The Name of the Flower Vol. 4

By 斎藤 けん and Ken Saitō

An orphaned girl and a reclusive writer form an unlikely bond. Devastated by the loss of both parents in a tragic accident, 18- year-old Chouko Mizushima loses her will to live. After living at the... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1401215998
• ISBN13: 9781401215996
• Release Date: April 2010
• Publisher: CMX
• Length: 188 Pages
• Weight: 0.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 5.1" x 7.3"

Customer Reviews

Seasons of the flower come around again, in this final volume

I highly recommend this volume and this entire series for a library or an individual. It has the themes and expression of great literature, Bronte, Bleak House, Silas Marner and more. The fourth manga brings us to the conclusion of the cycle, that which follows the four seasons of the flowers themselves. As great as the first volume in the series, this follows on similar ideas to suffering, loss, and can two people, even unspeaking, find happiness or joy, when they feel they do not deserve it (or each other). Our heroine Chouko, from the death of her parents, to living at the house of a man who doesn't want her there, manages to find pleasure in the garden, then in her writing club at university. Kei, the writer who she lives with is tortured with the thoughts that he wants her with him, but doesn't deserve her. Plus he has the communication skills of a stone. This isn't a story of giant declarations and grand sweeps, but small actions and comments, showing the attention paid about the other person. We have two fragile people, but together they might just get by. "You don't have to smile when you don't feel like it." Kei finally says to Chouko, letting her know that he a) doesn't hate her or want her to distance herself and b) she can let her true feelings show. We are still left wondering, as Chouko's grandfather is dying in the hospital, whether she will ever have another person to share her feelings with, and if Kei will ever escape the self loathing hell his family has convinced himself he deserves. An excellent series which has ups and down but always delivers, well deserving of the manga award.