Aku no Hana - a review
January 12th, 2023
I didn't get it. At all.
I mean I get the whole being mentally perverted and isolated and all that, but I don't get why Nakamura is so mentally ill. Like, a middle school girl isn't that manipulative against a middle school boy, it's just outside the realm of my imagination.
Anyway, spoiler warning.
I relate to the middle school Takao a lot. Being a pseud, haughty, and isolated was my baseline personality growing up. Reading shit way above my grade level for the image of it.
And yes, even worshipping girls like they're angels and shit. I did that too in my middle school days.
And Saeki as a character makes sense. I get the whole having to please other people and obsessing over it. Then finding someone as an out to latch onto and pray they make everything right. I understand the character.
But Nakamura. I just don't get her character. Like, there's no rhyme or reason to it. Schizophrenia? And at that young of an age?
thoughts
The story is all over the place to the point I don't get it. The symbolism is way beyond me for me to grasp.
Let's just face it: I don't have the intellectual capacity to try and rationalize the plot with the voodoo rituals and graffiti. At least not anymore.
All I see is this: a boy meets a crazy girl who blackmails and abuses him into becoming "his true self" and "free" in order to not be "alone." But this means alienating everyone else and actually becoming "alone."
Then the story becomes a "moving forward" kind of story. Since the boy has committed "sin" he feels guilty and tied down. He then revisits his past to become "free" of the psychotic shit he did.
In the chapter on the beach, he quite literally "breaks free" of the past by giving Nakamura a needed thrashing.
Then he moves forward with a completely new girl named Tokiwa, who is a much needed normal in his life. He then forgives himself and apologizes for all the trouble he's caused.
personally
I mean... I kind of relate. Kind of? I did weird shit in middle school. Everyone did. Nobody's really special in that regard, which I guess is part of the story's message.
I guess people enjoyed reading it because of how demented it was? I mean sure, but I'm kind of demented myself enough already. I'm more curious to see a character's progression and beliefs and personality, not so much of "anarchy wet dream!"
Meh. I don't know. I think the 2nd part is the only thing worthwhile of Aku no Hana. A redemption arc for our main character while everyone unecessarily treats him like scum. It really does capture the whole "people are evil" and "will walk all over you" message.
I rate it a 6/10. It was original. But I couldn't connect to the characters and the plot kind of dwindled away. Takao's character is the only one that kept me in the ring for this one.
Nakamura makes me want to punch her in the face, to be honest. If she wants to die so bad, she should just die? Why does she feel the need to trouble others over it? This world is too cruel to sustain and accomodate the entitled.
But, then again if you revisit it as a sexual abuse victim coping with her frustrations with the world and society, she has my sympathy. But that's not how she was presented, unfortunately. Maybe that's the point of the story. Not enough sympathy for the mentally abused.
A lot to think about, but not much conclusion honestly. I just don't get what the story was about, and that's why I rated it so low. I liked the author's other work, "Inside Mari" more.