casimir.ritchie - 2014-01-28 06:30:56

Story - Aku no Hana follows Takao Kasuga, an emotional teen who is caught stealing his crush, Nanako Saeki's gym clothes by Sawa Nakamura. Nakamura confronts him and orders him to form a contract with him in exchange for her to keep the secret quiet. The things that she puts Kasuga through eventually push him in and out of many awkward and somewhat damaging situations. The plot follows the original manga plot almost frame for frame. (hell, the whole thing is rotoscoped, but I'll talk about that in a second) The plot is truly what brings you in and keeps you wanting to keep watching.

Animation - This will be probably the part where the majority of people say that the show is undeserving of a watch sadly. Since, as I mentioned before, the entire show is rotoscoped from the manga, there are some very strange, but unique aspects of the animation. The backgrounds are very picturesque, but the character animations are somewhat lacking, especially when you're viewing a character from behind. Sometimes you get a girl/boy with pigtails and sideburns,

and then other times you get amazing and beautifully animated emotional moments that look golden.

I personally think Studio Zexcs should be applauded for their experimental and interesting take on animation. While I can see where others may think the art and animation is a hot mess, I still think it's a very interesting step in a new direction. Also, I can't neglect to mention the show's lackluster intro, it is literally a credit reel and occasionally it shows clips that are from the episode that proceeds, that it literally all.

Sound - Not really much to talk about here from my personal opinion. I never really cared for any of the opening songs or the BG music that played during the episodes, the only time I ever noticed it really was when I heard a track for the 20th time and thought about how repetitive it all was... barring one song that really stood out. I don't exactly want to spoil it, but it does play during the scene that the above gif captured.

Character - The majority of the characters remain fairly bland and paperthin, other than Kasuga and Nakamura. Kasuga usually fits into the Shinji Ikari steryotype and is somewhat frustrating to watch at some points. However, whenever he decides to be more of an adult, his character really starts to seem at least a little redeemable. The real golden cast member of the show is Nakamura, her borderline insanity and perverted antics cease to be interesting, you're left wondering what she has planned next for Kasuga. It's hard to tell if you should hate her or root for her at some points.

Overall - The show is hated by quite a few, especially people who have read the manga previously. They don't like how the show portrays the intregal events that happen in the series. And as someone who read the manga before watching the series, I can say that the show, although not as good as the manga itself, is still an amazing and refreshing breath into the series. If you plan on watching and reading the series, I would suggest to read it to completion first, and then watch the anime after you have done that. It's rare to see a show that is as innovative and, I mean this in the best way possible, bizarre show, it's possible that if perfected, this unique style could become a style of its own and be used to tell many other amazing stories like this one.

murray.padberg - 2013-12-17 21:25:57

Please keep in mind this is my first review ever and that English is not my native language.

So... Aku no Hana eh? I sure heard a lot of negative things about this one. ''Really? Come on guys, it can't be that bad... right?'' It was like that when I went in with literally no expectations at all. And oh... I sure was pleasantly surprised!

I have read some comments about the episodes, saying it's ''slow and boring''. Well, I agree on the slow-part... but boring? I didn't experience it that way. I felt like it was a great choice for the storyline: it showed us how careless and relaxed Takao's life was, right before all shit went down. As for the rest of the story, I think it was all fit pretty well together. The ending left me with a lot of questions though... let's hope for a season 2!

The animation! Probably my favourite part of it all. It really, REALLY, complimented the anime in my opinion. It felt so real, it really did. It's almost so out of the ordinary, that you have to appreciate the Guts (ha!) the art directors and everyone else involved with the production had for making such a risky choice. Of course, it wasn't perfect- character wise I mean. The background was superb. It missed a few details here and there (think about shades etc.). But overall, it was pretty good.

As for the characters, I found myself relating to them a lot of times. Even to characters I didn't even expect to relate to at all, but still did. Even to characters I thought I hated, but still did!

Needless to say, is that I really enjoyed this anime. I was so intrigued that I watched all episodes in a row. Probably gonna rewatch it soon as well. The past days I haven't been able to get this anime completely out of my head. I am literally obsessed with it. I try to make every single one of my friends at least give this anime a try.

It really isn't as bad as (presumably) most people tell you it is. It *really* isn't. I give you my word.

wehner.javier - 2013-12-01 12:12:35

The review of the anime that I shouldn't have seen:

http://inanimeshadow.blogspot.com/2013/11/aku-no-hana-anime-review.html

viva.osinski - 2013-10-24 13:01:06

After some thought I decided to do a short spoiler free review of Aku no Hana because I really do not want people to dismiss this anime!

It's a great and twisted psychological anime. The realism and the tension that is constantly in the atmosphere of this anime is brilliant. The painful awkwardness of the character Kasuga and the weird behaviour of Nakamura I really liked. Their very different behaviours were a good combination along with the other main character Saeki who gives off what is seemingly a normal and innocent vibe.

Yes, there are scenes that are a few minutes long which could be cut down and reduced to only a few seconds long but they would just not have the same effect if they were not real time. It would ruin the strange and tense atmosphere of the anime. It is an anime set in everyday run down, miserable looking town with a very eerie feeling about it. The slowness is a really important part of the setting. However, I admit the slow pacing can be somewhat frustrating at times. It wasn't too bad though. I'm the kind of person who is really fussy when it comes to pacing and it's always one of my biggest complaints about any anime but if someone like me was fine with it then you should be too.

The rotoscope animation is actually perfect and aids the psychological element of the anime. It makes it a little more life like in appearance and also much different in appearance compared to the typical anime which Aku no Hana certainly is not. Without the rotoscope the anime wouldn't be the same at all. Those who refuse to watch it because of the 'ugly' animation are childish. You are really missing out on a unique and intriguing anime by rejecting Aku no Hana due to its appearance.

The music used is also very different to the average anime soundtrack. It is really quirky and odd like everything else within this anime. Don't be expecting the typical J-pop/rock artist/band kind of songs for the OP and ED. The ED in particular is great but probably not something you would have on your iPod. I loved Aku no Hana's soundtrack though because it adds to the overall eerie feeling the anime gives off.

I don't want to spoil anything but I must warn you that this anime can be a little disturbing. Some may find it too weird. It is a psychological anime though! I know it may be an acquired taste but if you are sick of the normal slice of life school romance then check out the great but twisted Aku no Hana.

However, if you watch this anime then prepare for an ending that does not resolve anything. The final episode just gives us a glimpse of what is to come to persuade you to go and read the manga. I myself have started to read the manga (the manga is great!) because this anime has left me intrigued. I think it is a real shame that it will most likely never get a second season due to its lack of popularity though.

I would recommend Aku no Hana to those who fancy something a little bit different!

I originally laughed at the screenshots (Nakamura's derp face and the manly looking girl!) like many others but a week after episode 1 aired I started watching. I expected to hate it but I didn't. I admit it took several episodes to get into but after that I really looked forward to watching it every week. It's definitely one of those anime you should at least check out an episode or two at some point. It taught me not to judge an anime by its animation style immediately. Sometimes it takes a while to warm to something new!

mariano54 - 2013-07-24 01:32:57

Aku no Hana was one of the most talked-about shows recently albeit for the wrong reasons.

Not many people were talking about much more than its very artsy rotoscoped artstyle. But beneath that shell is a thought provoking story, so many characters with a lot of depth, an unparalleled musical score and an atmosphere bar none.
This is certainly not for everyone but if you are even remotely interested in the inner workings of human beings, sociology and psychology then you will find yourself easily lost within the small world of Aku no Hana. And the art direction plays a huge role in this.

Rotoscoping aside, the background art is mindbogglingly detailed. It's gritty, raw, rusty. It's a huge part of the atmosphere of the show. It goes against the grain of every polished, vibrant production that was aired at the time. Couple this with the incredibly realistic movement, the 'normalness' of the entire thing achieves exactly what it wants to. It makes you feel uncomfortable.

The soundtrack is among the best I have ever listened to in any animated production of recent years. It's a droning ambient sound. It's unconventional. It's timed perfectly. It evokes emotions that you never would achieve otherwise. It builds tension, you wait for something on screen to happen but it just... doesn't. It's all in your head. And that is utter perfection.

The pacing is by far one of the best I have seen in a long time as well, this includes both plot and character development.
Every episode scales very profoundly and you keep coming back for more. You slowly drift into the world, you get to grow with the characters around you and you keep wondering what is going on within these people's heads. Pieces fall into place yet something new is uncovered steadily.

As stated previously, this will not be everyone's cup of tea. What begins as a simple story about a very awkward guy and his pervy yet unintentional wrongdoings evolves into a profound psychological drama.

If you can pull the stick out of your ass and get over the rotoscoping and actually engage with this show, you will be rewarded with one of the best animated productions of this decade.

Give it a chance.

hsanford - 2013-07-22 23:28:48

Aku no Hana is by far the most controversial Anime of the Spring Season 2013, receiving by far the most hate and still having quite a big fanbase that does like it. Which one of the two sides arguing against each other is right?Story: The story of Aku no Hana takes place in Japan and revolves around Kasuga Takao, a quite normal boy, who goes to school, loves books (especially Baudelaire's "Aku no Hana") and has a crush on what is supposed to be the beauty of the class. One day he finds her sport clothes as he wants to get the book he accidentally forgot in the classroom. He takes them out and hears a sound. In the hurry he just takes them and leaves quickly. Later on the psycho child of the class, being Nakamura Sawa tells him she saw him stealing the clothes. From then on she makes him do things that...well are kind of awkward.The whole story is really well executed and as far as I know follows the Manga quite well (didn't read it). It is really enjoyable to watch and it keeps unfolding in directions that the viewer doesn't expect to go to. It was a good story, but no masterpiece!8/10Characters: The characters are the shining point of the show. Even though the only ones that get any focus at all are the three main characters that everything revolves around, they are that good developed that that is no problem at all!Kasuga Takao seems to be one of the most normal students we've seen in a while in Anime. He likes books, has a crush on a girl and doesn't have any powers or things he is really good in. That is until he gets seen by Nakamura stealing the clothes and his life gets more and more messed up, just as his mind.Nakamura Sawa is a psycho. That's what everyone agrees upon. But it is a kind of psycho, that seems more pleasant than the "I'll kill you all" type, and rather is someone that is claims himself to be a deviant and searches for people that are the same as she is.Saeki Nanako is the girl Kasuga has a crush on. She is a kind and good looking girl. I am not gonna talk a lot about her since I'd just end up spoiling.One must be said: The characters aren't likeable at all! It is hard to really like them, but that is the point the series wants you to be in. It's a point were you can look down on the show from a spot a lot higher, which makes every single character a lot more human and makes their built up incredibly well done.10/10Art: Well....the first thing that comes to your mind while watching Aku no Hana is the character design, which looks to say it in a polite way different. It is not a bad thing to make them look this way, since it is just another point that makes you feel more distant to the characters. The point were the art fails is the animation itself. The characters suffer from either to much movement at the same time and you just can't seem to concentrate because the characters look as if they would tremble without a reason or they don't move at all. The amount of still screens in this show is incredibly high and makes the show feel as if it was something based on an incredibly low budget, which it probably is. Later on the Animation gets a lot better but still not good enough to make up for what they did within the first episodes, which makes the enjoyment go down by far and the hate level rise in the same way.4/10Sound: The Soundtrack of Aku no Hana is incredibly simple. It mostly consists of tones getting louder and louder which creates a suspense that really fits the show as something dark and awkward. Aku no Hana has one of the most memorable endings ever created. A song only sung by a computer voice singing about the flowers of evil definitely is really creepy and fits the whole show really well. Just as the 4 Openings do. Every single one of them is weird in it's own way but still it fits the show so well that by now I really enjoy hearing them on their own. The voiceacting is nothing that really stands out. While it definitely is not horrible, it is nothing I do love.8/10Enjoyment: I have no idea how to score this...honestly! This show is nothing you will enjoy! However it is something that makes you want to shut down your browser and never open it again. At parts I couldn't watch an episode in a single sitting, but had to constantly pause it to calm down a bit, since my nerves were blank, but this is what makes this show so good!9/10Aku no Hana is not a show everyone will enjoy, that is for sure. It is hard to watch and if you aren't into thrillers or that kind of stuff you really should stay away from this, but if you like them or if it even interests you a little, go watch this and make your own picture of it. Overall: 8/10

lila56 - 2013-07-01 05:19:25

Aku No Hana certainly is interesting in it's premise, yet at the same time fails to deliver on an absolute brilliant story, it seems Aku No Hana is simply setting itself for your dis-enjoyment, long time fans of the manga should certainly avoid the anime at all costs, while new comers are recommended to reach out and buy the manga. Many have said it, but I digress.

Aku No Hana seems to not be able to portray the real beauty of what lies within, a story about love, family conflicts and true teenage bliss. The animation style might have seen like a good art direction at the time, but when placed on the actual screen, it fails to deliver, fans quickly catch on to the so called freez-frames. Though true many anime series use them, no series has as many, and as prominent as Aku No Hana does. Many would agree that this great story, would have been of as a J-Drama, if you're going for realism, what's more real than an actual human being?

To end things of, Aku No Hana fails to deliver, it's prominent and true to the manga, but not giving itself leeway for adaptation made the mangaka's already slow paced manga, become an even more slow and dull paced anime.

pgaylord - 2013-06-28 05:17:40

Aku no Hana isn't everyone's cup of tea and is one of the most controversial anime of the season due to its 'unique' animation it gives. Honestly speaking, I was on the boat where I would constantly bash on it for simply being so 'different', till of course I gave it a try and end up enjoying it more than I ever expected.

Criticisms are welcomed as long as their constructive:3

Good:

One thing Aku no Hana succeed is the atmosphere it sets out throughout the anime and how it provides tension, awkwardness and fear

Subjective:

Some episodes can be pretty episodic (to the extent of having to watch characters walking for aprox 6 mins)

Overall, its a simple story if you view it in it's outline, but the amount of depth it gave is a high point for me

Good:

When it comes to animation, its close up scenes and attention to details are beautiful (tho it's rotoscoped),

Where at times have pretty fluid animation when it comes to the more "dramatic" scene

Bad:

The amount of still frames it has really annoyed me. E.g. all movement will suddenly freeze out of no where while background or inner monologues are played.

Subjective:

The rotoscoping in general. It's not the best out there but it's something I quickly got used to

Good:

[Voice] The voice acting are the high points for me as the VA's does a really good job in portraying their characters. And that a number of them are new comers

[OST] Osts played are done well in contributing to scenes, providing an eerie vibe when have to. This is especially done beautifully well as the end theme kicks in after a certain revelation

Bad:

[OST] Most tracks through the episodes are not as memorable or something I would want to listen to by itself.

Subjective:

[OP/ED] It's not something everyone enjoys, but to me it's fitting with the series themes (and I love the ED just by how freaking creepy it isXD)

Good:

The amount of depth each characters (the mains) are given in a psychological stand point and how realistic some may appear despite its not so 'realistic' appearance~~

This is an intense anime and a painful one to watch. I often find myself refusing to watch the next episode as I was afraid of what’s going to happen next. Whether it’ll piss me off to no end or something I would sigh in relief. BUT looking back, it was this experience that made me enjoy Aku no Hana.

All in all, This is a really dark (comparatively) and realistic anime which I wouldn't recommend it to everyone. However, I do recommend it to the people who hate this anime for the art style alone and to just give it a shot.

Overall: 7.4 (7)

moen.anabelle - 2013-06-02 15:25:45

Aku no Hana is one of the most intensely artsy and one of the most important things to have come out of TV anime in years. The art direction, story direction, and sound direction intentionally go ways that make it stick out like a sore thumb compared to everything else currently airing. It's brilliant and daring and you will never see another show like it again.

qjenkins - 2013-05-31 21:06:38

OVERALL-realistic plot, art and characters where everything is comprehensible, fitting music during the anime, unusual but cool end-themewhat does it make interesting? the realism combined with good characters, which make you experience intense emotionsSTORY-I have to say that as far as I've seen it, the story is very good. It shows in a realistic scenario how a simple, impulsive action can bring one in a very ugly situation. There is an atmosphere of despair and hopelessness throughout the whole anime and you can basically feel the emotions of the characters.ART-Well, the Art. What to say about it. It definitely is unusual. I wouldn't say that it's bad, but I'm sure it's not everyone's taste. There are not many typical anime characteristics and it is, like the plot, very realistic. Sometimes it even looks like a movie and not an anime. But I think, that this style is appropriate considering the story. It just fits.CHARACTERS-As I already mentioned in the Story-part, you can feel their emotions, which makes it easier to find a connection with the characters. I personally think the character development is good, so far. With every episode you get to know them a little better. But also here, they go with the rest of the anime, realistic. No totally unexpected reactions or behaviour. Till now there are many clichés. However not Anime-clichés but real world-clichés.SOUND-I like the opening and the end-theme. The end-theme is some electronic bad ass voice, which would probably creep you out if you listened too long to it. The rest of the music fits the anime, it supports the atmosphere. Nothing special, though.ENJOYMENT-I think this is a matter of opinion. Since the story is realistic, it's somehow like the real life and not everything turns out well. So if you want to watch an Anime with an intense and realistic slice-of-life plot, you will enjoy this one.