Hinamatsuri

While reveling in the successful clinching of a prized vase for his collection, Yoshifumi Nitta, a yakuza member, is rudely interrupted when a large, peculiar capsule suddenly materializes and falls on his head. He opens the capsule to reveal a young, blue-haired girl, who doesn't divulge anything about herself but her name—Hina—and the fact that she possesses immense powers. As if things couldn't get any worse, she loses control and unleashes an explosion if her powers remain unused. Faced with no other choice, Nitta finds himself becoming her caregiver.

To let her use her powers freely, Nitta asks Hina to help out with a construction deal, which goes smoothly. But while this is happening, a rival yakuza group covertly attacks his boss. To Nitta's shock, his colleagues later pin the blame on him! Tasked with attacking the rival group in retaliation, Nitta steels himself and arrives at their hideout. But suddenly, Hina unexpectedly steps in and helps him wipe out the entire group. As it turns out, Hina might just become a valuable asset to Nitta and his yakuza business, provided she does not use her powers on him first! And so the strange life of this unusual duo begins.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

Hina Main

Tanaka, Takako Japanese

Nitta, Yoshifumi Main

Nakajima, Yoshiki Japanese

Anzu Supporting

Murakawa, Rie Japanese

Mishima, Hitomi Supporting

Hondo, Kaede Japanese

Mao Supporting

Ozawa, Ari Japanese

Yassan Supporting

Tsuji, Shinpachi Japanese

Sakura, Utako Supporting

Hikasa, Youko Japanese

Sab Supporting

Kawanishi, Kengo Japanese

Naitou, Tatsuhiko Supporting

Inada, Tetsu Japanese

Baba, Kiyoshi Supporting

Koyama, Tsuyoshi Japanese

Cook, Justin Producer

Kikushima, Kazufumi Producer

Ogata, Mitsuhiro Producer

Isogai, Noritomo Producer

Reviews

Jun 22, 2018

Stark700

Recommended

Once every now and then, we get comedic showstoppers that does what it needs to do: entertain. I’ve seen a lot of comedy shows in the past few years and believe me, Hinamatsuri belongs in a category of its own. It’s entertaining not just on the level of being able to make me laugh but also able to capture the magic of what comedy really is about. It’s only 12 episodes but manages to make an addicting impression.

As a fan of the manga, delightful is just one of many words that came to mind when I heard about the adaptation. The manga contains over 70+ ... chapters of memorable content and to fully deliver that value isn’t an easy task. Luckly, Hinamatsuri does something that I noticed many shows doesn’t do these days and that’s being aware of itself. On first viewing, it felt like a challenge to realize what this series is all about. The premise itself can make some people’s eyes roll while the character cast consists of a variety of colorful personalities. To me, Hinamatsuri is like diving into a world of absurdity but coming out of it brings me nothing but a smile and the realization of being entertained.

From watching the show, I can tell that the director wanted to for entertain the audience. The most evident is the selling of the comedic character reactions. Main characters Hina and Nitta does this the best as they come from very different backgrounds. On the surface level, the two are nothing alike but through interacting with one another, they form a strange bond that makes them almost inseparable. The anime does a phenomenal job at capturing the character expressions with well-timed body language. It creates the sensation of wanting for more every episode and see what characters will do under certain situations. Each episode consists of segments of everyday life activities although there are abnormal events happening from time to time involving psychic powers. Beyond just selling the comedy, this show also does contain some interesting emotional elements too.

One particular episode showcasing Anzu depicts the realism of homelessness. It’s one of those episodes that you would least expect to see from this particular anime. What attracts me about this show is how it ties in a lot of ideas together. The thematic storytelling may feel random at first but overall has a connection together. Every main or supporting character also delivers moments that are hard to forget. This also includes Hina’s classmates such as Hitomi as she works discreetly at a bar that few knows. It’s also noticeable that the show doesn’t just take place at school or the city either. In a big change in mood, an episode focusing on Mao shows what life is like in isolation. By experimenting ideas like this, it feels like this show constantly evolves and has something for fans to talk about.

I’ve already mentioned some of the characters but a big question is if the show puts enough value to make the audience care about them. While some characters may not stand out much as the others, I can definitely say with confidence that the main cast is worth watching for their roles. It would have been easy to just let the characters do the talking but instead, the series remarkably showcase their personalities in the most humorous ways possible. A general sense of fatalism can also be felt as some characters are destined to meet or events fated to happen. While some storytelling elements can be predictable in later episodes, it doesn’t hold back with how characters connect with each other.

Now, there’s an elephant in the room. Once you’ve seen a good amount of episodes, it’s not hard to say that the anime portrays characters in some inappropriate ways. Fan service is present in some episodes and there may be some uncomfortable scenes thrown in by the creators. While this is true on the surface, it should be realized that the anime isn’t presented as a shock value. At its core, Hinamatsuri serves to entertain its audience through creative comedy. The fan service adds more fuel to the fire that way.

Adapted by studio feel, the anime has production quality that I can say works quite well. The character reactions are the big selling factor animated with extreme style. Somehow, it remains faithful to the overall tone of the show without ever going off-track. It also impresses me that we get to see emotional moments bought to life. It’s very human and despite how silly the anime can be, the show contains episodes that are tearjerking. Character designs looks sharp with the vibrant outlines that makes them stand out too.

While not being a powerhouse in the music department, Hinamatsuri does boasts a great voicing cast. Nitta, Hina, Anzu, and Hitomi are the primary examples that perfectly fits with their personalities. Every now and then, they can say lines with a straight face under certain circumstances that can’t help but make me laugh. It’s a comedy show and definitely never forgets its intentions. The music also makes certain scenes and montages feel more meaningful.

Ah, if only Hinamatsuri had more than 12 episodes. The manga contains more material that I would love to see animated on TV. However, it did adapt the series to the extent that made a great impression to me. From character chemistry to the peculiar storytelling, every episode left me with something to talk about. This is a dark horse of the year that I hope people won’t overlook. Crafting comedy isn’t easy these days but I feel that Hinamatsuri accomplished that so well. I am entertained.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Aug 3, 2018

Jezza_G

Mixed Feelings

Kept waiting for something to happen.

This show is fairly easy to watch and there are some moments that will make you laugh.
Overall though nothing really happened. You would think a show about girls with telekinetic powers and some shadowy organization would have more violence, fights or anything really.
Instead you are treated to 12 episodes of Hina wanting food and lazing about. Nitta caring for and often complaining about Hina. Ansu's life as a homeless teen (which was probably the most interesting part of the show) and finally Hitomi working in Nitta's favorite bar and occasionally helping Hina or Ansu.

This show is very episodic, with ... very little in the way of a contiguous story line. After 12 episodes there was no indication of where these super powered girls came from, or what the "Organization" is, why they exist etc. Like I said, it's 12 episodes of nothing.

Animation was fine. If you care, there was little to no fan service.
Soundtrack was fine.

Go into this one with low expectations and maybe you will enjoy it more than I did.

5.5 out of 10

Reviewer’s Rating: 5

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Jul 25, 2018

TheMAM

Not Recommended

What an overrated mess of an anime. A comedy where almost all jokes rely entirely on wit with no satisfying punchline. A touching slice of life which is usually compromised by tasteless jokes that ruin the emotional moments with a big middle finger to its audience. A gimmicky psyche powers anime which said gimmick's only purpose for existing is to serve occasional jokes which almost never impact the overall story whatsoever, seriously, you could have taken out the powers aspect and had the kids be orphans who never knew their parents and little would change regarding the character arcs we see. This series tried to ... be so many things and couldn't handle them all at once.

Main character green-haired psyche girl's a useless kid, her yakusa caretaker really only cares about her because no one else will take her in, red-haired psyche girl comes out of nowhere near the end of the series and serves no purpose but pointless unfunny filler, and everyone else besides blonde-hair girl and bartender school girl are either unfunny smart asses or boring assholes.

And it bothers me. Because the animation is really good. And the music's nice. And there are semblances of funny well-paced jokes and genuinely emotional moments in there. It feels like the writer and director of this series had different visions of what this series was supposed to be and worked separately from each other.

This is a badly-directed series with a lot of wasted potential.

Reviewer’s Rating: 4

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	Poll: Hinamatsuri Episode 10 Discussion RafaelDeJongh - Aug 8, 2018	38 replies	by cwradry »» Nov 2, 9:42 PM
	Poll: Hinamatsuri Episode 12 Discussion ( 1 2 ) RebelPanda - Aug 8, 2018	97 replies	by Ambeon »» Oct 8, 1:03 PM
	Poll: Hinamatsuri Episode 5 Discussion ( 1 2 3 ) Stark700 - May 4, 2018	142 replies	by Ambeon »» Oct 8, 10:59 AM
	Poll: Hinamatsuri Episode 3 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 ) Stark700 - Apr 20, 2018	173 replies	by Ambeon »» Oct 8, 10:11 AM
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