When you see it you'll shit bricks
Hanasaku Iroha, again, seems like any other slice-of-life anime, except full-time at an inn instead of at high school or at the mall or wherever else girls like to go, which is mainly the latter of the two mentioned before. However, it distinguishes itself from many others in this season and others in the genre by exposing more of the normal flaws of people when they interact. I'll explain more of this in detail later.
So this series is 26 episodes long (obviously an exception that proves the rule to the 'every studio wants to do 12 episodes and then cut n' run' policy that seems to be rampant these days), which reminds me of Saki. That reminds me, I haven't said this on the blog yet. I should get it off my chest...
I WANT A SAKI SECOND SEASON OMFG.
Am I the only one on this Earth that watches this series for its ridiculous scenes, not for the girls? asdfjkl;
All right, so now that's over, we see that the studio has worked on a few notable series, the most famous of which is Angel Beats! (a shinier, shorter spiritual successor to Clannad/Key/Air by virtue of the fact that Jun Maeda worked on it) and the popular puzzle video game series Professor Layton (if you haven't played it, go check it out. Seriously, it's very good, although sometimes frustrating, especially due to the lack of good hints.) Hopefully they can build upon their name with this series.
The graphics are very good - very shiny/neat, just like in Angel Beats!. Nothing much to say, really. Those of you that enjoy nice shapes and eye candy in general, you will be pleased by the level of the graphics that come from Hanasaku Iroha.
The sound is ok - I haven't really listened to the OP in detail, but it sounds ok and is reminiscent of Denpa Onna's ED, except a bit louder. As long as it doesn't get mushy/dull in the middle after the starting vocal part, then I'll be fine with it. ED seems nondescript, as expected - most series don't seem to be actually putting any effort into the ED for some reason nowadays. Unfortunate, but that's how it is.
Now, back to the characters/plot. Not the best in the world (it gets pretty quiet after a while, but that's why I like slice-of-life series - to savor the quiet moments), but it is pretty distinct from many that have come out recently, as I mentioned. I really like how it's sort of resemblant of a novel. Ohana Matsumae, the protagonist (voiced by Kanae Itou) is optimistic and says stuff we normally wouldn't, yet she is still the everyman - she feels the things we would feel if we were in that position.
A very closely analogous character in literature to Ohana is Anne from the Anne of Green Gables series. They are both talkative, fanciful, and optimistic. They both want a more...exciting life. They are both 'left on the doorstep' to something new. And finally, even though the background may seem normal, they are both sucked into a more exciting life than ever before.
Huh.
Again, Ohana wishes for what everybody else wishes for - she wants something unique to happen to her, to distinguish herself from everybody else and to give her some meaning in her initially terribly monotonous life. Yet she consciously recognizes (as she explains to a conveniently-placed best friend) that she's probably not going to get it; that she's going to end up like any other girl and become an at-home mother. But when crazy things start happening one by one, she's sort of swept away by it all. None of the things are as she expects, and it becomes hard to swallow the very life she wished for.
In facing all of this, Ohana doesn't say lame shit like "It's fine, I can always do better" or not feel it like some kinda stupid protagonist. No, she vents. She cries when all this crap is put on her, not because of her own actions, but because of everybody else and their actions. She gets angry and starts cleaning the inn like a boss. And this sort of...realistic charm is what I think attracts me.
When life whirls you around, nobody adapts in 5 seconds. Unfortunately, many series just...don't....get it.
"Well gee ExtraCareful, why don't you just go to an inn or an urban setting and watch the people there?"
First of all, restraining orders. Second, because the lives aren't as exciting - the things that happen here don't JUST happen to random people on the street. Finally, it's the same reason as to why Anne of Green Gables, or The Great Gatsby, or any other classic novel is appreciated - it shows to us our reality and lets us review/reflect/bask in it. This is why I really enjoy Hanasaku Iroha because it does that more than most slice-of-lifes I have watched so far. In this sense, I can say that the series is definitely a solid one.
Character-wise, the plot is essentially chronicling the development of Ohana, so I'd say it works out very well. There are episodes that flesh out everyone else too, so that's a nice bonus - can't have 1-D supporting characters. I like the fact that the series show the outward change of someone; that is, the characters are shown to already have the characteristics that everybody wants them to have - they're just not displaying it at the very beginning. As the story goes ON, stuff unravels. No sudden "oh wow now I'm not a bitch anymore" moments for me, thank you very much.
In essence, Hanasaku Iroha manages to capture that very quiet, everyday quality of a good slice-of-life and is a gentle reflection of what we feel like everyday (which depends on when our AP Physics final is). It is definitely slow-paced, so don't say stuff like "why aren't things blowing up in this slice of life yet". However, it is a series worth watching, so watch it if you have the chance.
OH GOD STOP STARING
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