Flowers of Evil: Depravity At Its Finest

 Recently I saw a post on a show that I did not know existed. For a series that I had only just recently became aware of in name, but not in context. That show is the anime adaptation for Flowers of Evil by Shuzo Oshimi. The adaptation was animated by the studio Zexcs. Zexcs has a wide catalogue of Battle and School Life series, while also handling the Shadowverse franchise. There aren't any series aside from Shadowverse that are as notable as Flowers of Evil. Just looking at these other series, I can say that Flowers of Evil is unique and special among their works. 

The story in Flowers of Evil revolves around Takao Kasuga and his relationship with Sawa Nakamura. While Takao is a typical nerd in middle school who loves to read, Sawa is a pariah. She is crass toward everyone and is genuinely unlikable. Her unstable mannerisms are clear signs of someone dealing with mental health issues. These issues are more or less seen as someone just acting out. There are sentiments to be had for someone who clearly needs help, but this small secluded town has instead become a playground as well as a cage. 

What initially drew me to the series was the animation style. The series used rotoscoping, a process where live-action footage is traced over frame by frame. A famous example was Max Fleischer filming Cab Calloway and his band. Then turning Calloway into a Walrus. The Walrus would then perform the same dance routine as Calloway. This technique isn't used a lot nowadays, yet the work of Fleischer and others who utilized rotoscoping have certainly impacted the medium in amazing ways. As a lover of animation, I always love to see when these unorthodox projects are presented to me. 

There are many ways in which the rotoscoping really enhanced the adaptation for Flowers of Evil. And one of those major ways for me were these scenes of stillness. Either the score would be the only noise or characters would be thinking or talking out of frame. And so the shot would end up being placed on a background character in class or on the street. But that person wouldn't be moving their mouth or any part of their body. They would just be still. In a show with a lot of tension and unease, this stillness would amplify the uncomfortabilty. 

Uncomfortability is not the most difficult thing to achieve in a setting where Takao is sweating bullets because everyone is talking about the person who stole Nanako Saeki's gym uniform. He knows, and Sawa knows he did it. However, no one else knows it was him. The audience is left stewing in this air. You cannot escape it and the show is aware. The viewer must endure long segments of unease while going through these scenes. It is something that I often have an issue with in newer anime specifically. 

There are too many series nowadays that are moving at a mile a minute. Leaving little time in between the last line of dialogue. This could also have to do with the current audience and the expectations set. New viewers don't like to sit on moments. There is a lack of dead air, and I hate that. Some of the best moments in film and television come from an audience having to sit there and endure it. A perfect example of this is in Texas Chainsaw Massacre Part 2. 

The character Chop-Top, played by Bill Mosely, visits the Radio Station where the main character, Stretch played by Caroline Williams, works as radio jockey. What makes this scene so good is that while Chop-Top looks ridiculous, he still feels real. The interaction is a clear sign of danger because you know that Leatherface is around and lurking. But even the way that Chop-Top is ignoring Stretch's clear attempts to shoo him away is something all too real. A strange man has trapped a woman by herself in her place of work. The tension is off the charts. It is one of my favorite scenes in Horror for that reason. 

So, if your show or movie is just hitting those beats and not really allowing for thoughts to process, then what's the point. There is nuance to be had in these ten second interactions that feel like ten minutes. And that is a major reason why I like Flowers of Evil so much. The direction and all of the encompassing parts make for an engaging story that I want to see more of. That to me is what makes a good adaptation become greater. I'll always value something that goes outside of the box when it nails it.  

A point of contempt I can see with this adaptation is the fact that the characters are unrecognizable. The difference is night and day. If someone who was reading or has read the manga before watching the show, then decided to check it out. They would be taken aback. The characters don't look like they do in the book. They look like real people. The two styles are on the opposite ends of the spectrum, but the direction tells me that you could not get the same effect if they chose to design the show with the original character designs in mind. A travesty for Manga fans, yet a worthy sacrifice in my mind. 

After all is said and done, I am a fan. Flowers of Evil is so twisted and intriguing at the same time. There is beauty in the perversion of it. These kids are on the verge of a mental breakdown every time they interact. It is wonderful in a maniacal way. A show that took a risk on a unique animation style. One that I can wholeheartedly appreciate. 

I plan to buy the English volumes of the book for this series. The writing is top tier, and I am now invested in the outcome of this series. The anime has done its job and sold me on something that I have only recently discovered. A messy masterpiece filled with anxiety and anguish. A flower is blooming within. But what will come out when it does?