The first time I read The Flowers of Evil, it would leave me no rest. The main factor contributing to this was that it made me think. About the story, the characters, their actions, the metaphors:
about life.
This is not a simple story. It's not a fun story. It's not an entertaining story. The flowers of evil are, as the name suggests, evil, disgusting, perverted, unsettling, but in some way also weirdly familiar, calming, and optimistic. What I think this story is, though, is important. You're not going to want to read it; you're going to want to stop at every page, but you won't. You won't be able to stop, and you won't be able to put it down. The story is horrific, sickening, and gruesome. And that's exactly why I love it.
The premise itself tells that for itself. Our main character, Takao Kasuga, is a weirdly normal kid in a town that is often described as sad, boring, and bland. He loves losing himself and drowning in the poetry of Charles Baudelaire in his work, The Flowers of Evil. He finds comfort and calmness in it, which is surprising given the type of story he is in. One day after school, he returns to pick up his book and finds the gym clothes of a girl from his class, Saeki, whom he views as an untouchable angel and his muse. Instead of ignoring it, he goes there, picks it up, and after he hears sounds coming towards him, he doesn't know what to do and, in a rush, takes them with him. The next day after school, he finds himself in front of another classmate of his. Nakamura. She is the weird kid that nobody understands. She swears all the time and even insults teachers; she doesn't talk to anyone and doesn't want to as well. She hops on his bike and has a request: to take her over the mountain to the other side. She admits to Takao that she saw him take the gym clothes and strikes a deal with him. In exchange for her quietness, she demands that he do every single thing she can think of.
This is the start of the real horror story for Takao. She makes him do all kinds of weird stuff to shed all layers from him and reveal his real, inner pervert.
For the longest time, those three have been the primary forces propelling the story forward. Nakamura with all of her weird requests and actions, Takao with his inner thoughts and worries, and even Saeki might not be who she seems to be. Short in short, they're all psychopaths. While their actions might seem really bizarre and illogical at first (well, they kinda are), most of them have a reason behind them. They aren't the most fleshed out, but they're not underdeveloped in the slightest. It gives you the right idea and way, and it lets the readers complete the little gaps themselves, which demands that they think deeper about the story. It all might seem like random BS at first, but it's all really well thought out. None of the main characters are one-dimensional. not even two- or three-dimensional. They all have multiple layers of depth and character development behind them. And no matter how crazy it gets, it always stays in the realm of realism. What also helps in this regard is that the world in which it is set is extremely realistic. While the main characters might seem like psychopaths, the city they live in and the people there are normal. They react in realistic ways, and that's what sets the tone for this series even more.
From the start, Flowers of Evil sets the tone for the story, and all the readers can imagine it will only get worse. The situations Takao finds himself in, get increasingly worse. They are anxiety-inducing, unpleasant, and irritating, no matter if they're caused by Nakamura or by him. He himself loses himself more and more as well. He doesn't know what is right or wrong anymore; he can't differentiate between love and hate or good and evil. But no matter how far he descends into madness and despair, he stays relatable to some degree. While you don't find his actions good, you can understand why he's doing it, why he sees people that wanna help him as bad and why he is ready to go to such a degree to get approval.
It all climaxes at the end of the first part of the story, and while I won't spoil what happens, the buildup to it and the execution of the climax are absolutely fantastic. It's anxiety personified. You won't know what to think or if you want to laugh or cry, but you also won't be able to put it down. All you need to know is what happens on the other page and how it all ends.
The art also really complements the story. While it might start off as normal, it turns into more and more of a messy blob of despair. The art definitely improves over time; it's pretty solid at the start and evolves into something truly great. The author does a great job at portraying characters emotions, most of the times only through their eyes, which is really impressive.
Small spoilers for the 2nd part of the story
Following a time jump, we see a more mature Takao. He is a shell of a human three years after the climax of Part One. He moved to a new city with his family, but he does not know what to do or how to act. He cannot just be "normal" like he once was. He is too far gone for that, but he is ready to change.
In this part of the story, the setting changes from being disgusting and full of despair to being hopeful, optimistic, and uplifting. While Takao is still not ready to go back like he once was, he is trying to change and become a better person than he was. He has people that are trying to help him, and he is trying his best to do what he wants. It's a really surprising change, comparing it to the first part, but this is exactly why I love it. It's unexpected, but not unwelcome. Takao is still haunted by the actions and events of his past, but the people he meets show him that there is light at the end of the tunnel, that not everything has to be as dark as it once was, and that things will, eventually, always get better.
The character development is absolutely incredible, and I don't see a better direction the story could've gone in. Maybe some people will feel disappointed and like it's just a "cheap way out," but I think it's incredible how the author pulled off a change this big without it feeling out of place.
The ending is also absolutely brilliant. Takao has found a new life, friends, and relationships. Happiness. But he still can't completely move on. The hands of his past are still holding onto him, unable to let go. So he does the best thing he can do. Instead of running away and trying to forget about it, he accepts that he can't do that and that it will only lead to further pain. He rather goes back, confronts his worries, and shows them that things are different now, together with who matters most to him. I thought that ending was marvellous; the last chapter leaves things very open for every reader to fill in the little gaps for himself, but it still leaves you with an optimistic and hopeful view of the world.
The story will make you cringe, be disgusted, and hopeful all at the same time. This is exactly what a good story needs. to evoke all kinds of emotions in the consumers, and "The Flowers of Evil" is absolutely a masterpiece in that regard. It will leave an indelible impression on its readers. If this isn't what a great story needs to do, then I don't know what is.
I binge-read the whole manga in one sitting inside of a single day, and it would leave me no rest the following day, so I decided to just read it again, which I think really helped, since I probably glossed over some of the deeper symbolism and character depth, so I only really understood a lot of things after my re-read, but to this day I still can't really stop thinking about it. It invoked deep thinking inside of me, and I think that it might make me a better person going forward in life. And if I can make anyone read this manga and invoke at least some similar emotions in them, this has all been worth it.
This is one of the best stories I have ever experienced, and I hope I someday get to experience something similar.
