Hidamari no Ki (Tree in the Sun)

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Alternative Titles

Synonyms: A Tree in a Sunny Place

Japanese: 陽だまりの樹

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Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 25

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Apr 5, 2000 to Sep 20, 2000

Premiered: Spring 2000

Broadcast: Wednesdays at 00:50 (JST)

Producers: VAP, Nippon Television Network

Licensors: None found, add some

Studios: Madhouse

Source: Manga

Genres: Action, Award Winning, Drama

Themes: Historical, Medical, Samurai

Demographic: Seinen

Duration: 23 min. per ep.

Rating: R+ - Mild Nudity

Statistics

Score: 7.08¹ (scored by 700 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #3785²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #8728

Members: 4,260

Favorites: 26

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Synopsis

A story set in the mid-1800's about a young doctor who has been trained in Western-style medicine and a young samurai who is trying to live up to the old traditions of his class and culture. The story is actually based upon real people - the doctor, Ryo-an, was Tezuka's great grandfather.

During the Second Year of Ansei (1855) in Edo's Koishigawa are two young men, Manjiro Ibutani and Ryoan Tezuka. Ibutani is a low-ranking samurai who is a gifted swordsman and has a straightforward and strong sense of justice. Tezuka has a more carefree attitude. He has an eye for the ladies, but he is passionate about becoming a doctor. The two opposite characters come of age during the backdrop of the turbulent end of the Tokugawa Period (1600-1868 CE).

(Source: AnimeNfo)

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Background

Winner of the Excellence Award on the 4th Japan Media Arts Festival.

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Adaptation:

Hidamari no Ki

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Ibuya, Manjirou

Main

Miyamoto, Mitsuru
Japanese

Tezuka, Ryoan

Main

Yamadera, Kouichi
Japanese

Okon

Supporting

Matsumoto, Rica
Japanese

Hotta, Masayoshi

Supporting

Sawaki, Ikuya
Japanese

Touko, Fujita

Supporting

Tahara, Aruno
Japanese

Hashimoto, Sanai

Supporting

Futamata, Issei
Japanese

Taki, Genpaku

Supporting

Ogata, Mitsuru
Japanese

Tatsuzou

Supporting

Takase, Akimitsu
Japanese

Narrator

Supporting

Ii, Naosuke

Supporting

Katou, Seizou
Japanese

More staff

Staff

Tamura, Manabu

Producer

Sugii, Gisaburou

Director, Episode Director, Storyboard

Fujiyama, Fusanobu

Sound Director

Tsuchiya, Hiroyuki

Episode Director

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Opening Theme

"Hidamari no Ki: Manazashi (Hidamari no Ki~まなざし~)" by Keiko Matsui

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Ending Theme

	1: "Hikari no Mukou e (光の向こうへ)" by Charcoal (eps 1-13)
	2: "High Dive" by Charcoal (eps 14-25)

Reviews

Apr 13, 2023

ZephSilver

Recommended

Well-written

The final death throes of the Tokugawa Period as seen through the eyes of a doctor and samurai. Ryoan Tezuka, a well-meaning and occasionally lecherous medical practitioner who've embraced the advancements of Western medicine, and Manjiro Ibutani, a staunch traditionalist indoctrinated in the way of the samurai, whose ascetic lifestyle and approach in upholding Japan's core values are placed in jeopardy as the world continues to march forward without him. A healer of life and one who takes it. A career path whose future prospects can only point towards exponential growth, while the other finds itself in a precarious predicament, where decades of peace have ... not only dulled the blade of its forces but, in the face of the Industrial Revolution, which has not only disrupted the conservatism that defines the ethos of the land but outright threatens to replace it altogether, marks the beginning of the end for many ways of life as it had been known for centuries. It's a showcase of class struggle and personal beliefs set against the weight of a nation in transition; for the land of the rising sun, it would mean the last glimmering light of an old era as it sets to give rise to one better equipped for the uncertainties of the century ahead.

There's a patience and considered approach to Hidamari no Ki that feels last century, where most of its character interactions and narrative development occur at a pace befitting the material it's set in, where the period piece it's covering is made to be equally as important as the way they choose to let it unfurl. An art of storytelling that's mostly lost in the streaming era, where expedience takes precedence. It only makes sense then that this title is all but forgotten. So quaint that for many viewers, it may just be knocking at the door of antiquation. That being said, there's still a good deal that it has to offer, with its softer impressions reminiscent of World Masterpiece Theater content and means of conventional storytelling, which at this point has been mostly phased out to where, in hindsight, feels slightly unconventional when viewed through a modern lens, not only granting it a second wind but making it passively enjoyable, in a lazy Sunday kind of way. I'm not sure you can even market something like this today and expect, with any good reason, that it will be successful; however, that doesn't mean there isn't something here worth discussing. That something is less about what it chose to cover and more about how it does it.

Unlike most historical anime, many of its chronicled events tend to occur at the periphery of our characters' lives or, in some cases, absent from their direct involvement with it, largely due to the fact that these leads aren't major historical figures. There are only a handful of proceedings where they have hands-on involvement. And because it covers so many key incidents that occurred during this time, if someone were unaware of the specifics, it creates a baseline unpredictability with its narrative direction. Unlike narrative fiction, real life is often disorderly, lacking the poetics and theatricality of fictionalized drama. Of course, the show still relies on these storytelling tropes to weave in-between the spaces that are propped up by these significant landmark moments of history, but because these occurrences have already existed and can't be ignored, at best, its author Osamu Tezuka, could only reverse engineer the minutia surrounding each crest and trough of documented happenings. Long story less long, Hidamari no Ki can often be a slice-of-life thr(ch)ill ride.

On top of that, their plausible involvement never extended beyond what their professional placement or personal upbringing would allow. Significant historical events may alter the overall paths of their lives, but the day-to-day conflicts, ambitions, and small victories remain immediate and personal. For Ryoan, that meant dealing with the antipathy of Eastern medical practitioners whose unscrupulous political maneuvering and xenophobic stance towards vaccinations and other Western practices meant his physician father, Ryousen, and other like-minded pro-western medical activists having to navigate the inherent dangers presented by being outspoken at a time when American merchant ships that docked the shores were viewed by many as a corruptive force, threatening the preservation of the country's cultural purity. It also meant witnessing his metamorphosis from a more chipper, womanizing, wayward personality to someone who would acquire far more discipline and commitment to his craft when faced with the realities of his profession and what it means to be a doctor; to hold someone's life in your hands. As for Manjiro, the intrigue of his character arc and involvement with the story, besides the obviousness of cool-ass samurai action, is that, as a viewer, I sympathized with what ultimately drove his character. While both men stood as analogs for the show's themes of inevitable change in the face of stubborn, prideful stagnation, his story was unequivocally the more tragic of the two. His pride in his country and its culture wasn't based on bigotry but on pure intent. He can relate to the average Japanese of that time because he was one of them. As Hidamari no Ki, Tree in the Sun, stood as a metaphor for this long-lasting period of prosperity and pride for one of its most significant eras, Manjiro ostensibly came to represent its last hopes. A dying remnant that kept fighting, clinging on desperately. To preserve an era defined for its prosperous economic growth and relative peace for its citizenry. An era often romanticized, but understandably so. As we witness his growth and journey through the military ranks, the unavoidable changing of the guards, as already marked by history, means either surviving by severe compromise to his core beliefs or trying desperately to uphold a way unsustainable in an age of revolution.

This approach ensured that both lead men and their supporting cast remained endearing throughout, a rare, mostly-adult cast at that, which reflected in its sensibilities and handling of the content. Content that was so considered that some of its most impactful instances had little to do with the history around them and more with the quieter, "insignificant" moments, such as a family member passing away from old age or convincing a pedestrian to get vaccinated. And because almost all the characters in the series were adults, it opened the door to more meaningful topics. Commentary that's self-critical to its country, in a way many anime would advert from, not because it disparages outdated social customs, but because it presented it in a way normalized for its time. Sexwork accepted as a transactional exchange, like any other part of daily life, yet the glass ceiling placed upon its female participants meant limited career mobility; often, at best, becoming the den mother or, rarer still, head of their own pleasure quarters. The delicate political dance carried out between men with power, often full of pride, and allowed to carry swords; the outcome inevitable. You really feel like you're witnessing the passage of time between real people's lives. And in circumstances where a side character may not be as detailed, their stance is at least documented.

Hidamari no Ki tells a story of a Japan ravished by civil unrest and disease but also pauses and looks around long enough to appreciate the ephemeral beauty that has made the Edo period so iconic in pop culture's lexicon. It feels lived in, and with a steady hand, traces the various characters and locations it brings to life, making for a soothing, bittersweet story of decay. The Tree in the Sun, proud and graceful, comes to an end, but its heritage lives on.

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Feb 6, 2022

RKASHYAP621

Recommended

When I chose to watch this anime by reading the synopsis, I was in assumption that this would be a normal anime. But as I started watching, episode by episode I was pulled into the world and emotionally invested with the characters and overall this turned out to be a great show for me.

Story: When we talk about the story of this anime, at the very crux this encompasses history at its setting, from the viewpoint of two main characters of this show, Ibuya Manjirou and Ryouan Tezuka. To be frank the whole story can be summarized with simple words, but the power lies in ...

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Dec 5, 2021

SignsOfSuicide

Recommended

Hidamari no Ki is frankly a show that needs a little help getting noticed. The reason no one knows it despite its pedigree as an Osamu Tezuka manga adaptation is because this show did not have subs for nearly twenty long years. So needless to say, this show had zero chance of catching on.

This show is primarily a period piece of the Tokugawa Shogunate circa the mid 1800's. A lot of what happens circles around two main leads. One is a hot-blooded well-meaning samurai named Ibuya, Manjirou and struggling doctor against the politics of the medical world of this time period named Tezuka, Ryoan. More ...

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Poll: Hidamari no Ki Episode 25 Discussion Alcoholicide - Sep 16, 2018	8 replies	by CaptainKenshiro »» Jul 9, 2022 10:52 AM
Poll: Hidamari no Ki Episode 20 Discussion FMmatron - Sep 13, 2018	3 replies	by CaptainKenshiro »» Jul 8, 2022 9:46 PM
Poll: Hidamari no Ki Episode 1 Discussion FMmatron - Feb 25, 2018	9 replies	by Nurguburu »» Feb 16, 2022 3:34 PM
Poll: Hidamari no Ki Episode 9 Discussion Alcoholicide - Sep 10, 2018	3 replies	by RKASHYAP621 »» Feb 4, 2022 10:22 AM
Poll: Hidamari no Ki Episode 7 Discussion FMmatron - Sep 10, 2018	3 replies	by RKASHYAP621 »» Feb 4, 2022 8:39 AM

Hidamari no Ki

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Ibuya, Manjirou

Tezuka, Ryoan

Okon

Hotta, Masayoshi

Touko, Fujita

Hashimoto, Sanai

Taki, Genpaku

Tatsuzou

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Ii, Naosuke

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