(L) Aku No Hana (Flowers of Evil)

[calorie]

Originally Posted by bastek66

Spoiler:

Man, that's batshit crazy!

[frubam]

Damn, Nakamura is pretty insane =01. Her screeching voice before the undress scene was AMAZING voice work; you could really feel the tension and insanity in her voice. Still, I must be the only one who thought she was kinda cute in the riverside scene; almost a bit romantic in a very realistic way. Maybe that's why he sympathized with her at the end. Too bad this'll probably push Saeki even farther, as who knows what that girl was telling her.

Another irony is that Kasuga was being pompous about understanding Bauldaire, looking down on the rest of the class, yet he still seeks not to be isolated by it. Not that I don't understand, as I'd probably do the same....nah, no I wouldn't. Kinda a hypocritical thing to do, imo.

On a translation note, gg didn't translate Nakamura as saying "Gwwwahhhh" and "Guuuuaaaaa" like the manga. I had a particular image in mind when she said that. Kind of a waste, but oh well, at least I knew about it beforehand.

[calorie]

This was one extremely intense episode, and I imagine it's going to get even worse. Although in the beginning the characters acted very realistic and human, especially with the added impact of the art style, now they're becoming your typical one-dimensional anime characters. I just had a hard time swallowing Kasuga's reactions, or rather the lack thereof.

The animation is getting more and more choppy, or at least it seems that way to me.

On the..."positive" side of things, the very core of Aku no Hana, which is the viewer's disgust, discomfort and tension is escalating linearly, I can't easily see that disappointing me.

[Dop]

Seriously, does no-one ever go to that library? Are there no librarians?

That library scene was unpleasant and intense, but i do have to wonder why nobody noticed this or what happened in the previous episode.

Things are starting to escalate, and I'm loving it.

Literature Watch: At the end Kasuga appears to be holding a copy of "The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch" by Philip K. Dick.

[calorie]

Originally Posted by Dop

That library scene was unpleasant and intense, but i do have to wonder why nobody noticed this or what happened in the previous episode.

I was wondering that too. One would think with the recent reports of a suspicious man lurking in the area there would be tightened security measures. Instead, everyone is free to do as they wish after school is over and there's no one to stop it except perhaps one security guard who can't possibly cover that much ground.

[sa547]

He's really screwed this time; everyone now knows he's linked with Sawa... and everytime he slids slowly into the quicksand of Sawa's universe, the ED kicks in.

[-Sho-]

Aaaah my eyes are burning (don't get me wrong , it's not for the character's face , well even though there are still this girl & this one)
ok , this rotoscoping isn't really that great , the animation is bad for me.
Remove this rotoscoping & you get a live action.

Anyway , Kasuga got owned by this creepy girl , what a dude...
Still like the Ed.
Well , i drop it , guess i'll read the manga.

[kuromitsu]

Originally Posted by calorie

I was wondering that too. One would think with the recent reports of a suspicious man lurking in the area there would be tightened security measures. Instead, everyone is free to do as they wish after school is over and there's no one to stop it except perhaps one security guard who can't possibly cover that much ground.

Something like this could've easily happened in my high school (fwiw I went to high school in the '90s ._.) also, not in Japan).

As for the library scene, our library was relatively large and we had one librarian lady who was old and underpaid enough not to care about what was going on in the back parts. Students pretty much did whatever they wanted. And as for suspicious people lurking around... yeah, that would've changed absolutely nothing. XD (Security? Guards? hahaha yeah right.) If there'd been reports of assault or something we would've had the police to patrol a bit more often after school, but for just a "suspicious" person? Nope. And fyi this was a pretty good high school in a better part of the city.

[Utsuro no Hako]

Originally Posted by GenjiChan

That's a laugh... sexually harassed by a girl...

I find this reaction as disturbing as the scene itself. That situation went far beyond harassment into the realm of sexual assault, and the fact that the victim's a guy and the victimizer a girl doesn't suddenly make it funny.

[Dop]

Originally Posted by Utsuro no Hako

I find this reaction as disturbing as the scene itself. That situation went far beyond harassment into the realm of sexual assault, and the fact that the victim's a guy and the victimizer a girl doesn't suddenly make it funny.

I have to agree, there was absolutely nothing funny about that scene at all, it strongly demonstrated and reinforced Nakamura's control over Kasuga.

[cyth]

Well, I don't know, I was watching this with my girl, and we were both like "O_O holy shit" and on the verge of laughing because that scene was so ridiculous, even if it was a horrifying experience for Kasuga. It came out of the blue all too sudden for me to take it too seriously. Nonetheless, this show is entertaining as fuck and people who dropped it are missing out big time.

[Haak]

I found the improbable nature of the Kasuga's inability to get rid of some gym clothes (and then somehow conclude he can't get rid of them at all) to be a little frustrating and whilst I found the scene where Nakamura humiliates Kasuga in the library powerfully disturbing, the impact was kinda killed by the fact that the event was happening in the middle of what could only have been an incredulously desolate room for several minutes.

Nonetheless, I am finally starting to find an interest in this show now that the pacing has picked up.

Also, they're middle schoolers?! What the fuck?!

[konart]

Originally Posted by Haak

I found the improbable nature of the Kasuga's inability to get rid of some gym clothes (and then somehow conclude he can't get rid of them at all) to be a little frustrating and whilst I found the scene where Nakamura humiliates Kasuga in the library powerfully disturbing, the impact was kinda killed by the fact that the event was happening in the middle of what could only have been an incredulously desolate room for several minutes.

Nonetheless, I am finally starting to find an interest in this show now that the pacing has picked up.

Also, they're middle schoolers?! What the fuck?!

In manga they are 13 year old kids, yeah.

[Solafighter]

I can't belive, that I mixed up Aku no Hana with Nozoki Ana.

Anyway. This has an interesting style. I will give it a try.

[orion]

Originally Posted by Haak

Also, they're middle schoolers?! What the fuck?!

I believe they are high schoolers in the anime.

[Kirarakim]

Originally Posted by orion

I believe they are high schoolers in the anime.

No they are middle schoolers in the anime as well. It was said during this episode.

They certainly don't look like middle schools. I'll say one thing I re-read part of the manga and I think the scene where Kasuga tries but can't throw away the gym clothes works better for me in the manga.

In the anime he looks old so to me the whole thing is just over dramatic. But in the manga he looks like a confused scared kid, so maybe I can buy that he is afraid he will get caught.

Although why not just throw it away in your trash and get it rid of it during trash day?

[orion]

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

No they are middle schoolers in the anime as well. It was said during this episode.

They certainly don't look like middle schools. I'll say one thing I re-read part of the manga and I think the scene where Kasuga tries but can't throw away the gym clothes works better for me in the anime.

In the anime he looks old so to me the whole thing is just over dramatic. But in the manga he looks like a confused scared kid, so maybe I can buy that he is afraid he will get caught.

Although why not just throw it away in your trash and get it rid of it during trash day?

Yeah, they really look old. I thought they were high schoolers. I'll keep reminding myself as I watch this episode. So that's why there was a pubic hair comment in the first episode.

[Humble Loser]

Kasuga: We need to talk. You could have woke up super early in the morning (1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM), snuck to the trash inside your house or immediately outside, placed the clothes in the trash bag/can and been done with it. No need to run outside during daylight with the clothes in plain view, hyperventilate like a fool and make a mountain out of an anthill. Plus being so completely dominated, overpowered and punked out by Nakamura in the library was pathetic. I actually thought she was going to rape him for a second. That scene was incredibly dark and disturbing. And Kasuga would have been forced to take it if she tried because he cannot defend himself worth a lick. When Kasuga defended Nakamura in class, he seemed like a tragic masochist. He suffers and on some level, he enjoys it. Nakamura will continue to be his pain and he’ll love her for it. Twisted.

[orion]

Spoiler:

Originally Posted by Humble Loser

Kasuga: We need to talk. You could have woke up super early in the morning (1:00 AM, 2:00 AM, 3:00 AM), snuck to the trash inside your house or immediately outside, placed the clothes in the trash bag/can and been done with it. No need to run outside during daylight with the clothes in plain view, hyperventilate like a fool and make a mountain out of an anthill. Plus being so completely dominated, overpowered and punked out by Nakamura in the library was pathetic. I actually thought she was going to rape him for a second. That scene was incredibly dark and disturbing. And Kasuga would have been forced to take it if she tried because he cannot defend himself worth a lick. When Kasuga defended Nakamura in class, he seemed like a tragic masochist. He suffers and on some level, he enjoys it. Nakamura will continue to be his pain and he’ll love her for it. Twisted.

...and tragic as they are middle schoolers.

[finallyanime]

Originally Posted by Kirarakim

No they are middle schoolers in the anime as well. It was said during this episode.

They certainly don't look like middle schools. I'll say one thing I re-read part of the manga and I think the scene where Kasuga tries but can't throw away the gym clothes works better for me in the manga.

In the anime he looks old so to me the whole thing is just over dramatic. But in the manga he looks like a confused scared kid, so maybe I can buy that he is afraid he will get caught.

Although why not just throw it away in your trash and get it rid of it during trash day?

why would you throw something like that away in your own trash....lol not a good idea.

But anwyays, i thought this episode was so stupidly ridiculous lol. I mean I liked it though, but I thought it kept moving 2 steps forward, then back, then forward, then back and after this first episode, nothing really felt different to me. I'm still liking the show, but idk...this episode was alright (3rd episode)