Flowers Of Evil Review

Puberty is tough.  That much can't be denied.  There's hormones, guilt and shame, and even rape.  There's a lot to digest, so let's dive in.  This is Flowers Of Evil.

When the manga starts, you are introduced to Kasuga Takao, a seemingly ordinary middle school boy.  You know what that means.  He's going through puberty and (as puberty tends to do) this leads him to do something absurdly stupid.  That thing is stealing the gym clothes of everyone's classroom crush, Nanako Saeki.  It seems like he gets away with it until class reject, Sawa Nakamura, reveals that she saw him do it.

This is where Kasuga fucks up...

...and this is where he realizes he's fucked.

About Sawa Nakamura.  She is the ultimate crazy bitch.  Seriously, she does a lot of stuff that would normally get one's ass kicked, like calling people shitbugs (her favorite insult).  She's an asshole, she's sadistic, and she's...easily the most likeable character in the series.  She's that type of character that's such an asshole, you have no choice but to get behind her.  She'll make you die laughing while at the same time wishing she'd get hit by a bus.

Nakamura with her trademark "shitbugs" insult.

Now THIS is a crazy bitch.

Anyway, having let Kasuga she caught him in the act, she goes on to make his life a nightmare.  This includes (but isn't limited to) stripping him naked in the classroom and dressing him up in the very gym clothes he stole.  She does a number of messed up things, but there is a point to all of it.

Eventually, Saeki finds out Kasuga is the one who stole her clothes, but she's not angry.  In fact, she makes her feelings known to him.  You'd think this would be a good thing, but we discover that Kasuga has actually come to like Nakamura and her abuse for whatever reason.  The knowledge that she can't beat out the class reject ultimately leads Saeki down the road to Crazyville, resulting in her raping Kasuga (and make no mistake, it IS rape) and burning down a hideout he and Nakamura built.

Nakamura and rival for Kasuga's heart, Saeki.

Things only escalate from there until Kasuga and Nakamura do something so bad, they are forced to leave town.  It's a new beginning for Kasuga.  No Nakamura, no Saeki, and no one who's attached to what he did in the past.  Eventually, Kasuga meets everyone again.  It's all topped off by an ending that says "Hey, that's life."

What you have with Flowers Of Evil is something close to a masterpiece manga.  Kasuga is (mostly) spineless and unlikeable protagonist, but Nakamura will keep you entertained.  Just when you think there's a line she won't cross, she take that line and pisses all over it (with Kasuga in tow).  It's a must read for anyone who's ever been through puberty.  Best of all, it now comes convenient multi-volume books, so you don't have to wait for the next issue.  Read it.