‘When the Dokudami Flowers Bloom’ shows the art of discovering an artist in an entertaining way

Yayoi Kusama, Kiyoshi Yamashita, Vincent van Gogh and so on — there are quite a few world-class artists who have been diagnosed with mental illness or intellectual disability. Why does the art and beauty of these artists, who may be “sick” in the eyes of society, impress and touch the hearts of so many people? This must be one of the mysteries of what art is.

In the manga “Dokudami no Hana Saku Koro” (“When the Dokudami Flowers Bloom”), Daigo Shigaraki, a fifth-grade elementary school student, is seen by his classmates as an eccentric. He has tantrums, is restless, and easily panics. Only Shiro Kiyomizu, a good student in the class, sees something different in Shigaraki: that the clay works and grass dolls he makes have a strange charm, no matter how strangely shaped they are. Neither his teacher nor his classmates understand their value. Kiyomizu, unable to contain his excitement, gradually becomes an obsessive collector of “Shigaraki art.”

Some of you may have noticed that the character designs and story structure of this manga are somewhat similar to Inuhiko Doronoda’s “Kimi to Uchu o Aruku tameni” (“Walking Together to Space”), which I introduced in this column back in February. The fact that it represents a popular story pattern for manga these days is an interesting phenomenon, but let’s not dwell on it too closely. Both Doronoda and Shiho Kido, the mangaka of “Dokudami no Hana Saku Koro”, are recipients of the same manga award for newcomers: the Afternoon Shikishou from the monthly manga magazine Afternoon. Kido’s work is just as entertaining as Doronoda’s. Only the first volume of “Dokudami no Hana Saku Koro” has been published in book form so far, but this manga is sure to be nominated for several manga rankings this year.

Shigaraki’s studio is a grassy field with dokudami (chameleon plant). This field has been bulldozed for construction. Kiyomizu becomes upset, enraged, and beside himself. I love the scene where Shigaraki reprimands Kiyomizu with a cry of “Calm down!” Beauty can drive people crazy. Moreover, there must be an irresistible sense of ecstasy in feeling that you are the only one in the world who knows of this man’s talent. I wonder if people who discovered the value of Kusama, Yamashita, and Van Gogh when they were still unknown also felt overwhelmed by their talent, just as Kiyomizu did for Shigaraki. Needless to say, the artistic talent of creative artists is astounding, but what about the ability to appreciate hitherto undiscovered beauty before anyone else does? That should be commended as well.

Halfway through the first part, Kiyomizu volunteers to become Shigaraki’s production assistant. Whether Shigaraki can become a Van Gogh in the future is probably of no importance to Kiyomizu. He doesn’t care what others think or appreciate. The important thing is that Kiyomizu can “promote” Shigaraki’s art from the bottom of his heart, and that’s all that matters.

While this manga is an excellent comedy about a somewhat awkward friendship, I am impressed by the many depictions here and there that refer to the basic principles of art. While the manga is relatively light to read, I think the mangaka threw the ball into a very narrow, difficult path by choosing to portray Shigaraki’s character as he is, along with his complicated family background. I wonder if this story would be as interesting as it is if it were a novel. Again, I am so impressed by the wide range of expressions that manga conveys.