The Hanahaki disease is a fictional disease that follows unrequited love/one-sided love. When a person suffers from this disease, the symptom is such that the person will begin to cough up flower petals. The Hanahaki disease trope was first popularized in East Asia before it ultimately reached Western audiences soon after. While this may seem oddly beautiful in theory, it is actually very harmful to the person suffering. If the unrequited love continues to go on, instead of only coughing up petals, the victim begins to uncontrollably cough up entire flowers as well. This can be very dangerous as their lungs may close up, causing them to suffocate, and putting their life in danger.
The reason I decided to write about this fictional disease is due to its use as a trope in media. I think it is a very interesting and fascinating technique used to portray the intoxicating and life-changing aspects of love. Usually, as tropes surrounding romance go, they tend to be overly sweet or overwhelming. I particularly enjoy the ideology that love can be a disease, taking up so much of your life that if the person does not love you back- your existence not meaning anything. While love is a significantly beautiful feeling, individuals tend to look past the negative aspects of it as well.
It is also important to note the significance of the flowers. For each piece of work concerning the Hanahaki disease, each flower may symbolise something different, depending on which the author chose. Flowers have so many connotations by themselves so while using the Hanahaki disease trope, each flower may differ.
Additionally, the only way to cure this disease, is for the love to become two-sided. This shows that love is, not only the reason why one may die, but also the only way one can live. To many, love is not something that comes easy. More often than not, it is a struggle, which is what makes the physical and representation of the struggle through the Hanahaki disease so captivating. The human race is always drawn to concepts they may not understand and I believe love is a large part of it. There is no ‘set explanation’ for what love is or who one must love. There are only consequences, bad or otherwise. The Hanahaki disease is exactly that in a visually pleasing, yet still maintaining a slightly, disturbing aura.
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