©三香見サカ・講談社／「薫る花は凛と咲く」製作委員会

I love Rintaro’s mom. I know this episode isn’t about her, but the thousand little ways she loves her son and pays attention to him add an extra layer of sweetness to this show, like the cookies Rintaro baked to put on top of Kaoruko’s birthday cake. She’s quietly supportive and loudly so when she needs to be (like when his dad “jokes” that if Rintaro wants to help out at the shop, it’ll be every single day of summer break), and all of her actions say that she’s there and she cares. Without her support, I’m not sure he’d be as well-adjusted as he is. Parents can’t stop all bad things from happening to their children, but they can support them through it. Rintaro’s mom is clearly one of the good ones.

I think it’s her support that allows Rintaro to even ask his dad for help in the first place. Not that his father is a cake-baking monster who ignores his sons, but he clearly works longer hours than his wife. As a result, Rintaro spends more time with his mom, but she doesn’t hesitate to let him know when his dad would be better suited to help him – like in the matter of Kaoruko’s birthday cake…although her face when he asked about trendy cake shops was priceless. In Rintaro’s defense, it’s exactly the kind of thing a teenager would ask; there’s no way his family’s shop could be the coolest one out there, right? (Plus Kaoruko has well and truly sampled most of their wares.)

The other award for best character this week goes to Subaru. She actually earned it last week, when she let Rintaro know that Kaoruko’s birthday was coming up. It’s a beautiful example of doing something just because it would make someone else happy, plus it shows that even if Subaru isn’t fully comfortable around the guys, she respects that Kaoruko is and wants to facilitate things as best she can. She even manages to finagle the class celebration of Kaoruko’s birthday to be the day after the big day so that Rintaro can have a chance to celebrate with Kaoruko. It’s all the more thoughtful because of Subaru’s discomfort. If you have a friend like that, hold on to her.

The day itself is the barest piece of this episode, but that doesn’t mean it isn’t charming. From both of them being so eager and nervous that they both show up to the meeting place impressively early, to Rintaro being embarrassed to have Kaoruko open the cake in public, every single word and action speaks of their eagerly earnest approach to their blooming relationship. Kaoruko barely being able to wait until she gets home to try a piece speaks less to her love of all cake and more to her enthusiasm for this cake – it’s not just a cake from Plain, it’s a manifestation of her relationship with Rintaro thus far. It says that he sees her and he cares, that he wanted to do something special for her. If it wasn’t so touching, it would be sweet enough to rot your teeth.

But that’s The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity’s greatest strength. In a lesser story, this would be unbearably cheesy, like a Hallmark movie in anime style. It would read as inauthentically soppy, a cheap attempt to capture young love in a hackneyed way. But instead, this comes across as a charming, beautiful journey about two people finding each other, supported by a cast that loves and respects them and are good characters in their own right. Not all romances can pull it off. This one does it with style.

**Rating: **

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