Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
This is what we needed! A total change of scene in Flowers of Evil by Shuzo Oshimi, which follows Kasuga, a young, nerdy boy corrupted by a twisted bully at school. Volume 6 of the manga series ended with an intense cliffhanger, showing Kasuga and Nakamura stepping onto the main stage at the summer festival with a huge knife, intent on committing a drastically violent act to shock the town.
The first chapter in Flowers of Evil Volume 7 reveals the aftermath, with the teens failing in their stunt to stun the town. Kasuga’s parents, who were already at the end of their tether with his unruly antics, act on their warnings and move away. As a result, the bulk of the new volume follows Kasuga settling into a new school and living a rather ordinary life, although he clearly still misses Nakamura. Readers don’t learn her fate, at least not in these chapters.
Kasuga’s personality shift is stark. From being obsessively disruptive to match Nakamura’s disgust with all things “normal,” he reverts to being a quiet introvert. However, he isn’t a total loner and has made new friends. If there’s one unfortunate change in Kasuga, it’s the fact that he gives up reading, his once-beloved hobby, which Nakamura never cared for. But a new character, Tokiwa, a beautiful, popular girl from another class, reignites a storm inside his heart.
At this point, Kasuga and Tokiwa’s relationship isn’t romantic; they simply bond over books. But it’s evident that this strange new friendship between the “hot girl” on campus and the odd new boy is going to stir trouble. Kasuga’s friends are already suspicious, shocked, and unhappy that Tokiwa talks to him, while she won’t even cast a glance at them. Plus, she has an older boyfriend who looks like he could be trouble.
It is Charles Baudelaire’s Flowers of Evil, once Kasuga’s favorite book, that stirs up things in his life again. But where his new school life will lead him remains a mystery. The fresh setting breathes new life into the series, otherwise, as I’ve said before, Shuzo Oshimi probably should have ended it by Volume 4, because things were getting overstretched. With new characters on the scene, there are exciting plot possibilities on the horizon.
The most interesting twist in Volume 7 is the introduction of Tokiwa, who seems to be an even bigger bibliophile than Kasuga. Tokiwa also displays some arrogance and subtle manipulative traits like Nakamura, but her personality isn’t nearly as destructive. She’s friendly on the surface, has regular friends, and goes to karaoke parties – however, what’s really going on in her head is anybody’s guess. I enjoyed this volume a lot more than the last two and am genuinely looking forward to seeing where the story goes next.
Rating: 4 on 5. ‘Flowers of Evil’ is on Kindle Unlimited.
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