a nice touch, showing that Mizuki moved beyond her rather self-centered motivation for entering Osaka high, and built real bonds with the people around her. Unfortunately, it also underlined what I considered some equivocal messaging in the story. The companionable portions, that form the majority of the middle part of the series, present a world where a girl could be friends with boys, without sexual politics underlying everything. But once Mizuki is "outed" as a girl, making her clique a posse of white knights saving her from being abused by other boys emphasizes that if the world sees you as a girl, then sexual politics--and cliched, embarrassingly old-fashioned tropes involving it--is all you'll ever have. The utopia is gone, the oasis an illusion that was merely heat haze. And so Mizuki must leave. She returns to the U.S. and grows her hair long.

This is making Hana-kimi sound more dreary than it is. The real world's problems have very little to do with it. It knows what it wants to accomplish--surrounding a teenaged girl with teenaged boys, and everybody having a laid-back, mostly cheerful time together--and it does a good job of it. There's a romance thread in there, too. I was pleased that I could keep track of this manga's immense cast, even though I've been reading bits and pieces of it over the course of almost five years (I read v. 1 in November of 2019). That's better than some series I like better than this have managed, and it displays Nakajo's strengths as a storyteller.

It's a mark in Hana-Kimi's favor that I read all 23 of its volumes without wanting to throw it at the wall... very often. ;) Usually comedy manga are too repetitive, trope-y, shout-y, unfunny, etc., and I pull the plug before ten volumes go by.

The art is lacking in confidence and detail, and the obvious dependence on white space and other shortcuts makes it feel halfhearted and rushed. Not everybody has to be Arina Tanemura to please me, but between the art and the writing, this never managed to wow me. Worth a (single) read-through, though.

[Steph Sinclair · Rating 5 out of 5]

There were tears.

[Chelsea · Rating 2 out of 5]

Talk about anticlimactic. Not only did Mizuki pull a truly stupid move (yes, stupider than disguising herself as a boy to get into an all boys school in Japan so she could be close to the high school high jump phenom she was madly in love with. think about that for a moment), but then there were basically no consequences for this huge secret that was the very basis of the entire series. Storytelling at it's very best.

And, seriously, the entire thing ends with two pages of Mizuki all "oh, hey, a letter" and Sano all "surprise! visit time!"? I... am very... frustrated. I don't know what I was expecting, but an end to the story might have been nice. What a let down.

Seriously, the things that get me all riled up.

[Katie❄️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall this was a really cute series. I can see why it's been and still is popular. The ending is a little bittersweet. I really wish the 24th volume could have been released in english.

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 stars
Okay so now that I've had a good nights sleep I can finally write a proper review. I'm going to be reviewing the whole series by the way.

This series is so adorable and hilarious, I really like Mizuki as a character. She really cares about Sano and she really cares about her friends. Her character develops so much throughout the series. The twists and turns this series made really kept me on the edge of my seat, I became addicted to this series really quickly.
Dr Umeda is one of my faves, the way he reacts to certain people and ahhh I love him.

It's such a nice shoujo manga and I can't recommend it enough!

Also I watched the Japanese Drama they made in 2007, IT'S SO GOOD OMG.

[Pauline (Kiriiti's Blog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bref, « Parmi eux – Hana Kimi » est toujours un coup de cœur malgré les années qui se sont écoulées depuis ma première lecture. Si on passe outre le fait que Mizuki se déguise en garçon juste pour se rapprocher de son Idole (un peu léger comme plot de départ), on découvre un mangas extrêmement drôle et touchant, dont les dessins et le dosage des textes ne font que s’améliorer au fil des tomes. Quant aux personnages, ils sont si variés que vous aurez forcément votre chouchou et vous ne pourrez détester les autres. Ils sont bien trop attachants pour cela. Je m’en vais lire les spin-off et pourquoi pas me refaire le drama pour la n-ième fois !

[Kristen B R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This will forever be my all-time favorite manga series 🖤🖤🖤
I love it so much and I'm so sad I've finished it (again) 😭😭😭

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part of me feels like this was sort of a wrap up because the story completely veered off high jumping (literally have no clue what happened with that at all...) and then there were the sort of unfinished plot lines. First of all, what was the point of Gilbert? He could have easily been a competitor for the lead considering he was actually someone she'd liked before. But he just showed up to eat dinner, bother Sano, and disappear back into the unknown...

Second of all, Sano's little brother, when he last's sees Mizuki, hugs her and starts a sentence he ultimately doesn't finish. He just says, 'next time we meet I'll tell you' and runs away. Of course... they never actually meet again.

I also don't know the point to mentioning the plot between Umeda and his best friend, considering its there just to say 'yeah, it happened... but we don't talk about that'. So does anyone who has love interests, besides Mizuki, ever get any closure (Nakao, Umeda, Nakatsu, Akiha, Ebi... they all seem to be stuck in this limbo were they just never get over anyone)? People have to move on eventually... don't they...?

Also, what about Alex? Cause I kind of would have liked to have met the friend he made the deal with.

I don't know. I love the series, and I think it was really cute and sweet, but I also felt like I've been lead on and on and on and on and then... dropped cold (don't know why this sounds like a dating reference, but for some reason I think it gets the point across the best). All in all I can't be too mad though, because it seems to have generally worked out for the best, sort of, right...? I mean, nobody dies so, thats a plus.

For somebody so nit-picky I am fairly easy to please.

[Angelie · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG I LOVE THE ENDING!!!!!!

I just wish we could see the wedding....... :( Or showed us their kids or something.... :(

But I'm so glad Mizuki ended up with Sano

It touched me when she was looking at all the places that held special memories then left the school and everyone was outside waiting for her.......I wanted to cry so badly!!!!!

And she looks super pretty with her hair long!!! (And it probably took her a while to get used to saying "Atashi" instead of saying "Ore".) So funny!! :)

There were a lot of funny and touching moments in this series.......

This is one of the best manga I have ever read..... :( It'll ALWAYS have a special place in my heart!! I'm totally going to miss this series.... :(

But I'll defiantly read this series over and over again!!!!!! :)

But....

What am I going to read now????? :(

[Cievia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutly, positively love this manga series. I laughed, cried, and smiled throughout the Hana-Kimi series. The characters are lovable, the plot is adorable, the ending is so...heart-warming. *SPOILER ALERT* Especially at the end when all her friends formed the two lines and they were saying good bye to her. My heart sank. Deeply. I automatically cried when I turned to that page. The guys are such good and close friends with Ashyia. This is, by far and will still remain, the most lovable manga series that I will ever read.

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series: cute. Best describes the series honestly. And I got butterflies again when I first saw one of the live action versions. And near the end and all that, having got used to the characters. Kind of sweet. And poor Nakatsu been through a lot throughout, emotions mixed and all that. But you got to admit, them expressions, priceless. Good series overall.

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 23 feels like the “Are we really going to end this without everyone knowing?” arc. Tensions are high, the humor is sharp, and the misunderstandings are still alive and kicking. Nakatsu continues being the lovable fool, while Mizuki expertly balances charm and deceit. Four stars for keeping the comedy alive right up to the brink.

[Helena · Rating 5 out of 5]

sigh..
AWESOME series.romantic. gender blender. AWESOME.
so sad its over (4 me)
o yea... one more thing.
AWESOME SERIES.
haha
so happy sano and mizuki r together.
mizuki looks weird with long hair now :P
but still
AWESOME SERIES

[Harumichi Mizuki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seseorang tak sengaja menyenggol tangga tempatnya berdiri saat Mizuki bertugas merapikan buku di perpustakaan. Mizuki jatuh dan kepalanya terbentur ke lantai. Ia sempat kehilangan kesadaran. Nakatsu datang dan melonggarkan bajunya, tapi dia langsung tercekat melihat rompi yang dipakai Mizuki untuk membebat dadanya. Sialnya, tak hanya Nakatsu yang melihat hal itu. Rumor langsung tersebar semakin santer. Akhirnya Mizuki mengaku di depan teman-teman sekelasnya. Yang mengejutkan, semua temannya mendukungnya. Namun, tidak demikian dengan anak-anak dari asrama lain. Akhirnya Mizuki memutuskan untuk kembali ke Amerika agar teman-temannya tak perlu bertengkar dengan anak-anak dari asrama lain demi membelanya.

Mizuki meninggalkan Ohsaka tepat di hari kelulusan para murid kelas 3. Rupanya Nanba-senpai dan dua ketua asrama lainnya sudah menyiapkan kejutan untuk melepas kepergian Mizuki. Sungguh akhir yang masuk akal dan mengharukan. Sano pun berjanji bahwa di masa depan ia akan menyusul Mizuki ke Amerika.

[Tina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So it's over... I've been slowly reading this book since August or September 2019. You could say I'm kind of emotionally attached to it.

I wanted to see more Sano-Ashiya moments in the end - how they function as a couple, how people react seeing that etc. But all in all, this was a great read!

I think my favorite character was Nanba Minami, simply because he's gorgeous and my favorite actor plays his role in kdrama.

Go read this and go watch a kdrama based on this manga, To the Beautiful You!

This is Sano Izumi (played by Choi Minho from Shinee)


Ashiya Mizuki (played by Sulli from f(x) - RIP <3)


Nakatsu


and I also want to show you Nanba Minami, played by the one and only Kang Haneul <3

[Lorena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Al final, la relación se vuelve mucho más sana y deja de haber comentarios homofobos. Los personajes maduran y muestran un amor sano, basado en la felicidad mutua más que en la posesión. Esto es para las relaciones románticas y para las de amistad. Además la autora no alarga demasiado el final, y las historias posteriores no se centran únicamente en la pareja principal, lo que permite que conozcamos más a fondo el resto de personajes.
El tratamiento de lo LGBT no es ideal. Esto no lo justifica, pero teniendo en cuenta la fecha en que se publicó, incluso me sorprendió que se nombrara la bisexualidad, cuando incluso hoy día está tan invisibilizada. Esto me ha motivado a querer leer algo más reciente de la autora, para saber si el tratamiento LGBT mejora. En todo caso, este manga seguirá teniendo un cariño especial para mí.

[Menoa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Those 5 stars are for the complete serie. I first read Hana Kimi when I was 13 or maybe 14 yo?? Now i'm 25 yo! And despite the flaws and some problems i still love it with my whole heart. I grew up with them and I love them all so much. It's one of those manga that i will cherish all my life. Hana kimi maybe not perfect, but to me it is like going home after a long time being away. I'm just really happy with my re-read ❤️

[Sophie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this series because the 2007 Japanese live action version is one of my favourite jdramas. Unfortunately, the manga series didn't match up to the brilliance of the tv show. There were lots of plot holes and random filler volumes that added little to the plot, and ultimately, I didn't feel much chemistry between Mizuki and Sano. Mizuki in particualar annoyed me quite often, as she was a bit too naive and stupid to have any real respect for her.

The ending is fine.

[Shayshkers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for the volume, not the whole series.

This series was too long. There were too many slow story arcs, but overall a cute, good read. I'd rate the series three stars overall. The ending, while successful in eliciting an emotional response from me, was a little too fast. This could have been half or even a third of the length and just as good. Worth the read as it's light-hearted, funny, and overall a good feeling cast and storyline.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

wow what a disappointing ending. There is kind of closure with the main characters and that is all we get. All these characters and no follow up? Honestly Maid Sama has had the best ending. Really showed us everyone. Also, it felt like most the last chapters were unnecessary based on the final chapter. I would have preferred more. I am glad I skipped ahead for that ending.

[Vivian Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a warm conclusion that worked. It never got bad and stayed sweet. I appreciated the supportive friendship, developing main relationship, and having graduation as the backdrop. This will always be one of my all time favorite mangas from my teenage years. 5/5

[Lena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! I read all 23 volumes for that lame ending?! I truly loved this series and getting to know all of the characters! I really wanted her to give Nakatsu a chance though! I was sad for it to end and was a bit disappointed in the ending!

[Travis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute series. I enjoyed every minute of it. The drama version seriously sucked, though.

[Leta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to read please

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s over!! Finally! It was meh.

[Hayley · Rating 5 out of 5]

First read: November 2013
Second read: May 2020

[Cheyenna Marshall]

I don't want it to be over...

[Ollie B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't talk to me, I'm crying!

[Honeypie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well, that was... disappointing. Hahahaha!

2.5 stars

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This series has its issues, but this was the best possible conclusion for it.