The Library Vault

As summer comes to a close and fall is just around the corner, I wanted to revisit and highlight a few manga series that would make great companions to cozy up with as the seasons change. “Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku,” or its English title, “The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity,” written by Saka Mikami, is a romantic comedy/drama manga about forbidden love, childhood trauma, coming of age, and overcoming prejudice. 

The story follows Rintaro Tsumugi, a misunderstood high school boy at Chidori Public High School, and the short and sweet Kaoruko Waguri, who attends Kikyo Private Academy Girls’ High School. While their schools and appearances are very different, they have more in common than one might think. Students at Kikyo Academy undergo an advanced curriculum and are expected to uphold the reputation of their prestigious institution by exhibiting proper etiquette at all times. Students and teachers alike do not hide their disdain for the boys next door at Chidori.

The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Chapter 1

Meanwhile, the boys over at Chidori just try to mind their own business and avoid getting glared at by the prim and proper princesses next door. Rintaro is roped into working the counter at his family’s bakery when a small customer sitting in the back corner catches his eye. This chance meeting between him and Waguri sparks a friendship, which blooms into a crush, which turns into a relationship. The story follows the two of them as they navigate their relationship as well as their young adult life. Overcoming past traumas while engaging in a forbidden relationship and trying to figure out their futures might prove to be too much for most teenagers, but not these protagonists. This wholesome story perfectly toes the line of romance and drama as their relationship is slowly exposed to friends, family, and faculty. 

The Fragrant Flower Blooks with Dignity End of Chapter 58

While the sweetness of the romance and the tension of the drama really hook you, the art that Mikami-sensei is putting out in these chapters is absolutely incredible. Some of the most detailed manga panels I’ve ever seen have come out of this series. Her attention to detail really shines through in the different outfits she puts her 2 main characters and 5 side characters in every chapter. The reader can tell that she has an eye for fashion, as well as a love for the story she is telling us.

The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity special illustration for Chapter 157

The one thing that may break your immersion in this story is the emotional maturity of the characters. Most of the people we follow are high school seniors, and while a few of them are adults, I am baffled at how maturely they handle the situations they are put in. That aside, I have absolutely no complaints. This is a series that I have bought for my own personal collection as well as for the shelves of the Library, and I cannot recommend it enough. If you are interested in an emotionally fulfilling romance/drama with tropes like “forbidden love” or “grumpy / sunshine,” I think you will really enjoy this series. This series is ongoing, with English volume 9 coming out on October 7th, as well as an anime adaptation airing right now on Netflix. 

If you are looking for even more manga, feel free to visit “The Space” here at Russell Library and browse our shelves, or stay on the lookout for even more blog posts by yours truly. There are a lot of great new series coming out, like “The Guy She was Interested in Wasn’t a Guy at All,” or “Gachiakuta,” that we are keeping up to date with releases here at Russell. I hope you give all these series a shot, and I look forward to hearing more about what you want us to keep in stock for you by completing our request to purchase form on our website. In the meantime, “Mata Ne.”

– Dillon Willhelm, Librarian I in the Digital and Emerging Technologies department, and Russell’s own Anime and Manga connoisseur.