YMMV / Himitsu no Hanazono

• Designated Villain: The anime series not only does this to Medlock, but creates a character for this: Max Hawkins. He actually turns out to be a decent person once we get to know him, but he was badly broken in the past and thus he can't forgive Archibald Craven for his Break the Cutie experiences.
• Ensemble Dark Horse: Camila has a lot of fans because of her beauty and her interesting character arc. It's also heartwarming how, despite all she's been through, she's still kind to little Mary.
• Gateway Series: While anime in the Middle East was already popular pre-Spacetoon (Lady!! and Grendizer for example), many Arab kids growing up in The '90s had Himitsu No Hanazono as their first anime.
• Germans Love David Hasselhoff: It was, and still is, one of the most beloved anime in the Middle East.
  • Himitsu no Hanazono^note Dubbed under the name الحديقة السرية remained popular years after it first aired in many Arab countries, including Algeria, Syria and the UAE, for being part of many viewers' childhoods. The theme song is also extremely memorable amongst them and merely looking up the Arabic title on YouTube will lead you to Arab YouTubers performing their own covers of it.
  • The trailer for Himitsu No Hanazono is the eighth-most liked video on the official Spacetoon channel, sitting at 38M views. In 2016 and 2020, the series was rerun on the channel.
• Jerkass Woobie:
  • Mr. and Mrs. Lennox were horrible parents, but anyone who knows the effects of cholera would balk at their Cruel and Unusual Death. Keep in mind this anime takes place when modern medicine wasn't as developed as it was now, and it becomes even sadder.
  • Colin is a sour-tempered asshole, but he was born into a heartbreaking predicament (being told he was going to die at a young age and being unable to walk) and his only living parent neglects him.
• What Do You Mean, It's for Kids?: The anime was broadcast in several TV stations aimed at children, and they keep in the scene of Archibald attempting suicide.
• The Woobie: Camila. She and her mother were hated for being Roma, and then her mother dies, leaving Camila all alone. Lillias takes Camilla in as her lady-in-waiting and she falls for her young accountant Hawkins... and loses them both, so she has to leave the Craven's manor while being accused of killing Lillias since she got up the tree to get her a gorgeous flower as a birthday gift. She is epically broken and driven to isolation at the start of the series.