Flowers of Evil - Episode 13 (Completed)

We already know what Kasuga is like in the face of temptation (this would be an incredibly short series if not!), so it's no surprise to witness his actions as this final episode begins with our protagonist faced with Nakamura's unlocked bedroom door.

Wandering inside, we find a bare, featureless room, marked out only by some holes in the wall, some clothes and bedding strewn around the place, and what appears to be Nakamura's diary.  Again, temptation soon turns into action as Kasuga flicks through this notebook which doubles as Nakamura's diary, finding within a tale of loneliness and isolation given a window of hope by the appearance of a seemingly like-minded individual.  Of course, that individual is Kasuga, and a slew of blank pages followed by a simple statement of Nakamura's failure to reach the other side of the mountain speak volumes of the events of that time.  Of course, only one person could possibly walk into the room at this moment.

After screaming at Kasuga for a while (and for once she seems well in her rights to do so), Nakamura takes off with Kasuga giving chase and eventually catching up to her.  Even though Kasuga continues to do the right thing, so all he really succeeds in doing is further damage to Nakamura, who rants and raves at him some more.  The real moment of clarity, however, is delivered via a montage of what the future could be hold if these two individuals were to carry on down this path and feed off one another's insecurities.  It's a future filled with disturbing and striking imagery, a pot pourri of violence, rape, lust, love and heartbreak that would ultimately destroy all involved.  It's this realisation that brings Kasuga to his senses - he doesn't want to share in Nakamura's anger and frustration - he wants to save her from it...

As slow and deliberate as much of it was once again, this final instalment of Flowers of Evil was another triumph that showcases what it does best - it's a series that can say so much by saying so little, instead relying on its atmosphere, visuals and ambiance to carry the story in a self-assured way that so many other anime could learn from.  While other series feel the need to bash you over the head with a character's emotions or state of mind, here is a story that can inform you of the same facts with just a few words or even less, instead relying on a sinking sense of dread or foreboding that pervades a scene.

For all of the initial criticism of its art style, the end result from this adaptation is an undoubted triumph - an incredibly powerful look into the adolescent psyche that is a true work of art on account of the way it presents itself.  This is a coming of age story (or at least, a phase of one) that very few would openly admit to relating to, but this is it's true genius - it's a coming of age story that resonates with us all in the most uncomfortable ways possible, and it's this awkward feeling of insecurity that reinforces how utterly true its core tenets are.  As I've mentioned before, I hold out little hope of seeing a second part to this adaptation, but if there's any justice there is still more to come from this story in this particular format.  Even without a second season though, this is a tale that simply shouldn't be missed at any cost.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 12

From the madness of his dreams, a shoot of common sense seems to have sprouted within Kasuga's mind as he finally begins to realise the toll that his actions have taken upon Nakamura.  It's something he realises needs to be rectified, and makes haste to do so... by writing an essay.

In another of those moments of adolescent naivety, Kasuga plans to simply give Nakamura the letter-cum-essay after school and be done with it, but of course Nakumura wants nothing more to do with him and simply ignores his attempts to hand her the note.  Even chasing down the street after her while reading the "essay" out loud doesn't help either - despite espousing a truth about how selfish he was in terms of his time previously spent with her, he remains completely blind to the selfish behaviour he's indulging in right then and there in an attempt to make himself feel better.

With this plan having failed, Kasuga instead heads off to Nakamura's house to leave the letter for her there, only to be greeted by and invited in by her father.  This leaves some awkward discussions to be had surrounding Kasuga's relationship with Sawa and the whereabouts of her mother, but their conversation does at least reveal that the Nakamura we see at school and in town is no different at home, right down to her decision to plaster the words "Keep out, shit-faces" on her bedroom door.  Of course, this is exactly the kind of thing that inevitably piques Kasuga's interest all the more...

Another slow-burner it might have been, but Flowers of Evil still continues to engagingly portray the follies of youth in a way that is simultaneously suitably dramatic and still easy to relate to for anyone with a memory of their teenage years - I'm intrigued to see where the series is planning to leave things, but I can only hope that it's a satisfying enough conclusion without having to rely on a second season which may never come.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 11

Following all of the drama of last week's episode, its time for our three main players to "enjoy" the long drive home in a police car after their various escapades.

However, we don't dwell on the immediate aftermath of this for too long - aside from a cutaway shot to see the reaction of Takao's parents, both at the news that he's been found and when they learn of at least some of his recent activities, we zoom forward in time by a month for the remainder of the episode to see what has changed in that interim period.  On the surface, perhaps not much - Nakamura is still causing trouble, albeit to a greater extent than before, and Saeki is still viewed as an object of beauty by the boys.  It's Kasuga, however, who seems to have been completely broken by his experiences - hardly an extrovert before, Takao is now a dead-eyed loner who has nothing to say to anybody, whether it's Saeki or his parents.

In short, Kasuga has effectively given up on life and consigned himself to a lifetime rotting in a town from which, in his eyes, he can never escape.  With his parents paralysed by their inability to know what to do with him and with no distractions in this sleepy town, Takao is very much entering a vicious circle of self-loathing.  Even his dreams won't allow him respite from this state of affairs (as dreams are wont to do), bringing up knowledge that he has buried deep within his psyche about the damage he's done to Nakamura and her trust towards and relationship with him.  Perhaps Kasuga's subconscious knows just the right buttons to press to set him on the road to redemption however, no matter how painful...

I've spoken about this before with regards to this series, and this week's episode proves it again - Flowers of Evil is an absolute master at creating atmosphere.  The obvious highlight of this is Kasuga's dream sequence - surreal, aesthetically striking and rich in visual imagery, and backed up by a soundtrack that only accentuates this further.  Even before this however, the choices and positioning of shots do a wonderful job at depicting Kasuga's isolation and loneliness, as well as the emptiness of the town that traps him, and by the end of the episode you can't help but be drawn into his plight in a way that wouldn't be possible without the series working its craft in the way that it does.  Say what you like about this show's art style, but it knows how to use it, and every other aspect of the series, to maximum effect.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 10

Kasuga keeps on digging within the deep hole he has found himself, in that most typically teenage of ways, as we enter this tenth episode of Flowers of Evil and watch him and Nakamura choosing to "make a break for it" and skip town.

With no change of clothes, no money, and nothing to show for their snap decision but Kasuga's bicycle, it's pretty obvious that this decision to journey beyond the mountain which separates their town from the rest of the world is a figurative road to know - a realise that perhaps even Nakamura presciently understands as she talks of the world beyond that mountain as perhaps simply not existing at all.

As our two "escapees" find their progress halted by a mixture of Kasuga's exhaustion and a rain storm, they have somebody else hot on their trail - Saeki, who makes her excuses before heading off in pursuit of the errant pair.  Eventually she catches up on and discovers the two of them, and the results are explosive; a noxious mixture of all of the emotions that have built up over the course of the series acting as a powderkeg of a catalyst to the situation before them.  Ultimately, all eyes fall on Kasuga, and a simple choice for him to make - does he choose to follow Nakamura, or return to Saeki's side.  Even at this juncture it's a decision he simply can't make on account of his own self-deference to the idea that he is anything other than an empty shell - ironically, it's a show of indecision that might well leave him with nothing ultimately.

Although I've had plety of positive things to say about Flowers of Evil as a whole, this week's episode tops the lot - it's simply brilliant, both in its depiction of Kasuga and Nakamura's escape, and more specifically in the tempest of emotion which comes about once Saeki is adding in to the situation.  The result is almost a perfect distillation of the teenage condition - self-doubt; an over-riding desire and need to be loved and appreciated by someone, anyone; an insistence that you and only you are the freak in a world of normal people who you can never hope to be.  It's a powerful and affecting tale that, for all of its intense drama, still has moments that bring back intensely personal memories of an awkward youth of uncertainty and opportunities wasted by self-conscious indecision.  It's a love letter to puberty written in mud and excrement, but it nails adolescence better than any typical saccharine high school drama since Grange Hill.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 9

With Saeki seemingly wise to everything that Kasuga has done up until now, it seems as if our protagonist's world is about to collapse in on him entirely.  Then again, perhaps what follows is even worse than that...

Rather than accept the invitation to break up with him, tell him she's disgusted by him or refuse to speak to him, Saeki instead does the exact opposite in refusing to split up with Kasuga in spite of the evidence as to his activities.  Although you might think that Kasuga himself might be thrilled by the prospect of this, you couldn't be much further from the truth - racked with guilt, he refuses to even come to school the next day, whereas Saeki decides to confront Nakamura to find out what she knows about everything that's been going on.

In fact, Nanako is rather dogged in her persistence when it comes to finding out what's going on in Kasuga's head, and after school that very same day she pays him a visit.  Kasuga refuses to see her, but that isn't going to stop Saeki saying her piece - indeed, once again Kasuga's actions have made things worse as Saeki resorts to shouting at his bedroom window that she doesn't care about him stealing her gym uniform and that she just wants to understand him.  Couple this with Kasuga's mother discovering his paint-stained clothes and there's no longer anywhere for our main man to hide - could this be the moment to skip town with Nakamura?

As per its weekly habit, Flowers of Evil remains as fascinating as ever as it delves into the darkest recesses of adolescent behaviour in an admittedly somewhat over-the-top yet still utterly believable way.  Even as an easily manipulated milquetoast protagonist it's hard not to watch Kasuga's behaviour with a mixture of amazement and despair, and watching Nakamura and Saeki orbiting around him is creating a great and hugely intriguing dynamic.  It seems pretty clear that this series simply isn't going to have the time to go everywhere that we might hope it to, so I hope it at least manages to find a good cut-off point by the time it reaches its finale.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 8

Having laid waste to their classroom in an orgy of self-destructive, and indeed self-obsessed, insanity, Kasuga and Nakamura find themselves returning home in what can only be described as a "walk of shame" of sorts.  Not that there seems to be much shame involved, particularly on Nakamura's part...

With that long, silent traipse through down as sunlight breaks across it taking up almost half of the episode, the rest of the instalment brings us to the inevitable fallout of the pair's moment of madness, as the next morning sees classmates and teachers shocked at the havoc that has been wrought upon class 2-1's room.  Inevitably, Kasuga is left feeling more than a little uneasy at the prospect of investigations and being found out (having fortuitously had his name scrawled on the blackboard blocked from view by the paint thrown around the room), but perhaps there is something even worse than being confronted by the teachers - having Saeki herself realise that Kasuga is involved in both this wanton vandalism and the theft of her gym uniform.

When an episode spends eight full minutes allowing two of its characters to walk around slowly hand-in-hand, it becomes hard to verbalise just why it's so great, but having been reminded of the madness of the previous week's instalment that time was well justified as an opportunity for us to try and get our heads around Kasuga and Nakamura, both as individuals and in terms of the relationship between them.  Given Kasuga's inscrutable personality it's genuinely hard to tell whether these events really are his mask slipping to reveal his true nature, or simply a weak personality exploited by someone with malicious intent.  Regardless, it makes for a continuation of the show's superb blend of drama and an unwavering focus on the manifestations of teenage angst, and no matter how uncomfortable it might become I simply can't tear myself away.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 7

The opportunity to meet Saeki in her own home might have been rather sullied by Nakamura's comments to Kasuga which sets his mind racing, but there's no escape now that Saeki's mother has answered the door.

If you're expecting Nanako to spout off a tear-filled explanation of why she was off school and how Kasuga was at fault for the whole thing however, think again - instead, she calmly asks Kasuga what he thinks a relationship should consist of while asking him if he's hiding anything from her.  Missing an opportunity to come clean on all or some of his misdemeanours up to this point, he insists that he has nothing to hide - something which Saeki duly expects.

All of this is enough to send her protagonist into another headspin, to the point where he begs for Nakamura to tell Saeki about the whole gym clothes incident so that he can "atone" for his sins.  Sensing this moment of weakness as an opportunity for some more enjoyment at Kasuga's expense, she insists that he meet her at midnight before leading him on a jaunt to their school classroom with a view towards making him admit to his deeds by way of a written confession on the blackboard.  This isn't exactly what Kasuga had in mind when he imagined freeing himself from his guilt, but after another manic rant from Nakamura it seems that her lunacy is rubbing off on him somewhat, and before we know it the pair of them are trashing the classroom in what can only be described as the throes of near-orgasmic delight.

Every time I think that Flowers of Evil has reached its high point, it raises the bar a little further, somehow managing to make the ever more insane goings-on feel natural and in keeping with its cast of characters, and even making you doubt your own sanity as you begin to detect threads of common sense in what Nakamura is saying at times as she berates Kasuga for looking for an idealistic escape from his guilt.  The entire thing remains fascinating to watch scene by scene, and by the end of the episode its final scenes stand as a perfect embodiment of the mixture of emotions which come from adolescence, be they emotional, sexual or some noxious blend of the two.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 6

Ignoring the whole water incident and the fact that, from the outside looking in, Kasuga and Saeki's first date looked disastrously bad, all seems to be well in the fledgling relationship between this unlikely couple - indeed, even a mixture of rumours, teasing and exclamations of disbelief aren't enough to put Nanako off the idea of admitting that yes, she is dating Kasuga.

Thus, everything is rosy in Kasuga's proverbial garden... at least, it is until he sees Saeki talking to Nakamura, which immediately sets off alarm bells.  However, it seems that even this isn't a big deal, as the two girls simply seem to have become friends, with Nakamura offering her support for the couple's relationship with earnest.  Maybe she's turned over a new leaf?

Yeah, right... of course this is only the next stage in her plan to terrorise Kasuga at every turn, asking Saeki what she's do if her boyfriend turned out to be a pervert over lunch in front of Kasuga before later torturing him with suggestions that his pure and perfect "angel" might just be dying for a roll in the hay with him.  It's the most delicious kind of conundrum for Kasuga to confront, but perhaps his bigger problem is a more direct one - the fact that Saeki has seen him and Nakamura at close quarters with one another during one of these sessions of bullying before getting the wrong idea entirely.  Given a chance to go and see Nanako at her home thanks to one of her friends after she takes the following day off sick, perhaps this is a chance for him to set the record straight; an opportunity which could prove difficult thanks to the  ever-present Nakamura and her wicked way with words.

For all the enjoyment of this series that I've had so far (and I use the term "enjoyment" in a decidedly twisted way given the show's proclivities), this feels to me like the best episode of Flowers of Evil so far.  As well as more wonderfully uncomfortable moments and conversations and the agonising realisation of what Nakamura is up to while Kasuga prefers to think positive for once, the real genius of this episode is the way Nakamura hits a bullseye in exposing the hypocrisy of Kasuga himself.  On the one hand, he places Saeki on a pedestal of purity and innocence (essentially denying her nature in the process), yet on the other... well, he's a teenage boy, so the rest writes itself.  Even ignoring the duality of his attitude and how that could so easily be tied into the hardcore of otaku-dom, be it towards anime or idols, it's still a scathing exposure of some very human traits - it's that which makes this episode another uncomfortable yet hugely enjoyable slice of drama to watch as its concepts seep into your brain.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 5

A date with Saeki should be nirvana for Kasuga, but given his current circumstances brought about by Nakamura - that being attending said date while wearing Saeki's gym clothes under his own - it's understandably hard to focus on what should be an enjoyable day.

Still, as time goes by our protagonist seems to be managing to set his worries and discomfort aside, and by the time they reach the book store that Kasuga had promised to show her he's positively brimming within enthusiasm as we finally get to see him in his element for the first time while he waxes lyrical about books and the like, even going as far as to buy a copy of The Flowers of Evil for Saeki.

With things going so well, it isn't too long until Nakamura stops simply trailing the couple and watching them from afar, and pulls Kasuga aside with another demand - that he kiss Saeki before their date is up.  This sends our hapless main character into another tailspin, and when the chance presents itself to try and steal that kiss at the end of the date Kasuga finally decides to ignore Nakamura's demand and instead goes to the opposite extreme, asking Saeki to enter an entirely platonic relationship with him.  This is an idea that Saeki seems keen on, but Nakamura is quick to pour cold water over - quite literally, by dumping a bucket of water over Kasuga's head (cue Nichijou-esque replays from every possible angle).  Knowing what he's wearing under his now-soaked clothes sends Kasuga into a panic as he runs off with nary a goodbye; perhaps this is enough for Nakamura to leave him and Saeki alone though?  Yeah, right...

Thus ends another instalment of gripping, uncomfortable viewing from Flowers of Evil - although it perhaps plays up Kasuga's negative traits a little too much (it's hard to like him or accept Saeki's feelings for him given how irredeemably awkward he is), the weird tension that the series manages to build and hold in place is admirably and gives bite to an already edgy story.  The result is fascinating stuff; a barb-covered car crash of adolescent emotions and sexuality that I simply can't tear myself away from.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 4

After his outburst in front of the entire class defending Nakamura against accusations of stealing, it seems as if Kasuga's stock amongst his peers really couldn't sink any lower - neither, indeed, could his self-esteem.

However, it seems that his moment of unexpected bravery has struck a chord with somebody - Saeki no less, who commends him for being brave enough to stand up for Nakamura in such a situation.  Of course, these brief words of praise from his "angel" send Nakamura into rapture, so much so that even Nakamura's continued insistence that he abide by their "contract" doesn't particularly phase him.

Although that outburst has seen him ostracised by the rest of the class, another chance meeting with Saeki after she does her bit to show her support for him once again leads to the two chatting and, ultimately, arranging a date for that Sunday.  A joyous moment that nothing could spoil, surely... at least, not until Nakamura hears of the date.  Of course, our antagonist wants to put her own unique spin on this situation, and thus arranges to meet up with Kasuga before said date to force him into another uncomfortable and potentially compromising "dare"....

As if Flowers of Evil hasn't been uncomfortably enjoyable enough already, this week's instalment of the series really steps things up a gear by shifting Saeki from unobtainable angel to potential girlfriend material - a little too fast one could argue, but understandably so for taking us into another realm of Nakamura's twisted thinking and the abject discomfort that comes from it.  Cringing at what's developing on-screen has never been so much fun...

Flowers of Evil - Episode 3

To Kasuga's immature and inexperienced eyes, his life is pretty much ruined as this third episode of Flowers of Evil begins - his reputation with Saeki is dirt, Nakamura has enough dirt on him to hold him hostage to her whims, and even his attempts to dispose of the evidence of his misdemeanour prove unsuccessful.

If he thinks the talk about the missing gym clothes are going to go away, then he's also mistaken, as it remains a hot topic thanks to reports reaching the teaching staff that a suspicious character was seen in the area around the time that said clothes went missing.  Of course, Nakamura is having a ball with all of this, and when Kasuga fails to write an essay on his feelings that she demanded of him she seeks to abuse and embarrass him yet further, despite still wanting him to hang out with her after school.

Thus, this episode is really a look in on the decidedly weird relationship shared by Kasuga and Nakamura - one of hatred and distrust (for themselves, each other and the wider world in general), but with an odd and almost inexplicable sexual undercurrent running through it.  Come the end of the episode, Kasuga is even standing up for Nakamura in front of the whole class in the wake of another possible theft - is this love, friendship, or merely the Stockholm Syndrome at work?

It's this aspect of the show which ensures that Flowers of Evil remains decidedly fascinating - our two main characters are a psychologist's dream, and the rapid, lunatic twists and turns in their relationship is the kind of thing that you could dig into an analyse for hours.  For now though, I'm more than happy to just sit back and watch them play out against this enduring atmosphere of reality with surreal tinges; even when I find myself internally criticising a character's actions, part of me is both willing to accept and glad that they are the way they are, as it's this which lends the show its compelling nature.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 2

With temptation laid before him, life is about to get very difficult for Kasuga - after managing to initially resist that temptation, his desires get the better of him before the pressure of having someone walk in on him leads to him unthinkingly stealing the gym clothes of classmate Saeki.

No sooner has he done this than Kasuga is wracked with guilt about his actions - feelings made worse when an announcement is made to the entire class (with a tearful Saeki standing at its head) that her gym uniform has gone missing.  Unsure of what to do next, Kasuga is left in a near-constant state of panic when he isn't lamenting his actions, and things are about to get even worse...

Whether it's true or not, after school the day following the incident Kasuga finds himself running into Nakamura, who wastes no time in telling him that she saw him steal the uniform, trying to use it as leverage for him to take her where she wants to go.  Although that plan doesn't quite work out - Kasuga simply runs away screaming - it certainly lights a fire under our protagonist.  The trouble is, doing the right thing and returning the clothes is easier in principle than in practice, and in failing to do so Nakamura's plan really begins to swing into action as she threatens to take away something precious to him - that something seemingly being Saeki.

So ends another deeply atmospheric episode of Flowers of Evil, which seems to be more than making up for the pitfalls of its visual techniques with superb sound design to bring menace or malice and a feeling of threat to every scene.  It also does a surprisingly good job of fleshing out Kasuga as a character - yes, he's stupid in all sorts of ways, but his predicament still manages to eke out a slither of sympathy towards him as a viewer as things go from bad to worse.  It might not look the best, but in terms of story-telling and its slow, careful build-up so far, I'm still eager to see more.

Flowers of Evil - Episode 1

It's certainly been the most talked about opening episode of the spring season so far, and not necessarily for the right reasons, but as a good boy who has been waiting for Crunchyroll's legal stream to appear I've been able to watch the drama unfold before dipping into the world of Flowers of Evil for myself.

On one level, this opening episode of Aku no Hana (to use its Japanese title just this once) is simply a story of ordinary school life, as we're introduced to the quiet and decidedly plain bookworm Takao Kasuga and watch him as he hangs around with his small but tight-knit group of friends - friends, it seems, who are initially oblivious to his fascination with female classmate Nanako Saeki, who is herself the brains of the class.

At the other end of the scale we have Sawa Nakamura, a stern and bespectacled girl who, quite frankly, doesn't give a damn about school or what anyone thinks about her, leading to her having no compunction about leaving a test paper blank or calling her teacher a shit-face.  Of course, even as somebody who hasn't read the original manga it's clear to see who our main players in this particular tale are...

Although it's easy to simply write off Flowers of Evil within minutes of its beginning as a pile of junk on account of its rotoscoping technique over the use of "proper" animation, and everything that brings with it both good and bad (and some of it truly is bad here, I'll openly admit), instead let's talk about the atmosphere of this opening episode of the series.  Thanks to its accompanying soundtrack which cuts in and out and intersperses itself with slithers of Kasuga's everyday life, the combination of music with the episode's odd look and Kasuga's own behaviour makes for a discomfiting and sinister viewing experience all the way through to its frankly unsettling closing theme - everything we're seeing is utterly normal, yet at the same time things are clearly not right in this particular world or some of its characters, and even without a single real point of interest happening we're still left in no doubt that we're about to enter some uncomfortably territory (as if you hadn't guessed from a series named after and taking influence from poet Charles Baudelaire's most famous and controversial work).  Yes, it looks downright ugly in places, and for every aspect of the episode's aesthetic which works there are just as many that don't, but hopefully the overall mood of the series sets a promising tone for what is to come.