aku no hana feature

Flowers of Evil

Aku no Hana (Flowers of Evil), the controversial talk-of-the-town show of the spring 2013 season, has recently been licensed by Sentai Filmworks for North American release. While they haven’t actually announced any sort of release date information yet, they have said in the press release that it will be “available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow later this year.” Read on to see the complete press release from Sentai Filmworks.

sentai filmworks licenses flowers of evil

HOUSTON, April 19, 2013 — Discover what flowers bloom from the seeds of sin of Sentai Filmworks’ newest acquisition: Flowers of Evil.This 13 episode series is directed by Hiroshi Nagahama (Mushi-Shi, Detroit Metal City) and features series composition by Aki Itami with character designs by Hidekazu Shimamura, sound direction by Kazuya Tanaka (High School of the Dead, Magical Shopping Arcade Abenobashi) and music by Hideyuki Fukasawa (Intrigue in the Bakumatsu ~ Irohanihoheto).

Darkness lurks everywhere, in every human heart, and sometimes it takes just a second of weakness for it to take root. For Takao Kasuga, that germination begins when his obsession with his beautiful classmate Nanako meets the opportunity to “borrow” her used gym clothes.Unfortunately, his loathsome act of laundry theft is witnessed by Nakamura, the strange girl who sits behind him in class. Soon, Nakamura’s own dark obsessions begin to hook their twisted tendrils into Takao’s miserable existence. Blackmailed into a “contract” under the threat of having his guilt revealed to his entire class, the former bookworm who could spend hours reading Beaudelaire’s “The Flowers of Evil” now finds himself entwined in Nakamura’s growing fantasies as she leads him down the garden path to damnation. As their blossoming relationship becomes ever darker, even the seemingly innocent Nanako is pulled into the nightmare. Just what are Nakamura’s ultimate plans, and will the increasingly trapped Takao really be willing to carry them out? What you sow, you must ultimately reap, and there’s certain to be a harrowing harvest ahead in FLOWERS OF EVIL!

Flowers of Evil will be available soon through select digital outlets with a home video release to follow later this year.

About Sentai Filmworks

Sentai Filmworks celebrates its 5th Anniversary as one of the fastest-growing anime companies in North America, producing hit series like Persona 4, Girls und Panzer, Devil Survivor 2, Bodacious Space Pirates, Majestic Prince and High School of the Deadas well as high profile theatrical films such as Grave of the FirefliesK-ON! and Appleseed. Sentai Filmworks’ programs are distributed through Ingram Entertainment, Diamond Comic Distributors, Section23Films and Waxworks through retailers Amazon, Best Buy, Fry’s, FYE, Hastings, Sam Goody, Suncoast, The Right Stuf, Wal-Mart and other good and fine stores. Digital product offerings may be found at Amazon, Anime Network, Crunchyroll, Google Play, Hulu, iTunes, Netflix, PlayStation Network, Rovi, Vudu, XBOX Marketplace and YouTube.

Now, much like people’s opinions of the show itself, the public’s opinion of this licensing is bound to vary from person to person. I personally am not too excited to see Flowers of Evil make the transition to North American release, because I’m not completely sure how well it’s going to make the transition. It’s not like things are going to be lost in translation, as much of the plot is something that makes sense in context for people all over the world, but at the same time it doesn’t seem like a show that’s going to get a really amazing American viewership. But that’s just this author’s opinion. If you’re interested in seeing more of my opinions regarding Aku no Hana and the choices that have been made in its art direction and more, go ahead and take a look at my previous article.

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Joey Williamson
Joey is a summer 2012 graduate of the Studio Art program at Florida State University, where he focused in illustration and sculpture. He's currently employed part-time at Toys"R"Us, sitting on that job to buff up his resume while applying for other jobs more relevant to his degree. Things that you might catch him doing on his time off include frequent trips to the movie theater, throwing down some new sketches for project ideas that will never see the light of day, or crying about having to go to work the next day. To break the lull of his tears, he likes to watch anime and try out new games, particularly MMOs. He's a huge Sailor Moon fanboy, but also gives a 10 out of 10 to shows like Arakawa Under the Bridge, Katanagatari, and Kids on the Slope.