The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity 1

薫る花は凛と咲く [Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku] #1

by Saka Mikami

Two rival schools stand next door to each one for elite ladies, one for good-for-nothing boys. But one of those boys might just be a naturally chivalrous diamond in the rough, and one of those girls might be a little more open-minded than is proper ...

This cute and twisty manga spin on Romeo and Juliet is the latest hit in Japan, coming to print from a successful digital-first release!

Capulet & Montague, Chidori & Kikyo

Chidori High is a boys' school that takes in the dregs of society with the lowest grades. Next door stands Kikyo Girls' High, where the wealthy, high-class families send their precious daughters. Chidori second-year Rintaro, who has a fierce face but a gentle heart, is helping at his family's patisserie when he meets a girl named Kaoruko. The two hit it off right away...but this blissful peace is quickly disturbed when Rintaro discovers that Kaoruko is actually a student at Kikyo. Worse, she doesn't seem to realize what a huge problem this really is! Will these two be able to forge a path for themselves, and sidestep the traps (metaphorical and literal) laid by their classmates?

Genres: Manga, Romance, Contemporary, Young Adult, Comics, Graphic Novels, Slice Of Life

192 pages, Paperback

First published March 9, 2022

Reviews

[JuniperScerry♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn. I've been sucked into another wholesome romance series. I regret nothing though.

[aleksandra · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

It was cute, but unfortunately, the story didn’t really hold my interest. I might give it a second chance after I watch the anime, which I heard is supposed to be released, hopefully in the near future.

[sil ♡ the book voyagers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adored this one omg??? This is my first time reading this, so I'm excited to continue. I had seen it before from time to time, but never picked it up. I saw that it was getting a print release so I decided to wait to read it <3 I'm so happy that it finally came out and I read it because yeah this could become a comfort favorite.

Loved the tropes sm˚˖𓍢ִ໋🌷͙֒✧˚.🎀༘⋆
- He's a misunderstood boy who everyone is afraid of bc of his height and looks BUT he's actually so soft, sweet, shy, and quiet
- She's a tiny girl from the all-girls fancy school next door
- Started as a secret friendship bc their schools hate each other so no one interacts with each other lmao
- BLUSHES EVERYWHERE love to see it he blushes she blushes like they're adorable

I'm so ready for the next one! I think it comes out this month <3

[anzhelika ୨ৎ · Rating 4 out of 5]

⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ 4 stars ˚୨୧⋆｡˚ ⋆

this was a very cute and heartwarming manga! i don't think i've ever read a book about two rival schools, but this is what it was about, and i really enjoyed it! rintaro and kauruko are so adorable and i can't wait to see how their story continues. the art style is SOO good and it fits perfectly together with the story.

˗ˋˏ ୨୧ thank you to NetGalley, Kodansha Comics, and Saka Mikami for the digital arc in exchange for an honest review! ୨୧ ˎˊ˗

[Bookishrealm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was definitely more charming than I expected! Though this was described has having Romeo and Juliet vibes, I didn't actually expect it to feel that way. I'm excited to step into the next volume of this series.

[Celestina1210 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dans le cadre d’un concours de manga que nous allons réaliser avec nos élèves, je dois lire des mangas et faire une sélection quand j’ai vu que nous avions bloom j’ai tout de suite foncez mais pour le coup je suis un peu déçue c’est mignon mais je m’attendais à mieux. Une petite romance toute mignonne peut être que je me laisserai tenter par l’animé.

[Becky (romantic_pursuing_feels) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really loved the art in this one. I'll admit the hero on the cover didn't grab me, but I really loved a lot of his pictures in the book.

This one features
- rival high schools
- tutor me
- kind of a 'wrong side of the tracks' vibe with a prestigious school girl and a public school boy

I struggled with the actual story of this one though. I wanted the mains together more and it felt like forever before they were on page together. The first few interactions felt very similar. I just wasn't grabbed by this story and I'm sad. I don't know if I'll continue this series.

[MargReadsManga · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Squealing* I am so happy I picked this one up!! It is so unbelievably adore and sweet! I love Rintaro and Kaoruko so much!! A self-deprecating delinquent and a sweets-loving shorty! Say less!

[tyrosine · Rating 5 out of 5]

SUCH A FLUFFY MANGA. it almost makes me wanna go back to bring 16 so I can be a misunderstood teen who finds love and friendship with another misunderstood teen

[saracha ⋆☕︎ ˖ (goodbye.) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a fan of high school rom, but the art was beautiful... so I had to read it!

Chidori High isn't secretly a demon-fighting academy or a battle royale arena. It's just- a school. And a bit of a rough one at that, populated by students who probably chew on rusty nails for breakfast. Kaoru, a guy who looks like he could front a punk band but is in fact a gentle soul with a heart of gold and a surprisingly neat haircut. His mission is to commute all the way to the pristine, prim and proper Kikyo Girls' Academy. Why? Because that's where Rin, our "fragrant flower," resides.

Rin is the kind of girl who probably irons her socks and alphabetizes her spice rack. She's graceful, elegant and seemingly untouched by the grittier realities of life. So when she crosses paths with the outwardly intimidating Kaoru, sparks fly!!!

Drop everything now
Meet me in the pouring rain
Kiss me on the sidewalk
Take away the pain
'Cause I see sparks fly, whenever you smile

Get me with those green eyes, baby
As the lights go down
Gimme something that'll haunt me when you're not around
'Cause I see sparks fly, whenever you smile

❤️❤️❤️

What makes this one genuinely charming is its refusal to rely on tired tropes. There is no forced misunderstanding that could be solved with a five-second conversation. There are no grand, world-ending stakes. It's just two genuinely nice people navigating the awkward and surprisingly heartwarming dance of getting to know each other.

The art is clean and expressive in conveying emotion without resorting to excessive dramatics. You can almost smell the dignity wafting off the pages!!!❤️❤️❤️

[AC's · Rating 5 out of 5]

My babies are so cute, I can't 😭

[Zainab · Rating 4 out of 5]

it was insanely adorable and sweet, i can’t even😭. Rintaro and Kaoruko have my whole heart. i'm obsessed!!!

[Johanna V · Rating 5 out of 5]

So excited to start this series! It’s so cute!

[Lea]

wait this was actually so cute 🤭 but imma prob not finish this series

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rintaro is a student at the delinquent school. Kaoruko is a student at the fancy girls’ school. Ne’er the two shall meet, except there’s only a fence separating the schools and there turns out to be even less separating the two students.

The central conceit of this one is pretty clever, if unlikely, with the bad boys literally a stone’s throw away from the prim and proper young ladies. And the girls can’t stand the boorish boys and they hate them back and so on.

It’s also kind of fun having a new ‘bad boy’ story released here after being inundated over the last year with this scenario, but gender swapped. Of course, Rintaro is about as harmless as a tranquilized bunny rabbit, but that’s not how people see him.

Well, except for Kaoruko, who is practically the only person in the story who isn’t looking at what everybody is supposed to be, but instead sees who they actually are. Despite wanting this real bad, even Rintaro trips over this idea a couple of times.

Kaoruko lacks a little common sense, sadly, so she starts to cause a lot of trouble by being incredibly forthright and Rintaro starts to get the idea that maybe he’s actually worth something. As we quickly find out, he is absolutely his own worst enemy.

And I mean that fairly literally - Rintaro erodes his own self-esteem like a champion, acting as if everything is his fault all the time and it makes sense that he has trouble coming out of his shell and thus it’s rewarding as heck when he does (there are a couple of corking moments sprinkled throughout).

The little touches are what make this eventually go from pretty good to rather winning. Kaoruko is very proper, but has a manga character’s appetite and is very casual with her friends. It’s not easy to convey her proper speech with the flip to English from kanji, but the story does a solid job showing how she moves between formal and less so.

Rintaro’s mom turns out to be really great and has lots of sage advice for her son when he gets too judgemental for his own good, absolutely making the most of her minimal page time. And it’s super impressive how they didn’t hold off until much later to pay off that curtain thing (and does it ever pay off).

It’s not perfect, there’s a bit of stuttering to the narrative before it finally settles into its groove, but it keeps getting better and better. There’s a ton of potential plot stuffed in there and the interactions between our leads get ever cuter, even when it’s hitting some basic plot points.

That imperfection extends to the character’s themselves, as noted, with lots of ‘wrong sides of the tracks (or fence)’ ahead, although Kaoruko’s only real flaw is being naive about causing problems with her actions. Rintaro gets to learn a little bit more, but he’s not a bad guy. This isn’t that sort of story.

It has teeth; something really seems to be up towards the end and there’s some pretty ruthless cruelty that gets called out, but the angle of attack is ever so slightly different. That helps it feel less like your typical bad boy tale and more of a star-crossed lovers arrangement, temporarily anyway, which is nice.

Not much by way of translation notes, but I did appreciate that they explained the parts of the story that take advantage of the language and how there wasn’t a good way to translate it, including a title that otherwise seems nonsensical. That’s a little extra step that was welcome.

4 stars - good start. I wasn’t planning to be this generous with my rating, but it really does come together nicely by the end and I’m looking forward to more of these two.

[remi.☘︎ ݁˖ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm positive that everyone should read this at least once, not just for the beautiful art, shits, and giggles, but because it beautifully encapsulates the genesis of kindness in not judging a book by its cover and how it has a domino effect on EVERYONE around us.

[بَتُولْ · Rating 2 out of 5]

pure and light, but what’s with the characters being overly apologetic for no reason, their apologies are taking the entire plot

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my goodness this was SO. CUTE. I just LOVE me a "Looks-like-a-Bad-Boy-but-is-secretly-a-Cinnabon-Boi" trope and this book NAILED it.

I loved the artwork, the gentleness of the MC h and the secret Cinna-Roll squishy interior of the MC H. The friends are overprotective of one another, which is great, but can lead to unintended consequences. The boys are all pretty typical clueless boys. They reminded me of big dumb but cheerful and friendly dogs, lol. The girls? Definitely reminded me of cats, lol. But sadly, they constantly had their hackles up because it is safer to expect bad than good.

I love the characters, especially the MCs and I SO want a HEA for them ALL.

Sigh.

5, definitely going to hunt down the next volume and read the heck out of it, stars!

My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC of this book to read and review,

[Lada · Rating 2 out of 5]

Another series that was presented to me as a hidden gem.
Well? Not really.

When I started reading I was so optimistic. But right from the start something felt off. The conflict between the two schools is just too unrealistic. I could see the teachers from the private one, and maybe some students, hating the "poor" school, but the groups are acting as one, safe for our main characters. All the girls are nasty to the boys. So boys badmouth the girl school.

Rintaro's character is what kept me reading(all three volumes). He is interesting, I love his design and personality. Though even that got old rather quick in later volumes. But there is a lot about him that could be explored. And I really like his friends.

Then we have his love interest, Kaoruko. She is the worst part for me because she is just so one dimensional and cliche. I hoped she will just appear that way and there will be more to her, but no. You get exactly what is written on the tin. How boring. She just likes to eat a lot of sweets/cakes and despite that, and while being so short, she is still pretty and slim. Good for her I guess?
Also her character and design is not something I gravitate towards. I don't care for these stereotypical cutesy loli type of girls with baby faces that keep smiling no matter what and their only character trait is being a ray of sunshine.

Subaru is a horrible character. I hate these overprotective, self-righteous types. Spoiler: of course the first impression is inverted and suddenly she is all shy and unsure, also suffering no consequences. But even then she seemed more interesting when she was the cold psycho instead of the trembling damsel.
And come on, Kaoruko could have done something more than just call "Subaru" and then apologize.

This is a series where everyone is always apologizing. It's very excessive. I hate miscommunication but I love conflict, there has to be conflict in a story, even in a slice of life, but here everything is resolved too quickly, everyone is just sooo undestanding, empathetic and mature despite being teenagers. The "story" is unfolding in a predictable manner, sometimes becomes repetitive (especially their interactions), every declaration or revelation about something obvious is treated is something deep and big. I don't really care for the art. I would say this is rather overrated.

[rory (jess' version) · Rating 4 out of 5]

misjudged deliquent but is actually a softie & a softie smart girly who does not judge others by appearances is such a good trope ! the blossoming of the romance between the two is such a delight to read it makes one want to fall in love <3 they're so babies

[Laura A. Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed it a lot more this second time around when reading it!

[Katarzyna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love them

[Niloa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bueno mi gente este manga se ha convertido en mi nueva obsesión 😭🫶🏻💖

[Elizabeth Hatter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need to protect them from everything, they're too soft and cute for this world.

[Mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*

Very cute and quick read. Liked how Kaoruko had this quirk of eating cakes all the time and how Rintarou was so apologetic while looking threatening to everyone. Polar opposites and still they fell in love. Romance is usually not a genre I read, but this time was kinda cute especially with all these awkward moments that were just them being in love. So cute!

Might have been slow sometimes and the girls of the other school gave the expression of being sexists, but except that it was a nice read.



Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics, for the advanced reader copy of The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity 1 by Saka Mikami.



Started the book: 29. June 2024
Finished the book: 29. June 2024
Wrote the review: 29. June 2024

[Kelli · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS!

This is one of my most anticipated manga reads of the year—and it doesn’t disappoint.

In this contemporary “Romeo & Juliet”-esque story, we’re introduced to Rintaro and Kaoruko. Rintaro cuts an imposing figure with his blond hair and height—but, he’s actually a rather kind and sincere guy. In contrast, Kaoruko is a sweet and petite young girl who loves pastries—particularly those at Rintaro’s family’s bakery. The two attend rival high schools but meet and bond over some sweets. Kaoruko is the first girl who isn’t afraid of Rintaro—in fact, she sees him as more of a gentle giant.

Despite their initial chemistry, can these two high schoolers from opposite [and opposing] worlds find a way to be together?

Hook, line, and sinker—this story has got my heart.

There are few romance tropes I appreciate more than “opposites attract”—especially when we’ve got a bad boy/good girl dynamic paired with a delightful height difference and plenty of sweet, tender moments. I can genuinely say that this first volume made me internally “squee” at multiple points.

Plus, this is another series that I feel really sincerely captures the nuances of youth—and all the curiosity, uncertainty, and joy that comes with growing up and growing into a relationship with someone else.

Definitely recommend for any contemplating romance readers out there who enjoy a very wholesome and heartfelt little story~

[Zaiba · Rating 5 out of 5]

This manga was honestly the sweetest and most refreshing story you could consume. I felt kindness radiate throughout this manga. It was so easy to read everything and just fall into the story. Rintaro and Karouko’s love story is magical. They started off as an unlikely match due to circumstances revolving their high schools. But, they went above and beyond to show that the perceived prejudice they were force to absorb did not matter and found each other in the sweetest way. I loved this manga so much and how it expressed growth and support. There were so many lines of friendship that developed and became stronger. It was so motivating and lovely. I hope we get more on Natsusawa and Subaru as their relationships tugged at the heartstrings so roughly. Ah seriously, this manga was so cute!!

[Ellen McGinty · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was an excellent manga. It was perfect for studying Japanese too. The slice of life vocabulary and kanji were just right for me. The relationship growth doesn't just focus on clean, cozy romance, but also how friendships grow and make us who we are. I definitely want to keep reading this series.

And if you are looking for a clean, sweet romance manga, then this is definitely that!

[Reham · Rating 5 out of 5]

SOOO CUTE I LOVED IT

[emma °❀⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5 stars.