Finally one of the most awaited Romance, Slice-of-Life Anime is here! ‘Kaoru Hana wa Rin to Saku’ aka ‘Fragrant flower blooms with dignity’. The first episode has just been released in Japan. Its first episode doesn’t disappoint fans’ anticipation and its future seems promising no less. The animation, the dialogues, especially the voices of the characters sounds great, thanks to Studio CloverWorks.
From the very first scene, the protagonist, Rintaro is apparently portrayed as a scary lad. When his friends fall into an argument with two other boys about bumped into whom, the latter inquire to them about him. However he shows up right behind them and they flee from the scene, terrified. This way, he’s introduced. A tall guy with blonde hair and earrings.
He rides up the way to school telling his friends how last night a guy who was slapped by his girlfriend and whom he had walked up to check on ran away looking at him in the dark also. His friends jokingly remark that he has an intimidating vibe.
Just as they got in front of the school, a couple of girls go silent by catching the glance of the boys and pass with their heads down. Rintaro specifically addresses this situation in the next scene. Rintaro attends a public school which is looked down upon by the students of just the adjacent building, a private, elite girls’ high school. The girls’ school’s windows are always veiled. Rintaro mentions he has never seen their classrooms. The latter apparently despises the boys’ school. This imposition is possibly a very important plot in upcoming episodes.
Talking about his personal life, as of the next scene, his family runs a cake shop. He seldom is pulled in to help at it. And so again on a rainy evening. He is left with assurance that since it’s raining, not many customers will show up. However one sits at the shop for the time being only. He is abruptly prompted to have a look at who is this customer. He figures it out as a thin, short, pretty girl whom he concluded as a school girl but in doing so, scares her as well. She runs away leaving him upset. He later gets to know that she is a regular customer and her name is Waguri. The reason behind everyone considering him scary remains undefined by the end of this instance too.
The following evening, Rintaro’s mother lets him know that Waguri wants to have a chat with him. She apologises to him for such awkward behaviour yesterday. She also puts up that someone eating so much pastries must’ve appeared odd to him. He agrees on the second part however. She offers him a pastry as a token of expressing her apology. He gently slides the plate on her side and tempted her to have it on which, she fails to hold back. And so this is the beginning of neutralisation of awkwardness and a dawn of comfort between them.
“Rintaro..” She utters his name lightly with a delight on her face which Rintaro hasn’t overlooked or perhaps shouldn’t have for he isn’t the type to quite grasp about it instantly. She further claims that she has seen him several times earlier and that he isn’t scary when he comes up once again with it as the most probable cause which is why she had run away yesterday.
She packs up some cake with her before Rintaro asks her if he should walk her to the station. She claims to be all fine by herself and refuses to cause him the trouble of doing that. Not long before she leaves, Rintaro’s mother rushes into his room with the packet which Waguri had taken and urges him to look for her. He immediately races off through the streets and lanes in search of her.
He finally locks eyes on the two guys from the first scene bullying her. They also roughly utter bad ideas to her about Rintaro. Calling him a delinquent and likewise much more. He hears it all and now he knows from where all the rumours about him circulate. He has just been the kind to accept himself on the wrong side and digest everything he’s referred to. But this time, someone protests! Waguri asks them to talk with Rintaro, which they deny. She then innocently justifies that they shouldn’t if they must not but if they don’t want to talk with him, they should not spread rumours about him as well. Hearing which, they would’ve had hit her had Rintaro not jumped in. They fled the scene once more. He apologises to her this time. But all her eyes weep about is witnessing his forehead bleed and wiping off the blood.
He eventually walks Waguri to the station. She thanks him as he takes his leave and starts for home. While walking back, she calls him from behind and asks- “Let’s eat cakes together sometime?” This signifies her will to be with him. It cements her statement that to her, he isn’t scary indeed. On the other hand, it also serves as a tease of amazement for Rintaro. The amazement of realising someone voluntarily weaving an effort for his company. It’s psychologically very comforting as a scene.
Unable to fall asleep overnight, Rintaro is found drowsy at his desk next morning. He also is the first and alone to reach school today. He suddenly notices the veil of one of the windows of the other building being parted and, Waguri’s face meets his sight straightaway. His sleepiness disappears as his eyes widen with astonishment. And stuck with an exclamation- “She’s a high school student? At Kikyo?!”
Summing it up, the storyline with its engrossing approach is promising. Though the first episode primarily revolved around Rintaro. No major transitions are made in this first episode standing properly to its reputation as a slice of life. The animation is kept simple and it fits in without any complaint. Nevertheless, It motions very well adapted from the manga. Studio CloverWorks is genuinely commendable. This season, they’re also animating the second seasons of ‘My Dress Up Darling’ and ‘Bunny Girl Senpai’, respectively. At some points, the music could be brought into play according to the situation. However, both the opening and ending songs are pleasing for their part.
From upcoming episodes, expectations can be kept of the two protagonists persevere in partially happening and partially awkward phases of establishing a better bond. Not to mention, Waguri’s life- personal and social is totally under covers yet. So stay tuned till episode 2 releases!
