While Solo Leveling continues to be a hugely successful fantasy anime, fans are turning their attention to a romantic series debuting in summer 2025 that has quickly become a breakout hit.
With a deep storyline, impressive animation, and strong chemistry between the main characters, The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity has captured the hearts of audiences worldwide, leading to a surprising shift on major ranking charts.
Solo Leveling Overtaken by The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity on MAL
Solo Leveling kicked off an incredibly successful anime year, delivering consistent high-quality content. Season 2 premiered in winter 2025, setting high standards for upcoming series. In fact, Season 1 won Anime of the Year 2025, with Season 2 often rated even better.
That’s why fans were shocked to learn that Solo Leveling is not the highest-rated anime of 2025 according to fan scores.
The eagerly awaited summer 2025 anime season has now concluded, giving us a clearer picture. The result: Solo Leveling has officially been surpassed on the rankings by an unexpected rival, the romantic anime The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity. With an overall score of 8.74 on MyAnimeList (MAL), it has outpaced Solo Leveling Season 2, which holds an 8.65, and is competing for the title of best anime of 2025.
Despite being a romance genre that typically appeals to a narrower audience, The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity won over viewers with its heartfelt story, outstanding animation, and natural chemistry between Rintaro and Kaoruko.
Even though Solo Leveling won Crunchyroll’s Anime of the Year and remains the most-watched series, it surprisingly dropped out of the top spots on MAL’s highest-rated anime list. Currently, Solo Leveling ranks sixth, behind several strong contenders including this recently concluded romance series.
Shared Challenge: Both Anime Await Their Next Seasons
While fans adore The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity, they are still waiting on any announcement for Season 2. This has disappointed many given the story’s strong appeal.
Similarly, fans know that Solo Leveling Season 3 faces the same issue. Despite its global fame and record-breaking success, Season 3 has yet to be confirmed.
It’s not uncommon for a popular anime to lose momentum when new episodes stop coming, and Solo Leveling is no exception. This is why fans are urging for quick renewals or teasers to keep the momentum alive. Hopefully, both fantastic stories will continue and official news will arrive soon.
Regardless of which anime is more popular, each represents the best of its genre. While Solo Leveling is setting the gold standard for power-fiction anime, The Fragrant Flower Blooms With Dignity is redefining modern romance anime.
Source: Gamerant