This essay features spoilers for Netflix’s The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity.
It’s become the norm in high school anime for parents to have little to no presence in stories. Whether downplayed or completely removed, the genre frequently shows a lack of interest in the part parents can play in their children’s development.
But parents are critical to a child’s story, as they can inform what the audience learns about the main characters and help advance their story like no one else. Kyoko Tsumugi (Yôko Hikasa, My Happy Marriage) from The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity serves as a stellar example of this as she participates in her son Rintaro’s (Yoshinori Nakayama, Zenshu) life.
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There is an old saying that states, “A self-made man is a poorly made man.” This statement serves as a reminder of how much external sources can shape a developing individual’s personality. Children are deeply influenced by their parents’ examples, as they observe foundational lessons from their actions. When a story lets the audience meet such an essential source for a developing personality, it helps make unlikely characteristics much more believable. In Rintaro’s case, it’s his kindness and compassion.
One of the first things The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity teaches us about Rintaro is that he is misunderstood. Due to his passive, grim demeanor and height, many find him intimidating. Add to that an apparent stigma equating dyed blonde hair and pierced ears with delinquency, and others almost universally write off Rintaro. Despite how ostracized he is, we learn almost as quickly that Rintaro has a big heart and plenty of empathy for others.
Kyoko Tsumugi helps foster Rintaro’s compassion and kindness.
Looked at in a vacuum, these compassionate traits feel unlikely. Even if he wasn’t always cold, wouldn’t the persistent presumptions of society push him towards that personality type? With no encouragement or example, where does this kindness come from? As it turns out, he gets it from his mom.
Episode 9 of the series sees Rintaro hosting his friends at his house. This is a first for him, and Kyoko clearly goes all out to make sure everyone feels welcome. She cooks a lot of food and maintains a relaxed presence that makes everyone feel at home. While her graciousness as a host already speaks to her personality, we get a deeper glimpse into how caring a mom Rintaro has when he is asked about his dyed hair and pierced ears.
After Rintaro explains how he got his signature features and his friends show their support, even stating they wish they’d known him earlier, the camera cuts to a nearby hallway, where we find Kyoko crying. Her joy at finally hearing people acknowledge the qualities in her son is a beautiful moment for her. It also leads to a flashback that explains her matching hair and pierced ears.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity gives Kyoko the necessary depth.
This flashback reveals that Kyoko got her makeover before Rintaro, solely to encourage him. Knowing how hard he was taking the general rejection from everyone around them, Kyoko wanted to make sure he wouldn’t worry about making this change and that he would be happier with himself.
This moment of compassion highlights what we can assume is Kyoko’s general attitude towards her son. Through her support, Rintaro undoubtedly picked up some pointers about compassion and empathy. These elements alone would make Kyoko’s presence in The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity worthwhile, but that’s not all she brings to the narrative.
While Kyoko serves as a support to her son, she is still his parent. As such, she can assert a bit more force than others when it comes to nudging, or in some cases pulling, him in the direction he clearly wants to go. Like when Rintaro tries to hide behind a display case in their shop when he’s nervous about Kaoruko (Honoka Inoue, Shy) seeing him.
The addition of pivotal parental guidance further strengthens the series.
What could’ve been an awkward scene where Rintaro hides away in embarrassment is averted thanks to Kyoko’s steady hand. This allows Rintaro and Kaoruko to meet again, while not instantly forcing Rintaro to overcome his fears. He isn’t ready to take the plunge yet, so his mom throws him into the pool. The smile she wears the whole time, and how she tries to downplay the absurdity of her son hiding behind a transparent glass case, takes any sting out of the act. She’s trying to help her son, not embarrass him.
Kyoko Tsumugi’s presence allows the narrative to move forward, but not by forcing a premature evolution of Rintaro’s character. Given everything we’ve been told about Rintaro at this point, particularly how most others perceive him, it would be hard to picture anyone else giving him the kick he needs, let alone doing it with a glowing smile.
Despite many examples of high school-set anime depicting parents as unnecessary, Kyoko Tsumugi shows us otherwise. Her presence both informs her son’s personality and lays out a believable path for him to arrive at where he is, despite the judgment of others. Combine this with her ability to push Rintaro in a way others would never dare, and it’s easy to see how the charming addition to The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity‘s cast brings a lot to love in the series in ways only a parent could.
The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity is currently streaming on Netflix.
