Konohana Kitan

In a bustling village of spirits, Yuzu, a cheerful fox girl, starts her first job as an attendant at the traditional hot springs inn Konohanatei. Though Yuzu has no experience working at such a high-class establishment, Kiri, the affable and reliable head attendant, immediately puts her to work learning the basics.

While Yuzu's eagerness initially proves to be more of a hindrance than a blessing, her playful nature brings a unique charm to the inn, as both customers and her fellow workers quickly warm up to her clumsy yet well-meaning mistakes. Under the guidance of the other foxes—the rigid Satsuki, the carefree Natsume, the critical Ren, and the quiet Sakura—Yuzu steadily learns the trade of an inn attendant while learning to love the magical world surrounding her.

Konohana Kitan presents the heartwarming tale of a simple fox girl forging bonds with others and finding a home amidst the mysterious, beautiful world of spirits.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Adaptation:

Konohanatei Kitan, Konohana Kitan

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Characters & Voice Actors

Yuzu

Main

Oono, Yuuko
Japanese

Satsuki

Main

Hata, Sawako
Japanese

Ren

Main

Kubota, Risa
Japanese

Sakura

Main

Kakuma, Ai
Japanese

Kiri

Main

Numakura, Manami
Japanese

Natsume

Main

Suwa, Ayaka
Japanese

Yao, Bikuni

Supporting

Ohara, Sayaka
Japanese

Okiku

Supporting

Watanabe, Akeno
Japanese

Tsubaki

Supporting

Ogata, Megumi
Japanese

Ayame

Supporting

Mochizuki, Rei
Japanese

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Staff

Cook, Justin

Producer

Naya, Ryousuke

Producer

Iizuka, Aya

Producer

Kawamoto, Sachi

Producer

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Opening Theme

"Kokoro ni Tsubomi (ココロニツボミ)" by eufonius

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Ending Theme

	1: "Haru Urara, Kimi to Sakihokoru (春ウララ、君ト咲キ誇ル)" by Konohana-tei Nakai no Kai [Satsuki (Sawako Hata), Natsume (Ayaka Suwa), Ren (Risa Kubota), Sakura (Ai Kakuma), Kiri (Manami Numakura), Yuzu (Yuuko Oono)] (eps 1-3)
	2: "Natsu Saki Koi Hanabi(夏咲き恋花火)" by Natsume (Ayaka Suwa) & Ren (Risa Kubota) (eps 4-6)
	3: "Akane Sora, Kimi Mai fu Koyou no Sanpomichi" (茜空、君舞フ紅葉ノ散歩道)" by Sakura (Ai Kakuma) & Kiri (Manami Numakura) (eps 7-9)
	4: "Yukihana Kirameku Ieji nite" (雪華煌めく家路にて)" by Yuzu (Yuuko Oono), Satsuki (Sawako Hata) (eps 10-11)
	5: "Shiji: Kusa no Yukari" (四時・草の縁)" by Yuzu (Yuuko Oono) (eps 12)

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Reviews

Dec 20, 2017

Shingster

Recommended

Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching Konohana Kitan and while care has been taken to minimise spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned.

Based off a well-known manga of the same name Konohana Kitan gives us the opportunity to see what the life and duties of a team of fox girls would be if they decided to operate a traditional hot spring inn in an setting reminiscent of ancient Japan that’s mixed with a fantasy world The first episode of the series really did an excellent job of introducing ...

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Dec 20, 2017

Stark700

Recommended

A beautiful village of spirits. A joyful weather. And a mysterious feeling of tranquility. It’s not every day you get to see a group of mythical girls hanging out together and enjoying life. Konohana Kitan is a show that’s simple as it gets – cute girls doing cute things with a touch of fantasy. This anime is a heartwarming show that knows how to put all the ingredients to craft a charming slice of life. For me, Konohana Kitan is a gem that really shined without complexity.

Bringing together a cast of characters into this show feels like the creator needed to inject personality. I mean, ... lots and lots of personality. The initial first episodes portrays the innocent fox Yuzu as she arrives at Konohanaeti. The first impressions she brings in is questionable as Yuzu really demonstrates what it means to be a klutz. She is clumsy, inexperienced, and doesn’t know her place well. However, Yuzu is a very friendly girl that can get along with everyone and through her personality, she improves and has an innate charm that other characters begin to appreciate. It didn’t take me long to accept Yuzu as a likable character because the way she bonds with others.

Indeed, relationship dynamics is an important part of this show and it really knows how to sell those points. Yuzu’s relationship with Satsuki is one of those relationships that really tests herself. In the beginning, their relationship starts rocky because let’s face it, their characters really are almost like foils of each other. Yuzu is friendly and respectful while Satsuki has a much more serious personality. Not to mention, Satsuki is a very hardworking character and doesn’t tolerate mistakes often. One might describe her as a workaholic although it’s clear that she cares about her friends/co-workers. Throughout the show, she begins to warm up to Yuzu and it’s obvious that she cares about her. Yuzu’s personality also has influence on her as Satsuki begins to enjoy the love of working, rather than just work towards her dream.

Beyond Satsuki, Yuzu also brings the best out of other characters too through character relationships. Yuzu is able to impress Natsume and the both of them strives to work harder to make Konohanaeti into a better place. She and Sakura also shares a peculiar relationship because of their size although the both of them really begin to respect each other as time goes on. On the other hand, there’s Natsume and Ren, two characters that’s more like a ship-tease pair compared to the other cast. Through their interactions, it’s obvious that Ren harbors a crush on Natsume even though the show doesn’t fully explore it. Although this show isn’t a yuri that capitalizes on female romance, it can easily get fans to fantasize on this pair. That being said, the core characters in this show contains a lot of personality. Whether it’s Yuzu’s friendly attitude, Natsume’s tomboyish tendencies, Satsuki’s rigidness, or Ren’s strive to be perfect, the show can easily get you into the mood just with its colorful characters

Despite the story being simple, it has a mysterious aura that almost feels like a bit of suspense. What exactly is Konohanaeti? Why do some characters come there? What is its true purpose? Where this is even located? Throughout the show, it has a certain mystique that I can’t help but wonder. While almost every episode is an adventurous sitcom, there’s definitely more than meets the eye about the world setting. Plus, we do get hear stories about the past that influences the future from certain characters. There’s also one particular episode that really capitalizes the opportunity for world building. It’s one of those episodes that draws the line between fiction and reality. Additionally, this anime is great at evoking certain emotions. These can bring a smile to the viewers’ face or more poignant moments for emotional storytelling. The comedy is also sold well on most parts through the relationship teasing and even occasional fan service.

Adapted by studio Lerche, Konohana Kitan is a colorful show and I mean that as one that transcends its setting than beyond just an inn for characters to visit. The places has a youthful theme and brings in all types of characters including ones with relations to mythology. The animalistic characteristics of the cast is also noticeable such as Yuzu’s ears and Satsuki’s tail. There’s even a doll girl introduced in this anime to add a bit of innocent feel. Fan service exists and it’s often portrayed as a way of character teasing that’s hard to ignore. The theme songs are melancholic with a colorful vibe and decorated with creativity.

That being said, I also feel like the character cast does a great job at portraying their characters. I mentioned before that the show has a lot of personalities. To bring that to life, it requires skill of the VA and thankfully, they pull it off in a masterful fashion. Yuzu’s innocence is portrayed convincingly thanks to the talent of newcomer Yuuko Oono. Sawako Hata’ talent is also worth mentioning for bring a character like Satsuki to life. It’s not easy to adapt a character with a serious voice but she pulls it off with flying colors through her words. Kiri, perhaps the most mature character of the cast is also well adapted thanks to the modern talent of Manami Numakura. Throughout the show, every episode also maintains a balanced OST with touches of melancholy.

Konohana Kitan is an underrated show that proves slice of life doesn’t always need to rely on a modern setting. It doesn’t have to involve characters living the school life. Instead, this anime stands out on its own with its credible genres. The way every character is adapted really brings the best out of each other. It has a story that is simple enough to get viewers invested into its idea. I can honestly recommend this show to just about anyone. To put it simply, Konohana Kitan is an enchanting show that’s a love letter to slice of life.

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Dec 20, 2017

Fircoal

Recommended

Do you like fox girls? Do you like yuri? Do you like heartwarming mythological moments? Then Konohana Kitan is for you! Konohana Kitan excels very well at two things: making appealing yuri scenes between the fox girls and providing heartwarming moments with interesting takes relating to Japanese folklore. And on those two merits, the show is able to succeed.

The show seems to be divided between two different sections: moments that build up the character’s relationships to each other and moments that are more concerned with telling fantastical stories that attempt to warm up the heart. And while the show is able to succeed at ... each part individually when put together there is something a bit lacking. Take the fantastical folklore episodes, while there are many episodes that are not only able to use folklore to tell a compelling and unique story but also manage to be heartwarming and genuinely surprising. Separated from the rest of the work, they stand out as particularly strong episodes that do a good job of making one feel a greater connection with the world around them. It’s amazing what they are able to do with old stories of folklore to talk about the human condition and give hope to those that are watching. There is this sort of feeling of helplessness to what life can throw at one, but also a feeling of triumph of being able to overcome it. Whether it be a dream eating Baku or the story of a mother and her child, the show is able to make unexpected powerful moments out of nowhere.

However, when half the show is dedicated to this it does have an effect on the rest of the show. Even though they are nice to watch, they are often focused on side characters who don’t have any barring on the main cast. Which isn’t necessarily a problem, especially when they are able to do it quite well, but it does lead to the character’s not getting as much development as they could be.

The yuri moments also show this problem. The moments that show the bonds between the characters are all very touching and are just so adorable and loveable. But at the same time they also often cover the same ground. Furthermore, the amount of interactions between the group is limited because the main characters are often paired to the hip to their partner. While this does make for a nice one on one bond and provides some very satisfying and noteworthy episodes, it lacks the same sense of community that other CGDCT shows are able to richly show.

It also doesn’t help that the show tries to have more characters than it can work with. The main characters are pretty nice. They all have distinct and likeable personalities. They have enough depth to them that they are interesting but sadly there isn’t enough depth to them to make them standout characters. Ren, Yuzu, Satsuki, and Natsume fall into this. They all have interesting traits and interact nicely between each other. However, the other cast members of Konohana Kitan suffer from lack of screentime or characterization. While Okiku gets some time to shine, Kiri and Sakura feel like one-note characters. They have some nice small moments but overall they feel more like afterthoughts than anything.

Normally that isn’t a problem but the combined effect of having extra filler characters and having a lot of episodes focused on side characters means the main cast doesn’t get as fleshed out as they could be. Even though each of the episodes the main cast does get does a very good job of showing what drives them and what they’re like it still feels a bit shallow. Like there’s still more that can be dug into. I think part of this is the lack of other character interactions. When most of the character’s screentime is made up of another character they tend to get forced into roles. Yuzu and Satsuki are often going to act the same way around each other. Ditto with Ren and Natsume. While those interactions are nice it ends up leaving a more static view of their characters. People are not just defined by their interactions with one person, but with all sorts of people, and all of the different ways they react to different things.

The art is quite nice and beautiful although the animation can be somewhat lackluster at times. It’s clear that there are several tricks they use in order to make them needless animation. And to be fair they work overall. The chibi fox blobs are very cute. That said when it leads to as little animation as there was in episode 5, it can be quite a problem. The art style is very nice though and it’s able to exude it’s aesthetic very well, which is quite nice for what it has going for it. The sound also helps with this, and the mellow and relaxing tracks are able to fit in with the soul-soothing hotel that they work at. The art-style and sound both are adept at enhancing whatever feel the show is trying to go for.

Overall Konohana Kitan is a case of a story that is good in episode-sized chunks but when combined together it lacks the consistency to make it the super strong show that it could be. Even still it has really cute adorable yuri moments and really meaningful and emotional moments. And if you’re into that, like I am, I highly suggest it as it’ll have a lot of content that can warm one’s soul and fill one’s heart with sunshine. And if you’re not, I still think this show is strong enough to have things to offer. While I do have my complaints and issues with the development of the show, that doesn’t stop it from being an adorable blast of a show!

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Poll: Konohana Kitan Episode 8 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) Stark700 - Nov 22, 2017	148 replies	by jieanteater »» Apr 12, 8:23 AM
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Yuzu

Satsuki

Ren

Sakura

Kiri

Natsume

Yao, Bikuni

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Tsubaki

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Konohana Kitan

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