English Dub Review: The Fragrant Flower Flooms with Dignity “Surprise by the Sea”

REVIEW (SPOILERS)

Rintaro, Kaoruko and the gang head to the beach for a fun and emotional time, which leads to an unexpected confession!

OUR TAKE

Sooooooo, we’re on the penultimate episode of the season, and at the end we’ve already dealt with our main love interests to finally take the big step, if you can mix my metaphors. Of course, there was more going on in this episode than the last few minutes. In fact, the focus of this episode was on strengthening the friendship between the group of friends and how good that is for everyone involved, which is always nice. Subaru in particular talks about how, at least at first, she was very distrustful of men and cut off a lot of friends when that happened, but Rintaro’s good nature and honesty actually helped her open up again and start making friends beyond Kaoruko. In response, Saku, the smart one of the guys, speaks up and says that he would never hang out with people like that that he wasn’t close to, which eventually translates into his version that they’ve been friends for a while. It’s great that anyone with emotional articulation issues gets a chance to say they’re happy to have new friends, although without giving too much away, he and Subaru will have some developing feelings as well. And then I guess Shohei and Ayato will just… find their own girls or just go out with each other if I had to guess.

So yes, the group of friends is back together, but the major bombshell came at the very end of the episode when Rintaro and Kaoruko were briefly left alone while the others went off to get more fireworks after their supply ran out surprisingly quickly. One thing leads to another, and Rintaro blurts out that he likes Kaoruko, but before she can really react more than blushing so hard she looks like a tomato, everyone turns around, not understanding what just happened. Unable to talk about it further, they part ways, but Rintaro decides he can’t leave it at that and calls her directly And… cool! So, it’s time for these two to finally confess their feelings for the other, all in the season finale of the still oddly titled A Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity! Maybe, with any luck, we’ll finally find an explanation for why they chose that name.