Ohana Matsumae is an energetic and wild teenager residing in Tokyo with her carefree single mother. Abruptly, her mother decides to run away with her new boyfriend from debt collectors, forcing the young girl to fend for herself—as per her mother's "rely only on yourself" philosophy—in rural Japan, where her cold grandmother runs a small inn. Driven to adapt to the tranquil lifestyle of the countryside, Ohana experiences and deals with the challenges of working as a maid, as well as meeting and making friends with enthralling people at her new school and the inn.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Archaeon
"Like father, like son. Like mother, like daughter" There's an age old belief that certain traits are passed down from parents to children, and like most ancient convictions, there's an element of truth to this one. It's a well known fact that much of a person's future behaviour is learned during their formative years, and while it's true that children will instinctively copy the mannerisms and behaviours of the role models closest to them (which in most cases means their parents), even trained professionals and researchers can't fully explain the "inheritance" of less tangible traits like stubbornness, temper, perspicacity, etc. But what does all that have todo with a show about a girl who goes off to work at a hotsprings inn? Well, not enough to be honest, and that's biggest problem.
Hanasaku Iroha (The ABC's of Blooming), is an original anime from P.A. Works that tells the story of Matsumae Ohana, a 16 highschool student who, due to a variety of circumstances regarding her mother, is forced to move away from Tokyo to live with her estranged maternal grandmother, Shijima Sui, at the hotsprings inn that she owns. Knowing that she has no choice in the matter Ohana tries to make the best of her situation, and at the request of her grandmother she begins working at Kissui Inn.
It all sounds like a fairly straightforward set up for some teenaged melodrama, and for the most part that's what viewers will get. The plot is functional, but the anime can often have difficulty getting to the point or sticking to the storyline, and there's little in the way of originality where the narrative is concerned. In addition to this there appears to be no real direction or cohesiveness with the progression of the series, and these factors may cause viewers to wonder when the story will offer up some actual development.
That said, there's a surprisingly interesting subtextual thread that runs through the plot (which we'll cover in a bit), but because of the numerous issues with the main storyline it's often overlooked. The sad part is that Hanasaku Iroha would have had a much, much better storyline if Okada Mari had simply removed certain events from the screenplay and tightened up the narrative.
Thankfully, some thought seems to have gone into the visuals.
P.A. Works deserve some applause for the effort they've made in producing Hanasaku Iroha as it's easily one of the better looking anime of 2011. The artwork tends towards realism rather than the cartoonish offerings of several titles I could mention, and while this allows for some rather picturesque backgrounds and settings, there are numerous occasions where the usage of various lighting effects create some truly stunning imagery. The animation is fluid, and unlike many other shows of this type, there's a surprising range of movement for both people and animals.
The characters are an interesting mix of styles and shapes that can sometimes appear a little plain, but in actuality there's a method to their design that may not be obvious at first glance. The thing to bear in mind is that the story takes place at a working hotsprings inn, and because of that Sekiguchi Kanami has tried to create a contrast with the picturesque surroundings.
One of the notable aspects of Hanasaku Iroha is the background music, or rather, the lack of it. There's a nice variety of styles on offer ranging from pastoral pieces (which in some cases sound a bit like elevator music), to upbeat little ditties, but it's the lack of musical accompaniment in many scenes that fits very well with the often quiet tone of the series.
Which is why the number of tracks used for the opening and ending themes seem ... a little too much.
Like many 26 episode anime, Hanasaku Iroha features two main opening and ending songs that change over at the midway point of the series. The show begins with a surprisingly well put together sequence that introduces the more prominent characters, but the track used for this, "Hana no Iro" by Nano Ripe, is a fairly bland piece that only works because of some good audio/visual choreography. In contrast to this closing sequence is a simple montage of Ohana and her three friends that has been set to "Hazy" by Sphere. From episode fourteen the opening track changes to "Omokage Warp" by Nano Ripe (again), which is a far more upbeat song than the previous one, and while the animated sequence is different to that of the first OP, the quality and content are pretty similar. The closing song, "Hanasaku Iroha" by Clammbon, is a feelgood ballad set to an animated image of Ohana and her friends, but unlike the other sequences it doesn't seem like much effort has been put into this one.
There are also two more ending themes, "Tsukikage to Buranko" (episode 6), and "Yumeji" (episode 8), once again performed by Nano Ripe, but there doesn't actually seem to be any real reason for their inclusion so one has to wonder why they were used in the first place.
Given the fact that this is a highschool drama, one might expect a degree of overemphasis when it comes to the acting, but there's surprisingly little of this in the dialogue. The script is well balanced between each of the roles, and while there are occasions where the seiyuu "fest it up", in general the voice actors deliver some very good performances. In addition to this there's a surprising, yet clear demarcation between the adult and teenage roles that is apparent not just in the manner of speech, but also in the language used.
One of the problems with the lack of direction and cohesiveness in the storyline is that it has a direct impact on the prominent characters, and this is the main reason why some viewers consider Ohana to be a very lacklustre lead role. Unfortunately, there's little in the dialogue that can actually raise her above average, and while there are clear efforts made to develop her character, these can often seem contrived or unnecessary.
That said, it's the supporting characters who really steal the show.
From Ohana's mother, Matsumae Satsuki, to Kawajiri Takako, the business consultant for Kissui Inn, the adult roles are defined from the start of the series, and this makes a nice contrast to the somewhat vague characterisation of Minko, Nako and Yuina (Ohana's friends). The series also makes the effort to further develop several of the supporting roles, and because of this the subtextual thread in the plot comes to light.
On the surface Hanasaku Iroha is nothing more than another teenaged melodrama, but underneath it's also a story about family and role models, and that aspect of the series is far more intriguing than much of the exisitng plot. The relationship between Sui, Satsuki and Enishi forms the cornerstone of everything that happens at Kissui Inn, and unlike many other anime out there the series handles the dynamics of this in a very realistic manner. Thanks to the efforts made to highlight how each person affects the other two, several minor but key clarifications of the storyline become apparent, the most notable being the reasons for the estrangement between Satsuki and her mother, Enishi's desperate attempts to win his mother's approval and finally step out of the shadow of his sister, and Ohana's festival wish at the end of the series.
Hanasaku Iroha isn't as good as it could have been, but that doesn't make it bad. If one is able to tolerate the tangents in the storyline then it really is a pretty decent show at its core, and it's a fairly good depiction of working life in a hotel. That said, at 26 episodes this series really is far too long, and it can often feel like certain events or situations were added only to fill the required number of episodes. Unfortunately the detrimental effect this has on the character interactions may lead to some viewers giving up on the show entirely,
The sad part is that if the series had been trimmed down and the subtextual plot given more prominence, this could easily have been a contender for the best anime of 2011, but as it is right now it's nothing more than another show that joins the ranks of "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda".
wumbmasta
Hanasaku Iroha Review: Everybody knows that "void" feeling you get when you finish a really great show. The feeling of emptiness that you feel when you finish a show that really connected with you or entertained you on a higher level. Only a few shows give you a feeling like this, and for each person the type of shows that can produce this feeling differ. For me, Clannad is the golden case of a show that gave me a void, because for months on end after finishing it, all I wanted to do was rewatch it. Hanasaku Iroha is an anime that gave me my first "void"in quite some time.
Story - 7.2/10:
Hanasaku Iroha is a slice of life anime that follows the life of city-girl, Ohana, while she lives and works at her grandmother's inn. Like most slice of life anime, the story does not necessarily follow a focused plot, and instead finds its niche in story arcs complimented by underlying themes and a very loose main character arc. The story by no means breaks any grounds or really stands out from the crowd in terms of its concept, but its execution are what elevate Hanasaku Iroha's story from the crowd of slice of life anime. The story has many great character arcs that really get you attached to the characters. The themes in the story are also very easy to relate too. Whether its the idea of hard work pays off, the struggles of adapting to a new setting, failing to live up to your parent's expectations, or simply struggling to gain the love of the one you want, Hanasaku Iroha tackles a slew of themes that many will connect with. Because of these themes, the show can get quite emotional at times, but the characters and writing does also open the door for some entertaining comedy. I also have to point out that the homestretch of the show does provide some edge of your seat entertainment as you desperately hope to find out what happens next. Slice of Life anime tend to limit themselves on how good their story can be due to a focus on a character driven plot, and Hanasaku Iroha is no exception. However, the execution and maturity of the story are without a doubt worth recognition.
Art - 8.6:
P.A. Works has yet to fail to impress me with their animation quality. They always manage to bring a really cinematic feel to all their projects and Hanasaku Iroha is no exception. The character designs are all great, as well as the varied settings. There were quite a few still frames, but seeing as the show wasn't action packed, and with the lighting and colors being as beautiful as they were, this wasn't much of an issue. Really, the art is just beautiful and really helps immerse you into the show.
Sound - 7.8:
The soundtrack to this show was great. The background tracks weren't really that memorable or noticeable but that was fine given the kind of laid back tone this show had. However, when the show needed to get serious or emotional, the soundtrack did shine. Additionally, I must say that the first OP is absolutely fantastic. I didn't skip it once while watching the show, and that is damn impressive for me. The voice acting was a bit up and down, but overall strong. Most of the characters were well portrayed by their VA's but there was one character that was so frustratingly annoying with her nonstop Engrish that the voice acting portion of this grade has to take a dip down. But with the overall strong voice acting, and great, but not fantastic soundtrack, I still have to give this segment a high score.
Character - 8.2/10:
The thing that makes or breaks slice of life shows is its characters, and I must say that Hanasaku Iroha had a splendid group of characters. The first of the notable characters I will mention is Ohana. Ohana is the main character and a very outgoing teenage girl from Tokyo. She is forced to leave Tokyo and her best friend Ko (who admitted his feelings for her before she left), due to circumstances with her mom, and is now living/working at her grandmother's inn. Ohana is a caring, hard working, and energetic girl that is extremely likeable. Next is Minko who is a chef in training at the inn. Minko is very sharp-tongued and mean, but she is also very dedicated to her craft and actually a nice person underneath her harsh words. And finally we have Nako, the timid girl who is a waitress with Ohana. All three of these girls, and really all the characters in general seem to initially fit a set, one dimensional archetype. However, the beautiful thing about this show is that every single character develops. The characters all learn new things about themselves and by the end of the show all become better, more likable people. What I think makes these characters so likable, even more-so than the outstanding development they have, is just how easy it is to relate to them, and how human they seem. They all have desires, struggles, and emotions that we all feel. The interactions between the characters can also be golden at times. The only thing holding the character section back here is the lack of a unique, stand-out type of character that you could find in some other shows like Code Geass (Lelouch), Steins;Gate (Okabe), or Haruhi Suzumiya (I wonder who). But really, with this kind of show, a more realistic main lead probably fits the role better than a wildly unique one. Oh... and Takako is pretty bad at first...
Enjoyment - 8.1/10:
Like I said in the into: This show gave me a void. I connected with the characters so much, that by the time the show was nearing its approach, I was feeling sad that it was going to end. Although I enjoy almost every anime I watch, Hanasaku Iroha for some reason just stuck with me better than the vast majority of others. It isn't an edge of your seat thriller like Death Note, nor is it a laugh out loud comedy like , or a non stop tear jerker like Clannad. The atmosphere of this show is actually quite laid back, with some drama and humor here and there. But because I became so attached to the characters, I couldn't help but feel a little empty when it was all over. This has become one of my favorite slice of life animes and I am so glad I decided to watch it.
Overall 7.98/10:
Hanasaku Iroha is a beautiful anime that is truly in the top tier of the slice of life genre. It is not only visually and audibly stunning, but the themes and characters in this simple show really help make it one to remember. It may not have one primary theme, story, or ability that it really owns, but it impresses in every category that a slice of life should, making for a very enjoyable experience. By the time you finish this show, you will be wishing you could rewatch it all over again like you'd never seen it before.
The Verdict:
A wonderful slice of life that feels how it's supposed to: Real.
Pros:
+Beautiful animation
+Brilliant OP1
+Character development
+Realistic themes and struggles
Cons:
- Takako...
- No big emotional or intense scenes
- Ohana x Ko "relationship" is poorly paced
If you liked Hanasaku Iroha, watch...
Nagi No Asukara:
Also by PA Works with a very similar art style and similar themes of friendship and the idea that people and things all eventually change.
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo:
Another fantastic slice of life anime with emphasis on hard work and dedication as well as strong characters.
7.98 - Wonderful
Satire
It's been a long time since I've seen a Slice of Life done well. I'm not sure what it is about Hanasaku Iroha, but it is one of the calmest anime I have seen in a long while. There's something about the series that is just very relaxing. The story essentially revolves around Ohana, a young teenage girl, and her experiences as she works as a waitress in an inn. As the show progresses, you are able to see the blooming relationships that develop as she begins to understand herself and the people around her. The show focuses on the challenges of being a teenage girland Ohana's inner resolve to 'fest' it up no matter the situation. While there is romance, it is extremely slow paced. It will pop in from time to time to apply a dose of necessary drama to keep the audience interested in what will happen next and how it will affect each character. For a 26 episode series, I was skeptical at first of how they could achieve a balance between the amount of entertaining material and filling such a large amount of time. Much to my delight PA works really did manage to balance these two quite well.
The Art/Animation was good. The first opening had some choppy parts in the animation, but the animation throughout the series flowed smoothly and there's nothing to complain about here. I also found the openings and endings to be quite nice; fitting, if you will, for the show. One aspect that I felt was unnecessary here was the fan service. While it's not over the top ecchi, there are scenes that just felt out of place considering this is a slice of life drama. I'm kind of split between whether or not to criticize or praise this because on one hand the risque factor was toned down quite a lot, but on the other hand it didn't help further the show's enjoyment and wasn't necessary.
Now going back to the bit about Hanasaku Iroha being 26 episodes. The 26 episodes really did justice to each of the characters. Each character's strengths, weaknesses, and quirks felt really defined. The pacing of the show, besides the romance, was solid and had a laid back flow. Ohana is very strong-willed and has a natural helping, outgoing personality. Minko is a tsundere that gets overly jealous and is quick to jump to conclusions. Nako is the quiet girl who's pretty much perfect yet is somehow very timid and lacks charisma. As the series progresses, each character becomes more and more likeable; you really get to see that they are all good people with good intentions.
Overall, a solid, relaxing watch. If you have the time, and enjoy the Slice of Life genre, perhaps you might consider booking a reservation at Kissuiso to see what it has to offer.
5camp
So hey, let's talk Hanasaku Iroha. Hanasaku Iroha is a 26 episode s'life drama about a bunch of teenage girls with incredibly poor listening abilities working in an inn as waitresses while trying to overcome their crippling urge to yell at everything that they don't immediately understand. Well, OK. This is a touch unfair. It's only Ohana and Minko who do this, Minko doing the yelling of the angry variety while Ohana covers the obscenely unaware side of the yelling spectrum, but most of the show is focused on these two. The thing with Hanasaku Iroha is that, asides from the drama side of things, it'shard to find any faults. The humour is surprisingly clever and never doubts your intelligence by pointing out the jokes for you. The animation is incredibly pretty. The characters are well rounded individuals who almost never fall into stereotype. It's just it's most interested in being a drama and that is precisely the area it fails at.
For now though, I feel like talking about the positive, specifically the one area I will throw myself to the floor in gratitude for: The humour. HanaIro isn't primarily a comedy, so don't go expecting to be struggling for breath through fits of giggles, but what jokes it does have, it never feels the need to have someone point them out for you. It recognises that you, the viewer, are an intelligent person (a rather dangerous assumption to make on behalf of the general population, it has to be said, but treat someone like they're a doofus and they'll start acting like one, self-fulfilling prophecies and all that) and recognise the humour behind Ohana constantly running away from the Heron when it blocks her path. We do not require a second character asking her why she ran away. We can see the Heron with it's freaky little beady eyes and shockingly large wingspan and fully understand why Ohana has decided to take the alternate path to prevent confronting the beast.
Hanasaku Iroha assume you're intelligent enough to notice this sort of stuff in other areas too, such as symbolism. Using our friend the Heron again, there is a scene in the final episode where Ohana is confronted by the Beast again but, instead of running away like she normally does, she marches on by it. It's a symbol that she has finally gained up the courage to focus on her problems and not run around them like she usually does. Simple, but it does this without feeling the need to monologue why this scene is important. Also fanservice. It's nice to have a series where I can ogle attractive female anime characters without insulting my intelligence by hovering the camera over their underwear in case we were too busy scratching our arses to notice (apart from this one lingering shot of a wet t-shirt in episode 3, but that episode was generally retarded so we can forget about that).
I also liked how there were little stories revolving around the minor characters in the show. Any personal conflicts that I enjoyed watching with characters tended to be any of the characters that weren't teenage girls because they were the conflicts that were treated with a sense of humour about them (and didn't yell all the fucking time). Some of them are incredibly simple, such as the head chef's Ren and his desire to become more confident. Once they had established that he gets nervous very easily, it was a reoccurring joke that he would try to man up, such as buying Yakuza jackets with a proud look on his face. Or the Beanman, the old codger who appeared in the background every now and then, who seemingly was the only person who knew how the inn worked. Personally, I'm convinced that he could make the inn sprout legs and move to a more tourist friendly area, like Howls Moving Castle, piloting the building from inside the boiler room.
I can't go talking about the characters without mentioning Ohana's mum. MILF to end all MILF's. Absolute star of the show, particularly impressive when she only appeared for episodes 1, 12-14 and 24-26. It was only when she was around that the drama started to actually click because she had a sense of bloody humour about her own insecurities and flaws. Best scenes of the anime were Ohana's mum drinks alcohol with Ohana's granny and Ohana. Or how about Ohana's mum pretends she's going to watch porn with Ko, Ohana's bland boyfriend. Underneath the story about Ohana's growth and the growth of the other teenage girls, there's a story about her making up with her family and becoming a (slightly) more responsible parent. There's never anyone going "LOOK GUIZ, SHE'S A BETTER PARENT NAOW" because we can spot that for ourselves.
I should also give some lipservice to the animation. For all their other faults, P.A. Works always have incredibly good animation and artwork. It's more of the shiny variety than the free-flowing movement of the works from Bones or KyoAni, but don't mistake this for an inability to animate movement. I found myself wondering this after a few episodes, whether I was simply being suckered in to thinking the animation was good simply because of scenery porn and attractive shiny female character designs. But no, the actual animated movement is gorgeous too. Hair moves when the characters shake their heads about. Clothes crease and fold when they move their hands. It sounds like a weird thing to focus on, but often having shiny pretty character designs hides the fact the characters are completely static, so bravo to HanaIro for that.
But the drama. Christ above, the bloody drama. I know teenage girls are stupid and refuse to listen to each other and get into the most irritating fights, so I guess I should congratulate them on accurately depicting typical teenage girls, but it does not make fascinating viewing. Minko deserves a mention here. She also deserves a kick in the stomach and a boot to the face and various other forms of pain. Every single damn time there's something to talk about, she gets angry and yells at everyone. I thought maybe her anger with Ohana and crush on Tohru would be a short lived thing, but it ran throughout the entire show, getting more screentime than any other plot point. Ohana isn't much better, being so braindead that she barges into every situation thinking talking really loudly and being energetic will get her through. You might be forgiven for thinking Nako is better because she's so quiet, but don't let that fool you. She solves any problems she encounters by quiet yelling, spouting off single phrases without listening to what other characters are saying. None of them bloody listen to each other or what anyone else is saying, making any dramatic confrontation lead nowhere because there's no logical process in the dialogue.
Plus there's the fact that what they're arguing about isn't in the slightest bit interesting. Now this may be a personal thing, since I struggle to get into melodramatic anime involving minor human problems, but did you really ever care about the future of the Kissiuso Inn? Like, really? I didn't, yet they spent hours arguing over the future of the bloody place. This really dragged down in the final bunch of episodes, because that became the main talking point. I liked the characters internal conflicts with their own faults, but there seemed to be a disconnect between their own internal faults and what the issues on the outside were. This drama is pretty much my only fault with the show, but it unfortunately happens to be the central focus, so it really dragged down my enjoyment as a whole. Again though, this could be just me. If you're the kind of easily emotionally manipulated loser who thinks Ano Hana is one of the best shows of the year, then maybe you too will like the drama in HanaIro.
I didn't like the core of Hanasaku Iroha. The drama that was like a giant gaudy painting of a fat poodle in the showroom that was meant to be the living room's centrepiece. But I liked all the décor surrounding it. I liked the picturesque potted plants of the attractive animation and character designs. I liked the stylish coffee table of the clever humour. I liked the comfy leather sofa of Ohana's mum...err, don't think too hard about that final metaphor. Anyway, I liked enough of the various aspects of Hanasaku Iroha to get me passed the dull drama and enjoy the show as a whole.
ddw1a
Let's cut to the chase, Hanasaku Iroha has its moments, but ultimately it lost its direction midway. The story can be summarized as a group of cute girls working in an inn doing a bunch of things that normally wouldn't be interesting in real life. However this is Anime, so something like wiping the floor becomes extraordinary exciting all of a sudden and there are plenty more real life boring activities the show will make it incredibly exciting. The other component of Hanasucku 's story are the romantic dramas. There are romantic dramas that are fun to watch, but if you have seen any romance Anime,you can figure out pretty much figure out who will end up with who.
By midway, Hanasaku's almost episodic nature becomes more and more boring and it didn't feel like any of the arcs were going anywhere (other than the romance ones). Watching a cute girl washing dishes while ogling at her man or cleaning the windows early morning no longer excites the viewers. Fortunately the pace picks up near the end with all the inn drama; still, the drama was a bit cheap (not to mention forced to create a plot) in my opinion.
Now let's talk about the characters
The characters were all unfortunately either recycled characters from some other show or just plain old archetypes.
Ohana - typical pretty peacemaker, needs to get into everyone's ways until everyone is happy.
Minchi - violent tsundere, but cute
Nakochi - timid miss perfect.
There is this other girl named Yuina, but I don't think she could even write her name properly, so she does not deserve a mention (oh wait...)
The surrounding visuals is very well done, the character designs are okay. The first opening song really fits the show, but the second opening is terrible. I also liked Michi's VA, it expresses her character well.
I thoroughly enjoyed this Anime because I watched one episode per week. Had this been an Anime that was already completed, I do not think I would even pick this up.
Hanasaku isn't a waste of time, but not worth watching either.
Reckoner
Like other PA works animes in the past, Hanasaku Iroha has managed to provide quite the unique experience, but this is not necessarily a good thing. If I were to sum up the idea of this anime, it could be put quite simply as learning to love your work. It is a fairly down to earth idea, and I would have been hard pressed to imagine that I would be coming into a show with such an identity crisis as this one. The story begins with the main character Ohana being forced by her mother to move in with her Grandmother who happens to be thevery strict owner of a hot spring inn. Being forced to work for room and board, Ohana decides to do everything she can to make the most of her life.
The series really started out quite wonderfully as a very promising coming of age story. It had top notch visuals and had a compelling enough premise to get behind our main character Ohana as she tries to "fest it up." The problem is that this show had an odd balance between trying to be a drama that could be taken seriously, and a story that often disgraced its cast in favor of some not so great comedy. This would surface as soon as episode 3 in the show where all of a sudden the show is injected with odd fanservice and the cast is beaten with a stupid stick.
I do not have a problem with trying to have comedy in this show, but in a story that tires to take itself seriously it should never come at the expense of each character's dignity. One of the best representatives of this in the series is the character Minko, who is supposed to be a very moody, but beautiful girl with a one tracked mind of fulfilling her quest to become a chef. Unfortunately, her mannerisms and actions often lacked grace and style, so she often just came off as an unnecessarily angry and unlikable person. The balance of her character definitely became better as the show went along, but the handling of her character was pretty poor and led to several awkwardly bad moments in the series.
Still though these problems usually came at the expense of the male cast rather than the female cast, which made Minko look good by comparison amazingly enough. Throughout the show this anime had a penchant for showcasing males to be far more incompetent at everything they do compared to their female peers. Ohana's uncle Enishi is always shown to be an incompetent fool who could never compare in ability to his mother or his sister when it came to running the inn Kissuiso. The cook Tohru is first shown to be a serious chef, but then is often displayed as an insensitive, bumbling fool. Ohana's romantic interest in this show, Kou apparently only ever knew the method of inaction in his one sided romantic relation and preceded to waltz around in melancholy the whole time.
As far as the female cast went, Ohana's character was the shining star of the entire show, and I would be hard pressed to find someone who actually dislikes her character. Her little phrases like "fest it up," or "sparkling" would become trademark aspects of her character that both the cast and audience would come to love her for. A character once said in the show that the "Kissuiso is fun because she's there" and I could not agree more. Without her character, I doubt this show would have ever worked at all. She was a bullheaded girl who often charged into a chaotic world. She would constantly butt into people's problems and try to fix everything up. The cast would label her as inconsiderate for doing so, but this inconsideration is precisely what made her character so likable.
Much like some of the characters, the plot often was handled very awkwardly. The main plot threads consist mostly of Ohana's romantic troubles with Kou as she moved from Tokyo, Ohana finding a place for herself in this new life of hers as she learns to appreciate her work, and the impending crisis that is the Inn's future, both financially and in leadership. This was all clear at least by the very end, but it often got side tracked.
Several of the arcs throughout the show seemed to be pointing in different directions altogether. Worst of them all was the ones involving Enishi. Several times we are led to believe that he would take leadership of the Inn, and truly lead it in a good direction only to find out that he is incompetent and incapable of doing so. Many times in the show we are shown Ohana making progress in her new life in certain arcs, but then it flips around and paints her as a distressed person who does not know quite what she wants to do coupled with huge self-esteem issues.
These are but two examples of the sort of backpedaling and moving forward at the same time that this show constantly treads, which really does become tiresome as it goes on. It is hard to know what the anime is quite trying to show us or tell us. Sometimes it hamfists certain messages through that are very disagreeable, and other times does not capitalize enough on the good things it's trying to tell. Despite this of course, the main message of this show always was learning to love your work, and that is something I think anyone can get behind.
In considering the production values of this show I must say the visuals were very good as always for a PA works show, but not perfect. I did not absolutely love the character designs, but they were not bad. The audio side of this show on the other hand had lots of issues. Too often there was a complete absence of a BGM track to set the mood and pace of this show properly. The few tracks they did have were quite forgettable.There is nothing wrong with utilizing the magic of silence in a show, but it needs to be used properly, something this show definitely did not do.
Despite my tone, this anime was not all bad, and I definitely found entertainment throughout it even if at times for the wrong reasons.. The anime's best moments were definitely at the start, the very middle, and towards the end. There were enough highs in this series for me to look upon it sort of fondly. It was indeed a unique experience, precisely because it was such an infuriating mesh of love and hatred.
I can justify this anime as a passable "good" watch, but nothing more. It was much too flawed and mishandled for me to consider it anything more. It started beautifully and ended beautifully as a series I must say, but there were many problems between the beginning and end points to drive me more than a little crazy. This leads me to believe that this show should have been 1 cour, but alas PA works seems like they have some issues on reigning in their productions properly as this is not the first example of an anime with tons of potential just not doing enough with it. I definitely would not say this anime is a waste of one's time, but it also is not something that I would jump to recommend to most people.
Shinichi-Kun
Out of all the slice of life's I've seen i have to say this is one of the best, and its an all time favorite of mine. It's a pretty relaxing anime to watch, and it is defiantly one of those anime that is going to leave a empty hole in your heart once you finish it, because its just that amazing. Story 10- The story overall was really good, its like any typical slice of life. Its about a girl sent to her grandmas inn because her mother runs off with her boyfriend. Like most slices of life the story doesn't follow a set orderits mostly about the hardships and changes Ohana has to deal with once see arrives Kissuiso. The story teaches about how hard work can not only lead to your happiness but others happiness to, and that in the end the work put in can really make a difference. Lets just say if Kissuiso was a real inn, i defiantly make reservations.
Art 10- Everything is beautifully made, and the atmosphere surrounding Kissuiso is calm but at the same time fun. The characters are look wonderful and they all fit the story perfectly. I absolutely love how Kissuiso looks, and its texture. Its a place i wouldn't mind working at that is for sure.
Sound 9- Both the openings of this anime are my all time favorites. The openings were so good that i never even thought to skipped them not even once. All the voices were perfect and the sound effects were good. There was this one women who kept speaking words in English though an it sounded really weird.Other than that the sound was good.
Character 10- I loved watching all the characters develop, just seeing there emotions go crazy. I felt so bad for Ohana throughout the series always regretting her decision from the first episode i don't wanna spoil it though so i wont say anything else. Watching Ohana cope with her new life was really amazing, and watching her have so much fun while working was hilarious. Minko was another character i loved, i felt so bad for her because she could never get the one she loved to understand her feelings, and it made be sad inside. Nako was a sweet character, though timid and shy at work, she was nice and took very well care of her family. I really did love her personality. I also loved how all three characters fit so well together in this setting, and i also loved watching their friendships develop. Overall those three are a very loving cast, and have a wonderful friendship.
Enjoyment 9- This anime was really fun to watch, and i really enjoyed watching all the characters develop. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery, and like i said before i loved the atmosphere. I honestly enjoyed this anime so much that i miss watching it, and hearing all the characters laughing while having tons of fun.
Overall 10- I give it 10, because in my opinion Hanasaku Iroha is a beautifully done anime. Its a really good slice of life. The characters really do make this anime enjoyable, and overall its a must watch for those slice of life fans.
kagomeyuki89
I have to say I loved this anime! Beautifully done in so many ways. They made a slice of life drama and turned it into an anime series that I personally have trouble not watching again! I enjoyed every part of it all the way down to the romance and the really funny comedy in this show. I found the story about Ohana Matsumae to be very enjoyable to hear about. I got to see every bump in the road of a 16 year old girl's life that has a mother who she thinks doesn't care about her and focuses more on her job andfinding a husband then she does on her daughter. Ohana tries to get away from that and runs right into a grandmother who she isn't really sure she cares about her either. Through all the hard times she has of course there are good times, too. Along with moving to live with her grandmother at her hot spring inn, she gets three awesome friends and finally understands what it's like to love/like someone. Ohana's attitude made me look at life with a different outlook. She is a beautifully made main character. I am still waiting for there to be a another season or an OVA to this anime. I would love to see more of all the characters lives and how everyone is doing. If you haven't seen this anime, you are definitely missing out!
Growler
Life is like a rose, it can be beautiful and it can give a very pleasant scent or it can be very sharp and painful as I am sure you know. The Story spins around a teenage girl Matsumae Ohana that is forced to live with her grandmother at a traditional japanese inn with her grandmother because of her mother's decision to run away with her boyfriend. At first Ohana thinks everything will work out just fine and that she will enjoy the services of the inn. That is when life slaps her in the face in the form of her grandmother telling her she has towork to earn her expenses.
From that point on she and all the workers at the inn are faced with different situations mostly together in the struggle it shows different situations that end up in an amusing way.
The Story is not meant to impress viewers nor evolve into something greater, but give people insight in the character's everyday lives at the inn while making them laugh.
Artwork is one of the best I've seen because of it's use of lighting to create memorable scenery and characters all while fitting the genre of the anime. Also actions like moving, speaking grunting are displayed in a continuous fashion and not by putting bits together as I have seen on other occasions.
The climax of the artwork on Hanasaku Iroha are the backgrounds, very well made and at some point can even make you confuse them for reality.
Characters are designed from a similar template with added elements to customize them or are uniquely made to fit the role they are playing all while minimizing the image of a particular person and to contribute to a more authentic scene .
They mostly react in a realistic way to the story by laughing getting angry falling and so on, adding to the quality of the overall work.
Since the story isn't what this anime is supposed to focus on you can't say there are antagonists or side characters they all blend in this environment to create in the viewer's mind a feeling of reality even if he knows it isn't.
All in all, Hanasaku Iroha is an authentic presentation of how life works and plays around with humans revealing it's two faces. I enjoyed it very much because of it's simplicity and refreshing atmosphere that is meant to reach out to you.
oohjam
A wonderful, beautiful, rose colored slice of life anime. Hanasaku Iroha is the pinnacle of showing how no matter what happens, things will work out. Daily life, feeling alive, just being alive is amazing. Story - 8/10 There was not much of a complete, general conflict as a whole. Hanasaku Iroha follows a naive yet energetic girl named Ohana as her setting changes drastically. Series of conflicts arise, but by her just being her, everything turns out okay. Art - 10/10 Characters are drawn without flaw, outfits are accurate, but most of all the scenery is very pleasing to the eyes, along with fitting ambient and environmental sound. Itmade me feel like I was there.
Sound - 9/10
Superb voice acting, sound effects were top notch, the only problem I had was a bit of the music. The vocalist isn't my personal cup of tea, but fit in well.
Character - 10/10
The character development in Hanasaku Iroha is what makes the anime so amazing. Each character is special and has many different aspects to their personality. Some you'll love, some you'll love to hate, but either way, they make this anime that much better.
Enjoyment - 10/10
I had to finish this anime in one go. I didn't know what to expect at first, but I regret nothing. So many life lessons to learn from Hanasaku Iroha. Through all the happy, sad, angry, touching, and exciting moments, I enjoyed every bit of it.
Overall 10/10
Loved it. I wish I hadn't watched it so I can watch it again for the first time. Hanasaku Iroha is not your average slice of life anime at all. This has everything you'd look for in a slice of life anime: romance, suspense, drama, happiness, sadness, nostalgia, friendship. But most of all, it gets you thinking "Bon boru-yo!" Fest it up, get out there and be alive!
Helvetica-Black
Having watched a variety of slice of life shows I went into this anime with some decent expectations, and despite the high average score on MAL I was disappointed and confused at the end. The first episode starts in a formulaic drama style: spunky girl gets put into an unexpected situation with a funny cast of characters. Add in a uptight and strict (but badass) grandma, and you are looking at a decent slice of life. After two straight days of binging this show, I'm more confused at how it got such a high score when the story of this anime isjumbled, the characters go from lovable to hate-able, and most plots introduced relatively unresolved... As a warning, I did not previously read the manga and this is just the random opinion of someone on the internet, but here is some reasons I thought this anime was beautifully animated garbage. -Minor Spoilers-. First, the relationship between Ohana and her mother is awful, and while it is explored, Ohana basically sweeps it under the rug by the end of the show. We're talking about some serious trauma that's never touched on, and when Ohana and her mother do have a confrontation her mother basically admits that she values work more than her daughter and Ohana accepts this answer. This plot alone could have been it's own entire anime, but instead it's just a plot device they use to bring Ohana to the inn, but then decide to sloppily resolve it in the end. I also found the relation Ohana and her grandmother initially intriguing, but they don't actually build a relationship until the end of the season. Ohana never once asks her grandmother anything about herself or her mother. It's an employer / employee relationship after episode 2 until the end the series. Still a heartfelt moment, but one that could have better been built over time. I think overall the characters relationships in this anime are all hot and cold. While each character is generally a classic anime stereotype, they all consistently hate our main character at the beginning, and then AGAIN at the end. It was as though they got amnesia and decided to hate her again. Particularly Minko, who I'm assuming is the waifu of the show, goes through such hot and cold attitudes towards the main character I want Ohana to slap her. Sure, Ohana is the annoying kind of cheerful character, but having someone openly say to your face 'go die' repeatedly deserves a slap. Or just don't be friends. On the whole, each episode wavers between trying to be a daily look into the lives of running an inn, and full out DRAMA that just gets swept under the rug. On the whole, I don't think this anime was awful, but the writing / character development was just scattered. You could easily have fit the story they dished out into 13 episodes and not missed much. Episodes 1-3 were the roughest to get through in my opinion, most scenes making go 'wtf did that just happen?' (see all of episode 3). Maybe I'm missing something and maybe it's Maybelline. 4/10
lemayo
"I'm a bud that's trying to bloom!" - Ohana Growing up has never been easy for anyone, and Ohana is no exception. Hanasaku Iroha, or Blossoms for Tomorrow, depicts the adventures of the young and energetic Ohana Matsumae, after she is sent grudgingly to her grandmother's hot spring inn. While the underlying story may not appear to be the flashiest of concepts, I cannot stress how much I unconsciously became drawn into it. And while Ohana is introduced as the main character, a rather large cast of characters all seem to get just about the same amount of screentime as her. While an overly sized character poolis often regarded as a weakness in an anime, as in many cases this results in an overall lack of character depth, however, in Hanasaku Iroha, each character goes through successes and failures in attempts to improve themselves. Hanasaku Iroha is definitely a character-driven show and by realising the dreams and desires of each one, this anime creates a truly colourful atmosphere.
Genre-wise, Hanasaku Iroha is quite the interesting combination, combining Comedy and Drama in a Slice of Life setting. Many anime have attempted similar groupings, however Hanasaku Iroha seems to stand out among the rest in the balance it achieves between the genres. There are times when you'll want to laugh and there are times when you'll tear up, and this show manages to create these moments in perfect harmony.
Whether it be Ohana's attempts at understanding romance, or her struggles in becoming a worthy waitress at the Kissuiso Inn, there is never a dull moment in this anime. Hanasaku Iroha is definitely an anime to consider watching, as it is a show that never fails to not only get you laughing through silly things like Jiroumaru's sexual 'antics', but also questions the fundamentals of your outlook on work, love, and life itself.
So go watch Hansaku Iroha, and join Ohana and the zany staff of Kissuiso, at the "place where dreams are born."
Kecchan
Okay, I'm going to keep this as objective as possible, and deter myself from breaking into an angry rant. Because I feel very strongly about this anime, and it isn't pretty. Let's begin with the good points of the anime. **PROS** --Art: 7/10-- A 5/10 would be considered average, and the art is slightly above average. The scenery can be very beautiful- the train tracks, village, rain, and mountains are done beautifully. The characters have nice art, but outside from the occasional scenery, there was nothing particularly extraordinary. It was nice, that's all. The characters have nice highlights. The colors are beautiful- not too bright, and not toopale or washed out. It was aesthetically pleasing to look at, but nothing mind blowing like 5 Centimeters Per Second or Miyazaki films.
--Music: 7/10--
It was nice to listen to the music, but again, it wasn't anything too special. I liked that most of the music wasn't overly cheerful and energetic, which is often the case for shoujo anime. I didn't get sick of the opening, but it wasn't great enough that I listened to it. I skipped the opening after two or three episodes. Most of the music fits the mood and scenery.
--Story: 6/10--
Mediocre in every sense of the word. Now, this is neither a pro nor a con. Some people enjoy stories where every episode is basically some new, quirky adventure. The story is supposed to be about the main girl, who is abandoned by her mother and has to go to a hotel and work there in a new town, with new people. It's the sort of plot that could be great with good enough characters to make the viewer invested. While the story can be entertaining and full of laughter, it's really not 'slice of life'. There was nothing particularly deep or enlightening about this series. It TRIED to be deep a few times. It TRIED to PRETEND it was slice of life. But please. This anime is full of boring ideas. There is no real plot- every episode is about the cast getting into some cutesy adventure, really. Plot kind of starts to appear near the end, but by then, I kind of failed to care about what happened, so. Not to mention the endless plotholes in this. Overall, it's cute. It can be amusing. But don't expect anything deep or unique about this. It's something to do when you have nothing better to watch or to do.
**CONS**
--Character: 2--
I had to think REALLY HARD about giving this a 2 instead of a 1. The issue is that this entire anime is ruined by the lack of good characters. Every character was a shallow, underdeveloped cliche with no depth or originality whatsoever. And with the storyline, you would need great characters to make the story work. But this show fails to create characters that the viewer can get behind.
Take a look at the main girl. Ohana. She's nothing special. She's supposed to be like some sort of Tohru, all optimistic, selfless, cute, innocent and happy-go-lucky. Do you want to know how I'd describe her?
Bland. Generic. Lifeless. Flat. Static. Cliche. Bratty, even. I didn't find her endearing at all. She was flat and bland. She's supposed to be so positive and endearing but she was whiny, annoying, and weird. She whined and pretended to be "so hardworking". But we are given no background to her. Hell, she doesn't even get angry or confused when her mother ABANDONS her for e MAN. She's all, "oh ok, cool." no questions asked. Ohana is someone I can neither relate to because she's set up to be perfect and loveable, but she also has no real depths, no development. She's flat. Not terrible, but...hardly real or 3-d. Even weird in a bad way.
The rest of the characters are equally bad. The typical "tsundere" girl. The typical "cute shy girl who is a good wife". None of them have depth or real backstories. The main guy is tsundere and he falls in love with Ohana for no reason.
I also can't stand the fanservice, god help me. Do I WANT to see Ohana, who looks like she's hardly 12, prancing around in skin-tight chinese dresses that hardly cover her thighs? No, thanks. I'd go watch ecchi if I did!
--Enjoyment: 3--
As you can tell, I thoroughly hated this anime. The first 3 episodes were actually okay. But quickly, I started to get frustrated and annoyed by the bland characters, meaningless story line, and overall mediocrity. It's okay if you just want to waste time and watch a light anime, but that's not what I want to invest the time of my life in. If I'm going to waste my life watching TV, I at least want it to be good, meaningful TV that gives me an enriching experience, like Nana or Fullmetal Alchemist or Madoka Magica or Angel Beats or Clannad or...you know. Things that make you see the world differently, make you cry, make your heart feel things!
Anyway, I actually forced myself to finish the anime. I will never forgive myself for doing that to my poor brain.
OVERALL: 5 (Because I know some people ARE looking for light anime with nothing special)
LightningFist
"Hanasaku Iroha" Anime. Words alone can't describe how heart-felt this anime is. As a anime watcher and lover I have seen many animes and there are quite few that make a person cry, this is one of those that have touched my heart. A mix of romance, drama and love of the workplace. The relationship between family and friends at their workplace shows their love and dedication towards their career. They give soo much feeling in what they work so hard for and why they do it. They really show how dedicated you need to be in a workplace of any sorts, as they showyou how serious they take their job.
Ohana "main character" is just a sweet, honest, and hardworking girl. She has to tough out the new lifestyle in labor. She soon gets a grip of it as she decides to "rely only on herself". Later into the anime, she begins to love her friends and her workplace/home.
I strongly suggest watching this anime if you are into this kind of anime genre.
I give it a 10/10.
( this is my first review )
1993
As a guy usually drawn to slice-of-life animes, I happened to have stumbled upon this one while looking through an anime-website and decided to give it a go. I have to say that this is probably one of my top favorite slice-of-life animes, and it truly shows a clear development of personality and maturity throughout the series. It's very realistic (well, excluding the fact not a lot of people work in a traditional inn with these certain people) in a sense that the moral is learning to love your work, and through hard work will come progress in many different mediums. Although I can't really relate alltoo much to Ohana, I can relate that I really wish to "fest" up my youth before it's gone. Even through working she finds pleasure and makes the best o fit. It really helps inspire me personally to excell in all the things I try to strive for, and that there's a big possibility of it all paying off at the end.
I thought the character development and the way things flowed worked well. A LOT if not, most of the characters in this series got their own spotlight in the anime; and I thought they did a great job at highlighting each and every character and a little backstory to them. (Although, I wouldn't have minded a little more backstory on Bean-Man. He was probably one of my favorite characters)
The music in this anime fit in very well, and I found myself loving each and every backround track that started playing during certain scenes. It flowed together well to invoke certain emotions the scene wished to illustrate. Despite this, I'm not really a big fan of the OP since I'm not really into the whole "screechy girl-band" thing.
Overall, another great series to add on my list of top slice-of-lifes. I truly suggest this anime as a to-watch.
Axel_Blaze
Genre:- Slice of Life, Romance(yes its there and not yuri), Drama tl;dr- A slice of life anime that ticks the right boxes, leaving you with a warm fuzzy feeling. If you need a healing anime and cannot really get into Aria and the likes because of less drama, this one just might be for you. It pulls your heartstrings in the first half and gives a memorable conclusion in the second. An anime that everyone should watch. Of course I cannot guarantee that you will like it or it is flawless, but then it will all depend on how much you focus on the flaws itself.Overall this is one of the better SoLs out there and the second best P.A. Works after Uchoten Kazoku.
Animation and artwork-7.5/10(character atwork is great, use of palletes extraordinary, but it falls short of other P.A. Works in the background scenery. Some are badly drawn and blurred in 720p, filtering issues are there)
Sound- 9/10(Exemplary, could not skip the 2nd Op and ED for once, the insert songs and music greatly heighten the atmosphere, not one which I will download OSTs for, but it acted as a brilliant compliment to the anime)
Story and coherence- 7.5/10 (Doesnt divert much from the main storyline, though sometimes goes in random direction to develop a character, overall we can call it a meandering river with small rivulets, but most of the water flows together from source to sea)
Characters-7.5/10(4 characters obviously dont get equal development, but each is given time to develop. Even the weak link becomes completely different person in the beginning than in the end. Relationship development between two main characters are beautiful to watch, and the development of side characters top notch. I fell in love with all of them after the anime)
Enjoyment-9/10( Something that made me not skip episodes or drop in the middle to pick up later. Hooked from first episode, and kept me in the journey till the end)
(40.5/50=8/10)
Now that we are done with the ratings let me focus on some aspects of the anime.
The show initially may seem like just another cute girls doing cute things show. But no its much more than that. What I did not expect is the romantic angle to the show at all, because it wasnt mentioned anywhere. In fact the romance though subtle plays a very important part in the show, and the relationship between the lead female character and her lover reminded me of mine, so I could connect at a personal level. The lead character though is a bit absurd because she is unaware of sexual harrassment and such in the beginning and some weird things happen to her(nothing like sexual assualt and rape mind you, its actually funny), but looking at her age it is a bit too much far fetched.(But I know a few girls in real life at that age who really did not know anything about sex at that time). Anyway the lead character doesnt start off as somebody pampered and already has a strong character, so to see her molded into something better is a treat to watch. Plus the character interactions and dialogues are handled skilfully and the reactions seem totally realistic and believable.
The one big flaw however is the romance angle which might be argued is a bit too convenient setting and conclusion, but for my purpose its okay, no complaints I like it.
As with every slice of life there are plenty of quotes which will impact you. One particular thing which did for me was, this,
"Marriage is a promise not to let your spouse be alone, ever again. yes, even if one of you pass away first"
In today's world of divorces and marriage related violence(what am I saying marriage related violence was since forever) people need to relook at the original reason for marriage. Most of the people today see marriage in a completely different light, so reading this quote brought a smile to my face. Too many people nowadays forget about this. And yes, this show shows a beautiful relationship between husband and wife as well.
One thing that this anime does exceptionally well is using of screenplay to heighten the effect of an event. To show how an action simultaneously changes lives of two people, to use "movement" and "direction" as an allegory to their lives. And yes uses the fucking trains..
The ending episode, however deserves special mention. There was no miracles, yet there were many. The yakisoba guy was a badass(watch the anime to see what I mean). The setting was the bonbori festival, which made it all the more beautiful and P.A. Works could have delivererd better but they did just enough with the artwork. The OST used literally brings tears to your eyes and tears your heart off yet healing you at the same time. I dont know what the movie shows, but in my opinion this was the best ending this anime could get, it couldnt have been better.
The ending quote sums the anime up
" I am probably still a bud,
But thats why I stare up at the Sun so high.
I quench my thirst with water.
I am a bud thats trying to bloom."
~Ohana
sterl1
I am not the biggest fan of Mari Okada’s character writing. I will give her credit. Her characters never feel mundane and many people can get emotionally invested in her cast, but those said emotions are delivered very clumsily. While she definitely isn’t the worst writer in the industry, i share a common criticism with many other fellow anime fans. And that is her heavy use of melodrama. What makes it even more inferior than other attempts at drama is that they usually stem from overused plot elements such as love triangles, characters falling in love too quickly and conflict initiating from that which isa generic plot point that we as viewers have laid our eyes on far too many times for comfort. As sentimental some scenes can be, Hanasaku Iroha is definitely one of her better works. P.A. works have had an interesting time in the last decade. They have had financial success with big hits such as Shirobako and Angel beats. And a lot of their other shows sell relatively well. However on the critical side of the spectrum they have had a mixed reception. It is no secret that they have formed an identity off of their illustrious backgrounds but the only anime that has been well-received by critics is Shirobako. Nagi no Asukara received a decent reception, and as for Angel Beats and Charlotte….that is another topic for another time (see what I did there). And where does Hansaku Iroha fit into all of this?
The premise involves 16 year old Matsumae Ohana, a very eccentric and wild teenager who resided in Tokyo with her single mother. Due to circumstances her mother and boyfriend run away and leave Ohana on her own. She is forced to live in an inn known as “kissuiso” which her grandmother runs. Hanasaku Iroha is primarily about Ohana adapting to her new lifestyle while also helping her fellow staff members in dealing with issues that can be problematic in an inn. At first glance, Hanasaku Iroha looks like a generic teen melodrama that everyone is accustomed to seeing from Mari Okada. There is definitely no shortage of drama. The majority of the conflicts the characters face are all drama based and involve common plot threads that have been seen countless times. The drama on its own came off as very hit or miss, ranging from genuinely heart-warming to disgustingly melodramatic. Thankfully, the latter only really ever occurred once. While most might look at the series in this fashion, Hanasaku Iroha is primarily more of a story about searching for dreams, adapting to a new life and conflicts that arise in a working environment. This is what it should truly be assessed on as it is these core themes that really drive the plot along. In the first half of the show it was mostly dedicated to exploring how one can familiarize themselves with a new lifestyle through the lens of the main character Ohana. Okada did transport this to the viewer in an engaging fashion credit to its diverse an interesting cast, but what some have criticized in this execution was how improbable the personalities of the customers were and how unorthodox they behaved around the characters making the situations awkward and hard to take seriously. It is a very understandable criticism and one that I myself also unequivocally agree with. And is the main issue that I consider to be what made the first half weak in its execution.
In the second half the series focuses much more character driven and delves into its other core themes. What gave made the cast so memorable and genuine was that despite them being based on hackneyed archetypes at first glance, they evolve into genuine people each with their own aspirations and fleshing out their characters by giving us an insight on how they live in and feel about their situations made them a more authentic flavour than the typical casts seen in most anime made today. Because they are not particularly involved with the main plot thread of the show that revolves around Ohana, they are more authentic by feeling like real people with their own problems that all tie back to the show’s main theme of aspirations rather than being used strictly as pillars to support Ohana’s goals. They are all developed very well throughout its course and their chemistry together never once makes the show feel dull. The messages the show attempts to convey through its themes is manufactured in a heart-warming fashion and told through many different scenarios that the characters are placed in. Overall it’s handling of this was great. It was powerful and followed through with it all the way until the end giving catharsis in devastatingly bittersweet fashion, which left me with a painful sensation that took a while to heal.
Looking at the cast of Hanasaku Iroha they are all fairly generic when it comes to their personalities and their character traits can easily be identified in plenty of other anime. You can find all of your typical tropes present in CGDCT such as the obnoxious tsundere, the shy girl who finds it difficult to express her emotions to other people and an eccentric teenager which you would most likely have better luck finding in a shounen rather than a slice of life but nonetheless it is still a common trope, just not one you would discover in these kinds of settings. What is impressive about this anime is how it manages to take characters that seem basic on first viewing and bring the best out of these archetypes by giving them characterization beyond the standard requirements and perfectly integrating them in the setting. They are not simply ‘there’ for the sake of it. They are there to play a part in the narrative by interacting with the setting around them, thus making them far more likeable and authentic. And as a result, the setting itself is an important part of the show. Apart from finding a path of their own to take a lot of the character’s internal conflicts link to another of the show’s central theme which involves coping with the different types of engagements that can arise in a working environment. The characters learn and develop through these hardships and the way these plot threads were tackled was both heart –warming and insightful to learn about how conflicts that can take place in an inn can be resolved. Hanasaku Iroha went into territory that many slice of life anime don’t delve in. It fleshed out it’s setting wonderfully and slotted the characters into it superbly. When characters go hand in hand with a setting that feels apart of the story, it makes the characters way more relatable making their conflicts feel more important and strengthens the foundation in which they exist in. This delicately crafted backbone is what sets Hanasaku Iroha far above the majority of slice of life titles.
Visually Hanasaku Iroha looks gorgeous. From the attractive character designs to the extremely detailed backgrounds, it looks as if P.A works poured in everything they could and as a result it gave the anime a sense of delicacy and luxury while viewing it. The use of CGI was definitely noticeable but not off putting in the slightest, and the character designs were crisp and never dipped in art quality. I really liked the use of the colour palette. It was bright enough to not make the viewing experience feel dull, but never felt too colourful to where it would feel like the show was throwing rainbow’s in your face. It gave the show a sense of realism and helped immerse you more into the setting and supplying Hanasaku Iroha with a nicely crafted atmospheric world. The animation was consistent all the way through its runtime and was a pleasure to watch. Its OST was used effectively to help create a soothing mood but apart from that it wasn’t very memorable. I didn’t really like the OP’s and ED’s but they did set a nice warm and fuzzy feeling.
As much praise as I have given Hanasaku Iroha, there are certainly elements in it that viewers will perceive as flaws. The most noteworthy one being the melodrama present throughout the anime and especially near towards the end. Some emotional moments come off as tacky and unrefined. A common trait that can be found anywhere wherever Okada has dipped her hands. They are not obnoxious enough to destroy the entire story. Only Minko is really damaged by Okada’s heavy handed sentimentality as she was at some points reduced to a plot device for forced drama. Its methodical flavour at first hand can be understandably off putting to potential investment and many would easily see this as a generic “cute girls doing cute things” title with nothing to offer. However Hanasaku Iroha evolves past what it began as both from a character sense and a thematic sense making those flaws feel very inconsequential in the long run which don’t hurt the series at it’s very core.
I cannot deny that I thoroughly enjoyed Hanasaku Iroha and only really ever complained when melodrama was on screen. I never felt bored watching it. Its atmospheric setting combined with its gorgeous backgrounds gave me a feeling of luxury while viewing it which I have only ever gotten from Amanchu. The characters all had a sufficient amount of depth to keep me invested and always put a smile on my face when they interacted with each other. Hanasaku Iroha isn’t the most intricately written anime you will ever witness, not even close to that. Nor does it have the most complex characters. But what makes it stand out is how it is able to take a mundane premise with what looks to be basic characters and bring the absolute best out of them, making all of them shine brightly throughout its run and without the need for taking shortcuts. If you liked Hanasaku Iroha for its atmosphere and charm, then I point you to Amanchu which gives off a similar feeling in terms of its delicacy but otherwise it is a completely different show. Any fan of the Slice of Life genre should definitely check this out; it is something a little different compared to the norm so it will certainly not be for everyone. And even if you are one of those people that criticize slice of life for feeling too dull and inactive. Hanasaku Iroha might have enough charm and potency to keep you glued to the screen all the way through.
So where does Hanasaku Iroha fit into all of this? I cannot say for certain as I have not seen all of P.A. Works’ titles but I can assure you it is written far better than both Charlotte and Angel Beats.
Overall: 7/10
Inushinde
With each of the five big carryover shows from the spring season either ending or have ended already, I feel it’s time to take a look back at the three that I could blog and do a nice, somewhat succinct review. However, with Nichijou being a slice of life comedy and thus impossible for me to sum up with anything other than “It had its moments, but the charm far outweighed the comedy factor” and me being more than a week late for a timely Tiger & Bunny review (Will get to at some point though), I’m stuck reviewing Hanasaku Iroha. Make no mistake though,it’s not as much of a chore as I’m making it out to be.
Hanasaku Iroha is a quintessential coming of age story that follows Ohana Matsumae, a self-centered girl sent to live with her grandmother after her ne’er-do-well mother Satsuki skips town with a man she hardly knows. Ohana heads off with lofty goals of living life like a storybook, a jaunty tune in her heart, and has the reality of staying at an inn crash down on her as soon as her stern grandmother tells her that she’s there as an employee.
The first two episodes establish the setting, and have every character hurling verbal abuse at Ohana like she murdered a truck full of puppies after robbing the terminal disease ward of her local hospital. However, as time goes on, she adjusts to the rigors of daily waitress life, and has every single character warm up to her and her surprisingly grating attitude.
Hanasaku Iroha is one of those shows that’s good, but has more than enough bad to touch on and bring to light. So it’s not a painful watch, and it’s relatively easy to review from both ends of the spectrum, it’s good fun to write about. Since the negative points are few, but important, I’m going to get the less important good points out of the way to maintain some sense of cohesion.
The first thing anybody will notice about this series is how crisp, smooth, yet natural the animation is. I don’t usually call much attention to animation, but this is seriously one gorgeous show throughout. The settings are vibrant and lively without feeling stilted and artificial, I haven’t seen a single character decay into a deformed blob for the sake of comedy (Except Ohana pouting, but even that had a sort of care about it), and nothing jarred me out of the experience. Of particular mention is the occasional shot of the Kissuiso at dawn or dusk that’s really some of the best use of a color pallet that I’ve seen. Even if the story was complete shit, the characters unlikable and all voiced by Chewbacca, I would still say this was worth a mention on animation/design alone.
Alas, an anime series can’t be propped up by animation alone. There has to be meat underneath the shiny veneer, substance that can really sucker the audience in. While HanaIro isn’t godly in terms of story or character development, it’s more than competent enough to make for an entertaining watch… at least in the second half.
While the first two episodes were marvelous at establishing all the various conflicts at the Kissuiso, it stopped to a grinding halt at Episode 3 onward for the sake of half-baked character subplots. Up until around Episode 11, when Ohana takes a trip back to Tokyo to kidnap her mother and bring her to the inn, the episodes just seemed like an excuse to introduce characters while not showing exactly where they fit into the plot. But then at around the halfway point, a miracle happened, which coincided with Ohana’s mother’s return from Plot Absence Hell—Hanasaku Iroha was good again. For the last half, it went strong until a surprisingly satisfying ending that did its best to wrap things up while not ending things on a definite note.
The characters are, for the most part, fairly well rounded. There are a few who don’t add much of anything, but most contribute to the plot in a significant fashion, and often end up likable despite their hang-ups. Satsuki and Sui, the grandmother, are still the best of the bunch, interacting with calm vitriol that’s difficult to not enjoy watching. Satsuki in particular develops with oddly noticeable subtlety, going from a free spirit who often neglected her daughter for the sake of her dreams, to a slightly less free spirit trying to live peacefully with her resentful daughter. While not many other characters get that level of development, kind of sad considering that Satsuki only had a few episodes of screen time, they’re nothing to decry.
However, one character has been constantly screwed out of anything meaningful, to the point that her existence has become that of an unnecessary counterbalance to the almost whimsical, yet callous Ohana. Minko is a shrill, unlikable, easily irritable bint with a noticeable hard-on for one of the main male characters… that for some reason causes her to shout at Ohana at every given opportunity. While it’s easy to pick up on the jealousy, it’s still a shame to have Minko go from a decent cook with no people skills to a slightly better cook with somehow even worse people skills. There wasn’t an episode where I didn’t want her to be taken out of the show altogether for being a living, breathing irritation.
One last complaint that I have is levied at Ohana’s half-assed relationship with her unknowing main squeeze back home, Ko. The two can just never seem to resolve their feelings for each other, and nothing comes of it at all. It’s a not so small complaint that could’ve been easily solved with a little more emphasis on meaningful interaction instead of having Ohana faffing about in Ko’s presence.
What Hanasaku Iroha succeeds best at is developing a sense of a familial, small inn, always bustling with life. You get a sense that the world could continue on without Ohana in it, but it feels that much richer for having her around. The Kissuiso is a quaint, warm location that sees its fair share of strife along the course of the series. This is what keeps it interesting, as long as it doesn’t descend into the repetitious routine of Minko yelling at Ohana for existing.
As can be gleaned from this, HanaIro isn’t perfect. In fact, it’s riddled with flaws that would keep it from being fantastic, even compared to the throngs of less able anime airing at this time. It’s a gorgeously animated, gorgeously fleshed out feel-good story that has competence enough to engage the audience in small doses. While it isn’t the best show of the year by any means (Though I’m tempted to nominate Satsuki as one of the best characters), I recommend it for anybody searching for something somewhat different and surprisingly tender.
CJayTiii
Hanasaku Iroha is a drama about growing up that sometimes confuses itself for a silly slice of life. This series is about a 16 year old named Ohana who has to live and work at her grandmother's traditional inn. Now though this sounds like a slice of life, the series' strong points is its accurate depiction of teenage drama and its emphasis on the theme about appreciating work. After watching the first two episodes of the show, I was almost sure that this would be one of the best shows of the year. However, immediately after that the show delivers whatare without a doubt the worst few episodes of the entire series, taking what promised to be a great show and turning it into a show about annoying teenage antics. This is without a doubt the worst part of this show, is that these episodes are really a pain to get through, as they are not very funny and don't have the interesting drama that the rest of the show does. The good thing, however, is that after a few of these episodes the show transitions back to its roots and again focuses on the characters.
Which brings me to one of the strengths of the series: the characters. Now, the characters do take some getting used to, seeing as they are teenage girls. Specifically Minko, who is just overly angry, and Yuina, who seems to have no real purpose in the show for the longest time. However, even though they are annoying, there is actually some great character development throughout the course of the show. On top of that, Ohana is actually a great lead character, mainly because she is so far away from the average teenage girl tropes. She is loud and abrasive, but in a way it is very unique for an anime character, while at the same time portrayed very believably. Another good point about the show is that it doesn't only focus on teenage girls, which admittedly would get pretty annoying. Ohana's mother and grandmother also prove to be wonderful characters, and there is also realistic and interesting drama revolving around the rest of the adult cast. In the end, the cast really does come together for a great ending to the show, and even though some of them have their annoying attributes they still play off each other well through the entire show.
Another one of the shows strengths is the artwork. The character designs are all very good and consistently drawn. However, the best part about the artwork is the background art. The backgrounds show are beautifully drawn and greatly show the stark contrasts between the city and the countryside. Both of these areas are drawn wonderfully and offer tons of eye candy for the viewer. Almost every episode has at least 1 background to marvel at.
Perhaps my favorite part of the show was the themes it dealt with. At its core, this show is about working, specifically taking pride in ones work. Though this show has its share of romance and comedy; in the end this is the main point of the series. This is an extremely unique theme for an anime to deal with and it is portrayed wonderfully. Usually in anime and media in general, work is portrayed as the thing that is hard to enjoy, or being what keeps somebody away from their family. However, Hanasaku Iroha shows that hard work can bring people together, exactly like the cast does here. The show never lapses into pointless rambling about work and never gets corny or preachy like you see with other shows with a central theme.
All in all, I highly recommend Hanasaku Iroha. Though there are certain episodes that are hard to get through, in the end it is all worth it, and the longer arcs in the show truly do have some interesting drama and character development. And of course, the art is just breathtaking at times, further increasing the experience.
