by A popular work from summer 2025 depicting the protagonist’s growth
The summer broadcasting season has come to an end, and except for some shows that will continue into autumn, the final episodes of the summer 2025 anime have aired. While there have been voices of joy and surprise following the broadcasts, there have also been many voices expressing regret that there has been no news of a sequel to a series that received positive reviews, such as “it was great.”
For example, “Fragrant Flowers Bloom Bravely” (original work by Saka Mikami) is a romantic comedy that depicts the love affairs between students attending neighboring boys’ and girls’ schools, which are at odds with each other. It has also attracted attention for its beautiful artwork, particularly in episode 8, where the aquarium date between the protagonist, Tsumugi Rintaro (voiced by Nakayama Shotoku), and the heroine, Waguri Kaoruko (voiced by Inoue Honoka), was depicted with even more care than in the original, causing a stir.
In the final episode, after confessing his feelings to Kaoruko at the beach, Rintaro goes to a summer festival to talk to her alone. There, Kaoruko reveals the true story of how she and Rintaro met before the story began, and the two finally become lovers.
In addition to the beautiful artwork, the delicate portrayal of the two characters’ gradual growing closer also touched the hearts of viewers. Although a sequel has not yet been announced, comments such as “It was so refreshing to see such pure love after so long,” and “I also liked how the story was structured to pay off the title! Please make a second season as soon as possible!” have been received.
“Silent Witch: The Secret of the Silent Witch” (original work by Matsuri Iku) is a comical fantasy story that follows the growth of the protagonist, Monica Everett (voiced by Saya Aizawa), who is shy and nicknamed the “Silent Witch.” To protect the second prince, Felix Arc Rydill (voiced by Shogo Sakata), Monica infiltrates the prestigious Serendia Academy as a student named Monica Norton. While expanding her circle of friends at the school, Monica also overcomes her weak interpersonal relationships.
Towards the end of the film, Monica is invited to a festival to send off the dead, where she happens to meet Felix, who is there incognito. However, while the two are enjoying the festival, an incident occurs, and Monica must scramble to solve it.
The story ended with many mysteries still unsolved, such as the identity of Felix, who, despite being the “Stargazing Witch” (CV: Mamiko Noto), is unable to read the future, despite being skilled at predicting it. Although there has been no announcement of a sequel yet, there are voices of anticipation, such as “It was the highest quality anime I’ve seen recently,” and “Every episode was carefully made, and the female cast was just so cute! I can’t wait for a second season.”
Another popular story about the protagonist’s growth was “Ruri no Houseki” (original work by Keiichiro Shibuya). The story follows the protagonist, Ruri Tanigawa (voiced by Kyori Nemoto), who dreams of becoming a jewel, as she enters the world of minerals after meeting Nagi Arato (voiced by Asami Seto), a university student majoring in mineralogy.
At first, Ruri only admires minerals, but as she learns more about them, she grows as a person. The program also includes easy-to-understand explanations throughout, making it accessible even to viewers with no prior knowledge of minerals, and earning it a reputation for being educational simply by watching.
In the final episode, Yoko Imari (voiced by Yume Miyamoto), who attends the same lab as Nagi, goes on a hot spring trip with her friends after winning a lottery. While on the trip, she searches for minerals such as limestone from the hot springs and tiny meteorites, and after much effort, she finds a small meteorite in the dust. The story concludes with a grown-up Ruri reflecting on her experiences thus far.
The original manga is still being serialized, but there is not enough material left to produce a second season immediately. Due to these circumstances, the anime concluded the story with a closure. Viewers gave positive feedback, saying things like, “Ruri’s response moved me that one thing ends so there’s always another,” and “I learned so much and it was a wonderful story. I really want to watch the second season.”
