Anime: Hanasaku Iroha
It’s been too long! Too long I say! It feels REALLY strange not writing anything, although it was for good reason. However, thesis writing didn’t stop me from watching anime. I managed to watch Hanasaku Iroha, and 2 seasons and 1 movie of cardcaptor sakura, but more about that later. For today, we’ll be looking at Hanasaku Iroha!
It was a pretty decent anime, I enjoyed it good deal. The relationships in this anime were well thought out and well executed. I particularly liked how attention was placed on the smaller details, details that make relationships more obvious. It was sweet and charming and made for fun drama and comedy at times.
The characters do fall into stereotypes, but each character has their own individuality that makes them their own person. There is a real flaw, or a dream or a standard to which they live by. It makes them more than their stereotype and really gives each character life. Besides, this makes the relationships that form so much more realistic. That really is the strong point of this anime, the realism. Perhaps, not the main character’s situation, but in general how the characters interact with each other, how relationships break down or begin, how they grow and develop and even the conclusion, they were all plausible and you knew where the story was heading, but this didn’t make the anime boring or anything. I’m not sure how to explain it.
The anime is helped by its beautiful art and animation and music. The setting of the anime also helps a good deal. It’s an interesting place to be. The festival naturally became the highlight and because this was all set in a hot springs inn, there was the obvious allowance of fanservice. Admittedly it felt forced at time, but at least they didn’t over milk it.
The only thing I didn’t like was how some (more like just one particular) relationships unfolded. But it was the author/director’s story to tell, so what can one say?
Quite honestly though, I probably would have enjoyed this anime a lot less, if real life circumstances were a little different. This anime came at the right moment and really helped me think through a couple of things as well as smile a bit more. Which made me realize that sometimes we really enjoy an anime because of what’s happening around us. Anime can be an escape of sorts, or it could mirror our lives, it could evoke nostalgic, sentimental feelings, or one could be completely repulsed or saddened by it. Whether a person enjoys an anime depend not only on the quality of the anime but the life of the individual. Interesting isn’t it? Then again, some animes speak to people of all ages, in all sorts of circumstances, and those animes are truly gems.
Hanasaku Iroha is worth a watch, it’s a good shoujo series and a good slice of life series. Not everyone will like it, none the less give it a try. You might be the one that falls in love with it.
Living. Loving. Learning. 