Unprecedented Three-Month Manga Release: The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity (KaoruHana) Surges Past 7.5 Million Copies Backed by Youth Support

Kodansha’s hit manga The Fragrant Flower Blooms with Dignity (KaoruHana) will release Volume 20 on October 9, following Volumes 18 (Aug 7) and 19 (Sept 9), marking an extraordinary three-month consecutive release the first in Magazine Pocket history and unseen in Weekly Shonen Magazine for the past 15 years. In an interview with ORICON NEWS, a representative in charge of the series explained the background of this decision.

The manga, serialized since October 2021 in the Magazine Pocket app, is set in a town where Chidori High, a struggling all-boys school, stands alongside the elite Kikyo Girls’ Academy. It follows the youthful story of Rintaro Tsumugi, a tough-looking boy from Chidori Public High School, and Kaoruko Waguri, a refined girl from Kikyo Private Academy Girls' High School, as they navigate their “so close yet so far” relationship.

Award-winning, anime-adapted sensation

The series has earned accolades such as 2nd place in the 6th TSUTAYA Comic Awards, 6th in the 2022 Next Manga Awards (Web Manga category), and runner-up in the Sanyodo Comic Award DeraComi! 4. Its TV anime began airing on July 5, quickly boosting its popularity.

Since Volume 1’s release in March 2022, which sold at 150% of initial projections and was reprinted immediately, the manga has been a consistent success. Kodansha staff noted strong support from bookstores and growing demand among younger readers.

Why three consecutive releases?

Sales have skyrocketed from 3.5 million copies at the time of the anime’s announcement (Sept 2024) to 7.5 million today, with 2 million copies added in just the last two months thanks to the anime’s impact.

The editorial team explained that sufficient manuscript stock and the influx of new fans from the anime prompted the decision:
“We wanted to deliver as many volumes as possible during this momentum.”

They highlighted the series’ charm, realistic depictions of youth, blended themes of romance, friendship, and family, and broad appeal across genders and age groups.

Special campaigns for fans

To celebrate, special bookmarks infused with “the language of flowers of youth” and floral fragrance will be distributed with purchases starting Sept 9. Additionally, large-scale ads will run in Osaka and Shibuya until Sept 14, making the release a multi-front event.

Source : ORICON NEWS