The TRazor likes it when he's served after-mint at a restaurant. The TRazor likes it when his headphones untangle with one easy pull of the wire. The TRazor likes it when his shirts are provided with a spare button. In short, The TRazor likes awesome little things. The TRazor loves attention to detail as much as he enjoys seeing the big picture. Hanasaku Iroha had a lot of these nice little details covered, which impressed the TRazor. 1. Classy fanservice There's nothing more annoying than a good story being ruined by fanservice. Worse still is loli fanservice, which is more disgusting than it is cute. And for avoiding all that, despite being placed in a setting consisting of four girls working in a hot spring inn, Hanasaku Iroha deserves a lot of credit. It did contain fanservice, but it was done in a more elegant manner. P.A Works (the studio behind this anime) opted to go for girls dressed in classy traditional outfits with subtle revelations only of the characters limbs instead of blatant gigantic boobs or skimpy outfits. There was no usual "hero walking in while heroine changes" scene. Even outside of the inn, the girls were dressed neatly in their school uniforms and were never subject to lewd camera angles. Sure, Nako had occasional show-and-tell sessions, but they were never overplayed and tied in with the story in a somewhat relevant manner.  I'll have to repeat that there was fanservice, but it was completely classy, which is a breath of fresh air these days. Moreover, I don't think the audience of HanaIro are the same who dig High School of the Dead, so I'd say the right fans were serviced. 2. Minchi being a real woman Let's face it: 3D girls and 2D girls are nothing alike. Those moe 14 year olds in anime have the mentality of a 10 year old girl in real life. And they're never as obviously tsundere. But they are moody...moody as hell, something you never see in anime. Minko manages to capture that moody element rather nicely. There's a fine line between being tsundere and being moody. Minko was tsundere to start with, but slowly her tsundereness more or less transformed into moodiness. You can see how she has a hairline trigger and gets infuriated at the slightest thing not going her way, which is the case with women in real life. Shallow at times, she does have a more grounded personality as compared to most other anime girls, who are either obscenely moe, completely thick-headed or blatantly tsundere. There's a certain way women do things, like being bossy in front of friends, but melt in the presence of their man (or the other way around) - they are multifaceted. Minchi is probably the only girl who would survive in a real high school.  3. Technology in villages Just because an anime is set in a rural area doesn't mean it has to be in an older time period. Technology in Japan is pretty damn advanced and is far-reaching. Many of the rural areas in Japan employ modern irrigation techniques, use snazzy tools and are pretty aware. In Hanasaku Iroha, you get to see plenty of devices and gadgets that we use in our daily lives, even though the show's technically supposed to be in a "backward" area. It also makes me feel that "Hey, maybe this story is actually happening somewhere in Japan right now!". It was a great exhibition of how Japan still preserves its culture in several areas and how tourism has actually helped its conservation. And that's something special, considering it's the home of SONY and other electronic giants.    4. Quirky humor Hanasaku Iroha does contain a lot of witty humor. It isn't painfully slapstick or absurdly random - no, it's just got its own peculiar sense of humor that's pleasant to watch and aims to put nothing more than a smile on your face. This for example: Ohanna's all fired up. She wants to blast the staff at a rival inn for corporate espionage. She dramatically runs out the door and gallops...until her way is blocked by a stork. She goes around it and that particular incident is non-consequential, but it was just a very nice touch that instantly made me chuckle. There's no sudden shouting or chibis appearing to emphasize the point. Just subtle humor. Yuina was also a very cute girl (you don't hear me saying this a lot) and further added to the "quirkiness" factor. Overall, this style of humor is something I'd like to see in other shows. 5. Ohanna's Mom Daym, girl! I know that I'm watchin a show 'bout yo daughter, but mmm-hmmm, you da whole package! Looks, swagger, bling... you got it all! Wheneva you was on screen, I couldn't take ma eyes off ya. You ain't like those ho's who always be "gomen na sai!" whenever you do some crazy shit. You da new age woman! What were your favorite things in Hanasaku Iroha?
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

Volume 4 of the anime series Hanasaku Iroha will be out for sale on 19 October 2011. Volume 4 contains Episodes 10-12. Two [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

I’ll always remember Hanasaku Iroha as an anime captured my attention through its beautiful scenery and style. One cannot disagree that the series has one of the most gorgeous settings, with attention to the detail. But that’s not what makes an anime worth watching. I won’t deny that it is the stunning artwork that I [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

Going off to work as a waitress at a traditional Japanese inn in the countryside is every girl’s dream, right? Well, maybe if you were Japanese Cinderella. Hanasaku Iroha takes the basics of the Cinderella story (minus the prince and magic fairy) and tries to weave a story of understanding and friendship out of the dredges of [...] Related posts:Yosuga no Sora Review Usagi Drop Review Hoshizora e Kakaru Hashi Review
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

That yakisoba man is a genius. Not only did he read the mood correctly, but he also delivered the food at the perfect moment. That's just one of many things I loved about this episode. So the big festival that the series has been hyping for almost its entire run only took up the first (third) of the episode, but it was a nice payoff nevertheless. Easily the best moments were when Ohana finally confessed to Ko, and when Madam Manager saw that Ohana's wish was to be like her. I was a little disappointed that we didn't get to see everyone's wish and that the random fox god/goddess (I'm not sure which) who showed up in Ohana's fever dream was never explained, but I guess that I have to let both of those things go. Overall, it was a nice scene that finally tied up the romance subplot as well as a chance to see all of the characters interact in a fun setting. It was a nice way to lead into the scene showing that the inn was going to close down after all, but not for good. The show put to use the character development that was sorely lacking in the previous episode and brought everything to a nice close, with everyone heading towards the future and their collective dream: to see Kissuiso opened again. Final Thoughts: Now that the show has come to a close and I can look back on it as a whole, I have to say that while Hanasaku Iroha was enjoyable, it's not without its missteps. There are a few episodes and character arcs that feel entirely disposable, some attempts at humor and fanservice fall flat and feel shoehorned in to make a specific audience happy, and there's a stretch towards the middle where I had no clue where the plot was going (even for a slice-of-life show, there should be some direction). Also, the show has a habit of making a point about how a character has changed at the end of an arc only to go into the next episode and have that character act exactly the same. But even with these problems, with this final episode I think the show delivered what it promised: a coming-of-age story. At the beginning of this show, Ohana was directionless, content with complaining about her mother and ignoring Ko's feelings without trying to find something to strive for. At the end of the show, she's found her dream and has expanded her world a lot more than she would have if she'd stayed in Tokyo. One of the final shots has her standing in the middle of a train crossing, watching a butterfly go off into the distance. Its a given that she'll return to the inn someday, even if we don't see that part. Even with its missteps, the show does do a good job of portraying the journey to discovering a dream. "We were there." Images from Crunchyroll.com.
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

It ends. I wish I could cry, but it seems like the tears won’t come out. It’s got nothing to do with HanaIro not being epic or touching enough. If anything, it is hands down the most touching anime I’ve seen in this year of 2011. I do not say this lightly. Perhaps the length [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

Title: Hanasaku Iroha Genre: Comedy, Drama Rating: 7.0/10 Summary: Matsumae Ohana, a 16 year old girl, moves out of Tokyo and starts working at a hot spring hotel, which is located on a hill surrounded by cherry blossoms. Matsumae has yet to decide her future. The story will also feature other teenage girls who are [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

Hansaku Iroha – 花咲くいろは (The ABCs of Blooming) As PA Work’s 10th anniversary series, the studio interestingly chose to make a slice of life series. Slice of life has generally been PA Work’s forte and money-maker, so it does make sense. And with Mari Okada behind the series composition, I had much expectations for this [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

This is it, the last episode of Hanasaku Iroha.  It seems like in the last episode they managed to persuade the landlady not to shut down Kissui Inn after the Bonbori Festival, but if the show ends anyway, there’s not a big difference to us, the viewing audience.  I guess it’s the difference between a [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

Summary: Everyone is frantic and busy trying to prepare for the festival, and the corner-cutting starts showing up in little places.  Minko’s kinda mad at Ohana for taking Sui’s side, but really Minko’s just hating because Ohana has somewhere to go back to if Kissuiso folds.  Everyone’s very stressed, and things get worse when Tomoe [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

Summary: Everyone is frantic and busy trying to prepare for the festival, and the corner-cutting starts showing up in little places.  Minko’s kinda mad at Ohana for taking Sui’s side, but really Minko’s just hating because Ohana has somewhere to go back to if Kissuiso folds.  Everyone’s very stressed, and things get worse when Tomoe [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

All roads lead to confession. The series has derailed itself long ago, so even a good ending won’t changed that fact. I like that everybody seems to finally moved on. I wonder if this series can go for another season. Let’s just hope that it focuses more on the core plot. What can I say? Ohana finally confesses to Ko. After so many delays [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

There is no specific reason why I chose to review these three series from the summer season, but they do have one thing in common, which is that they were all amazing! So if you have the time I highly suggest you give them a watch! Hanasaku Iroha Rating: 8.6/10 If you’re looking for the [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

Spoilers Ahead So after 26 weeks this journey has finally come to an end, I’ve shared my thoughts on each episode from the beginning. Most where great—but there were a few sub-par ones. The recent episodes had me somewhat worried that Hanasaku Iroha was going to end badly, but the opposite happen. The ending was [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

How long does it take to get my life sorted out in a foreign country and make a new post? 2 weeks. How long does it take for Kou to pick his namby-pamby ass up and still fail at being the one to make the confession? 24 weeks. I’m sorry but I’m not rooting for [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

All good things must come to an end, beloved reader.  So too must Hanasaku Iroha.  While some may raise their glasses to ol’ Hanairo for a few mediocre episodes of [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

It felt like a lot of the characters had misplaced their brains for the majority of the episode, so I'm glad it ended the way it did. If there's been one consistent problem with this show, it's how it randomly backpedals on its character development. While this episode did provide good drama as most of the inn's workers decide to "fight" against Madam Manager to save Kissuisō, the way it was handled played like a rehash of character traits that were seemingly left behind a couple episodes ago. Enishi applies ill-thought out ideas to the inn to increase profit, ero writer ruins what is otherwise a touching moment, and Minko is once again back to yelling at everyone. To top it all off, no one even bothers to listen to Ohana's side of the story, taking a "you're either with us or against us" mentality. The only character who actually behaved logically was Nako; she wants to save the inn as well, but not at the expense of changing it too much, or else saving it will mean nothing. The frustrating behavior from the cast didn't break the episode, but it was disappointing to see this show create drama in its penultimate episode by conveniently forgetting the character growth that's happened during its run. However, what the episode does do right is what saves it. Both Ohana and Nako point out that solely believing that they are fighting against Madam Manager doesn't create a good experience for the guests, and that it changes Kissuiso in the wrong way. When everyone finally came together to make the inn the best that it could be, it was only made better by the inclusion of Ohana's mother as well, starting to bring the family arc that's been running throughout this series to a close. They may not work well together in the conventional family sense, but they do well as fellow workers at the inn. They can connect through their shared love of work. The last episode will finally be the much-hyped festival, and I hope that they explain the random supernatural element that finally made a re-appearance at the beginning of this episode. Images from Crunchyroll.com.
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

The night of the Bonbari festival has arrived. With Ko finally making it there, how will Ohana react? I’m surprised that Ohana finally got the courage to officially confess her feelings to Ko. Through her wish of wanting to become more like her grandmother, it’s apparent that she has grown emotionally stronger. From the time [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta

Wow. Based on my last post here, it’s been a month (and a few days)  since I’ve posted anything else. College and a bunch of stuff got to me. My apologies to my co-authors here on Yumestate. Thankfully though, my time for Anime was still intact, and I got to watch some titles worth mentioning. So yeah, for now I’m gonna talk about a series that recently ended. A story of hard work, friendship, love, and finding one’s self, all in the life of a not-so-ordinary teenager. Here’s my review on Hanasaku Iroha Hanasahu Iroha (The ABC’s of Blooming) was a ‘roller coaster’-like watching experience. It certainly had its ups, but I think that some may agree with me that it had its downs as well. Nevertheless, the show always had a way of entertaining its viewers, be it the romance of Ohana, or the comedic fiascoes of the Kissue Inn staff in-between. I believe that this show had one of the best first episodes that I’ve seen in a while. It really set the tone of the series as a whole. We see our main character, Matsumae Ohana, as she becomes forced by her mother to leave Tokyo, and to [...]
Read the rest of this entry Entry meta