Eden no Hana

The narrative centers on Midori, a 15-year-old who has been adopted into a family as a substitute for their lost child, Reika. Without giving away too much, it's a captivating storyline overall. Rating: 9.

The artwork was exceptionally lifelike and intricate. The artist excels in conveying emotions through her illustrations, effectively portraying the characters' inner darkness via their facial expressions. Rating: 9.

In my view, the characters were decent. Midori’s character was particularly well-developed and believable, though Tokio sometimes comes across as overly perfect. The other characters were fairly average with standard development. However, their backgrounds were generally well-executed. Rating: 8.

Personally, I found this manga enjoyable despite not being a huge fan of forbidden love stories. The characters’ backstories really resonated with me. Enjoyment rating: 8.

All things considered, I would give this manga a 9. It boasts a unique plot, well-developed character backgrounds, and realistic art. Even if you're not typically drawn to "forbidden romance" manga, this one might just win you over.

It begins impressively but eventually mirrors the experience of watching a Kdrama, particularly towards the conclusion. It's uncommon for a shoujo manga to delve into PTSD and the implications of being a survivor of sexual abuse. Its significance within the shoujo genre is evident.

However, it becomes absurd when the protagonist consistently depends on her two romantic interests for rescue. The narrative grows excessively melodramatic.

For younger readers, this could be a crucial piece. It stands out as an older shoujo that borrows heavily from Hana Yori Dango tropes, which were popular at the time—such as wealthy in-laws threatening to buy off the protagonist to keep her away from their son, classmates acting as bullies, and girls who are remarkably helpless, relying entirely on their love interests. While these elements were trendy back then, they now seem outdated and old-fashioned.

Quite honestly, I would give this a nine, but I cannot and will not condone plagiarism. Even though it was only a few panels, it was enough to halt all publications and cancel the English release. However, it is commendable that Suetsugu-sensei did not deny using other manga for Eden no Hana.

I found the story incredibly captivating, making you eager to read more, exactly as the author intended. At times, some of the drama felt unnecessary—a common issue in shoujo manga. Obvious attempts to evoke tears can be slightly annoying at times. As someone who's cried numerous times reading manga, it's hard to move me after so much experience.

The art was beautiful. Without the plagiarism, I would give it a nine, but there are just some things that can't be changed. The panels were well thought out, the character designs attractive and memorable, and the splash pages and two-page color spreads were absolutely stunning—perfect for desktop backgrounds or phone lock screens. Everything was visually pleasing, and I simply love Suetsugu-sensei's style. Shoujo manga can have either beautiful or ugly art, and this is definitely one of the beautiful examples.

There were several questionable changes in Midori's personality over a short period. I understand that after Tokio and Hashiba entered her life, she was bound to change, but does such rapid change make sense? After being traumatized by several scarring events, she's introduced as someone who avoids interaction with others and doesn't care about her life or people in general. A few chapters later, she's able to talk to everyone and smile effortlessly. You may disagree, which is understandable, even I'm unsure if I fully agree. But I feel the changes happened too quickly.

I thoroughly enjoyed this series, as it evoked many conflicting emotions. I highly recommend Eden no Hana to both newcomers and veterans of anime and manga. Shoujo fans, especially, will recognize this as a diamond in the rough among cliché, poor characters and storylines.

Overall, it's a beautiful manga that takes you on a wonderful journey but leaves you conflicted about the plagiarism issue and whether to give it a high score. Although I gave it a mediocre score of seven, it's something I'll remember for a while.

NOTE: I don't care if the author plagiarized someone's work. I'm here to review this manga based on its own merits. If plagiarism bothers you, read someone else's review (seriously).

Eden no Hana is a very addictive series. This manga revolves around a character who gets adopted into a household that doesn't love her, and her estranged brother comes back to rescue her. Initially, I thought it would be a mild drama about sibling love. But goodness, this manga is intense from start to finish. There are literally no breaks in this manga. Each chapter outdoes the previous one in sheer madness. You'd think, "Finally, things are okay now." Nope. This manga just keeps going, and partly because of that, I couldn't stop reading.

I don't think there were many poorly written characters in this series; those that were minor despite playing significant roles in a character's life. With the exception of maybe four characters, everyone seems hell-bent on causing trouble. It's chaotic. I liked both the female main character (FMC) and the male main character (MMC), and appreciated how the author crafted their relationship as both romantic and platonic (at least initially). However, the constant tension was gut-wrenching.

The FMC suffers from PTSD due to sexual abuse from her previous household. The story isn't so much about her brother's household but more about her reclaiming her life. I enjoyed these parts; the author portrayed them well, though compared to other series, it felt somewhat glossed over. She is saved by two different men, both trying to rescue her.

The crying scenes are spectacular. The buildup, the emotional depth when they happen—it's heart-wrenching. There is some levity in the series, but it would have had more impact if there were more of it, making the eventual descent into chaos even more powerful. I think the ending was pretty good too, though I would've liked a bit more development in the central relationship. Overall, I found this a very addictive series. The pacing was relentless, the main characters were likable, and the series was fun, but I'll never read it again. 7/10

This work was an emotionally exhausting journey, offering no respite for either the reader or its characters. It is excessively dramatic, constantly teetering on the edge of revealing whether the protagonists are blood-related while the female lead grapples with her trauma and vengeful high school classmates. Notably, Masamune, a conveniently crafted character who manages all the behind-the-scenes legal complexities, financial burdens, and mental strain, seems to exist merely to avoid addressing any logical depth that could have enriched this series. Nonetheless, every character feels like a one-dimensional, half-baked pawn in what amounts to a nauseatingly mediocre shoujo manga.