Enjoy this complimentary article, previously available exclusively for Popverse members. If you like what you see, consider becoming a Popverse member.

Toxic masculinity is so prevalent in media and society that I feel the need to celebrate it when it gets subverted. It makes my heart sing to see bros being bros and looking out for each other, which is why the first few episodes of The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity caught my attention. It wasn’t the adorable romance that it was setting up that had me hooked, but the way the guy friends casually hung out and supported each other.

The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity is the latest romance anime to land on Netflix, something I have a nigh-inexhaustible appetite for. This one follows Rintaro Tsumugi, a tall, intimidating high school student who attends Chidori Public High School, and Kaoruko Waguri, a small, demure student at neighboring Kikyo Private Academy. Everything has a bit of a West Side Story vibe to it, with Chidori being filled with delinquent boys who typically don’t perform well on tests, and Kikyo being a private all-girl school filled with high achievers and the daughters of the rich.

Because this is a romance anime, Rintaro and Kaoruko meet and fall for each other in the sweetest, most awkward teenage way possible, but that has not made me realize this is a show made for me. That came later when Rintaro and his friends went to karaoke together, and everyone noticed that Rintaro’s mind was elsewhere. He’s just scrolling through the list of songs, not really focusing on anything, and just wondering what Kaoruko sees in him and pondering the New Feelings that she has awakened within him.

A lesser anime with lazier writing would have had Shohei, Saku, and Yorita poke fun at their friend for being upset, possibly even mocking him for showing emotion when bros don’t do that stuff, but that isn’t what happens. They turn to Rintaro and, rather bluntly, tell him that he can talk to them if he needs to. If something is bothering him, they are there for him. No questions. No judgement. Just bros supporting bros.

While I’m not going to suggest that The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity is not a romance anime at heart, I would argue that it teeters more into teen drama at times rather than straight romance. However, instead of letting these teenagers interact in the most frustrating, melodramatic way possible, they open up to each other. They fix their problems with a simple apology rather than ignore them until they become a giant, insurmountable thing. The boys admire each other’s strengths rather than try to admonish their weaknesses. It is genuinely refreshing to see.

The thing that seals this show for me is Rintaro. Yes, I’m a sucker for the scary-looking guy who is actually chill and sweet trope, so Rintaro having resting thug face while helping out at his family bakery is my jam. However, he does something that everyone of every age and every gender should do; he examines his behavior and how it impacts those around him and, most importantly, apologizes to people he has upset. In a world where men are often encouraged to be aggressive and to double down rather than admit mistakes, this is important. This is wholesome. This is pleasing.

I’m only a few episodes into this season and it doesn’t feel like it holds any great surprises for me; we’re in a star-crossed lovers situation, and it isn’t difficult to see how it is going to play out. I'm strapped in for a sweet but predictable story for the next few weeks. However, the fact that The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity doesn’t lean into toxic male tropes for its drama and, instead, gives real examples of teenage boys being actual friends to each other. This is an anime that sparks great joy within me. We all need buddies who check in with us and offer support.

It is a wild, chaotic world out there, and the only way we are going to get through it is together.

Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:

• Upcoming movies
• Upcoming TV shows
• Upcoming comics
• Upcoming games
• Upcoming fiction books
• Upcoming comic conventions