Hanasaku Iroha

"Like father, like son. Like mother, like daughter"

There's an age old belief that certain traits are passed down from parents to children, and like most ancient convictions, there's an element of truth to this one. It's a well known fact that much of a person's future behaviour is learned during their formative years, and while it's true that children will instinctively copy the mannerisms and behaviours of the role models closest to them (which in most cases means their parents), even trained professionals and researchers can't fully explain the "inheritance" of less tangible traits like stubbornness, temper, perspicacity, etc.

But what does all that have to do with a show about a girl who goes off to work at a hotsprings inn? Well, not enough to be honest, and that's biggest problem.

Hanasaku Iroha (The ABC's of Blooming), is an original anime from P.A. Works that tells the story of Matsumae Ohana, a 16 highschool student who, due to a variety of circumstances regarding her mother, is forced to move away from Tokyo to live with her estranged maternal grandmother, Shijima Sui, at the hotsprings inn that she owns. Knowing that she has no choice in the matter Ohana tries to make the best of her situation, and at the request of her grandmother she begins working at Kissui Inn.

It all sounds like a fairly straightforward set up for some teenaged melodrama, and for the most part that's what viewers will get. The plot is functional, but the anime can often have difficulty getting to the point or sticking to the storyline, and there's little in the way of originality where the narrative is concerned. In addition to this there appears to be no real direction or cohesiveness with the progression of the series, and these factors may cause viewers to wonder when the story will offer up some actual development.

That said, there's a surprisingly interesting subtextual thread that runs through the plot (which we'll cover in a bit), but because of the numerous issues with the main storyline it's often overlooked. The sad part is that Hanasaku Iroha would have had a much, much better storyline if Okada Mari had simply removed certain events from the screenplay and tightened up the narrative.

Thankfully, some thought seems to have gone into the visuals.

P.A. Works deserve some applause for the effort they've made in producing Hanasaku Iroha as it's easily one of the better looking anime of 2011. The artwork tends towards realism rather than the cartoonish offerings of several titles I could mention, and while this allows for some rather picturesque backgrounds and settings, there are numerous occasions where the usage of various lighting effects create some truly stunning imagery. The animation is fluid, and unlike many other shows of this type, there's a surprising range of movement for both people and animals.

The characters are an interesting mix of styles and shapes that can sometimes appear a little plain, but in actuality there's a method to their design that may not be obvious at first glance. The thing to bear in mind is that the story takes place at a working hotsprings inn, and because of that Sekiguchi Kanami has tried to create a contrast with the picturesque surroundings.

One of the notable aspects of Hanasaku Iroha is the background music, or rather, the lack of it. There's a nice variety of styles on offer ranging from pastoral pieces (which in some cases sound a bit like elevator music), to upbeat little ditties, but it's the lack of musical accompaniment in many scenes that fits very well with the often quiet tone of the series.

Which is why the number of tracks used for the opening and ending themes seem ... a little too much.

Like many 26 episode anime, Hanasaku Iroha features two main opening and ending songs that change over at the midway point of the series. The show begins with a surprisingly well put together sequence that introduces the more prominent characters, but the track used for this, "Hana no Iro" by Nano Ripe, is a fairly bland piece that only works because of some good audio/visual choreography. In contrast to this closing sequence is a simple montage of Ohana and her three friends that has been set to "Hazy" by Sphere. From episode fourteen the opening track changes to "Omokage Warp" by Nano Ripe (again), which is a far more upbeat song than the previous one, and while the animated sequence is different to that of the first OP, the quality and content are pretty similar. The closing song, "Hanasaku Iroha" by Clammbon, is a feelgood ballad set to an animated image of Ohana and her friends, but unlike the other sequences it doesn't seem like much effort has been put into this one.

There are also two more ending themes, "Tsukikage to Buranko" (episode 6), and "Yumeji" (episode 8), once again performed by Nano Ripe, but there doesn't actually seem to be any real reason for their inclusion so one has to wonder why they were used in the first place.

Given the fact that this is a highschool drama, one might expect a degree of overemphasis when it comes to the acting, but there's surprisingly little of this in the dialogue. The script is well balanced between each of the roles, and while there are occasions where the seiyuu "fest it up", in general the voice actors deliver some very good performances. In addition to this there's a surprising, yet clear demarcation between the adult and teenage roles that is apparent not just in the manner of speech, but also in the language used.

One of the problems with the lack of direction and cohesiveness in the storyline is that it has a direct impact on the prominent characters, and this is the main reason why some viewers consider Ohana to be a very lacklustre lead role. Unfortunately, there's little in the dialogue that can actually raise her above average, and while there are clear efforts made to develop her character, these can often seem contrived or unnecessary.

That said, it's the supporting characters who really steal the show.

From Ohana's mother, Matsumae Satsuki, to Kawajiri Takako, the business consultant for Kissui Inn, the adult roles are defined from the start of the series, and this makes a nice contrast to the somewhat vague characterisation of Minko, Nako and Yuina (Ohana's friends). The series also makes the effort to further develop several of the supporting roles, and because of this the subtextual thread in the plot comes to light.

On the surface Hanasaku Iroha is nothing more than another teenaged melodrama, but underneath it's also a story about family and role models, and that aspect of the series is far more intriguing than much of the exisitng plot. The relationship between Sui, Satsuki and Enishi forms the cornerstone of everything that happens at Kissui Inn, and unlike many other anime out there the series handles the dynamics of this in a very realistic manner. Thanks to the efforts made to highlight how each person affects the other two, several minor but key clarifications of the storyline become apparent, the most notable being the reasons for the estrangement between Satsuki and her mother, Enishi's desperate attempts to win his mother's approval and finally step out of the shadow of his sister, and Ohana's festival wish at the end of the series.

Hanasaku Iroha isn't as good as it could have been, but that doesn't make it bad. If one is able to tolerate the tangents in the storyline then it really is a pretty decent show at its core, and it's a fairly good depiction of working life in a hotel. That said, at 26 episodes this series really is far too long, and it can often feel like certain events or situations were added only to fill the required number of episodes. Unfortunately the detrimental effect this has on the character interactions may lead to some viewers giving up on the show entirely,

The sad part is that if the series had been trimmed down and the subtextual plot given more prominence, this could easily have been a contender for the best anime of 2011, but as it is right now it's nothing more than another show that joins the ranks of "Coulda, Woulda, Shoulda".

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I enjoy slice of life. I really do. The problem I have with them is that it’s incredibly difficult to find one that isn’t terrible. The two biggest pitfalls I find with the genre are the lack of compelling plots and the lack of depth as the episodes get drowned in clichés. They often end up simply being boring as the episodes drag on to the formulaic beach/school festival/holiday routine in an attempt to entertain. Needless to say, I’m usually turned off by the introduction to a slice of life anime before I can even get into the series.

I watched Hanasku Iroha with massive heaps of cautious optimism. The entire premise sounded a little worrying. It tells of a teenage girl, Ohana, who experiences a set of circumstances that would send her to live and work with her grandmother, who owns and manages a hot spring inn of a small town. A hot spring inn staffed by mostly teenage girls? With that setup, fanservice seemed to be primary driving force.

Watching the first few episodes, I was pleasantly surprised. The characters had depth and were likable. The stereotype of the doting grandmother never got played out, settling for the minor stereotype of the “tough love” grandmother instead. There were actual obstacles presented to the characters. The events of one episode held consequences over the next episode. And for some bizarre reason, the anime that least needed fantastic animation had some of the best animation of the season.

The central message of Hanasaku Iroha is one about purpose. Ohana is pulled out of her comfort zone and sent into an unknown town. Here, the insecurities of her life are magnified. Here, she suddenly is faced with the uncertainty of where she wants to go in life. Here, she is forced to grow up, just a little bit. However, she embraces her new life and tries to find her place as one of the waitresses of the inn. She begins to learn more about herself, her place in life, and her family. Her resolve to face these challenges serve bring about change in the staff of the inn. Each member of the staff are faced with a crossroads on where they see themselves heading. As the story progresses, there is legitimate growth in each character. In the end, even the status quo of the inn is changed as a result of this growth with Ohana’s grandmother closing the inn to allow the staff to pursue their own dreams.

One of the best points of the series is how well they understand their audience. Each point that needs to be made is clearly made without underestimating the audience’s ability to understand. They show character development and conflicts rather than telling us about it. Some of the best scenes have no words at all, something that can easily be afforded with the animation quality. As a result, the plot doesn’t get too caught up in its own complications. They focus in on a situation just enough to get us tied to the characters before attempting to tug at our heartstrings.

As captivating and dramatic as it is, Hanasaku Iroha has its drawbacks. Remember that fanservice I suspected a few paragraphs back? It’s certainly here. It never completely dominates the series, but it doesn’t add anything either. My stance of fanservice is a disapproving one. I’ve never felt that it’s truly necessary for the female characters to disrobe for whatever reason or to include all these bath scenes. At best, it’s an odd scene to inject into an otherwise good episode; at worst, it is the entire series. Thankfully, the episodes that do include fanservice use them with a decent amount of restraint. Like I said earlier, it doesn’t harm the series as a whole. It’s just a bit unnecessary.

The romantic dramas within the series are a whole mixed bag for me. I enjoyed the drama they added and how it complicated the situation at the inn at times. Yet, the infuriating pacing and lack of closure on some of the stories really got to me. I know that the focus is supposed to be on the characters themselves while the romance is used to contrast their growth throughout the show. Then again, with the possible announcement of a second season, there should be plenty of time to flesh out those side stories in addition to showing us what the staff is up to now.

Hanasaku Iroha has reaffirmed my belief in slice of life series. It’s raised the bar for what will pass as entertaining and engaging and hopefully, it’ll continue to do so in its possible second season. I’m still going to approach these shows with cautious optimism, though. There’s just too much crap out there sometimes.

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Hanasaku Iroha was in my eyes the best show of the season.

The Art is simply beautiful and the animation is definitely good for a TV series. At no point is any of the character art off model or deformed even for distant shots. Generic background people in high population scenes tend to be done in the crappy 3d which has become popular in most recent shows, however the models are properly textured to blend with the environment and main characters, though their walk animations feel a little off. This is of course only a small problem since most of the show takes place where there are few people thus even the background people are fully animated in 2d. The colours are vibrant and really enhance the feeling of the environment. There are background shots through out the series so far which are simply stunning.

Most scenes don't have any background music at all in this show. Save for some comedic tunes the music is saved for only the scenes that need them. When those scenes come around the music beautifully compliments the art and the animation, and gently tug at your emotions. The Opening theme is sung very well by the artist and the lyrics match Ohana's attitude and state of mind very well. The ending theme is a soothing piece which has a sort of "It's been a good run..." type of feel to it. Episode 11's ending was changed to match the feeling of the show at that point int he story.

It is impossible for me to talk about the story and characters separately as this show is entirely character driven. Not a single element in this show happens "because that's the way we we wanted it to go." Everything flows smoothly as if each character was living and properly acting and reacting to the environment. The only thing even mildly questionable is Ohana's death grip on what she thinks is right. Character development for some of the minor characters feel rushed in the early episodes, however I'm willing to let that slide as it was probably to make way for Ohana's own story and there is further development with those characters later on. Her own development of course is really well written and her relationship with other characters very well scripted. I'd say these characters are definitely on the deep end of the character depth pool, Ko being the exception. I can sum him up in 2 words; devoted and supportive. That said he is dealt with and dealt with well in season 2, so if you are distressed over the lack of development in their relationship do not despair.

Overall I feel this is definitely a great show, and absolutely without a doubt would recommend this show to anyone who's looking for a great show with some great characters that they can seriously feel and believe.

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Hanasaku Iroha Review:

Everybody knows that "void" feeling you get when you finish a really great show. The feeling of emptiness that you feel when you finish a show that really connected with you or entertained you on a higher level. Only a few shows give you a feeling like this, and for each person the type of shows that can produce this feeling differ. For me, Clannad is the golden case of a show that gave me a void, because for months on end after finishing it, all I wanted to do was rewatch it.
Hanasaku Iroha is an anime that gave me my first "void" in quite some time.

Story - 7.2/10:
Hanasaku Iroha is a slice of life anime that follows the life of city-girl, Ohana, while she lives and works at her grandmother's inn. Like most slice of life anime, the story does not necessarily follow a focused plot, and instead finds its niche in story arcs complimented by underlying themes and a very loose main character arc. The story by no means breaks any grounds or really stands out from the crowd in terms of its concept, but its execution are what elevate Hanasaku Iroha's story from the crowd of slice of life anime. The story has many great character arcs that really get you attached to the characters. The themes in the story are also very easy to relate too. Whether its the idea of hard work pays off, the struggles of adapting to a new setting, failing to live up to your parent's expectations, or simply struggling to gain the love of the one you want, Hanasaku Iroha tackles a slew of themes that many will connect with. Because of these themes, the show can get quite emotional at times, but the characters and writing does also open the door for some entertaining comedy. I also have to point out that the homestretch of the show does provide some edge of your seat entertainment as you desperately hope to find out what happens next. Slice of Life anime tend to limit themselves on how good their story can be due to a focus on a character driven plot, and Hanasaku Iroha is no exception. However, the execution and maturity of the story are without a doubt worth recognition.

Art - 8.6:
P.A. Works has yet to fail to impress me with their animation quality. They always manage to bring a really cinematic feel to all their projects and Hanasaku Iroha is no exception. The character designs are all great, as well as the varied settings. There were quite a few still frames, but seeing as the show wasn't action packed, and with the lighting and colors being as beautiful as they were, this wasn't much of an issue. Really, the art is just beautiful and really helps immerse you into the show.

Sound - 7.8:
The soundtrack to this show was great. The background tracks weren't really that memorable or noticeable but that was fine given the kind of laid back tone this show had. However, when the show needed to get serious or emotional, the soundtrack did shine. Additionally, I must say that the first OP is absolutely fantastic. I didn't skip it once while watching the show, and that is damn impressive for me. The voice acting was a bit up and down, but overall strong. Most of the characters were well portrayed by their VA's but there was one character that was so frustratingly annoying with her nonstop Engrish that the voice acting portion of this grade has to take a dip down. But with the overall strong voice acting, and great, but not fantastic soundtrack, I still have to give this segment a high score.

Character - 8.2/10:
The thing that makes or breaks slice of life shows is its characters, and I must say that Hanasaku Iroha had a splendid group of characters. The first of the notable characters I will mention is Ohana. Ohana is the main character and a very outgoing teenage girl from Tokyo. She is forced to leave Tokyo and her best friend Ko (who admitted his feelings for her before she left), due to circumstances with her mom, and is now living/working at her grandmother's inn. Ohana is a caring, hard working, and energetic girl that is extremely likeable. Next is Minko who is a chef in training at the inn. Minko is very sharp-tongued and mean, but she is also very dedicated to her craft and actually a nice person underneath her harsh words. And finally we have Nako, the timid girl who is a waitress with Ohana. All three of these girls, and really all the characters in general seem to initially fit a set, one dimensional archetype. However, the beautiful thing about this show is that every single character develops. The characters all learn new things about themselves and by the end of the show all become better, more likable people. What I think makes these characters so likable, even more-so than the outstanding development they have, is just how easy it is to relate to them, and how human they seem. They all have desires, struggles, and emotions that we all feel. The interactions between the characters can also be golden at times. The only thing holding the character section back here is the lack of a unique, stand-out type of character that you could find in some other shows like Code Geass (Lelouch), Steins;Gate (Okabe), or Haruhi Suzumiya (I wonder who). But really, with this kind of show, a more realistic main lead probably fits the role better than a wildly unique one. Oh... and Takako is pretty bad at first...

Enjoyment - 8.1/10:
Like I said in the into: This show gave me a void. I connected with the characters so much, that by the time the show was nearing its approach, I was feeling sad that it was going to end. Although I enjoy almost every anime I watch, Hanasaku Iroha for some reason just stuck with me better than the vast majority of others. It isn't an edge of your seat thriller like Death Note, nor is it a laugh out loud comedy like , or a non stop tear jerker like Clannad. The atmosphere of this show is actually quite laid back, with some drama and humor here and there. But because I became so attached to the characters, I couldn't help but feel a little empty when it was all over. This has become one of my favorite slice of life animes and I am so glad I decided to watch it.

Overall 7.98/10:
Hanasaku Iroha is a beautiful anime that is truly in the top tier of the slice of life genre. It is not only visually and audibly stunning, but the themes and characters in this simple show really help make it one to remember. It may not have one primary theme, story, or ability that it really owns, but it impresses in every category that a slice of life should, making for a very enjoyable experience. By the time you finish this show, you will be wishing you could rewatch it all over again like you'd never seen it before.

The Verdict:
A wonderful slice of life that feels how it's supposed to: Real.

Pros:
+Beautiful animation
+Brilliant OP1
+Character development
+Realistic themes and struggles

Cons:
- Takako...
- No big emotional or intense scenes
- Ohana x Ko "relationship" is poorly paced

If you liked Hanasaku Iroha, watch...
Nagi No Asukara:
Also by PA Works with a very similar art style and similar themes of friendship and the idea that people and things all eventually change.
Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo:
Another fantastic slice of life anime with emphasis on hard work and dedication as well as strong characters.

7.98 - Wonderful

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It's been a long time since I've seen a Slice of Life done well. I'm not sure what it is about Hanasaku Iroha, but it is one of the calmest anime I have seen in a long while. There's something about the series that is just very relaxing.

The story essentially revolves around Ohana, a young teenage girl, and her experiences as she works as a waitress in an inn. As the show progresses, you are able to see the blooming relationships that develop as she begins to understand herself and the people around her. The show focuses on the challenges of being a teenage girl and Ohana's inner resolve to 'fest' it up no matter the situation. While there is romance, it is extremely slow paced. It will pop in from time to time to apply a dose of necessary drama to keep the audience interested in what will happen next and how it will affect each character. For a 26 episode series, I was skeptical at first of how they could achieve a balance between the amount of entertaining material and filling such a large amount of time. Much to my delight PA works really did manage to balance these two quite well.

The Art/Animation was good. The first opening had some choppy parts in the animation, but the animation throughout the series flowed smoothly and there's nothing to complain about here. I also found the openings and endings to be quite nice; fitting, if you will, for the show. One aspect that I felt was unnecessary here was the fan service. While it's not over the top ecchi, there are scenes that just felt out of place considering this is a slice of life drama. I'm kind of split between whether or not to criticize or praise this because on one hand the risque factor was toned down quite a lot, but on the other hand it didn't help further the show's enjoyment and wasn't necessary.

Now going back to the bit about Hanasaku Iroha being 26 episodes. The 26 episodes really did justice to each of the characters. Each character's strengths, weaknesses, and quirks felt really defined. The pacing of the show, besides the romance, was solid and had a laid back flow. Ohana is very strong-willed and has a natural helping, outgoing personality. Minko is a tsundere that gets overly jealous and is quick to jump to conclusions. Nako is the quiet girl who's pretty much perfect yet is somehow very timid and lacks charisma. As the series progresses, each character becomes more and more likeable; you really get to see that they are all good people with good intentions.

Overall, a solid, relaxing watch. If you have the time, and enjoy the Slice of Life genre, perhaps you might consider booking a reservation at Kissuiso to see what it has to offer.

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So hey, let's talk Hanasaku Iroha.

Hanasaku Iroha is a 26 episode s'life drama about a bunch of teenage girls with incredibly poor listening abilities working in an inn as waitresses while trying to overcome their crippling urge to yell at everything that they don't immediately understand. Well, OK. This is a touch unfair. It's only Ohana and Minko who do this, Minko doing the yelling of the angry variety while Ohana covers the obscenely unaware side of the yelling spectrum, but most of the show is focused on these two. The thing with Hanasaku Iroha is that, asides from the drama side of things, it's hard to find any faults. The humour is surprisingly clever and never doubts your intelligence by pointing out the jokes for you. The animation is incredibly pretty. The characters are well rounded individuals who almost never fall into stereotype. It's just it's most interested in being a drama and that is precisely the area it fails at.

For now though, I feel like talking about the positive, specifically the one area I will throw myself to the floor in gratitude for: The humour. HanaIro isn't primarily a comedy, so don't go expecting to be struggling for breath through fits of giggles, but what jokes it does have, it never feels the need to have someone point them out for you. It recognises that you, the viewer, are an intelligent person (a rather dangerous assumption to make on behalf of the general population, it has to be said, but treat someone like they're a doofus and they'll start acting like one, self-fulfilling prophecies and all that) and recognise the humour behind Ohana constantly running away from the Heron when it blocks her path. We do not require a second character asking her why she ran away. We can see the Heron with it's freaky little beady eyes and shockingly large wingspan and fully understand why Ohana has decided to take the alternate path to prevent confronting the beast.

Hanasaku Iroha assume you're intelligent enough to notice this sort of stuff in other areas too, such as symbolism. Using our friend the Heron again, there is a scene in the final episode where Ohana is confronted by the Beast again but, instead of running away like she normally does, she marches on by it. It's a symbol that she has finally gained up the courage to focus on her problems and not run around them like she usually does. Simple, but it does this without feeling the need to monologue why this scene is important. Also fanservice. It's nice to have a series where I can ogle attractive female anime characters without insulting my intelligence by hovering the camera over their underwear in case we were too busy scratching our arses to notice (apart from this one lingering shot of a wet t-shirt in episode 3, but that episode was generally retarded so we can forget about that).

I also liked how there were little stories revolving around the minor characters in the show. Any personal conflicts that I enjoyed watching with characters tended to be any of the characters that weren't teenage girls because they were the conflicts that were treated with a sense of humour about them (and didn't yell all the fucking time). Some of them are incredibly simple, such as the head chef's Ren and his desire to become more confident. Once they had established that he gets nervous very easily, it was a reoccurring joke that he would try to man up, such as buying Yakuza jackets with a proud look on his face. Or the Beanman, the old codger who appeared in the background every now and then, who seemingly was the only person who knew how the inn worked. Personally, I'm convinced that he could make the inn sprout legs and move to a more tourist friendly area, like Howls Moving Castle, piloting the building from inside the boiler room.

I can't go talking about the characters without mentioning Ohana's mum. MILF to end all MILF's. Absolute star of the show, particularly impressive when she only appeared for episodes 1, 12-14 and 24-26. It was only when she was around that the drama started to actually click because she had a sense of bloody humour about her own insecurities and flaws. Best scenes of the anime were Ohana's mum drinks alcohol with Ohana's granny and Ohana. Or how about Ohana's mum pretends she's going to watch porn with Ko, Ohana's bland boyfriend. Underneath the story about Ohana's growth and the growth of the other teenage girls, there's a story about her making up with her family and becoming a (slightly) more responsible parent. There's never anyone going "LOOK GUIZ, SHE'S A BETTER PARENT NAOW" because we can spot that for ourselves.

I should also give some lipservice to the animation. For all their other faults, P.A. Works always have incredibly good animation and artwork. It's more of the shiny variety than the free-flowing movement of the works from Bones or KyoAni, but don't mistake this for an inability to animate movement. I found myself wondering this after a few episodes, whether I was simply being suckered in to thinking the animation was good simply because of scenery porn and attractive shiny female character designs. But no, the actual animated movement is gorgeous too. Hair moves when the characters shake their heads about. Clothes crease and fold when they move their hands. It sounds like a weird thing to focus on, but often having shiny pretty character designs hides the fact the characters are completely static, so bravo to HanaIro for that.

But the drama. Christ above, the bloody drama. I know teenage girls are stupid and refuse to listen to each other and get into the most irritating fights, so I guess I should congratulate them on accurately depicting typical teenage girls, but it does not make fascinating viewing. Minko deserves a mention here. She also deserves a kick in the stomach and a boot to the face and various other forms of pain. Every single damn time there's something to talk about, she gets angry and yells at everyone. I thought maybe her anger with Ohana and crush on Tohru would be a short lived thing, but it ran throughout the entire show, getting more screentime than any other plot point. Ohana isn't much better, being so braindead that she barges into every situation thinking talking really loudly and being energetic will get her through. You might be forgiven for thinking Nako is better because she's so quiet, but don't let that fool you. She solves any problems she encounters by quiet yelling, spouting off single phrases without listening to what other characters are saying. None of them bloody listen to each other or what anyone else is saying, making any dramatic confrontation lead nowhere because there's no logical process in the dialogue.

Plus there's the fact that what they're arguing about isn't in the slightest bit interesting. Now this may be a personal thing, since I struggle to get into melodramatic anime involving minor human problems, but did you really ever care about the future of the Kissiuso Inn? Like, really? I didn't, yet they spent hours arguing over the future of the bloody place. This really dragged down in the final bunch of episodes, because that became the main talking point. I liked the characters internal conflicts with their own faults, but there seemed to be a disconnect between their own internal faults and what the issues on the outside were. This drama is pretty much my only fault with the show, but it unfortunately happens to be the central focus, so it really dragged down my enjoyment as a whole. Again though, this could be just me. If you're the kind of easily emotionally manipulated loser who thinks Ano Hana is one of the best shows of the year, then maybe you too will like the drama in HanaIro.

I didn't like the core of Hanasaku Iroha. The drama that was like a giant gaudy painting of a fat poodle in the showroom that was meant to be the living room's centrepiece. But I liked all the décor surrounding it. I liked the picturesque potted plants of the attractive animation and character designs. I liked the stylish coffee table of the clever humour. I liked the comfy leather sofa of Ohana's mum...err, don't think too hard about that final metaphor. Anyway, I liked enough of the various aspects of Hanasaku Iroha to get me passed the dull drama and enjoy the show as a whole.

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This series truly went downhill. At first I was really excited about the art and music, and quite pleased by the plot. But it got progressively more boring. It seems by the end of the first several episodes, everything from friendship to conflicts is set in place. The story afterward enfolds in an episodic way, with no noteworthy character development or meaningful plot twists. And sadly the cuteness factor in the main character turned into annoyance. I hoped Ohana would use her perseverance to her advantage and gain some maturity, but that didn't happen.
Then all the other characters stay 2-D throughout.

So even though I did try hard to like this series, I don't think I'll be continuing it anymore.
Plus, now I can't even stand the opening song after they changed it.

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Relying on people is something we must do in life and will eventually.

*UPDATED* 12 episodes watched
I hope you get a good idea what this is about, since it's a really unique and exiting series I can tell is worth watching!

Story, 9
"Do never rely on others" was the words Ohana Matsumae have lived by since she was a small child. As her live took a turn and she started working, she realises this does not work.
Ohana has lived with her mother all her life and her mother is carefree and selfish. Ohana learned by her mother by words and self-experience that relying others never works. At least for Ohana at this time, she always ended up getting hurt. But when her mother sends her away to her Grandma's Inn to live. She is forced to work to earn her living and learns that you must rely on others since you can't do everything by yourself.

Watching 12 episodes, Ohana meets more and more complicated situations and often tries to improve and fix these by herself when others does not act. But when she tries, she eventually fails at some point until her friends come and help her up always saying "Why did you do it on your own?". Story shows great love and great co-operative work and shows it well.

Art, 10!
This is seriously the one of the best if not THE best art I've seen! The art is very much detailed and beautiful. Even the backgrounds are in great detail, and no wasted efforts.
The characters are beautiful and unique, I especially like Ohana's sweet and innocent but strong living look and it fits so well in to the series.
Whereever you look you see fine detail on all objects thru the entire series so far. It's amazing how much time they've spent on the art. Well worth the 10!

Sound, 8
The opening theme is great, but not really remember-able. It's the usual you could say. Mainstream. But I guess you will (Atleast I will) recognise the song if you watch the opening every episode.
The voice actor Itou Kanae does the voice for Ohana! She is a very good voice actor and performs exceptional well here. She has voiced other great series for the main character like Toaru Kagaku no Railgun, Sora no Manimani, Shugo Chara!, Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai (The world god only knows)
The background music is very well done. But here aswell, Mainstream. It's nothing wrong with it, since it does give a very good experience, but as said for opening, nothing you will remember probably.

Character, 10
This is superb! Ohana Matsumae is a clear 10 in my perspective.
At first she seems to be a normal girl with a very cute face (and the voice acting is so good and fits so well makes it even cuter) but as you watch and get to the turning point, she reveals many more sides and I actually need to watch a few more episodes before I can fully explain how she is as person.
She is hard-working and determined when she want to prove she can perform well. She has a good heart and does not want to anyone take the blame for her mistakes. She does not give up, and she puts a lot of effort in to her objectives.
And one thing that keeps her going is the fact her Grandma is strict and old fashion. Her saying is "A careless effort does nothing but harm", and clearly, Ohana does not want to harm anyone and wants to prove her efforts are not careless.
The other characters that works at the inn are very special and have their roles and personalties. Much is focused around the protagonist here, but all supporting char are VERY well done and no wasted effort.
As this series is about efforts, it's only natural that this would be good.

12 epsiodes in, more have been shown for teh supportive characters, not only Ohana and Ko-chan have lovey dovey feelings, but there is a side story going on with another romance. And secrets are being revealed with many of the side characters that just improve the story. It's very entertaining.

Enjoyment, 9
So far. I enjoyed this a lot and cant wait until the next episode. And this is probably going to be the best Anime for this season or close to it.
You will feel attachment to Ohana, I've never seen a similar character and cannot think of any other character from a different series that is similar.
We all have our tastes but this is a Seinen Series and the majority of people will probably like this.

My Enjoyment now is 10. This is superb series and I just totally love Ohana.

Overall, 9
It's not a 10, even though I feel like giving it one. But well worth a 9.
I can tell this is ABSOLUTELY worth watching. If you don't like this, then you just don't. But I doubt any would dislike it.
It has a great heart to it, and much we can learn to put in our own lives.

It's well made, its beautiful, it's unique in almost all aspects, I've seen 2 episodes, and going crazy. Episodes are released Sundays, so don't miss out.

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Let's cut to the chase, Hanasaku Iroha has its moments, but ultimately it lost its direction midway.

The story can be summarized as a group of cute girls working in an inn doing a bunch of things that normally wouldn't be interesting in real life. However this is Anime, so something like wiping the floor becomes extraordinary exciting all of a sudden and there are plenty more real life boring activities the show will make it incredibly exciting.

The other component of Hanasucku 's story are the romantic dramas. There are romantic dramas that are fun to watch, but if you have seen any romance Anime, you can figure out pretty much figure out who will end up with who.

By midway, Hanasaku's almost episodic nature becomes more and more boring and it didn't feel like any of the arcs were going anywhere (other than the romance ones). Watching a cute girl washing dishes while ogling at her man or cleaning the windows early morning no longer excites the viewers. Fortunately the pace picks up near the end with all the inn drama; still, the drama was a bit cheap (not to mention forced to create a plot) in my opinion.

Now let's talk about the characters

The characters were all unfortunately either recycled characters from some other show or just plain old archetypes.

Ohana - typical pretty peacemaker, needs to get into everyone's ways until everyone is happy.

Minchi - violent tsundere, but cute

Nakochi - timid miss perfect.

There is this other girl named Yuina, but I don't think she could even write her name properly, so she does not deserve a mention (oh wait...)

The surrounding visuals is very well done, the character designs are okay. The first opening song really fits the show, but the second opening is terrible. I also liked Michi's VA, it expresses her character well.

I thoroughly enjoyed this Anime because I watched one episode per week. Had this been an Anime that was already completed, I do not think I would even pick this up.

Hanasaku isn't a waste of time, but not worth watching either.

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Like other PA works animes in the past, Hanasaku Iroha has managed to provide quite the unique experience, but this is not necessarily a good thing. If I were to sum up the idea of this anime, it could be put quite simply as learning to love your work. It is a fairly down to earth idea, and I would have been hard pressed to imagine that I would be coming into a show with such an identity crisis as this one.

The story begins with the main character Ohana being forced by her mother to move in with her Grandmother who happens to be the very strict owner of a hot spring inn. Being forced to work for room and board, Ohana decides to do everything she can to make the most of her life.

The series really started out quite wonderfully as a very promising coming of age story. It had top notch visuals and had a compelling enough premise to get behind our main character Ohana as she tries to "fest it up." The problem is that this show had an odd balance between trying to be a drama that could be taken seriously, and a story that often disgraced its cast in favor of some not so great comedy. This would surface as soon as episode 3 in the show where all of a sudden the show is injected with odd fanservice and the cast is beaten with a stupid stick.

I do not have a problem with trying to have comedy in this show, but in a story that tires to take itself seriously it should never come at the expense of each character's dignity. One of the best representatives of this in the series is the character Minko, who is supposed to be a very moody, but beautiful girl with a one tracked mind of fulfilling her quest to become a chef. Unfortunately, her mannerisms and actions often lacked grace and style, so she often just came off as an unnecessarily angry and unlikable person. The balance of her character definitely became better as the show went along, but the handling of her character was pretty poor and led to several awkwardly bad moments in the series.

Still though these problems usually came at the expense of the male cast rather than the female cast, which made Minko look good by comparison amazingly enough. Throughout the show this anime had a penchant for showcasing males to be far more incompetent at everything they do compared to their female peers. Ohana's uncle Enishi is always shown to be an incompetent fool who could never compare in ability to his mother or his sister when it came to running the inn Kissuiso. The cook Tohru is first shown to be a serious chef, but then is often displayed as an insensitive, bumbling fool. Ohana's romantic interest in this show, Kou apparently only ever knew the method of inaction in his one sided romantic relation and preceded to waltz around in melancholy the whole time.

As far as the female cast went, Ohana's character was the shining star of the entire show, and I would be hard pressed to find someone who actually dislikes her character. Her little phrases like "fest it up," or "sparkling" would become trademark aspects of her character that both the cast and audience would come to love her for. A character once said in the show that the "Kissuiso is fun because she's there" and I could not agree more. Without her character, I doubt this show would have ever worked at all. She was a bullheaded girl who often charged into a chaotic world. She would constantly butt into people's problems and try to fix everything up. The cast would label her as inconsiderate for doing so, but this inconsideration is precisely what made her character so likable.

Much like some of the characters, the plot often was handled very awkwardly. The main plot threads consist mostly of Ohana's romantic troubles with Kou as she moved from Tokyo, Ohana finding a place for herself in this new life of hers as she learns to appreciate her work, and the impending crisis that is the Inn's future, both financially and in leadership. This was all clear at least by the very end, but it often got side tracked.

Several of the arcs throughout the show seemed to be pointing in different directions altogether. Worst of them all was the ones involving Enishi. Several times we are led to believe that he would take leadership of the Inn, and truly lead it in a good direction only to find out that he is incompetent and incapable of doing so. Many times in the show we are shown Ohana making progress in her new life in certain arcs, but then it flips around and paints her as a distressed person who does not know quite what she wants to do coupled with huge self-esteem issues.

These are but two examples of the sort of backpedaling and moving forward at the same time that this show constantly treads, which really does become tiresome as it goes on. It is hard to know what the anime is quite trying to show us or tell us. Sometimes it hamfists certain messages through that are very disagreeable, and other times does not capitalize enough on the good things it's trying to tell. Despite this of course, the main message of this show always was learning to love your work, and that is something I think anyone can get behind.

In considering the production values of this show I must say the visuals were very good as always for a PA works show, but not perfect. I did not absolutely love the character designs, but they were not bad. The audio side of this show on the other hand had lots of issues. Too often there was a complete absence of a BGM track to set the mood and pace of this show properly. The few tracks they did have were quite forgettable.There is nothing wrong with utilizing the magic of silence in a show, but it needs to be used properly, something this show definitely did not do.

Despite my tone, this anime was not all bad, and I definitely found entertainment throughout it even if at times for the wrong reasons.. The anime's best moments were definitely at the start, the very middle, and towards the end. There were enough highs in this series for me to look upon it sort of fondly. It was indeed a unique experience, precisely because it was such an infuriating mesh of love and hatred.

I can justify this anime as a passable "good" watch, but nothing more. It was much too flawed and mishandled for me to consider it anything more. It started beautifully and ended beautifully as a series I must say, but there were many problems between the beginning and end points to drive me more than a little crazy. This leads me to believe that this show should have been 1 cour, but alas PA works seems like they have some issues on reigning in their productions properly as this is not the first example of an anime with tons of potential just not doing enough with it. I definitely would not say this anime is a waste of one's time, but it also is not something that I would jump to recommend to most people.

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Out of all the slice of life's I've seen i have to say this is one of the best, and its an all time favorite of mine. It's a pretty relaxing anime to watch, and it is defiantly one of those anime that is going to leave a empty hole in your heart once you finish it, because its just that amazing.

Story 10- The story overall was really good, its like any typical slice of life. Its about a girl sent to her grandmas inn because her mother runs off with her boyfriend. Like most slices of life the story doesn't follow a set order its mostly about the hardships and changes Ohana has to deal with once see arrives Kissuiso. The story teaches about how hard work can not only lead to your happiness but others happiness to, and that in the end the work put in can really make a difference. Lets just say if Kissuiso was a real inn, i defiantly make reservations.

Art 10- Everything is beautifully made, and the atmosphere surrounding Kissuiso is calm but at the same time fun. The characters are look wonderful and they all fit the story perfectly. I absolutely love how Kissuiso looks, and its texture. Its a place i wouldn't mind working at that is for sure.

Sound 9- Both the openings of this anime are my all time favorites. The openings were so good that i never even thought to skipped them not even once. All the voices were perfect and the sound effects were good. There was this one women who kept speaking words in English though an it sounded really weird.Other than that the sound was good.

Character 10- I loved watching all the characters develop, just seeing there emotions go crazy. I felt so bad for Ohana throughout the series always regretting her decision from the first episode i don't wanna spoil it though so i wont say anything else. Watching Ohana cope with her new life was really amazing, and watching her have so much fun while working was hilarious. Minko was another character i loved, i felt so bad for her because she could never get the one she loved to understand her feelings, and it made be sad inside. Nako was a sweet character, though timid and shy at work, she was nice and took very well care of her family. I really did love her personality. I also loved how all three characters fit so well together in this setting, and i also loved watching their friendships develop. Overall those three are a very loving cast, and have a wonderful friendship.

Enjoyment 9- This anime was really fun to watch, and i really enjoyed watching all the characters develop. I enjoyed the beautiful scenery, and like i said before i loved the atmosphere. I honestly enjoyed this anime so much that i miss watching it, and hearing all the characters laughing while having tons of fun.

Overall 10- I give it 10, because in my opinion Hanasaku Iroha is a beautifully done anime. Its a really good slice of life. The characters really do make this anime enjoyable, and overall its a must watch for those slice of life fans.

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This review is based off only from EPISODE ONE. Remember, as this is my first review of my first interest, but I hope you appreciate.

Ohana, the lead female, has unique, an unusual attitude you won't see easily in any girl--pretty much instead resemble a guy's nature but that's just me. I like Ohana, she resembles me wholly if not partly--being expectant all the time, that is.

The characters, you won't see any cliche there, as they were supposed to be made unique and dramatic--according to the lead. We'll see a lot of dramas and changes overtime.

The plot, rather rare, and is exciting, especially if the number of episodes are 26.

The soundtracks, this one I didn't completely attend to fully, not because I dislike it but because it seems it doesn't click with my ears in the first time but is fitting.

The art, is beautifully composed, no complaints there, especially if you pay attention on how its made (specifically the background) you will notice that is full of effort.

Overall good start, prolly my best anime this season, I'd like to see how this turns in and out.

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I have to say I loved this anime! Beautifully done in so many ways. They made a slice of life drama and turned it into an anime series that I personally have trouble not watching again! I enjoyed every part of it all the way down to the romance and the really funny comedy in this show. I found the story about Ohana Matsumae to be very enjoyable to hear about. I got to see every bump in the road of a 16 year old girl's life that has a mother who she thinks doesn't care about her and focuses more on her job and finding a husband then she does on her daughter. Ohana tries to get away from that and runs right into a grandmother who she isn't really sure she cares about her either. Through all the hard times she has of course there are good times, too. Along with moving to live with her grandmother at her hot spring inn, she gets three awesome friends and finally understands what it's like to love/like someone. Ohana's attitude made me look at life with a different outlook. She is a beautifully made main character. I am still waiting for there to be a another season or an OVA to this anime. I would love to see more of all the characters lives and how everyone is doing. If you haven't seen this anime, you are definitely missing out!

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So I am writing this as more of a pre-review then a full one since this is based only on the first episode, that being said I get the impression that this will be one of my favorite shows this season.

I like the fact that there is a more live action feel to this series then you usually find in anime. The main character is whimsical and has a childlike sense of the world, but is somewhat forced to confront the realities of what becoming an adult is like when she is forced to work at an inn. this show also refreshingly doesn't fall into a lot of the cliche's with this type of setup. The main character is constantly thinking of her life as a story setting, and being disappointed by reality.

Good music, good visuals/animation, interesting characters, and a believable setting are all a plus. I really wish I could write more for this review, but one episode certainly is not enough for me to say more.

This epside 8/10, the show has a potential to be a 9 depending on where they take the story.

For a plot synopsis, just click the link and read the one on this website.

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Life is like a rose, it can be beautiful and it can give a very pleasant scent or it can be very sharp and painful as I am sure you know.

The Story spins around a teenage girl Matsumae Ohana that is forced to live with her grandmother at a traditional japanese inn with her grandmother because of her mother's decision to run away with her boyfriend.
At first Ohana thinks everything will work out just fine and that she will enjoy the services of the inn. That is when life slaps her in the face in the form of her grandmother telling her she has to work to earn her expenses.
From that point on she and all the workers at the inn are faced with different situations mostly together in the struggle it shows different situations that end up in an amusing way.
The Story is not meant to impress viewers nor evolve into something greater, but give people insight in the character's everyday lives at the inn while making them laugh.

Artwork is one of the best I've seen because of it's use of lighting to create memorable scenery and characters all while fitting the genre of the anime. Also actions like moving, speaking grunting are displayed in a continuous fashion and not by putting bits together as I have seen on other occasions.
The climax of the artwork on Hanasaku Iroha are the backgrounds, very well made and at some point can even make you confuse them for reality.


Characters are designed from a similar template with added elements to customize them or are uniquely made to fit the role they are playing all while minimizing the image of a particular person and to contribute to a more authentic scene .
They mostly react in a realistic way to the story by laughing getting angry falling and so on, adding to the quality of the overall work.
Since the story isn't what this anime is supposed to focus on you can't say there are antagonists or side characters they all blend in this environment to create in the viewer's mind a feeling of reality even if he knows it isn't.

All in all, Hanasaku Iroha is an authentic presentation of how life works and plays around with humans revealing it's two faces. I enjoyed it very much because of it's simplicity and refreshing atmosphere that is meant to reach out to you.

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Average. That is how I rate this serie

The story seemed to promise but as the series progressed, I could see how this was going to nowhere. Yeah she used to live in the city and now she lives in a hotel...

The characters, some of them have a defined personality, but none of them develope it completely, Ohana is just an annoying brat, she doesn't know what the limits are. I know that that's the point in her, that she's persistent, but she is in a great extreme.

The art is good, not great but not bad. I like how are some details added.

The opening, I completely hate the opening. It's just so annoying (for me) that super faked voice.

Also, the series was kinda enjoyable and somehow funny, but the fanservice ruined everything.

That's why I dropped the series, there's a ton of series way too interesting to watch.

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This is my first time writing an anime review. The fact that the CV of the main character is Kanae Itou caught my attention instantly since she was also the CV of another main character of a long-run anime, Shugo Chara. I jumped into a conclusion that this anime would be good enough with just the cast but then I find many good things about this anime that makes it worthwhile to watch and even better may be one of the most interesting anime I'lll ever watch.

Story: 7
Since there are only 3 episodes so far, I can say that this will surely change as I view more of the next episodes. The story is kinda plain, too simple and don't stand out among its competitors this season. But there are potentials in this anime. Reality is not that easy to handle. This anime shows us how a simple and ordinary girl who has no idea of what society really is makes her way through the ups and downs of life but at the same time enjoying herself as she faced unexpected events. It teaches us good attitudes towards work, morals and the courage to keep moving forward. How the protagonist handle all the daily activities in the inn with people both supporting her and hating her may make the story more interesting. The emotions in this anime is good compared to other animes which only shows a complicated story and nothing else. I look forward to watching more.

Art: 8
I'm not particularly good at judging art but for this anime I'll go with a 9. The art matches the story and atmosphere perfectly. The inn was designed carefully that I could tell where is where easily. The scenery was breathtaking too. The only thing is that I already watched a lot of anime and this doesn't have any new art in it that should give it a 10.

Sound: 8
I played the opening and ending song again and again but its not something that I can remember in an instant. Though if you'll watch the animation while listening to the music, you can somehow see a connection and say to yourself, "It's a match." The main protagonist's CV has a childish and lively voice which suits it great. But some of the characters has voices that don't seem to fit the character that much. Nonetheless, it's good in its own way.

Character: 8
The character design for Ohana, the main character is simply cute. Again, nothing makes it stand out but I think it is the best fit for the role. With those curly hairs with a flower in each side and a small height, I won't doubt for a second that she's lively. For the other characters, it may be a little bit too soon to describe them since they seldom appeared. One more thing, their school uniform was so ordinary. Bad, because I think one of the possible forte for an anime like this is having unique uniform designs. On the other hand, they're in the country side, so it is to be expected that it is not something extravagant since it's not a fashion school or private anything.

Enjoyment: 8
I give it an 8. I like how it reaches a climax then suddenly here comes the ending theme. Of course, I get irritated why it has to end with that part in that episode but that's something to wait. And I enjoy thinking all the possible things that could happen in the next episode while I wait. Does it sound boring? Well, it's me after all. :D

Overall: 8
I think this could get higher points as the story progress. So I'll end it here for now. Thanks for reading my first ever review :DD

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A wonderful, beautiful, rose colored slice of life anime. Hanasaku Iroha is the pinnacle of showing how no matter what happens, things will work out. Daily life, feeling alive, just being alive is amazing.

Story - 8/10
There was not much of a complete, general conflict as a whole. Hanasaku Iroha follows a naive yet energetic girl named Ohana as her setting changes drastically. Series of conflicts arise, but by her just being her, everything turns out okay.

Art - 10/10
Characters are drawn without flaw, outfits are accurate, but most of all the scenery is very pleasing to the eyes, along with fitting ambient and environmental sound. It made me feel like I was there.

Sound - 9/10
Superb voice acting, sound effects were top notch, the only problem I had was a bit of the music. The vocalist isn't my personal cup of tea, but fit in well.

Character - 10/10
The character development in Hanasaku Iroha is what makes the anime so amazing. Each character is special and has many different aspects to their personality. Some you'll love, some you'll love to hate, but either way, they make this anime that much better.

Enjoyment - 10/10
I had to finish this anime in one go. I didn't know what to expect at first, but I regret nothing. So many life lessons to learn from Hanasaku Iroha. Through all the happy, sad, angry, touching, and exciting moments, I enjoyed every bit of it.

Overall 10/10
Loved it. I wish I hadn't watched it so I can watch it again for the first time. Hanasaku Iroha is not your average slice of life anime at all. This has everything you'd look for in a slice of life anime: romance, suspense, drama, happiness, sadness, nostalgia, friendship. But most of all, it gets you thinking "Bon boru-yo!" Fest it up, get out there and be alive!

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Okay, I'm going to keep this as objective as possible, and deter myself from breaking into an angry rant. Because I feel very strongly about this anime, and it isn't pretty.
Let's begin with the good points of the anime.

**PROS**
--Art: 7/10--
A 5/10 would be considered average, and the art is slightly above average. The scenery can be very beautiful- the train tracks, village, rain, and mountains are done beautifully. The characters have nice art, but outside from the occasional scenery, there was nothing particularly extraordinary. It was nice, that's all. The characters have nice highlights. The colors are beautiful- not too bright, and not too pale or washed out. It was aesthetically pleasing to look at, but nothing mind blowing like 5 Centimeters Per Second or Miyazaki films.

--Music: 7/10--
It was nice to listen to the music, but again, it wasn't anything too special. I liked that most of the music wasn't overly cheerful and energetic, which is often the case for shoujo anime. I didn't get sick of the opening, but it wasn't great enough that I listened to it. I skipped the opening after two or three episodes. Most of the music fits the mood and scenery.

--Story: 6/10--
Mediocre in every sense of the word. Now, this is neither a pro nor a con. Some people enjoy stories where every episode is basically some new, quirky adventure. The story is supposed to be about the main girl, who is abandoned by her mother and has to go to a hotel and work there in a new town, with new people. It's the sort of plot that could be great with good enough characters to make the viewer invested. While the story can be entertaining and full of laughter, it's really not 'slice of life'. There was nothing particularly deep or enlightening about this series. It TRIED to be deep a few times. It TRIED to PRETEND it was slice of life. But please. This anime is full of boring ideas. There is no real plot- every episode is about the cast getting into some cutesy adventure, really. Plot kind of starts to appear near the end, but by then, I kind of failed to care about what happened, so. Not to mention the endless plotholes in this. Overall, it's cute. It can be amusing. But don't expect anything deep or unique about this. It's something to do when you have nothing better to watch or to do.

**CONS**
--Character: 2--
I had to think REALLY HARD about giving this a 2 instead of a 1. The issue is that this entire anime is ruined by the lack of good characters. Every character was a shallow, underdeveloped cliche with no depth or originality whatsoever. And with the storyline, you would need great characters to make the story work. But this show fails to create characters that the viewer can get behind.
Take a look at the main girl. Ohana. She's nothing special. She's supposed to be like some sort of Tohru, all optimistic, selfless, cute, innocent and happy-go-lucky. Do you want to know how I'd describe her?
Bland. Generic. Lifeless. Flat. Static. Cliche. Bratty, even. I didn't find her endearing at all. She was flat and bland. She's supposed to be so positive and endearing but she was whiny, annoying, and weird. She whined and pretended to be "so hardworking". But we are given no background to her. Hell, she doesn't even get angry or confused when her mother ABANDONS her for e MAN. She's all, "oh ok, cool." no questions asked. Ohana is someone I can neither relate to because she's set up to be perfect and loveable, but she also has no real depths, no development. She's flat. Not terrible, but...hardly real or 3-d. Even weird in a bad way.
The rest of the characters are equally bad. The typical "tsundere" girl. The typical "cute shy girl who is a good wife". None of them have depth or real backstories. The main guy is tsundere and he falls in love with Ohana for no reason.
I also can't stand the fanservice, god help me. Do I WANT to see Ohana, who looks like she's hardly 12, prancing around in skin-tight chinese dresses that hardly cover her thighs? No, thanks. I'd go watch ecchi if I did!

--Enjoyment: 3--
As you can tell, I thoroughly hated this anime. The first 3 episodes were actually okay. But quickly, I started to get frustrated and annoyed by the bland characters, meaningless story line, and overall mediocrity. It's okay if you just want to waste time and watch a light anime, but that's not what I want to invest the time of my life in. If I'm going to waste my life watching TV, I at least want it to be good, meaningful TV that gives me an enriching experience, like Nana or Fullmetal Alchemist or Madoka Magica or Angel Beats or Clannad or...you know. Things that make you see the world differently, make you cry, make your heart feel things!

Anyway, I actually forced myself to finish the anime. I will never forgive myself for doing that to my poor brain.

OVERALL: 5 (Because I know some people ARE looking for light anime with nothing special)

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"I'm a bud that's trying to bloom!" - Ohana

Growing up has never been easy for anyone, and Ohana is no exception. Hanasaku Iroha, or Blossoms for Tomorrow, depicts the adventures of the young and energetic Ohana Matsumae, after she is sent grudgingly to her grandmother's hot spring inn.

While the underlying story may not appear to be the flashiest of concepts, I cannot stress how much I unconsciously became drawn into it. And while Ohana is introduced as the main character, a rather large cast of characters all seem to get just about the same amount of screentime as her. While an overly sized character pool is often regarded as a weakness in an anime, as in many cases this results in an overall lack of character depth, however, in Hanasaku Iroha, each character goes through successes and failures in attempts to improve themselves. Hanasaku Iroha is definitely a character-driven show and by realising the dreams and desires of each one, this anime creates a truly colourful atmosphere.

Genre-wise, Hanasaku Iroha is quite the interesting combination, combining Comedy and Drama in a Slice of Life setting. Many anime have attempted similar groupings, however Hanasaku Iroha seems to stand out among the rest in the balance it achieves between the genres. There are times when you'll want to laugh and there are times when you'll tear up, and this show manages to create these moments in perfect harmony.

Whether it be Ohana's attempts at understanding romance, or her struggles in becoming a worthy waitress at the Kissuiso Inn, there is never a dull moment in this anime. Hanasaku Iroha is definitely an anime to consider watching, as it is a show that never fails to not only get you laughing through silly things like Jiroumaru's sexual 'antics', but also questions the fundamentals of your outlook on work, love, and life itself.

So go watch Hansaku Iroha, and join Ohana and the zany staff of Kissuiso, at the "place where dreams are born."

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