The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity

Episodes 7-8

All other romances – anime, manga, or otherwise – should really take a lesson from this one. Not only is it as sweet as it can be without venturing into saccharine territory, but it proves that you can have tension without resorting to having characters not talk to each other. Or at least, not for a prolonged period of time; episode seven shows Rintaro learning from his mistake and actually telling his friends what's going on. Not only does it make their friendship stronger, but it also helps to show Subaru that while not all guys are good, many are, and she doesn't need to be afraid of Usami, Yoita, Saku, and Rintaro just because they go to Chidori. It's a twofold lesson in communication, and it is glorious.

It's also remarkably laid back. Although Saku is understandably upset with Rintaro's reluctance to share what's going on in his life, he's also willing to go along with Yoita and Usami as they decide not to trust Rintaro precisely, but to play Hardy Boys to figure out what's going on with him. And while I can't condone eavesdropping (unless, you know, you really have to), it's hard to argue with what the boys find out: not that Rintaro has a secret relationship with a couple of Kikyo girls, but that he wants to tell them. It makes the point about trusting your friends while also emphasizing that Rintaro knows that his silence isn't helping – and it also shows how important everyone is to him. He wants everyone he cares about to be friends, too.

This is beautifully driven home by the inter-school meetup in episode eight. Usami, Saku, and Yoita (especially Yoita) saving the girls in episode seven is important in its own right, but it's the meeting in the park that's more significant. The guys stepping in just shows that they have a sense of justice, but the talk afterward makes it clear to Subaru that they're just people who happen to be boys attending Chidori. When Usami tells her that Chidori guys don't actually have anything against Kikyo girls – they just stay away because they know the Kikyo students don't like them – it forces Subaru to rethink her stance. It drives home to her that you can't judge someone by their gender or where they attend school, while also showing that her prejudice is both hurting them and making things more difficult. She won't get over her issues overnight, but seeing how excited Usami and the others are about the snacks she and Kaoruko brought them, and how they want to share, makes it look like there's real hope for Rintaro and Kaoruko to not only get together, but to bring others together as well.

That carries over into the totally-not-a-date Kaoruko and Rintaro go on at the aquarium. Ostensibly, it's Rintaro paying Kaoruko back for her help with his studying, but I daresay he's the only person who believes that's all it is. He can't even fool Mika, the lost little girl he and Kaoruko end up helping, who steadfastly ignores his protests. While I don't normally love plotlines that seem designed to show what good parents a couple would make (together or separately), this one works because of the roles the two take. It's Rintaro who stays back and takes care of Mika while Kaoruko runs off to actively search for her parents, a division of duties that we don't often see in this sort of plotline. It not only plays with the trope, but it also shows who they both are as people: Rintaro is more of the nurturer, while Kaoruko is active and outgoing. They complement each other beautifully, and that's a large part of what makes this series so heartwarming.

Other shows may tell us over and over again how the main couple is perfect for each other. The Fragrant Flower that Blooms With Dignity lets us see that for ourselves.

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The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity is currently streaming on Netflix.