The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity has quickly become one of the most heartfelt romance anime of the year.
While almost every scene has something good to offer, there are five specific moments that really stick with you.
5. Kaoruko Defends Rintaro
This happens right at the start in The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity Episode 1. After Rintaro and Kaoruko’s awkward first meeting, he overhears two delinquents spreading lies about him.
Expecting Kaoruko to believe them, Rintaro silently accepts it as another case of being misunderstood.
But Kaoruko does not back down. She tells them that it is scary how they judge someone based on nothing but rumors. She calls Rintaro a great guy and says they know nothing about him.
For Rintaro, this moment changes everything. It is the first time anyone has looked past his scary appearance and defended who he actually is.
4. Rintaro Explains Why He Has Blonde Hair And Pierced Ears
In The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity Episode 9, Rintaro finally tells his friends and Kaoruko why he has blonde hair and pierced ears. He is nervous about this. He explains that it was not rebellion or trying to be cool.
He was trying to copy a happy baker he saw as a child. That baker looked so peaceful and content making cakes, and Rintaro wanted to feel that same happiness one day.
He is visibly stressed, waiting for them to laugh or think it is weird. Instead, they just accept it completely.
His friends tell him he is amazing and that they would have been friends with him back in middle school too.
When Kaoruko and his friends all agree on this, Rintaro finally realizes that he has found people who accept him completely. He belongs with them. That validation means everything to him.
3. Rintaro and Saku Patch Things Up
The middle part of the season has a conflict between Rintaro and Saku. Saku felt that Rintaro did not trust him with important information.
Their reconciliation at the Sports Festival in The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity hits hard because it feels real.
After they talk alone, Saku apologizes for being too harsh with him. Rintaro immediately blames himself for not being honest enough.
Then Saku opens up and admits he was actually happy to know the truth about Rintaro. He says he trusts Rintaro and the rest of their friends completely.
2. Rintaro Bakes A Birthday Cake For Kaoruko
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity Episode 11 was an emotional episode, and it covered Kaoruko’s birthday. Instead of buying a present, Rintaro decides to bake Kaoruko a handmade birthday cake.
He trains under his father, spends sleepless nights practicing, and puts all his feelings into making it perfect.
Kaoruko’s joy when she tastes the cake makes the moment even more meaningful.
1. The Truth About Rintaro and Kaoruko’s First Meeting
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity Episode 13 reveals a twist in the story of Rintaro and Kaoruko.
After Rintaro properly confesses to Kaoruko that he likes her at the summer festival, she shares a secret. Their first meeting in episode one was not actually their first time together.
She reveals that a year before, she was going through a rough time and walked into his family’s bakery. The taste of the cake and the warmth of the shop made her cry.
A younger Rintaro was working that day, and he comforted her quietly without making a big deal about it.
She tells him that his kindness saved her, and that is why she kept coming back to the shop.
