The highly anticipated anime adaptation of Saka Mikami's popular manga series, "The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity" (Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku), is set to premiere on July 5, 2025, in Japan, with Netflix streaming the series starting July 6, 2025. Ahead of the release, a main trailer and new key visual have been unveiled, offering a glimpse into the heartwarming story and the beautiful animation by CloverWorks. For regions outside of the Japan time zone (JST), the launch dates on Netflix may vary.
The anime is directed by Miyuki Kuroki, with Satoshi Yamaguchi as assistant director. Rino Yamazaki is in charge of the series composition, while Kohei Tokuoka handles character designs and serves as chief animation director. The music is composed by Moeki Harada. The series is animated by CloverWorks.
The main cast includes Yoshinori Nakayama as Rintaro Tsumugi and Honoka Inoue as Kaoruko Waguri. Other cast members are Kikunosuke Toya as Shohei Usami, Koki Uchiyama as Saku Natsusawa, Hiiro Ishibashi as Ayato Yorita, and Aya Yamane as Subaru Hoshina.
"The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity" tells the story of Rintaro Tsumugi, a second-year student at Chidori High, a school known for accepting students with lower academic records. One day, while helping at his family's patisserie, he meets Kaoruko Waguri, a student from the prestigious Kikyo Girls' High. Despite the contrasting reputations of their schools and their initial hesitation, they find themselves drawn to each other.
Rintaro is surprised and touched that Kaoruko doesn't judge him based on his intimidating appearance. As they spend time together, Rintaro begins to cherish her open-mindedness and kindness. However, their budding relationship faces a challenge when Rintaro discovers that Kaoruko attends Kikyo Girls' High, creating a potential conflict due to the long-standing rivalry between the two schools.
The trailer showcases scenes from the anime, highlighting the delicate animation and the emotional depth of the characters. It also features the opening theme song "Manazashi wa Hikari" performed by Tatsuya Kitani, and the ending theme song "Hare no Hini" sung by Reira Ushio, adding to the anticipation for the series. The series has already garnered significant attention, with the official X account gaining a large following and the trailer amassing millions of views.
The manga series has been serialized on Kodansha's Magazine Pocket website and app since October 2021 and has sold over five million copies as of June 2025. The series has also been nominated for several awards.
