Over the last few months, I have watched the anime adaptation of “The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity.” A beautifully crafted series that has redefined my perception of the word beauty. Written by Japanese author Saka Mikami, the manga originally began its serialization all the way back in October of 2021; while the anime began its run on Netflix back in July of this year.To understand the core of this story, you have to know that there are two different schools that set the stage for what’s to come.
Before I get into the rest of this article, I have to say that I will be talking in detail about the first episode. If you want to watch the first episode then come back and read this article, do that. You have been warned.
Chidori Public Highschool is an all boys school, known for being the school of slackers, troublemakers and the works. It also just happens to be the school that the main character, Rintaro Tsumugi attends. Meanwhile next door is Kikyo All-Girls Academy. Kikyo is the polar opposite of Chidori in every possible way. It’s a school known for being the place daughters from wealthy or powerful families go. However, it’s also where our deuteragonist, Kaoruko Waguri, attends her classes.
It’s established early on in the first episode that the students from Kikyo have a deep disdain for the ones at Chidori. Chidori on the other hand, has no idea what they’ve done but obviously, they don’t enjoy being treated like trash so animosity between the two schools has brewed over time. It’s this setup that has created the architecture for a Romeo and Juliet type of story. While I am not personally fond of these archetypes, this story relegates it to the background. Instead it focuses on building up the main characters and the supporting cast. In the aforementioned first episode, after his time at school, Rintaro makes it home to his family’s cake shop where he sometimes helps as a worker. It’s where he and a regular at the shop, Kaoruko meet properly for the first time.
From the viewer’s perspective, it’s clear from the start how genuine of a person Rintaro is. He winds up scaring Kaoruko and causing her to choke on the last bit of cake she had been eating and his first thought is to apologize and go grab her a cup of water.
Although she gets embarrassed and runs off after finishing the water she was given, Kaoruko comes back the next day and treats Rintaro to a cake that she bought as a thank you. (Albeit, she does wind up eating it in the end.) After their second meeting, Kaoruko and Rintaro share a moment just before she heads off to the station where she says that she has never once thought of Rintaro, despite most other people in his life being terrified of him.
This scene is an incredibly beautiful moment because it shows the genuine kindness that is Kaoruko Waguri. Despite their awkward first real meeting, she has seen past the rough exterior that Rintaro has been judged for all of his life into who he is deep down. She sees him as this truly kind person who does his best to help out those around him and this point is only reinforced in the next part of the episode. On her way to the station, Kaoruko is accosted by two men who were seen earlier in the episode harassing Rintaro’s friends on their way to school just before he came up and scared them off.
Although it is admittedly a weak narrative device used to push the plot of the episode forward, The box for the cake that Kaoruko bought was found outside of the shop by Rintaro’s mother. Recognizing it, she brought it up to his room and when Rintaro realized, he left in search of Kaoruko.
Eventually, Rintaro catches up to her and eavesdrops on the conversation that the two men are having with Kaoruko. Through suggestive comments and badmouthing Rintaro, they try and fail to get Kaoruko to go god knows where with them.
Hearing this, Rintaro begins to doubt himself and almost considers giving up. But then he listens to Kaoruko defend him despite not knowing him very well and something shifts. In that moment, the ginger haired man steps back and while admitting to trying to use Kaoruko to get to Rintaro, he turns to violence.
It’s in that moment that Rintaro jumps in to take the punch that was meant for Kaoruko. After getting pushed into the metal shudder behind her and getting injured from it, Rintaro turns around and with just one look, scares off both men.
Despite all the badmouthing of Rintaro done by these two, the show has only shown us his willingness to put others ahead of himself and his kindness. Although it does make it clear that he blames himself for putting Kaoruko in this position. However, in the end, she convinces him that it isn’t his fault and thanks him for saving her.
In just this first episode alone, the groundwork is laid for the duo’s connection with each other. Through their awkward first meeting, to their more relaxed second meeting, all the way until that second he takes that punch for her, it comes easy. This story doesn’t force these two characters into unnecessary drama just for a catchy opening. It is relaxed and takes its time to introduce the two main characters and that’s something I loved.
“The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity” is a modern masterpiece. There is no doubt about it. Through creating characters that feel as if they’re real people, the anime captivates the audience every episode because every episode is relatable.
The show delves into what it is like to live like a teenager and the struggles associated with that. From things like learning how to persevere even when giving up is the easier option to learning to overcome your trauma. The series continuously delivers where others fall short.
So, next time you have time to kill or you’re thinking about binging a show, think back to this article then load up Netflix, use that subscription that you pay way too much money for and give “The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity,” a watch. Find the same beauty I found while watching this series.
