Sometimes, when you’re having a rough time or just went through a tiring day, you might want peace or tenderness. This show to me conveys the feeling of warmth with its simplicity and sweetness, which is all you might need.
Only requirements are not caring about the story that much for this 1st season and simply enjoy the lovely memories between friends or family.
Kaoru Hana feels like a big warm hug after an exhausting day ; everything including the visuals, voice performances and OSTs are mostly calm and comforting. This adaptation might be one with infinite rewatchability for me, because no matter how many times I replay some scenes, it always caught me smiling like an idiot. The way the dialogues are handled is very lighthearted and flows pleasantly : you have time to enjoy all of it to their fullest, it’s easy to follow and of course it’s mostly wholesomeness all around.
Interactions between all the characters are absolutely adorable. Just as I expected, they’re full of sweetness with a spark of innocence regarding love, I adored the fluff going on and I can’t help but smile whenever I see them. It’s even better for me to see it animated because I do admit tearing up a bit at times because of the cuteness, such happiness just cheers me up easily. Each memories truly feel special and it gets better through the show.
However, a common complain which I understand is that the characters often apologize or thank someone. I personally don’t mind too much politeness as I’m also someone who does this without thinking while Japan can be another level, as long as the intent is there I guess it’s fine. It could be bothersome in the long run though so you’ve been warned. I still appreciate that the characters actually reflect on their actions instead of dragging a pointless conflict for too long so for me it’s satisfying enough.
The beginning might feel a little slow at first (to give an idea, chapters 1 and 2 have 50 pages each, so the start can feel that way), but eventually it picks up the pace. You won’t miss any major events either as the adaptation tried to keep as many moments as possible.
I’ve been impressed as of how well they’ve done a lot of the meaningful moments that were in the manga. Somehow the visuals directly spoke to me and it’s nearly how I’ve imagined them to be, maybe I thought it’d be a little more detailed at times but some scenes were done perfectly to balance it out. The biggest high of the manga for me were its way to represent emotions, both body and facial languages, which the anime did greatly.
I think that the choice for the artstyle and color scheme emphasises the general ambiance that you can get from the show on first glance : it’s simple, includes some magical sequences to feel at ease and takes you to a nostalgic trip of how a first love could feel from a teenager’s perspective. While it contains several clichés visually such as hair flowing or dramatic expressions, it doesn’t make it any less charming in my opinion, and I would say it works in this context.
Spoiler, click to view✦ Episode 6 : Looking back, while [Subaru’s self-loathing](https://imgur.com/4gwOX3w ) were quite too much (I'm still the first one to tear up over the symbolism lol), I couldn’t help but feel this gentle feeling once Kaoruko started reassuring her. The addition of the little flowers was great and ended up being heartwarming. The 1st person movements from Kaoruko’s lense into seeing her shining so brightly were the highlight of the episode, I loved what they did there.
Spoiler, click to view✦ Episode 8 : I will especially talk about the dolphins spectacle, I think it was gorgeous, and the fact the aquarium exists in real life would kinda make me want to travel there. The way they played around with the lighting plus the subtle detail of them turning pink right when Kaoruko smiled had me melting.
Spoiler, click to view✦ Episode 12 : A beach episode that barely felt like a beach episode in a good way. I absolutely loved how we got everyone gathered to look at the sunset, but also the moments at night that feels soothing ; looking at friends having fun or our two leads having a heart-to-heart talk feels right.
Something that were already there in the manga, but I adore how various the clothing and hair styles are ! Kaoruko has big comfy and cutesy outfits while Subaru is more classy and elegant. On the other hand, the boys dress casually with oversized clothes but still got their own touch. It reflects their personalities and makes them look livelier so I love this detail.
Usually, I think that soundtracks in animes don’t stand out as much, or barely convey an atmosphere that I find to be immersive or having any effect on me. I’ve been fairly astonished by the ones given in Kaoru Hana, not only thanks to how well they work with me, but also how the tone is well set, giving space for occasional silences when it’s needed to enhance a feeling, or playing a relaxing sweet track that scratches those spots I didn’t know were itching.
Definitely drives me back in a way that I could rewind to someone's first crush, where everything is beautiful, confusing but also really exciting. Also why am I suddenly teleported in a flower field with a windy weather ? Sincerely, I don’t know if it’s my love for the source material or Moeki Harada’s sudden appearance in the anime field that has forged my vision of the impact that music can have on someone, but personally I’m no longer ignoring OSTs in ANY animes now.
The way it’s handled in such a way that always sits right with me has me surprised of myself for even pointing this out. I’m extremely happy the elements I were hoping for were done justice. I can’t stop being thankful and excited because it had me falling in love with Kaoru Hana again. Those aren’t even my favorite parts of the manga being adapted yet so I’m hoping for a sequel.
I hold KaoruHana close to my heart ever since I’ve caught up with the manga ; as my feelings towards it are even stronger once I got to know the characters, I won’t deny every emotions I feel are pushed to the next level. Still, I think it’s worth a shot if you’re into romance and iyashikeis !
I don’t find it to be that comedic (maybe silly though) and its dramas aren’t my favorite aspects since it can be too much, but what I love the most is how it has reminded me of what I already have, it’s almost as if you were apart of the group in the way, there’ll be that moment where you feel understood and safe because it tells you how great life can feel if you decide to look at it through a different light, you just cherish who mean the most to you. ~~Or you’ll feel lonely, it varies depending on people.~~
Moreover, it has this dose of purity and emotional maturity that lands with me, especially how the characters communicate their feelings, both internal and external dialogues had me invested since they felt relatable. Family moments are also ones I don’t see that often, just having understanding friends or parents who support you in general is reassuring and lovely to see in an anime. I think it has a charming cast who stick with you the whole time.
With that, I will give KaoruHana’s anime adaptation a 10/10, as my biggest gripe about the show would just be Kaoruko’s pitch that is slightly too high for my taste, still a therapeutic and unforgettable watch because the other voice actors were carefully chosen and just as I imagined their voices to sound like. It’s not the most realistic piece of fiction ever but WHO CARES, it can clear up your mind and feel home, I cherish this anime adaptation with all my heart !
