Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan

This is my first review so don't judge me :3

Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan is a cute and new 3 minutes Anime who presents some of that "Onsen" in Japan. It is funny and has cute character design and an interesting story.

Story: It's pretty easy to understand it and tell somebody about it.

Art: The art is pretty.

Sound: The sound is good and accompanies the Anime pretty good.

... Character: In my opinion the character design is pretty cute for girls.

Enjoyment: I really enjoyed this Anime and I recommand to anyone who doesn't have what to watch.

Overall: It is pretty interesting so give it a try! :3

This is ironically one of my favorite anime. I tried my best to be unbiased in the review though. I also reviewed as a short, not as a full anime

Plot: 7/10

Hakone-chan has a bit more plot than the typically short, with the conflict spanning over several episodes and the story moving forward. The first five episodes focus heavily on the initial problem of Hakone-chan getting her power back, but beyond this point, the story becomes more loose and less focused. A plot returns around the last few episodes, where the series tries to be more serious as opposed to the primary comedy aspect it carries. ... The conflict at the beginning of the series also seems to have faded in significance, and a new conflict had emerged, which something else I take trouble with. Granted, the whole purpose of the anime is serve for an advertisement for Hakone, and other hot spring regions in Japan, and it does a decent job at this. Most people agree that the series could have been into a full length anime, but I digress. Onsen Yousei Hakone-chan has an actual plot (to a degree), more than most shorts I have seen.

Characters: 7/10

Again, length prevents the series from developing characters too much, but the characters are all pretty good at sticking to their original characterization. It is a bit confusing at the beginning who the initial main character is, but it becomes easy to guess that it is the titular character Hakone-chan. There is not too much to put about the characters, other than they are pretty likeable and fit into the show well.

Animation: 6/10

The animation is the biggest suffering point for Hakone-chan. It seems rushed, and the backgrounds for scenes tend to be sort of poor. While it is by no means the worse animation out there, it is nothing stellar.

Soundtrack: 8/10

The soundtrack is pretty decent, and serves the purposes of the show. However, the opening song may come across as annoying to some people, though I personally like it. Overall, the soundtrack is pretty general.

Themes: 7/10

As both a short show and one that is meant to act as an advertisement, there aren’t any heavy themes being promoted. Beyond stuff like the “power” of the hot springs and the importance of tourism, the show offers subtle themes on the importance of serving others. Many of the characters are willing to help others out, though several are still motivated by selfish reasoning. The comedy in this show is nothing really original, but is still fairly entertaining and a quick laugh. The more serious parts of the show, which granted also ruin the comedy vibe, may prove difficult to muscle through.

Final Score: 35/50

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Hakone-chan is an inoffensive little OVA with some fun eccentricities that ornament each episode's 3 minute runtime, which manages to be pretty funny throughout, even if it fails to really stand out from the crowd. Beginning with the story, it is the strongest aspect of the show for sure. There's actually a shocking amount of substance and worldbuilding packed in here, which is to say that even though it's still not very much in the grand scheme of things, it is still far more than what one typically expects from such a fleeting title. The concept of onsen spirits is ... fun, and the subtle way the anime shows off the town of Hakone itself is quite effective, highlighting the area's sleepy hot spring feel. However, the more 'serious' moments later on in the show are kind of jarring given the whole thing's upbeat tone. There are also a few jokes that don't really land, though most of the time they do, especially in the department of physical comedy. Its biggest sin is that everything feels, understandably, rushed.

The art meets most standards of quality, with strong character designs throughout, though it is decidedly lacking in the animation department, sometimes looking stuttery or weirdly motionless.

The sound also meets all standards of quality, with nothing in particular standing out about it.

The characters all feel somewhat shallow, though Hakone-chan herself is better characterized than many of the others, making her my favorite in the cast alongside Miya, for the interplay she provides. Overall, Hakone-chan is an OVA which lies somewhere between forgettable and unexpectedly fun. I feel it is a show that could have definitely benefited from being much longer, something like 12 23 minute episodes would have given this anime the space it needed to really thrive. As it is, give it a shot if you have an hour to kill, as at the very least it's something you can enjoy without thinking about it.