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When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom

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When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom
First tankōbon volume cover, featuring Daigo Shigaraki (left) and Shiro Kiyomizu (right)
どくだみの花咲くころ
(Dokudami no Hanasaku Koro)
Genre
Manga
Written byShiho Kido
Published byKodansha
English publisherKodansha (digital)
ImprintAfternoon KC
MagazineMonthly Afternoon
Original runNovember 25, 2023 – present
Volumes5
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When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom (Japanese: どくだみの花咲くころ, Hepburn: Dokudami no Hanasaku Koro) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shiho Kido. It has been serialized in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon since November 2023.

In 2025, the manga won the New Creator Prize of the 29th Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize.

Plot

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Daigo Shigaraki is seen as an outcast at school, known for his temper tantrums and strange habits. One day during art class, model student Shiro Kiyomizu notices Shigaraki making a bizarrely creative clay sculpture, and later observes him making grass dolls of his classmates in the chameleon flower fields, including one of Kiyomizu, leaving him in awe. After the flower fields are razed and the dolls start disintegrating, a manic Kiyomizu confronts Shigaraki, offering to help motivate his creativity in any way. Despite being unsettled by Kiyomizu's obsessiveness over his art, Shigaraki accepts. From there, an unusual friendship blooms.

Production

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When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom originated as a doujinshi that was first written and illustrated in December 2021, before it was showcased at COMITIA 140 in May the following year.[3] Author Shiho Kido was later contacted by the Monthly Afternoon editorial department, and submitted the work for the Autumn 2022 Afternoon Shiki Shō [ja], where it won the Grand Prize. It was Kido's second work as a manga artist.[4]

Kido's fascination for outsider art and "Art Brut" since high school, as well as the ambiguity of what would attract someone into such art, were what inspired the story for When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom.[4] The main characters being in fifth grade was because Kido believed that was the last possible age kids are open-minded about others before they start becoming socially closed off during middle school and high school. Kido noted that had Shiro Kiyomizu been older, he would have been a less likeable character to work with.[4]

Many character names were based on Japanese ceramics. Kido stated that this began from buying a Shigaraki ware vase, thinking it was a fitting name for Daigo Shigaraki, and replicating it for other characters.[4]

Publication

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Written and illustrated by Shiho Kido, When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom was first published as a one-shot in Kodansha's seinen manga magazine Monthly Afternoon on October 25, 2022, after it won the Grand Prize of the Autumn 2022 Afternoon Shiki Shō [ja] (アフタヌーン四季賞; 'Afternoon Four Seasons Award').[5][6] It was also posted in its entirety on Kido's Twitter account that same day, where it was well received by readers.[5][7] It later officially began serialization in Monthly Afternoon on November 25, 2023.[8] Kodansha has collected its chapters into individual tankōbon volumes, with the first one released on May 22, 2024.[9] As of August 21, 2026, five volumes have been released.[10]

In February 2025, Kodansha began publishing the series in English on its K Manga digital service.[11]

Volumes

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No. Japanese release date Japanese ISBN
1May 22, 2024[12]978-4-06-535497-1
  • 1. "Those Days" (あのころ, Ano Koro)
  • 2. "Rumors" (うわさ, Uwasa)
  • 3. "Secrets" (秘密, Himitsu)
  • 4. "Change" (変化, Henka)
  • 5. "Wound" (傷, Kizu)
2December 23, 2024[13]978-4-06-537721-5
  • 6. "Unexpected" (予想外, Yosō-gai)
  • 7. "Liar" (うそつき, Uso-tsuki)
  • Extra Story: "Report Cards" (通知表, Tsūchihyō)
  • 8. "Words" (ことば, Kotoba)
  • 9. "The Ocean" (海, Umi)
  • 10. "Meetup" (待ち合わせ, Machiawase)
3June 23, 2025[14]978-4-06-539728-2
  • 11. "False Rumors" (汚名, Omei)
  • 12. "Clearing Shigaraki's Name" (汚名返上, Omei Henjō)
  • Extra Story: "Dagashi" (駄菓子)
  • 13. "Typhoon" (台風, Taifū)
  • 14. "Chain Reaction" (連鎖, Rensa)
  • 15. "Hiking" (山登り, Yamanobori)
4December 23, 2025[15]978-4-06-541730-0
  • 16. "Outdoor Cooking" (野外炊事, Yagai Suiji)
  • 17. "Beautiful" (きれい, Kirei)
  • 18. "The Exchange" (代償, Daishō)
  • 19. "Shapes" (かたち, Katachi)
  • 20. "House" (家, Ie)
5August 21, 2026[10]978-4-06-544496-2
  • 21. "Fake" (贋作, Gansaku)
  • Extra Story: "Ten Minutes" (10分間, Jū-Funkan)
  • 22. "Money" (金, Kane)
  • 23. "Hole" (穴, Ana)
  • 24. "A Special Lesson" (特別授業, Tokubetsu Jugyō)
  • 25. "Happiness and Unhappiness" (幸不幸, Kō Fukō)

Chapters not yet in tankōbon format

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  • Extra Story: "Cooking Class" (調理実習, Chōri Jisshū)

Reception

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The manga ranked second at the 3rd Late Night Manga Awards in 2024 hosted by Bungeishunjū's Crea magazine.[16] The manga ranked third on Takarajimasha's Kono Manga ga Sugoi! list of best manga of 2025 for male readers.[17] It was nominated for the 18th Manga Taishō in 2025 and ranked fifth with 51 points.[18][19] It received the 29th annual Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize's New Creator Prize in 2025.[20]

References

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  1. ↑ Ishida, Kanta (August 17, 2024). "'When the Dokudami Flowers Bloom' Entertainingly Depicts the Art of Discovering an Artist". The Japan News. Yomiuri Shimbun. Archived from the original on August 23, 2024. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  2. ↑ "Le Lézard Noir publiera le manga Quand vient la saison des Dokudami". Manga News (in French). February 28, 2026. Archived from the original on May 10, 2026. Retrieved May 10, 2026.
  3. ↑ Kido, Shiho (2024). どくだみの花咲くころ 1 [When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom 1]. Kodansha. p. 191. ISBN 978-4-06-535497-1.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Chanmei (September 27, 2024). アフタヌーン連載で大反響、小学5年生の不穏な友情物語。 著者が語る『どくだみの花咲くころ』誕生秘話【城戸志保氏インタビュー】. Da Vinci News (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. Archived from the original on September 27, 2024. Retrieved July 17, 2026.
  5. 1 2 【漫画】凄いものを見てしまった読後感…かんしゃく持ちの"問題児"と彼の創作物に惚れた"優等生"、正反対な二人が関わっていく物語に反響. The Television (in Japanese). Kadokawa Corporation. December 18, 2022. Archived from the original on December 19, 2022. Retrieved December 12, 2024. 今回は、アフタヌーン四季賞2022秋(講談社)で大賞を受賞し話題を集めている漫画『どくだみの花咲くころ』をピックアップ。 [This time, we're featuring the manga When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom, which has been attracting attention after winning the Grand Prize at the Afternoon Shiki Awards 2022 Autumn (Kodansha).]
  6. ↑ アフタヌーン 2022年12月号 | アフタヌーン公式サイト - 講談社の青年漫画誌. Monthly Afternoon (in Japanese). Kodansha. Archived from the original on October 24, 2022. Retrieved August 1, 2026.
  7. ↑ 城戸志保 [@endo_snap] (October 25, 2022). いわゆる「優等生｣がかんしゃく持ちの「問題児｣の創作物に惚れ込む話 ① #四季賞 #漫画 #どくだみの花咲くころ (Tweet) (in Japanese). Archived from the original on August 1, 2026. Retrieved August 1, 2026 – via Twitter.
  8. ↑ 正反対の小学生2人の奇妙な友情物語「どくだみの花咲くころ」四季賞大賞作が連載化. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. November 25, 2023. Archived from the original on February 25, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  9. ↑ 優等生と変わり者の不穏で愉快な“友情未満”物語「どくだみの花咲くころ」1巻. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 22, 2024. Archived from the original on June 28, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  10. 1 2 【2026年8月21日】本日発売のマンガ単行本リスト 「波よ聞いてくれ」13巻ほか. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. August 21, 2026. Archived from the original on August 21, 2026. Retrieved August 21, 2026.
  11. ↑ Mateo, Alex (February 27, 2025). "K Manga Adds When the Chameleon Flowers Bloom Manga for Simulpub". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on February 28, 2025. Retrieved February 27, 2025.
  12. ↑ 【5月22日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. May 22, 2024. Archived from the original on May 21, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  13. ↑ 【12月23日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 23, 2024. Archived from the original on December 23, 2024. Retrieved December 24, 2024.
  14. ↑ 【6月23日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. June 23, 2025. Archived from the original on February 28, 2026. Retrieved August 21, 2025.
  15. ↑ 【12月23日付】本日発売の単行本リスト. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. December 23, 2025. Archived from the original on March 5, 2026. Retrieved December 22, 2025.
  16. ↑ 「CREA夜ふかしマンガ大賞2024」発表！ 第1位は谷口菜津子『じゃあ、あんたが作ってみろよ』が受賞. PR Times (in Japanese). September 6, 2024. Archived from the original on August 15, 2026. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  17. ↑ Cayanan, Joanna (December 12, 2024). "Kono Manga ga Sugoi! Editors Unveil Full List of Top 2025 Manga". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 12, 2024. Retrieved December 12, 2024.
  18. ↑ Cayanan, Joanna (January 21, 2025). "18th Manga Taisho Awards Nominate 10 Titles". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 21, 2025. Retrieved January 21, 2025.
  19. ↑ Pineda, Rafael Antonio (March 27, 2025). "Kiko Urino's 'Alice, Doko Made mo' Manga Wins 18th Manga Taisho Awards". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on March 27, 2025. Retrieved March 27, 2025.
  20. ↑ 第29回手塚治虫文化賞 マンガ大賞はりんたろう「1秒24コマのぼくの人生」. Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. April 23, 2025. Archived from the original on April 23, 2025. Retrieved April 23, 2025.

Further reading

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