hanasaku iroha 4
Categories: episodic review, hanasaku iroha
Tagged: hanasaku iroha
16 Comments »
“Grey Heron Rhapsody”
I think I speak for all of us when I say that bath time for Hanasaku works better when all three of Ohana, Minko, and Nako are involved. Just two of the three… not so great.
(Gosh, why does this make me miss Minami-ke so much?)
“She’s like an expensive flower!”
Why am I not surprised that Minko is the popular one? She’s pretty… she has zero personality… and she is a total bitch. Of course horny 17 year old boys will go ga-ga over her! She has a nice face and boobs. 17 year old boys don’t require much more than that. Still, the way love works in Japanese high school anime is still weird… “I have never talked to you, I have only admired you from afar by stalking you… will you please go out with me! And by going out, I mean awkwardly talking to each other once in a while, and I hope to hold your hand by Christmas.”
As defined by the Anime Stereotype Treaty, we all know that multiple cornet tails means well-monied and snooty. So it didn’t take me long to realize that Yuina is the heiress to the rival, well-off inn. Also didn’t take long to realize we’re going to have a terrible love triangle between Tohru, Minko, and her since I can’t imagine Ohana developing a relationship with Tohru (this creating a love rectangle which is too advanced for anime but commonplace in 90210). And Nako is destined to be gay for Ohana.
Likewise for a 17 year old girl a la Minko, “Hey, he’s a bit older… he’s working a potentially dead-end job… he’s an asshole to everyone (including me) but I think he’s kind because once-in-a-while he tosses me scraps… he doesn’t know I exist… I’m in love!”
And, likewise for a 17 year old girl a la Yuina, “Hey, I’m going to date this guy who works for our rival! I’m not rebelling against my family at all! I might even let him touch my hopes and dreams.”
(I just hope the Minko and Yuina storylines go somewhere, and I just hope it’s not the same place Chicken Girl and Hiromi.)
“My life consists only of work and no men.”
Somewhere, about 10,000 electrical engineering students across the country are thinking, “My life consists only of equations and no women.”
I don’t understand why the girls would make such a big fuss about having a girl from Tokyo… isn’t this the age of the internets and the facebooks? Is it still that backwards in rural Japan? Because I can’t imagine someone from rural central valley California going up to me and going, “Hey, you went to a Target? What’s it like? Do they sell iPads there?”
(Modern Laws of Anime hold for the seat placement in this show as well.)
I had to take a few heroine points away from Ohana for failing to recognize the object of Minko’s affections before Nako.
I wonder how the Ko subplot will turn out. Knowing this is PA Works… let’s just say “underdeveloped.” I just don’t get a strong sense that the plot to this series is worked out even close to the level of Madoka. Or Angel Beats.
Enjoyed this scene, if only for Nako running away. I dunno. I think if Nako had a more traditional meido outfit, she’d be incredibly moe in the Mikuru sense. With those braids, those hopes and dreams, and that sparkling demeanor, she would be a poor man’s Mikuru.
I don’t have a lot of experience with grey herons, but I do have quite a bit of experience with blue herons, since they migrate through my town. They are all pretty jumpy around people, and you get within ten feet, they will fly away.
Here’s a random heron that I saw a few weeks ago. It did stare me down a bit, but then ignored me and went off looking for food or whatnot.
My MVPs?
1. Nako and Minko in school uniforms.
2. Yuina’s heart helmet.
3. Ohana’s frumpy flashback cardigan.
16 Responses to “hanasaku iroha 4”
Leave a Reply
It’s a melodrama.. Normally it’s live action but the only reason to animate it to have more distinct character designs and a bondage scene. Haha.
I don’t have much experience with Blue or Grey herons, but there are these brown herons in the neighboorhood I live in, and they will STARE YOUR CAR DOWN before slowly walking off to the side of their road at their own pace.
Also, I think Ohana not getting who Minchi’s crush is makes sense. Remember one of Ohana’s prime traits is self absorption, even if she’s rather friendly about it. Also she doesn’t have the advantage of the viewers Omniscient POV.
Melodrama, delicious melodrama. While it can work well with live actors, there are just some things that can be possible (or made palpable) if done in an animated medium.
“Somewhere, about 10,000 electrical engineering students across the country are thinking, ‘My life consists only of equations and no women.'”
THIS.
…so true… so painfully true
This is anime, remember? Unless otherwise stated, the internet doesn’t exist, and the flip phone is the pinnacle of technology.
Don’t you love the sheer number of expressions that pass across Ohana’s face over the course of every episode? My favourite may be her scornful, half-lidded eyes Chiaki impression.
I dunno about the rural area, but I heard some are really that backward.
But about the highschool love, that’s how the way love work for most of asian countries. (just talking for a bit, hope we can hold hands now and then. Kissing is way overkill)
That reminds me, I still need to finish the last 3 episodes of True Tears. I picked it up after the blogosphere raged about it, then let it gather dust.
I guess facebook doesn’t have a huge following in Japan.
Sigh. This show isn’t quite doing it for me. I am giving it one more episode, though.
As for herons: I have had a chunk taken out of my finger by a great Blue Heron at one point. Sharp beak, dangerous buggers. They also got a mohawk that goes up when they get all spooked.
The truth hurts so, so good.
They use mixi, the social network of choice for Jesus and Buddha.
I’m pretty sure the Ko subplot will develop more, they’ve got 26 episodes. I’d be worried like you if JC Staff was handling it. Also I’m betting the cook guy is going to work at the other inn, that’s why he’s hanging out with drill hair girl.
This show needs more cute girls.
“I don’t understand why the girls would make such a big fuss about having a girl from Tokyo…”
Remember, where Ohana et al works ain’t no ordinary place neither: they are at a hot spring tourist spot.
It’s like you are going to a high school in Yellowstone, Montana, and this girl show up and she’s straight from Soho, New York City.
I would have wow’ed if I was one of those students.
高嶺ã®èŠ± ã€ãŸã‹ãã®ã¯ãªã€‘ (n) goal which is unattainable (lit: flower on a high peak); prize beyond one’s reach.
It has nothing to do with “expensive flower”.
a love rectangle is too complicated for anime? I don’t recall 90210 having a love septagon the way Nadesico did. Sure it was pretty shallow septagon but show me a love dodecahedron with depth and I’ll show you the world’s greatest soap opera :P
Man, now I kinda wanna start this series now!
dat heron…
BTW, Jason, I implore you to do a blog post on Amagami 26!!!!