The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity might seem slightly uninteresting at first glance. Based on the manga by the same name by Saka Mikami (see the Kodansha Comics Wiki), you might think it’s just another high school romance anime where the guy gets the girl, and everyone lives happily ever after. And while the show is really just about two teenagers meeting, talking, overthinking, and slowly falling in love, those things are intense enough on their own to warrant watching the full 13-episode first season.
This isn’t a whiz-bang romance designed to keep you hooked with cliffhangers or thrills. It’s introspective, emotional, and sometimes uncomfortably real. The drama doesn’t come from villains or contrived misunderstandings, but from the characters’ own doubts and fears about who they are, how they should act, and who they’re supposed to become.
The only obstacle is being human
After the first few episodes, the story of The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity looks like a starcrossed lovers situation where society gets in the way of potential happiness. Our female lead, Waguri Kaoruko, attends a highly esteemed, private all-girls school called Kikyo where academics and privilege go hand in hand. Meanwhile, right next door, our brooding male lead Tsumugi Rintaro attends Chidori, the public high school known for… absolutely nothing.
There is a palpable disdain by Kikyo for Chidori, and this distaste is even brought up later as to why Rintaro and Kaoruko shouldn’t even be friends. The hatred from Kikyo, however, is overemphasized but underexplained and the reasoning as to why it should cause such trouble for Kaoruko doesn’t really make any sense. Regardless, the obstacle isn’t meant to be the school rivalry or society at all: the obstacle is the characters themselves.
Self-doubt, low self-esteem, and fear of being rejected are the true obstacles of the series, and frankly, that’s far more realistic than pretty much all other anime romances out there. Life doesn’t typically offer up a cut-and-dry antagonist to channel your efforts towards beating; it comes with your own brain sabotaging you at every turn.
Characters you relate to at a pace that works
Rintaro, the male lead, is painfully relatable. He’s from a public school, struggles with grades, and carries a heavy sense of inadequacy that never turns overly melodramatic. He’s not special in an anime-protagonist way — he’s just special because he feels so real.
Kaoruko, meanwhile, is adorable without being idealized. She is a top student and very popular, but she isn’t flawless. She’s exceptionally kind and genuine, but also totally awkward and self-doubting, too. Their respective friends, also, have their own issues and insecurities which makes the whole cast feel grounded rather than ornamental or simply there for comedic relief.
Not a lot happens in any single episode, but emotionally, a lot is going on. This is a show that values atmosphere and feeling over momentum. If you need constant narrative propulsion, this show might not be for you. But if you’re willing to sit with quiet moments and small emotional shifts, the experience is highly enjoyable.
Urban Japan is a character of its own
Visually, the series is stunning. The attention to detail in its depiction of urban Japan is almost absurd, but in the best way possible. If you’ve been lucky enough to travel to Japan yourself, you will probably take notice of the details right away. Backgrounds are richly designed and fully realised, with care given to details most other anime would gloss over as unimportant.
Signage at shops and train stations depict a whole world going on around the characters that we get to peek into. Places the characters visit are vivid, and everywhere feels genuinely lived-in. Nothing looks like a sterile, unmoving set piece with minimal decoration, and that is exactly what makes the story even more realistic. It genuinely feels like you’re watching two teenagers navigate first love and inner changes in a real place, and the story could easily be translated into live action.
A flower worth waiting for
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity is absolutely worth watching if you’re looking for a sweet, endearing, easygoing romance with plenty of comedy and emotional depth. And if you’re no longer a teen (like me!), it might sneak up on you with some powerful nostalgia for those early days of first love and figuring yourself out. Here’s hoping Netflix does a second season!
The Fangirl’s Choice Award
The Fangirl has spoken! This content has been certified as awesome by The Fangirl Grind. Only standout media can earn this totally-not-coveted badge, so when you see it? You know you’ve found something special!
