Hello folks, and welcome back to Wrong Every Time. Today we’re checking out a fresh new production, as we explore the debut of last year’s The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity. Based on a manga by Saka Mikami, the show centers on the romance between a girl from a fancy prep school and a boy from a school for delinquents. So we’ve clearly got some elements of class conflict to complicate our would-be romance, alongside a school rivalry that puts this drama somewhere between West Side Story and Romeo & Juliet.
Not that I’m expecting anything quite so tragic as that; by all accounts this is a charming and gentle narrative, and also a genuine hit for Netflix, where it stayed among the top rankings for a significant portion of the year. That all sounds fine by me; I’m a fan of romances of all stripes, and adaptation director Miyuki Kuroki’s work boarding and key animating for productions as visually impressive as The Idolm@ster and Fate/Grand Order, as well as animation director Kōhei Tokuoka’s prior work as AD on Josee, the Tiger and the Fish, gives me ample reason to assume we’ve got a delicate and character acting-rich drama ahead of us. Let’s meet our lovebirds!