Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Complicated romantic teen triangles are the worst, but sometimes the best thing that can happen to someone who can’t choose between two people is to get dumped simultaneously by both. And that’s what happens to protagonist Kasuga at the end of Flowers of Evil Volume 3. Although he isn’t exactly caught in a love triangle, it’s something far more twisted.
Quick recap of Volume 3: After Kasuga tries to run away with Nakamura on a bleak, rainy night, the two are confronted by his panicked girlfriend, Saeki, who fails to understand their relationship. She demands an explanation but receives no concrete answers. In the end, both Nakamura and Saeki decide to walk away from Kasuga—but the trio is soon picked up by the police.
So, Volume 4 of Flowers of Evil begins with a devastated Kasuga being questioned by his parents over his bizarre conduct (stealing a girl’s gym clothes and then trying to run away). His parents, of course, also ask him to apologize to both girls, with no understanding of the complex/weird dynamics between them all.
Shuzo Oshimi also does a one-month time skip in the story, showing Kasuga going through his daily life at school. However, the young boy no longer reads for leisure and mostly keeps to himself. But he has a burning desire to rekindle his twisted relationship with Nakamura. Meanwhile, Saeki seems to have moved on, or at least she puts on a brave face in these chapters, until something pushes her to the brink again.
The primary focus of this volume of Flowers of Evil is on Kasuga’s efforts to figure out how he can go back to being by Nakamura’s side. And he thinks the best way to do that is by proving he really is a “pervert,” and not just another boring “shitbug” who doesn’t deserve any attention from the class bully (Nakamura). Despite the psychological torment and physical humiliation she inflicts on him, Kasuga starts to develop feelings for her, though not in a traditionally romantic way. Shuzo Oshimi deserves credit for portraying the complexities of Stockholm Syndrome, with Kasuga slowly empathizing with his abuser; but the tale is beginning to lose its edge now.
Like I wrote in my review for the previous volume, Shuzo Oshimi should’ve simply found a way to wrap up Flowers of Evil right there. Now it’s getting random, and even though the story isn’t predictable, the acts of “perversion” no longer hold any shock value. The art hasn’t been very impressive either, although I gave the previous volume a higher rating because the tense settings provided a more visceral visual experience.
This time around, neither the art nor the story was as exciting, intriguing, or disturbing anymore. But throughout this volume, there’s a hint that another new classmate might get involved in the story, so perhaps Kasuga’s life might take a fresh turn. However, for now, I really wish the series would’ve ended earlier.
Rating: 2 out of 5. Flowers of Evil is on Kindle Unlimited.
Read Next: ‘The Girl Who Owned a City’ Graphic Novel Review
Also Read: ‘Gel Boys’ Review: Situationship Hell Ft Siam Square (Short Audio Review Below)