This was a cute Romeo and Juliet style story, and I'm really interested in continuing. When it comes to romance manga, I have a big soft spot for male leads that look scary but are secretly softies, so the male lead in this one was right up my alley. I loved the female lead too, and thought the chemistry between the two was super sweet.

I absolutely love this manga! It is beautiful, sweet, emotionally deep, and very refreshing. The characters feel three-dimensional and like real people. It was great to see them starting to get to know each other. Their interactions are so cute! This is a sweet and swoony romance that focuses on how misconceptions impact people's lives. We see these characters realize how different each other are from the way their respective social groups see each other. 5 stars! A sweet slice of life manga with lots of depth. Love it!!!

Thank you very much to Kodansha and NetGalley for the wonderful opportunity of reading and reviewing this book!

This was so cute and funny!! I usually don't go for stories where the protagonists come from different worlds, and these two definitely have the setting of Romeo and Juliet, with how much the schools hate each other. The drawing style reminds me more of shonen, but it also has incredibly beautiful and bold panels of the protagonists.

SPOILERS AHEAD.

I adored the ML's friends and how they were quick to adapt and to be more open. It was refreshing seeing them being so readily kind. And the ML and FL's friendship is so extremely cute <3 I adore their personalities and how earnest and honest they are.

I can't wait to read more!

This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity Vol 1 is too cute. Rintaro and Kaoruko are just the sweetest little cinnamon buns, I can't help but root for them! The art is great, which is an added bonus. This volume left off on a cliffhanger, so I can't wait to see what happens in volume 2. There is one negative in my opinion though. Manga keeps getting these long crazy titles and it's hard to remember what I'm looking for at the bookstore when it comes to titles like this.

"The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity 1" offers a charming yet complex look at the budding romance between Rintaro, a student at the underperforming Chidori High, and Kaoruko from the prestigious Kikyo Girls' High. Their sweet relationship develops against the backdrop of a rivalry between their schools, which keeps the story engaging.

However, the manga isn’t without its issues. Rintaro’s initial interest in Kaoruko, believing she is a middle schooler, raised some concerns, and the exaggerated animosity between the schools feels unrealistic. Despite these flaws, the cute moments and relatable teenage themes make it an enjoyable read. It strikes a balance between entertaining and problematic, leaving me curious for how the story will develop in future volumes.

This one is so good and it was a nice start!

I love the characters and I'm thinking of a getting a physical copy of this volume! I'm excited to continue reading this series.

What a cute volume! This volume follows two students, Rintaro and Kaoruko, who attend neighboring rival schools. Rintaro attends an all boys school know for delinquents, while Kaoruko attends an all girls school knows for their wealth and good grades. One day they meet and strike up a friendship. I really like how both characters don't let the bad blood between their schools stop them from being friends. It is hinted at in this volume that they may have romantic feelings for each other. The art in this volume is super cute and I am looking forward to the next volume!

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha for a copy of this volume in exchange for an honest review!

I wasn't sure what to expect with The Fragrant Flower With Dignity, but I'm so glad I gave it a chance. On its surface, it seems like a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, and while it does contain those elements, there is something more bubbling beyond the surface. Both main characters are charming, but especially the male lead, Rintaro, pulls at your heart strings. He has a cold exterior, but on the inside is tender and shy. I look forward to seeing what happens next with these two!

A love story is brewing. Brewing very very very slowly. Two rival schools. This gets established again and again. A simple slice-of-life story. Plot should develop in Vol 2.

This is a cute opposites attracts story. Rintaro is used to people assuming he is a ruffian. He is tall, blond and bulky, and he goes to a very rough school. What people don’t realise is that he is kind hearted, caring and helps out at his parent’s bakery.

But a young woman recognises his warm character and she loves to visit the bakery. Rintaro gets to know her and rescues her from some real thugs but there are challenges ahead because the young lady goes to the posh school next door to his and the gentle princesses of Kikyo Girls have nothing to do with boys from Chidiri.

Can Rintaro scale the heights of privilege and rivalry to win the heart of Kaoruko (the princess from Kikyo Girls) who has touched his heart even if she does go to the posh school next door?

A great start to a lovely story that reminds me of Westside Story. Definitely looking forward to following this series.

Copy provided by Kodansha Comics via Netgalley in exchange for an unbiased review.

Thank you NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for this arc!

5/5 stars

This was a light, cute, and fluffy romance that I loved from the first page! The art style is really lovely, I love Kaoruko's hair it really seems like it's alive! Rintaro's expressions cracked me up a lot hahaha. This was sweet and fun, and I'm looking forward to reading more in this series!

Fisrt a HUGE thank you to NetGalley, the Author and the Publisher for this ARC.

This was the CUTEST!!! 😱😍
At first the cover art didn't do it for me but I liked the description of the story so I decided to give it a chance.

And Boy OH Boy!
I really enjoyed this!
It is cute and adorable and once you start you can't put it back down.
It gives of mayor Shakespeare's "Romeo&Juliet" vibes, so obviously you can expect some clichés and it is predictable at times; but all in all it's a very soft and wholesome story.

Really a good new romance manga! It's sweet, the characters are so good really tre to themself and with their struggle. They make easy to care about them and even about their friends.
And i really liked the art style, can't wait to read others volume and continue withe their realtionship.

This was a sweet read. The art style is really cute and enjoyable. I liked the characters a lot. Both the main female character and the main male character are really sweet to each other which is extra adorable because the main male character is seen as scary to most people. I liked the development of their relationship and would definitely be interested in reading the next volume in the series. Perfect for slice of life, romance manga fans.

This is a very cute shojo about a girl and a boy who are trying to become friends despite all their perceived differences. They are from different schools who hate each other. An all girls schools for rich, smart girls and an all boys school full if delinquent types. It's very Romeo and Juliet. They also look like they don't go together as the girl is small and demure and the guy seems big and awkward. Kinda Beauty and the Beast.
Rintaro's family owns a bakery that Kaoruko frequents and soon they are friends. But this odd relationship seems to be threatened by those around them.
The MCs are so adorable and you're really rooting for them. I think the art is very pretty though sometimes the characters don't always look the same. I enjoyed reading it and will probably continue but it's not anything super special in the world of Shojo so I'm just giving it four stars.
A huge thank you to Kodansha for the ARC.

I want to be kind but it’s really hard to find anything kind to say about this book. It was so stupid and so pointless and I frankly don’t give a single fuck what happens next. The idea of this book was kind of cute but the book itself, well, to put it nicely.. it sucks. I wouldn’t recommend this one to anyone. Sorry.

Oh my goodness this was SO. CUTE. I just LOVE me a "Looks-like-a-Bad-Boy-but-is-secretly-a-Cinnabon-Boi" trope and this book NAILED it.

I loved the artwork, the gentleness of the MC h and the secret Cinna-Roll squishy interior of the MC H. The friends are overprotective of one another, which is great, but can lead to unintended consequences. The boys are all pretty typical clueless boys. They reminded me of big dumb but cheerful and friendly dogs, lol. The girls? Definitely reminded me of cats, lol. But sadly, they constantly had their hackles up because it is safer to expect bad than good.

I love the characters, especially the MCs and I SO want a HEA for them ALL.

Sigh.

5, definitely going to hunt down the next volume and read the heck out of it, stars!

My thanks to NetGalley and Kodansha Comics for an eARC of this book to read and review,

Another sweet and thoughtful take on Romeo and Juliet! With a familiar story of two young people trying to make a connection while coming from two different worlds, even if they aren’t as different as they at first seem. With art that is full of emotion and levity to combat the heavy story and themes, this is a manga that knows exactly how to evoke emotion in the reader. An absolute must read for fans of romance or tragi-comedy.

This is a perfect first volume for a cute, romance manga. The pacing is very nice. I feel like I’m really getting to know the characters and we aren’t in a rush for any romance yet, which is perfect for the story’s start. The leading couple is adorable and age-appropriate, which is always appreciated. All that to say, I’m super excited to pick up the second volume.

This has to be the cutest and sweetest story I have read in a long time. I can't wait to see these characters journey and become even more beautiful. My only complaint is they feel so short. It's so engaging that I don't stop reading the minute I pick it up. I love these stories that have so much heart and beautiful characters.