Found this by accident, it really hard to explain but this manga is really unique and addicting, Probably because of the story always move to the path I never expected, and don't forget that last extra chapter.

Beware of other comment they blatantly putting spoiler without using spoiler tag, so make sure you close this tab and read the manga without reading other comment.

... Last updated on April 3rd, 2015, 7:34am

First of all take note that this is a coming of age genre, so it's about the protagonist growth. Personally what happens here is all because a boy starts to read a too much advanced book(Aku no Hana) for his age, it's a somewhat realistically portrait, so if you are young and easily impressionable you should stay away from this manga just like the protagonist should from his book...
It's a good addictive read that is for sure, you won't ever guess where this all going until you reach the last volumes and you won't even notice how fast you will read this. Still I already read a similar manga way better than this, like "Onani Master Kurosawa".
The art is so-so, I think it could be better drawn, people really like the art but that is not even what is important here, I think the anime screwed with their heads regarding that...
Keep in mind that almost the entire story is subjective, so you will reach your own conclusions.
You won't have your typical shounen protagonist, but instead a real wimp one that is really "lost". Just like many people that don't know what their places in society are, this MC doesn't know either and the book he reads mixed with the fateful encounter with his female counter-part catalysts a meltdown in all the characters relationships leading to catastrophic events.
This manga explores the "demons within" the black flower is the metaphor for that, just like in real life everybody has them, some fight against them, some live with them and others are controlled by them.
If this review somehow sparked your curiosity, then that means you'll probably like this manga a lot so you should take a shot.
Just stay away from the anime, it's eye cancer and it doesn't adapted all of the story, waste of time watching bad anime that leads to a cliffhanger that is certain.

... Last updated on December 20th, 2014, 2:43pm

I wrote about Aku no Hana before so I'll keep this short. I think it's a very refreshing story and I enjoyed it quote a lot while it lasted. The characters command plenty of attention and the art is superb. Probably one of the best things I've read in quite a long time.
I think the only fault I can give it is that it could have portrayed even more chaos.
I highly recommend this one!

I read tons of manga, and I rarely assign a 10 to something, but Aku no Hana is a manga that deserves, even demands, such a rating. (Don't watch the anime, by the way - it looks awful).

Aku no Hana is, at its heart, a coming of age story. But unlike other coming of age stories that are great, such as Stand by Me and Mud, which are realistic, Aku no Hana is surreal. There is nothing supernatural about this manga, and, conceivably, anything that could happen in the manga could occur in real life. But the personalities of the main characters are all twisted or broken in some way or another, preventing this series from reaching true normalcy.

And that's perfectly fine.

Mangaka Oshimi Shuzo could have easily kept it just as a coming of age story, and while it still would have been good, it easily could come off as whiny. But he prevents that by utilizing art that borders on avant-garde; his characters are designed as a halfway point between realistic seinen characters and regular shounen characters, giving them a realism that is traditionally not seen in shounen art but without looking creepy (like Aku no Hana's anime).

The real star of his art is his backgrounds and environments. Ranging from plain cities to wide, disconcerting landscapes, and sketch-like styles in dramatic moments, the amazing art makes the manga burst at the seams with symbolism. The last two chapters, in particular, are perhaps his most surreal and daring - they are nothing short of magnificent.

The story can alienate you and turn you away. When I first began reading this a couple years ago, this manga turned me off after a few chapters. But I read it again, and couldn't stop till I caught up. It is an acquired taste, but once you understand that flavor, you can't stop eating.

This one unexpectedly good. A drama about a girl with deranged mind thinking every people and the town just a pile of shit, a normal guy who loves book, and a normal girl who always try her best to met other people expectation about how good she is, and a gym's clothes of destiny that changes all of them three life into chaos.

These past few years, this manga was among the top that I kept up-to-date with.

This is a unique story and many times I didn't know where it was going to be heading but it made a lot of sense in hindsight. All the MCs in the manga are lonely but each in their own separate way. Although some feelings may be exaggerated, I think there are elements of vulnerability to these MCs that everyone can relate to at some level.

The art is simple but clean and expressive. There are multiple dialogue-free sequences that are so great at setting the tone/atmosphere of the scene. Oshimi is a master at conveying the emotions of the characters purely through their body language and facial expressions.

All in all, this is not a manga for someone looking for fluff but people want to be more introspective, this will be a treat! (As a side note, when the MCs talk about being perverts, they are usually not referring to it in the sexual sense. Moreso that their way of thinking is twisted and "weird".)

I've read bits and pieces of Baudelaire's referenced work but now that I'm done this, I'm eager to read the entire source material.

Introverts in manga doesn't get much sunlight, so it's nice to have something with a decent effort put in it for a change.
Character check - OK.
Story check - OK.
Art - preferences, eh?
I was always regarding it as slice-of-life, since it's felt like a long healing trip before entering the adulthood: "Crap happens, but life goes on and we should as well."

I acknowledge the worth people see in this manga. I read up to the latest chapter, and honestly I was intrigued.

But, in the end, this kind of story with the pervy content is not for me. I'm just more for the fluffy stuff. Oh well, I'll give the manga its deserved credit though. 8/10!

p.s. i hate the main male character, but I guess his actions are influenced by the beachball of a woman.

... Last updated on February 12th, 2014, 10:17pm

It's sick. That's my own opinion, but well, it's a good one i think. Worth reading if you can handle the "sick". I don't feel fine reading it when the plot seems "sick" to me.

Try it

It's such a long time since I've read a wonderful manga like this. Not easy for one that looking for something funny and energetic. It's somehow dark but very realistic and mysterious. No real murder, no real monster but you can find it inside characters' souls. I'm so in love with Saeky, what a poor girl. I'm still hoping she will soon come back to Kasuga and they live happily till the end of life (though it would never get real because Nakamura is the real female potagonist). Mangas like these make me really love being a human more and more!

... Last updated on April 27th, 2013, 7:25pm