It has been quite a long time since I got invested into anime like my first time with it. I pick up shows, all enthusiastically, and end up dropping them after a few episodes. This is my current trend in watching anime recently, and it really breaks my heart. But not all is in despair, as a very few anime come into my life, and just make me complete them, showing me once again why I fell in love with this medium. The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity is one such rare find in these tough times of my life. I am so glad I decided to click on "Start Watching" on Netflix, as I had heard it was good, and oh well, I lived a part of my life, some very beautiful days, watching this series - so much so that I decided to write a review after I don't know how many years!

The premise is nothing new, a boy named Rintaro Tsumugi and a girl, Kaoruko Waguri, have a chance encounter in the former's family-run cake shop, starting the story. What's kind of interesting is the fact that these two go to two schools that apparently don't like each other, despite being placed side to side. The main characters, except these two, are Rintaro's three best friends, and one of Waguri, along with the boy's mother who runs the shop. Limited to only these characters, the story unravels at a very calm nature, a slow-burn if you will, but it always gives us something interesting for the next episode. It is a Slice of LIfe, Comedy, Romance show which any average anime watcher must have seen a hundred times - but this one has a very satisfying ending which lacks in most shows of these genres. Rest assured, dear viewer, you will get what you wait for, and it is very beautiful. The ending manages to pull off a twist which I didn't see coming at all, but yes, it was a welcome one!

The story revolves mostly around the two characters getting to know each other better (romance), while they continue their daily school activities (slice of life), tackling the two school's rivalries to get close to each other. The other main characters do get a lot of screen time and character development which was very nice to see. I liked the storyline of Waguri's best friend, Hoshina Subaru, as she has some baggage she has been carrying for many years, and her interaction with the other characters slowly make for a pleasant experience, which left a smile on my face (this is not the only time this has happened!). I agree, this show does nothing new with its storyline, but that does not mean that a simple story couldn't pull off a great ride. I enjoyed it thoroughly and although my usual fatigue kicked in after a few episodes, I managed to complete it, which is a statement in itself for me! The three besties of Rintaro also make for an engaging watch, as you are hooked on with the character dynamics. Also, Rintaro's mom is so sweet!

This show made me relive my own high school days, the last of which I was able to find someone that I loved. Although that didn't end well, this show made me go through those subtle anxieties and sheer joys of a person falling in love for the first time. Oh this show is so damn wholesome - I cannot recommend it enough! Another great point of this series is its beautiful animation, all thanks to the incredible studio CloverWorks. If you are into these genres, and looking for a happy ride of only 13 episodes, I definitely recommend this to you. You see, I had to some out of my own hiatus of writing reviews on AniList to praise this show and let you all know that this is a great series! Thanks for reading ...

Reviewed on April 17, 2026 by Sekhar.