Aku No Hana - Kembang Jahanam 3

惡の華 [Aku no Hana]

by Shuzo Oshimi, Anggi Virgianti (Translator)

Usai menyelinap ke sekolah tengah malam, Kasuga dan Nakamura membuat kekacauan di kelas dengan tinta dan melalui malam yang penuh gejolak. Esoknya, Kasuga pergi ke sekolah dengan tekad siap dituduh pelaku, tetapi ternyata namanya sudah dihapus oleh rekan kejahatannya. Meski begitu, Kasuga tetap menderita akibat tekanan batin. Apalagi kejahatannya terbongkar oleh sang pacar, Saeki!!

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

232 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2011

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

[Miss Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

man i really don't get the critical response to this series

like i read the first two volumes, concluded it was yet another series that mistakes cynical for deep and noped my way out

but then blogs i respect started heaping love on the series so i figured i'd give it a second chance

i still don't see it?? the characters don't make sense, the only thing i can see driving the story forward is a determination to ~shock~ us all with middle school depravity

but that kind of deconstruction only works when you build up something to deconstruct; like the climax to this volume with kasuga's choice doesn't mean a thing to me when neither nakamura or saeki have been developed as plausible people

however, it's a quick read and my library's got the next two volumes so i guess it can have two more chances to impress me

2.5 stars

[Kesa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Messed up. But seriously, what's the point of the story ?

[James DeSantis · Rating 3 out of 5]

So what happens now that everyone knows our favorite hero is big old pervert?

Well no one knows. Because psycho decided to cross out his name on the board. So the pervert mystery still goes! Except for the girl he likes, because she knows it's him by the sign left from the book he gave her, and BAM! She doesn't care. She loves him. She's okay with him stealing her uniform and wearing it on dates. Japan right?

Good: This is still pretty entertaining if not over the top. The struggle between the two female leads is interesting as I feel they are very similar despite being very different. Also the art remains to be a highlight.

Bad: The ending...kind of got boring sadly. I think it'll pick up again but this ending was the weakest one of the series. Also the situations are getting a little overdramatic.

Overall silly but still fun. I'ma keep reading it cause, lol, why not. A 3 out of 5.

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

Become enlightened and become consumed by the darkness... somehow they're synonymous or maybe they cannot survive without the other.

This volume gives me the chills!!

[daph pink ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot had me intrigued as to what the hell would happen between Kasuga and Nakamura, and the events that transpired left me speechless in utter amazement and awe.

The shit she and Kasuga end up doing together would not be out of place in a perverse anarchist's wet fantasy, forget about the usual high school romance nonsense. Oh how I wish I were Kasuga and possessed a tank of kerosene; vandalism, stealing gym gear, shit-eaters.

Call me a bad apple, but I was a nerd and an excellent student throughout high school. The fact that I had friends to relax with made everything okay. However, reading this didn't satisfy my teen mind, and I was transported back to my school days, and if something similar had been occurring there at the time, I would have wanted to be a part of it.

[Aimé · Rating 4 out of 5]

Vale...
Si estos son los tiros por los que va la historia, tiene mi atención.

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. Some serious mind !#%&ery going on here. The truth is out, and still the boy is drawn to Nakamura. The backup story gives us a little hint: he doesn't want to be normal. The girl of his dreams is practically begging at his feet, but to go with her means going towards what is normal. Maybe Nakamura isn't what he wants, but she's nothing like anything else in town, maybe even his life to that point. Too bad he can't look into the future and see how she will royally screw him up if he keeps giving her that kind of power.
The crazy thing is that, despite what he thinks of muse girl and what she represents, clearly she isn't normal, either, given her behavior. But he's too wrapped up in his own angst to see it.
Oshimi's handle of the insanity of adolescence is masterful.

[Elizabeth A · Rating 3 out of 5]

Middle school can be rough enough without being in the situation that our three characters are in. Emotions spill out all over the place, and things come to a head where Takao must pick between the two girls - not the girls themselves, as much as the paths forward they represent to him. The author's last note has an interesting question about adolescence. How do we define it? We cannot control the onset of adolescence, as it is often physically visible, but when does it end?

[Connie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a digital copy of this book.

When it comes to manga, I always say it takes me a couple of volumes to really get a feel for the book, and this series really feels like it's reaching into the super depraved category with this volume. Kasuga has been offered a way out, a way out from Nakamura and a chance to be with Saeki. So why is he hesitating? The secret seems to be almost revealed but Nakamura covers for him and crosses out his confession on the board, leaving Saeki to work out that it was Kasuga who stole her gym clothes, and yet she still wants to be with him. But Kasuga can't let go of Nakamura so easily. The main theme behind this volume is that both Nakamura and Kasuga are two bored middle school kids who want a bit of drama and their small mountain town doesn't seem to be able to provide the mystery and intrigue that they need in their lives.

As dramatic as this series can be, I do think this is almost exactly how over the top young teenagers can be. Maybe not with the perverted side of things, but I do think the dramatics is on point. I personally don't get Kasuga's obsession with Nakamura but it probably comes down to the fact he doesn't actually want to be normal or left alone, and probably loves Nakamura a little. Overall, the main thing I enjoy about this series is that I cannot pinpoint where it's going to go. What is the endgoal of it all?

[Moises Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

una historia con su profundidad existencial, los protagonistas coquetean con La búsqueda del sentido y el vacío que a veces produce en sus vidas el preguntarse, qué soy?, que somos? .

no puedo evitar identificar ciertos toques un tanto sugestivos en el arte de los personajes y hay un poco de fanservice en el manga. muero de ganas por saber de historia.

[Jesus Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

Avanza en cuanto a que Takao tiene que enfrentar lo que hizo hasta cierto punto, pero como que aun sigue poniendo que intención tendrá cada personaje.

SPOILERS

Tras el desastre Takeo tiene miedo ya que se van a enterar que él es el pervertido, pero resulta que con todo el desastre su nombre no aparece
Pero entonces Saeki le dice que ella sabe que fue el, pero no le importa y quiere seguir con el y él se frekea, y Nakamura lo medio convence de escapar, pero el clima los detiene, Saeki aparece, y todos discuten, y llega la policía a regresarlos a su casa

3 star

[Isabelle Tranner]

So I'm reading what I thought was the complete series and thought that this volume would be the end. In a way, I could imagine the series ending with a final confrontation and escape attempt. Knowing that there is a 11 volumes of this series horrifies me and I can't wait to keep reading. This is one of those series where I constantly think how could it possibly get worse, and also thank god I'm 30 and not a child anymore.
And yes, transitioning would save her.

[Paco Correa · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ya deja de alborotar mi alma"

Vaya giro de eventos he? ☝🏼

[Leila ✨ · Rating 1 out of 5]

They say memes speak louder than words ever could, so here's an image as to what I thought all throughout this whole volume:



1 de 5 estrellas.

[cynne★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

im still confused idk??

[Camilaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️

[Maurine · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5.

[duniamimpigie Anggi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Astagaaaa...
Bener-bener deh kelakuan para bocah SMP ini!!

[Kate · Rating 2 out of 5]

The art felt stilted through a lot of this, making it harder to get into it. But I read this volume out of order, so maybe with more investment in the characters after reading volumes 1-2, it'll bother me less.

The despair and urge to flee a stagnant, stifling town really comes through, though, despite the art and the being dropped willy-nilly into the plot--enough so that I want to read 1 & 2.

[Mojinite · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 3 was also amazing the story got even more better and it sucks that I don't have the rest but I'm deff gonna pick them up anybody who never heard of the flowers of evil go buy it it's amazing :D

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 3 out of 5]

Caught between denial and temptation, to accept his perversions or pretend like he’s higher than he really is. I think that’s what the theme of the story is shaping up to be. Everyone has a perverted side that they want to pretend doesn’t exist to try and feel normal.

[adrian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought that The black haired girl deserved better but shes also nuts

[nomid · Rating 4 out of 5]

i feel like the author has a humiliation kink or sum shit

[VSP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigo esperando otra gran maravilla a lo "Chi no wadachi" y simplemente no pasa.

Tanto en este como en Happiness hay mucho detrás, una psicología que se va muy a los extremos.

Entiendo porque sus obras son tan populares, tocan temas muy incómodos, pero es tan adictivo que cuesta soltarlo.

Mi problema con el autor es que comence con Chi No Wadachi, que siento que es la mezcla perfecta, mientras que esta y Happiness me han provocado muchos ascos pero porque la situación está hecha para ser asquerosa, como si encontraras un día tu cama llena de basura.

En Chi No Wadachi, la situación te sienta mal desde la sutileza, tu cabeza te grita que eso está mal, como si vieras una actitud repentinamente extraña en alguien que conoces y eso solo se fuera haciendo más grave, hasta que finalmente sabes que sucede y sientes como se te cae el mundo.

No sé si me di a entender con la diferencia, pero lo que quería decir es que en uno te muestra graficamente algo que tiene que dar asco si o si, mientras que en el otro no es necesario; eso es lo que me ha molestado de Happiness y Aku no hana :/

No estoy muy segura de terminar Aku No Hana. Creo que me vere un resumen y marcare el resto de los volumenes que ya leí.

Al autor le dare oportunidad con obras más nuevas, puede ser que al estas ser las primeras no tengan esa chispa y las posteriores si.

[47Time · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boy, this Kasuga character is sure being played hard. I fully expect Seaki and Nakamura to say that they too have a contract to mess with his head.

All of the students are moved deeply, some to tears, others to anger, by their classroom being vandalized. Nakamura made sure to hide Kasuga's name, so they are in the clear. Still, Saeki figures out the culprit and confronts Kasuga in private about both her gym clothes and the classroom. Deeply humiliated, he asks her to break up, but she doesn't want to, even if her accusations are true. Is she that desperate or does she too have something sinister planned for him? As if Nakamura's antics weren't enough for the poor guy.

But wait, his mother finds out about everything from Saeki, so Kasuga storms out of the house. He eventually meets Nakamura who orders him to take her beyond the mountain range that circles the town. Kasuga's mother searches desperately for her boy, then Saeki begins a search of her own. Saeki finds them first and it's decision time - will Kasuga go for the girl that he has had a crush on all this time or the other, crazy girl that stirs so many raw emotions in him? He finds that he can't choose and thus upsets both of them. He just feels empty.

[Mark Robison · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm still addicted to this saga of a teen boy who thinks he may be a pervert and basically had to leave his hometown after events in Vol. 2. Here he falls for a girl who looks like his nemesis in the first two volumes. The artwork continues to haunt me — it's very manga in the portrayal of people but very dark and lonely in showing the urban landscapes and night scenes. The boys are all so typical — obsessed with sex and bullying until confronted — while the girls seem mysterious until they are known and then they reveal themselves as smart and kind. I'm onto Vol. 4.

Comment on format: 9 of the 11 volumes are available on Kindle, which I like for the ability to zoom in, but I must say that the paperback version here was better, which generally isn't the case with graphic novels. The occasional slick pages with watercolor-like art were stunning. The print version was simply superior. But I must return to Kindle because they are about a third of the cost.

Bechdel test: Fail

[Untimely Gamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot decide if The Flowers of Evil is terrible or genius. I lean, more often than not, towards genius. The writing, as in your face as it is, does capture a certain strain of teenage edginess. But unlike most edgelord writing, which flamboyantly seeks new ways to shock and offend, the edginess in The Flowers of Evil captures how starved and limited an actual teenager's vocabulary is. Nakamura, who spits out neologisms involving shit like an angry cat, is revealed as nothing more than an alienated teenager. She rebels against the world with the limited linguistic tools at her disposal. The writing in The Flowers of Evil is intended to be cringy, because teenagers are often cringey.

It is also interesting how allegorical this book is becoming. It is becoming obvious that the series will hinge on which muse Kasuga chooses. Will he follow Saeki—the Rei figure, a force of innocence and order? Or will he follow Nakamura—the Asuka figure, the figure of unbridled sexual perversion and chaos? Only the following volumes will tell.

[Luisa Maula · Rating 4 out of 5]

💭 Saeki should've just transferred somewhere if this continues. Aren't her parents aware of what's happening, or could it be that harassment is so normalized that it's no longer something to be inspected further?

💭 Saeki and Nakamura are finally interacting for the first time. Everything should be smooth sailing by now. But alas, that's not going to be the case moving forward. In fact, I can assure you that this is just going to get worse.

💭 Nakamura's expression on close-up gets to me every time. Her irresistible charm truly is like a magnet pull to poor Takao.

💭 Saeki, I just don't know what to do with you anymore. You're clearly blinded by love to give a second thought about what Takao really thinks of you.

[Srijita · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series keeps getting better and better. Remember when you were fifteen and you thought that you were the craziest, most shitty person ever? Nauseated at yourself? Evil? Irredeemable? Bordering on complete insanity? Feeling that you were constantly being turned inside out? Well, turns out you were just 15.

This volume resonates with me on so many levels. It's vile and crude and I love watching these crackpots just trying to unravel what's in their souls: souls that they feel are steeped in muck, but pathetically ending up getting more twisted than before. It's amazing and reading every volume feels as exhilarating as riding a bike down a hill.

[AsianMerr · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dropped the ball with this one, literally stripped this man in front of his girlfriend forcefully, the most humiliating thing possible and then when she leaves him HE IMMEDIATELY WENT TO HER!?!? wtf that made no sense at all, also halfway through the volume Oshimi drew them more adult like, they’re in grade school but drawn like teenagers. This one is odd, it sucks cause the last volume was good but this one was just a nose dive. And the beginning of the volume was meh, his name happened to be crossed out with ink so they didn’t catch him? Cop out 😒😑