The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Manga Review
Characters:8/10
Plot: 8/10
Conflict: 6/10
Manga Art: 8/10
My Enjoyment: 8/10
I am late to the trend with this story. Especially since the manga got a boost in popularity because of anime adaptation. And so, I decided to give it a read. And after catching up to the latest chapter, I must say that I have become a fan of this manga.
I found myself really liking the main set of characters in the story. Rintaro’s and Kaoruko’s story of brief friends to lovers as that of a short and yet enjoyable experience. The way that they
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interact is that of them being very supportive of each other, having fun and just enjoying each other’s presence. And I appreciate their sense of curiosity of trying to make each other happy and learn more of one other.
The way that the story also took the approach to romance was different to most romance manga. They hit it off as a couple pretty quickly, skipping the will they and will they not shenanigans. It was a good point of view to see what such a romance could be like, with characters such as Rintaro and Kaoruko. They are the typical things that they do like dates, outings with friends, conversations. But there are those special intimate moments that they share and happens at a natural pace. From my experience of reading this genre, it presents a good idea of what a good teenager romance would be like. Something that I desire to have in my life. How they are willing to look at each other as people and knowing each other. Not as the person from my feuding school, or someone is that is not in my world/scary. Someone that they are willing to learn, understand and bond with. My previous statement also aligns with the friend group and other featured characters.
The side cast is quite solid as well. They clearly care about the interests of our main characters and are willing to support and aid them in their decisions making. And this is well emphasised in the numerous instances where they have gotten into inner turmoil or external conflict. The side characters (including the main characters) are not perfect. The story goes out of their way to highlight their mistakes and comments that were not necessary. But they have all been characterised in a way that allows for them to redeem themselves.
The more I have read the manga, the more I have realised the characters featured are not bad/evil. They are driven by what they believe is right/true to their morals or to support their friends. And at times they are given their own arcs and background giving us more information about them. And it is useful in the way it allows us to know why they act, their decisions and motivations. The same applies to our main characters. It really helps in them not feeling one dimensional while giving us context that makes us relate to them.
When reading I enjoyed the slice of life element. Not much really occurs outside the typical expected from high school things. Not to get into spoilers but we do get character's background and ideas, interactions, and even new friends that I am satisfied with. The runtime also sees the development of the relationships between Kaoruko, Rintaro and friends, which is enjoyable.
Credits must be given to the art style of Saka Mikami, the author and artist. It is one of the of the most beautiful and eye-catching art styles. It really captures the innocence, positivity and wholesome theme of the characters and the plot. Mikami-sensei does a lot of head shots of the characters that somehow always look amazing and evoke an emotion within me. But I like how it can change during pressing scenes. When you read, the art can just shift tone that evokes danger, threat, and worry. There is no doubt in my mind that Saka Mikami’s art is beautiful and blends in well with the wholesome theme of the story.
Despite that, there were issues that I found when reading the manga. Because of the “near perfect” nature of the characters, there are a lot of times where I find the main and side characters constantly apologising to one another. At the beginning of the story, it was not as noticeable, then I noticed it as it became frequent. Then it was something I could not ignore. It felt like each chapter, each page was them saying sorry for something that was not necessary or big of a deal. There are cases where an apology was justified or needed. They are not perfect; they have done some out of line things. And in that case, I am all for the apologies. But there must be a better method of engineering inconveniences/problems that do not need to have the characters saying some variation of “I am sorry” or “I apologise.” I was personally thinking of “Show and don't tell.” Let the characters show and act that they do show regret for what they have done.
I do believe that this issue is ironic considering that there is a lack of major conflict in the story and between characters. The overarching conflict of the story is that the main characters’ schools and students hate/avoid one other. And while yes this is an interesting concept, it largely takes a backseat in the story as it progresses longer. We are acknowledged that the risks are still present, it is considered less of a threat as the characters spend more time together. It is only far later into the story where it is brought up in full display. While great and arguably a turning point, it took a time for it to be brought up again.
Rintaro and Kaoruko also do not really argue/fight that much as I was expecting. You could say that it is a good thing as they it shows their compatibility and communication a lot. And that I believe so. However, what makes a good relationship in anime/manga is the internal conflict faces among one another. It can be those big fights stretching story arcs, or even one chapter. It mirrors real life on how relationships are not completely perfect. Characters have strengths and flaws. There are fights and arguments that come to resolution/break ups and move onwards. There are things to be learnt, and it allows for growth. There are few notable moments where I remember internal conflict is present between them. It is either of them having fun (by themselves or friends), by themselves or them being affected by external conflict. They have been mostly happy together. I honestly just wish we could see some level of conflict. For the sake of keeping things interesting and dynamic between them, while allowing for character growth.
As of right now, the story is ongoing and I am curious to see where our couple and friends end up. My verdict is that this manga is one that I would recommend reading. I found this to be a wholesome and enjoyable read and I trust that you will find it the same way too.
May 11, 2026
Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku
(Manga)
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The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Manga Review
Characters:8/10 Plot: 8/10 Conflict: 6/10 Manga Art: 8/10 My Enjoyment: 8/10 I am late to the trend with this story. Especially since the manga got a boost in popularity because of anime adaptation. And so, I decided to give it a read. And after catching up to the latest chapter, I must say that I have become a fan of this manga. I found myself really liking the main set of characters in the story. Rintaro’s and Kaoruko’s story of brief friends to lovers as that of a short and yet enjoyable experience. The way that they ... |
