Why is Hanasaku Iroha: Home Sweet Home so good?
I was disappointed when I heard the movie was 66 minutes. Like seriously, a film in 66 minutes is weird. Hanasaku Iroha, the TV show, is a masterful telling of the stories. Okada Mari is one of the best series composers out there. From her masterful work in Aquarion EVOL to AnoHana, she has somehow weaved all the spaghetti noodles of plot and characters into this wonderful bolognese of a strong anime. PA Works is one of the better studios, even more so than the legendary Kyoto Animation. Yes, PA Works is a better chef than KyoAni who gave us masterpieces. PA is a rising studio, rising higher than the world of the Wonderland of anime. It is from this studio that Hanasaku Iroha that it was created from the depths of the creativity of the animators of the legendary plottellers.
So you can understand the disappointment I had from the length. And yet, and yet, and yet...
“Think you're escaping and run into yourself. Longest way round is the shortest way home.”
― James Joyce, Ulysses
The movie was anything but amazing.
First off, the film is like a sidestory thing. It's not a continuation of the last episode but it's set before there. But it was very good. Here's why:
It focuses on the great character that is Satsuki, Ohana's mom. I've always been interested in how she left the inn ever and this film answered the question for me, the curiouser and curiouser rabbit that I am. I did not know she was angry at her mother, the grandma if you forget, and that she left because of her. The anger was very provocative and it made me think. Think about family themes and love themes and passion.
Satsuki wanted to shine angrily and she is very relatable. This happened 10 minutes into the film. And 40 minutes into the film. She appeared the many times (two times, I recall). You can tell she's a vital character of this film and the setting. For her two short appearances meant so much in this wonderful, wonderful film.
But we must go back to Ohana and her friends. They are the main characters of this film after all. Ohana and co are great. They are closely packed and you can see the slice-of-life atmosphere in the air. Everyone is having fun. The things are happening. No, everything is happening. So much things, so many feelings. This film evokes so many emotions you can love the film even if there are flaws (because there are flaws but I will talk about them later). Ohana is very cute, with her flower on her broccoli hair, and she is your genki girl. Very strong, very cute. She's stronger than any woman character I know. Amazing. Beautiful. Fascinating. I want to be like her.
“Remember that we sometimes demand explanations for the sake not of their content, but of their form. Our requirement is an architectural one; the explanation a kind of sham corbel that supports nothing.”
― Ludwig Wittgenstein, Philosophical Investigations
Nako is also great she is very attractive and is voiced by Toyosaki Aki (K-ON!, Last Exile: Fam the Silver Wing). She plays Nako. She's a motherly person. Takes care of all the little boys and girls in the family. We learn about her worries as a motherly person, trying to handle taking care, school, and working in the inn. It's a touching tale. The film is set onto her and focuses her struggle. It parallels Ohana's mom's story of going to Tokyo with Ohana's dad. I learned a lot about her problems. It made me cry.
Music was incredibly good. I noticed it because there were many strings played. It was like a Beethoven roaring Satie. It played at the most dramatic moments and it touched my heart very much. It was very sweet. All these dramatic moments were played with these great music. Wow, it's really good.
But sometimes, the pasta doesn't cook well. Where do you and here? The film is so dramatic. And yet, there are so much flaws aging like no return. Understand that all works have flaws. So something like me putting is awkward. No, clearly it's going to have flaws. No choice. Cannot be helped.
There is too much fanservice. The film is too short. I think the film should just be about Nako; there is too much screentime for Satsuki. Arguably and comparatively, the film suffers from Satsuki's appearance. She throws the film down into a ditch that never ends. Politically, the film could be better if we learn more about Mana, the central focus of this film. It made regrettable decisions.
But the film is one of the most physically beautiful things. Evisceratingly beautiful. The plot is a beauty, the characters is a beauty, the world is a beauty. I learned many morals from Hanasaku Iroha and I hope everyone watches it so they can take away something from this massive cake of a film.
And thus, I end a quote from my favorite book:
“Don't cry, I'm sorry to have deceived you so much, but that's how life is.”
― Vladimir Nabokov, Lolita
