Book Review: The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity

The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity
By Saka Mikami
Review by Mida

Rintaro is a student at Chidori, a school with a reputation for being chock-full of delinquents. Despite looking like a bit of a punk, he’s a gentle guy who often helps out at his family’s pastry shop. One day, he accidentally spooks a regular there – only to find out that she is from the rival school next door to his; the luxurious Kikyo Girl’s High. But Kaoruko might not be all that she seems.

This story is a treasure. While it takes a rather cliché premise -a Romeo and Juliet inspired love story – it navigates the narrative deftly, avoiding tropes and clichés that I find somewhat alienate me from the romance genre. Over-dramatic fights, bad communication and toxic friendships have no place here! Rintaro and Kaoruko are such perfect romantic leads, but they bring the best out in their friends as well. Every character is exquisitely established and you immediately get a feel for who they are, but as the series goes on, each of them get developed past than their brief first impressions.

While the main two friend groups are undoubtedly the stars of the show, my favourite characters are Rintaro’s parents. They’re so unshakably supportive of their son, and we get a beautiful glimpse into their relationship and how overjoyed they are that Rintaro has found his place.

This is a series that doesn’t try to break new ground – instead, it wants to craft something simple and do it very very well. The result is a romantic coming-of-age story, full of heart and the joy of finally learning how to be yourself. Perfect for fans of Blue Period, Fruits Basket or the romance reader looking for something comforting.