Jun 2, 2024
At first, Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku, or The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity, seems like a normal rom-com SoL story with a decent plot. The male lead and female lead go to two different schools, Chidori High and Kikyo Academy, that seemingly despite one another, however, alongside this plot, this story has become something much more incredible than first expected, it’s now one of the best ongoing stories out there.
First off, this series is incredibly wholesome, it’s such a sweet read. It has such a comforting feel and this feel comes from every aspect of the manga. The characters are likely the best
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part of this manga. Each character is written with so much intention and detail and it’s amazing to see all the characters interact with each other, especially how they develop and eventually become friends despite being ‘enemies’ from different schools. The friend group that developed between the schools is so precious and it makes a reader relate, in a way, to the story. The manga is paced so well, from the romance to the semi-serious topics explored in the manga. Whether it’s the feeling of acceptance, feeling left out, or being able to finally move on, so many aspects of life are shown in the story, and it feels very realistic, which is something that the average romance manga would never achieve. The character development in the story is extremely well written, not just the romance and interactions between the main leads, even the side characters get major developments and it’s so incredible to see these developments. As a reader who followed the manga from the beginning chapters to where it is now, it’s truly amazing to see the progress each character has gone through.
It really does feel like a reader is immersed into the story. The regular SoL aspects of the story seem to be just as important as the romance. The characters' interactions feel human and mature, this is something that is seen throughout the story and it is awesome to see the story progress with this maturity, although it may feel almost too mature at times. Going into romance, the romance between the main characters is so precious. They interact and develop so well together, and it just feels nice to see them together. There’s a potential for side ships to appear as well. There also isn’t really a ‘villain’/second lead in this manga, when it comes to the romance of the story, which goes to show how extremely well written this manga is as it doesn’t have to derive its romance based on actions that a ‘villain’/second lead would take, compared to other romance stories in general. It derives its romance from pure interactions between the characters and it is very refreshing to see.
The manga doesn’t disappoint in art and its style either. Both minor and major details are so well managed, and the paneling is very smooth. The art is simply beautiful. There are many fun moments in the story, alongside such beautifully drawn moments throughout the manga. The close-ups of the characters are drawn extremely well, and the art style improves throughout the story. The art just fits the storytelling perfectly, and it's incredible to see especially as this manga is the first well-known work from the mangaka.
Saka Mikami has created something that has become one of the best ongoing romance stories in animanga. Personally, this story is currently my favorite manga and I've reread it so many times. In my opinion, this story is a masterpiece. I’d recommend it to anybody who would be interested in it.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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