Aren't you a perv too?
The Flowers of Evil
By Shuzo Oshimi
Graphic Novel/Manga
Paperback, approx. 208 pages, 5 x 7 inches
Vol. 1: 978-1-935654-46-9 Buy.
Vol. 2: 978-1-935654-47-6 Buy.
Vol. 3: 978-1-935654-48-3 Buy.
Vol. 4: 978-1-935654-49-0 Buy.
Vol. 5: 978-1-935654-70-4 Buy.
Vol. 6: 978-1-935654-91-9 Buy.
Vol. 7: 978-1-939130-00-6 Buy.
Vol. 8: 978-1-939130-04-4 Buy.
Vol. 9: 978-1-939130-28-0 Buy.
Vol. 10: 978-1-939130-66-2 Buy.
Vol. 11: 978-1-941220-10-8 Buy.
U.S.$10.95 / CAN$11.95
COMPLETE EDITION
Paperback, Parts 1-3 approx. 550-600 pages, Part 4 402 pages, 6 x 8 inches
Part 1: 978-1-945054-71-6
Buy.
Part 2: 978-1-945054-72-3
Buy.
Part 3: 978-1-945054-73-0
Buy.
Part 4: 978-1-945054-74-7
Buy.
Parts 1-3: U.S.$22.95 / CAN$24.95, Part 4:U.S.$17.95 / CAN$19.95
One of the most popular manga series in Japan today makes its U.S. debut with The Flowers of Evil, Volume 1. In this romantic comedy featuring a teenage boy obsessed with a beautiful classmate—and with the poetry of Beaudelaire—award-winning, best-selling author Shuzo Oshimi pens a coming-of-age tale that will appeal to girls and guys alike.
The story opens as middle school student Takao Kasuga receives an F on a math test. But he doesn't even seem to notice because he's too engrossed in surreptitiously reading Beaudelaire's The Flowers of Evil. And the day goes downhill from there. In a moment of weakness, he finds and takes home the gym clothes belonging to sweet, pretty Nanako Saeki on whom he has a major crush. Unfortunately for Takao, there's a witness to the theft: Nakamura, who has a huge chip on her shoulder and a sadistic streak.
As the saga unfolds, we see Takao struggling to decide whether to confess or cover up his misdeeds at the same time that he tries to win over the girl of his dreams, and avoid the blackmail attempts of Nakamura, his new ”BFF.”
Smart, funny, and emotionally engaging, The Flowers of Evil introduces a character who's not a hero, but just an ordinary teenager in search of true love and real friendship.
2012 Manga Grand Prize Nominee
“Oshimi uses surreal imagery—a wall of eyes, a fun-house mirror, a giant sink hole—to suggest that Kasuga’s normal teenage discomfort with sexual feelings has become something more powerful and destructive: shame...That said, The Flowers of Evil is a shockingly readable story that vividly—one might even say queasily—evokes the fear and confusion of discovering one’s own sexuality. Recommended.”
—The Manga Critic
“[The Flowers of Evil], living up to its name, is a story that starts out very much like a seed that has only just been planted. That seed may represent Kasuga's perversion, his progress towards becoming a different person, or perhaps Kasuga himself. The principle that matters is that this story will continue, that with Nakamura's aide and instruction, we shall eventually see this seed sprout into a flower. What will its color be?...Vertical has truly picked a wonderful, new manga to add to their already colorful repertoire.”
—Monor Manga Impressions
“[T]his week's must-buy is Flowers of Evil... It succeeds on the strength of its characterization, and the fact that both of its leads are immediately sympathetic, or at least relatable. This kind of honest storytelling is absolutely the key to my heart. This series is not to be missed.”
—Melinda Beasi (Off the Shelf)
“Unlike Sundome and Nana to Kaoru, The Flowers of Evil understands that ’strength’ comes from great insecurities and weakness. However, this ’strength’ is not about climbing mountains and emerging victorious. This involves strength in crossing the dark side of the mountain and how to bask in it—nourishing our personal demons...By loving this manga I recognize what a sick and twisted individual I have become. While I can still say that I am not truly deviant, Flowers of Evil is a great reminder of my own thirst for power and my own personal corruption.”
—Otaku Champloo
“The Flowers of Evil seems like it's going to be an interesting read judging from the first volume... [T]here's a strange, familiar intimacy to The Flowers of Evil that makes its page-turning tale of sordid middle school blackmail that much more unsettling. Sure, nothing crazy has happened yet, but Nakamura seems capable of anything, so there's a constant air of uneasiness throughout.”
—Otaku USA Magazine
