Hanahaki Disease is a fictional disease symbolising unrequited love in which flowers bloom in a person’s lungs, making them cough up or vomit flower petals. The term is a portmanteau of the words “hana” meaning flower and “hakimasu” which means to vomit or throw up in Japanese. This trope goes hand in hand with yearning and angst.
The trope originated from a 2009 shojo manga named Hanahaki Otome by Naoko Matsuda which translates to The Girl Who Spit Flowers. It started in the 2010s in the Japanese yaoi genre and later spread to other fandoms, influencing fanfiction, art, cosplay, etc.
The disease is often fatal and can only be cured if the feelings are reciprocated or the flowers are surgically removed. However, as a consequence of the surgery, the feelings and memories associated with the person they love are forgotten. The tragedy of this trope is that characters would rather die than have surgery and forget the person they love.
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