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ハピネス [Happiness] #5
ハピネス 5
A supernatural story of sexual awakening, growing up, and suburban vampirism, Happiness follows a dorky boy who is attacked by a girl in an alley. She sucks his blood and gives him a choice: life or death. He chooses life, but finds himself nearly overwhelmed by a new thirst and a fascination with the necks of his classmates...
Praise for Flowers of Evil:
"A shockingly readable story that vividly--one might even say queasily--evokes the fear and confusion of discovering one's own sexuality. Recommended." -The Manga Critic
"A page-turning tale of sordid middle school blackmail." -Otaku USA Magazine
"By loving this manga I recognize what a sick and twisted individual I have become. While I can still say that I am not truly deviant, Flowers of Evil is a great reminder of my own thirst for power and my own personal corruption." -Otaku Champloo
Praise for Flowers of Evil:
"A shockingly readable story that vividly--one might even say queasily--evokes the fear and confusion of discovering one's own sexuality. Recommended." -The Manga Critic
"A page-turning tale of sordid middle school blackmail." -Otaku USA Magazine
"By loving this manga I recognize what a sick and twisted individual I have become. While I can still say that I am not truly deviant, Flowers of Evil is a great reminder of my own thirst for power and my own personal corruption." -Otaku Champloo
192 pages, Paperback
First published March 9, 2017
258 people are currently reading
459 people want to read
About the author
Shuzo Oshimi
137 books1,048 followersShuzo 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) .
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) .
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews
March 19, 2018
Volume five of this vampire series is even more intense than the last one in some ways, as we learn that the mysterious Sakurane is a vampire-worshiping nihilist who wants to enlist Yuuki to push the limits of vampirism. Yep, the body count goes up. Okazaki and Nora are captured and experimented on by some as-yet-unnamed organization, which seems like a bit of a crazy plot move, though it gives Oshimi the opportunity to create distorted images, with elongated faces and limbs.
At the very end we make our first time shift, to ten years in the future, where we see Ghoto, now an office-worker, who struggles still with the memory of surviving Sakurane’s botched attempt on her life a few chapters earlier. I am hopeful about this move; not enthralled, but curious and hopeful abut where it might be going.
Closer to a four rating than the last couple volumes, but I can see how others would just think this is nuts, too.
At the very end we make our first time shift, to ten years in the future, where we see Ghoto, now an office-worker, who struggles still with the memory of surviving Sakurane’s botched attempt on her life a few chapters earlier. I am hopeful about this move; not enthralled, but curious and hopeful abut where it might be going.
Closer to a four rating than the last couple volumes, but I can see how others would just think this is nuts, too.
May 21, 2022
Dang, author, you're gonna run out of characters if you keep killing them off at this rate!
Oh, but never mind, because we suddenly skip many years ahead, so I guess we'll be meeting some new people? 3.5 stars, rounded down for doing the sudden "10 years later" move.
Oh, but never mind, because we suddenly skip many years ahead, so I guess we'll be meeting some new people? 3.5 stars, rounded down for doing the sudden "10 years later" move.
June 11, 2021
EU NÃO CREIO Q NÃO TENHO O SEXTO VOLUMEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
June 22, 2024
was it underwhelming or am I just too used to Junji Ito
July 16, 2017
Interesting way to end this volume.
January 22, 2020
Human Yukiko Gosho takes center stage as she tries to keep everything from going to hell for the vampires. Creepy and thrilling until an unwelcome twist at the end.
January 26, 2024
These volumes fly by with some of the most gorgeously illustrated horror imagery. Fully invested in this vampire world now! 🧛🏻♂️🧛🏻♀️🖤
August 15, 2020
Goddamn this series gets dark.
I'm actually surprised how surprised I get reading this. I usually can see most things coming but the twist and turns here are so out of left field I never do see it coming. I mean it moves at a brisk pace, and just when you think you found a friend, something horrible happens. I'm being extremely vague because anything I say for this volume is a spoiler, but with a neat little time skip, plenty of death, and sadness, this is well worth the read if you like darker tales. A 4.5 out of 5.
I'm actually surprised how surprised I get reading this. I usually can see most things coming but the twist and turns here are so out of left field I never do see it coming. I mean it moves at a brisk pace, and just when you think you found a friend, something horrible happens. I'm being extremely vague because anything I say for this volume is a spoiler, but with a neat little time skip, plenty of death, and sadness, this is well worth the read if you like darker tales. A 4.5 out of 5.
October 4, 2022
Can someone please explain this unexpected time difference? Who is dead and who isn't? I guess we'll learn the answers soon.
The two sides of vampires were presented: Mf. Sukarane and Yuki, followed by Nora (whom I believe is dead) and Okazaki ( boy was shackled up ). I am happy Gosho is still alive because I adore her.
Many of the panels were excellent, especially the one where Okazaki was melting away while Gosho called him out.
I'm hoping the narrative picks up and offers us solutions. The plot might have been prolonged out, but I'm glad they didn't because the pacing is excellent.
The two sides of vampires were presented: Mf. Sukarane and Yuki, followed by Nora (whom I believe is dead) and Okazaki ( boy was shackled up ). I am happy Gosho is still alive because I adore her.
Many of the panels were excellent, especially the one where Okazaki was melting away while Gosho called him out.
I'm hoping the narrative picks up and offers us solutions. The plot might have been prolonged out, but I'm glad they didn't because the pacing is excellent.
May 26, 2018
Ooooo the ending of this volume seems promising, I'm excited to see where they take it!
July 9, 2023
Man wtf
November 27, 2021
Woah! So much happening!
March 19, 2024
This volume was totally batshit insane, probably the most intense volume I’ve read so far!!
May 23, 2022
Betrayal and Time-passing
Sakurane's true intentions were outed when Gosho called for her help investigating Nao's house. When the learned that Yuuki killed Nao and her parents, he got Yuuki to seek refuge in his house. Disapproving of the runaway plan, Gosho joined the duo and was betrayed soon after. Meanwhile, Makoto and Nora were captured by the organization that handles vampires. And finally, a decade has already passed. The series took turns as it shines the light on Gosho's current life...
This series has caused nothing within me but intense excitement. The art style remained beautiful and artistic and its sequence was top tier. You wouldn't even cringe at the grotesque scenes (that's the thing I like about this so much!) it's like you're staring at a Picasso or Munch paintings. And it's very readable.
Sakurane's true intentions were outed when Gosho called for her help investigating Nao's house. When the learned that Yuuki killed Nao and her parents, he got Yuuki to seek refuge in his house. Disapproving of the runaway plan, Gosho joined the duo and was betrayed soon after. Meanwhile, Makoto and Nora were captured by the organization that handles vampires. And finally, a decade has already passed. The series took turns as it shines the light on Gosho's current life...
This series has caused nothing within me but intense excitement. The art style remained beautiful and artistic and its sequence was top tier. You wouldn't even cringe at the grotesque scenes (that's the thing I like about this so much!) it's like you're staring at a Picasso or Munch paintings. And it's very readable.
December 11, 2021
I read this book via Kindle Unlimited.
This volume took the plot and CATAPULTED it up to mars. I am in shock after the ending of this volume...I know what it makes you think can't be true because there are another 5 books in this series but the cliffhanger that we have been left on is shocking.
Makato goes to Nora to take her up on the offer of running away together to start a new life when they are ambushed by a mysterious organisation that want to experiment on them. Yuki gets in contact with Yukito and tells her that he has killed Nao and her parents and he wants to die. I knew I didn't trust Sukurane, who tells Yuki that it's all okay after seeing the slain bodies on the floor of Nao and her parents. He takes Yuki to his place and then attacks Yukito. And that's where it ends. The potential death of Yukito, the mysterious fate of Makato and Nora, what does Sukurane want with Yuki.
It just feels like a lot was crammed into this volume.
I am enjoying this series a lot more now that the pace has picked up somewhat. I did find it comparatively very slow up until the last couple of volumes.
This volume took the plot and CATAPULTED it up to mars. I am in shock after the ending of this volume...I know what it makes you think can't be true because there are another 5 books in this series but the cliffhanger that we have been left on is shocking.
Makato goes to Nora to take her up on the offer of running away together to start a new life when they are ambushed by a mysterious organisation that want to experiment on them. Yuki gets in contact with Yukito and tells her that he has killed Nao and her parents and he wants to die. I knew I didn't trust Sukurane, who tells Yuki that it's all okay after seeing the slain bodies on the floor of Nao and her parents. He takes Yuki to his place and then attacks Yukito. And that's where it ends. The potential death of Yukito, the mysterious fate of Makato and Nora, what does Sukurane want with Yuki.
It just feels like a lot was crammed into this volume.
I am enjoying this series a lot more now that the pace has picked up somewhat. I did find it comparatively very slow up until the last couple of volumes.
April 28, 2020
Another great volume. This mostly deals with the fallout from last volume, and gives Yukiko Gosho some much needed character development. Once again this follows Flowers of Evil's beats in that there is a about halfway through the series after shit hits the fan. I suspect next volume we will be catching up to the rest of the remaining characters since most of this volume focused on Gosho. The art was on point as always, and I especially liked that trippy, expressionistic sequence where Oshimi went all out.
4.5
4.5
July 8, 2021
4 estrellas para la historia en su conjunto, una de las más perturbadoras y oscuras que he leído en mucho tiempo. Como ya ha apuntado alguien por aquí, este manga tiene un aire que recuerda a “Déjame entrar” aunque la historia bebe de un montón de referencias. La trama se sumerge en una espiral sangrienta que alcanza su cenit en un par de capítulos tan heavies que me han dejado tal que así 🤯😱🤯😱 y me han dado muy mal rollo. El final me ha gustado bastante y, más, las referencias pictóricas a Picasso y Van Gogh.
July 27, 2017
Oshimi finally takes this story into exciting and unexpected directions. This volume is a major payoff after the relatively slow and somewhat average beginnings, and it also manages to earn bonus points for turning one of the problems I had with the fourth volume into a strength. This is the first time in a long time that I have actually gasped while reading a book, so it must be doing something right. 4.5.
May 4, 2023
4/5
Don't know why I decided to put this aside because it's actually pretty good!
There's a super dark atmosphere and it gets darker and darker with each volume.
I didn't like the 10 years time skip, because she look exactly the same and there are so many unanswered questions? There's something more behind all this?
There's indeed a good mystery around all the plot and we have new characters' introductions too.
Don't know why I decided to put this aside because it's actually pretty good!
There's a super dark atmosphere and it gets darker and darker with each volume.
I didn't like the 10 years time skip, because she look exactly the same and there are so many unanswered questions? There's something more behind all this?
There's indeed a good mystery around all the plot and we have new characters' introductions too.
January 2, 2024
Wow.
I was not expecting this.
Damn. 😯
Gosho is my favorite character.
I was not expecting this.
Damn. 😯
Gosho is my favorite character.
August 19, 2025
Enjoying more and more !!
August 25, 2019
Overall pretty good. Went places I didn't expect it to go. Caught me off guard multiple times. Maybe 3.5 not quite a 4 star. I'm enjoying the series more and they're super quick to read.
Spoilery recounts of my reading:
The beginning starts off from the cliff hanger that was volume 4.
Nora and Makoto both got shot, but I suspect they'll both be okay from that.
Sakurane and Yukiko visit Nao's home and find Yuuki and the bodies.
But then Sakurane acts opposite the way I expected him to. He tells Yuuki he'll hide him, but whyyy though? Is he a vamp himself or is he allied with them in some way? From his story I figured he hunted vampires, unless that was a lie.
wtf
Okay, so Sakurane is as much of a creep as he looks. He slit her throat. What does 'go to the end of the world' mean? Typical evil villain not makin any sense.
Despite her severe neck wound, Yukiko manages to get out of the burning house. She was near death, she even saw her dead brother, but she gathered strength after thinking of Okazaki.
Meanwhile Makoto wakes up naked strapped to a table (good times). A bunch of doctors showed up and injected him with something that- actually I'm not sure what it did. There are scenes of him in a weird surrealist distorted body. An there's definitely something coming out of his dick, unless I'm seeing it wrong.
The last chapter is of Yukiko working a desk job, so I gather time has passed. She goes to a coworker party and one of her coworkers (of course it's a dude) wants her to take off her scarf since she never does. They see her scar. Sudo-san ends up feeling bad. I feel like he'll come up again.
I didn't see the time skip coming. I didn't see most of these things coming.
Spoilery recounts of my reading:
The beginning starts off from the cliff hanger that was volume 4.
Nora and Makoto both got shot, but I suspect they'll both be okay from that.
Sakurane and Yukiko visit Nao's home and find Yuuki and the bodies.
But then Sakurane acts opposite the way I expected him to. He tells Yuuki he'll hide him, but whyyy though? Is he a vamp himself or is he allied with them in some way? From his story I figured he hunted vampires, unless that was a lie.
wtf
Okay, so Sakurane is as much of a creep as he looks. He slit her throat. What does 'go to the end of the world' mean? Typical evil villain not makin any sense.
Despite her severe neck wound, Yukiko manages to get out of the burning house. She was near death, she even saw her dead brother, but she gathered strength after thinking of Okazaki.
Meanwhile Makoto wakes up naked strapped to a table (good times). A bunch of doctors showed up and injected him with something that- actually I'm not sure what it did. There are scenes of him in a weird surrealist distorted body. An there's definitely something coming out of his dick, unless I'm seeing it wrong.
The last chapter is of Yukiko working a desk job, so I gather time has passed. She goes to a coworker party and one of her coworkers (of course it's a dude) wants her to take off her scarf since she never does. They see her scar. Sudo-san ends up feeling bad. I feel like he'll come up again.
I didn't see the time skip coming. I didn't see most of these things coming.
March 4, 2022
This volume took everything to a ten on the intensity scale. With some genuinely frightening and disturbing imagery at the end there as well (seriously don’t think I’ve ever been so unnerved by an image in a manga before). The story takes a drastic turn and the volume ends with a big time skip, I can’t imagine what this time skip is gonna mean for all of these characters (especially Makoto), but I’m very interested to see what’s in store.
November 11, 2020
3.8
Nesse volume o foco da trama se dirige a uma traição (esperada) e eventualmente uma fuga que se mescla com busca por sobrevivência. As motivações não ficam tão claras quanto a tudo, mas acredito que serão esclarecidas no próximos volumes.
O ponto alto continua sendo a arte que é um deleite narrativo.
Nesse volume o foco da trama se dirige a uma traição (esperada) e eventualmente uma fuga que se mescla com busca por sobrevivência. As motivações não ficam tão claras quanto a tudo, mas acredito que serão esclarecidas no próximos volumes.
O ponto alto continua sendo a arte que é um deleite narrativo.
August 6, 2021
a betrayal? 🤭 no way 🤭 i’m shocked 🤭 definitely not expecting it 🤭
(a lesson to take for life: never trust the vampire-worshiping nihilist)
in this volume, we have: yuuki going batshit crazy arc + my girl ghoto being the most resilient person out there + okazaki and nora being captured and experimented on by some organization, which was the cherry on top of a pile of bananas.
(a lesson to take for life: never trust the vampire-worshiping nihilist)
in this volume, we have: yuuki going batshit crazy arc + my girl ghoto being the most resilient person out there + okazaki and nora being captured and experimented on by some organization, which was the cherry on top of a pile of bananas.
January 25, 2019
Quickly becoming one of my favourite manga series.
February 6, 2019
this continues to be one of my favorite down-low vampire series
Displaying 1 - 30 of 163 reviews