It has been revealed that Shuzo Oshimi's popular manga "Aku no Hana" will be adapted into a TV drama starring Fuku Suzuki and Ano. The series will be broadcast and streamed on TV Tokyo and Disney Plus from April 2026.
The original manga by Oshimi was serialized in Bessatsu Shonen Magazine (Kodansha) from 2009 to 2014, selling a total of 3.25 million copies and being nominated for the Manga Taisho Award. The cover of the first volume features Nakamura Sawa's line, "You damn bug," in bold, making a striking statement, and the manga garnered attention for its detailed portrayal of the inner conflict and recklessness that are unique to adolescence. It was adapted into a TV anime in 2013, a stage play in 2016, and a live-action film in 2019.
Takao Kasuga (played by Suzuki), a boy who believes he is different from his classmates because he is an avid reader of Baudelaire's poetry collection "Les Fleurs du Mal," one day accidentally steals the gym clothes of his idolized classmate Nanako Saeki. However, when fellow classmate Sawa Nakamura sees him doing so, he and Nakamura enter into a master-servant relationship. Eventually, Kasuga comes face to face with a part of himself he never knew existed... This is the story.
Suzuki commented, "Through this work, I would be happy if I could love the 'Aku no Hana' that is inside me and deliver something to the viewers," while Ano said, "I never thought I would be able to play Nakamura in my life. I cherished this opportunity and threw myself into the filming. I hope you don't miss it."
Furthermore, to commemorate the drama adaptation, original author Oshimi has created a special illustration of Suzuki and Ano dressed as Kasuga and Nakamura. The illustration depicts the reckless adolescence and the master-servant relationship between Kasuga and Nakamura, who are plagued by conflict, while also incorporating Suzuki and Ano's facial expressions. Both commented with joy, "I never thought that Oshimi-sensei would draw the Kasuga I play, so I was very happy!" (Suzuki), and "Ever since I encountered Aku no Hana, Oshimi-sensei's manga has given me so many emotions, so it's very moving...! Thank you so much for the wonderful illustration" (Ano).
◇Comment from Fuku Suzuki
I am very happy to be playing the protagonist in this work, which is loved by many people and stirs up various emotional memories from my school days. I am excited to play Kasuga Takao, who has a similar aura to me, but who transforms into a character I have never played before as the story progresses. I believe that the worries and conflicts he has are things I carried with me when I was his age, and I carry with me now, albeit in varying forms. I would be delighted if this work could help viewers appreciate the "Flowers of Evil" within themselves and provide some nourishment to them.
◇Ano's comment
I was being chased by something. However, at a time when I was living without knowing what I was running away from or where I was running towards, this work was recommended to me by people around me many times, and I remember well the shock I felt when I read it. It was like I had "found it." And then, after several years, I found it again. I never thought I would end up playing Nakamura-san in my life. I cherished this opportunity and threw myself into the filming. I hope you don't miss it.
◇Comment from original author Shuzo Oshimi
It's been over ten years since the original manga ended its serialization, and I feel extremely grateful that a new drama will be released into the world. Having seen Fuku Suzuki's recent acting, I'm very excited to see him play Kasuga. I've always felt that Ano has the same purity and rebellious spirit as Nakamura. I hope that both those who read the manga in the past and those watching for the first time will watch it.
◇Comment from Producer Koichi Urushibara of TV Tokyo's Drama Production Department
As the cover of the original manga reads, "You're a damn idiot" and "I'm not a pervert..." this is a drama adaptation of Oshimi Shuzo's hugely popular work, which explores themes of adolescence, sex, and the impulses of boys and girls. While it may seem like a bizarre story, the fluctuating emotions of adolescence are relatable to many. Fuku-kun and Ano-san's diverse emotional expressions embody the complex master-servant relationship between Kasuga and Nakamura. There's comedy and there's seriousness, and every scene will stir your emotions. The series will also be available on Disney+, so we believe it will deliver content that exceeds the scale of TV Tokyo's late-night productions! (The April season is still a while away, but we're excited to announce it early.) Stay tuned for more updates!!
◇Comment from Producer Hideyuki Wakuda of C&I Entertainment
"To live is to change," is a phrase I learned from a beloved author. "Aku no Hana" is the story of Kasuga Takao and Nakamura Sawa's transformations in order to survive. It's a story of how they move forward despite repeated conflicts and rejections, involving those around them. The story is set in 1998 (in the TV series). I remember being overcome with an indescribable sense of anxiety as the calendar turned to the year 2000. This is the story of boys and girls living in that era. It's also a story of adolescence, a time that comes to everyone. Please enjoy this fifth installment of their lives, following the manga, stage play, anime, and film.
