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REVIEW: Hanasaku Iroha streaming eps 14-26


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Big Hed



Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 1607
Location: Melbourne, Australia
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:04 am Reply with quote
Key wrote:
Hana-Saku Iroha is only available streaming on Crunchyroll, and no other American license has been announced as of the time of this writing. Despite the quality of the series, it seems like an unlikely candidate to be licensed and released, as it does not have manga or game tie-ins, is very specifically Japanese in many respects, and does not contain any of the kinds of story elements which are normally considered salable in the American DVD/Blu-Ray market.


I hadn't thought of that. Sad, but possibly true. And unlike, say, K-ON, this doesn't even have the same groundswell of enthusiasm in the online community.

I'd like to expand on the points about Satsuki and Takako: talk about comeback characters! For both of them in my opinion, it happened wonderfully too, in that I can't remember exactly when I started to like them--it just happened. What was really great is that neither performed a complete about-face, either; Satsuki sucks it up and reconciles with Sui and has an honest-to-goodness conversation wtih Ko that helps restart his relationship with Ohana, while still falling short of becoming the perfect mother/daughter-figure; Takako gets her priorities regarding Enishi and the Kissuiso in order and literally takes a bad business partner to ground, while still being overly headstrong at times. Kudos to the writing and direction that allowed their transformations to come across so naturally. That's real development.

And as the review said, that comment can pretty well be made about the entire cast, from Ohana to Denroku. It's shows like Hanasaku Iroha that remind that yes, we can have anime that feature a cast of dynamic, likable, and flawed characters from different age groups and different walks of life, and that doing so can make damn near any subject matter interesting. A serious contender for the top show of 2011, right up there with Mawaru Penguindrum and Fate/Zero for me.
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dtm42



Joined: 05 Feb 2008
Posts: 14084
Location: currently stalking my waifu
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 4:06 am Reply with quote
For me the show was already fatally wounded from the incredibly forced drama, the unrelatable characters and the absolute disaster that was episode three. I wasn't exactly impressed by the first two episodes, and the third one was cringe-inducing.

I don't care how nice a series looks and sounds - and this one is beautiful and well-animated to be sure - I just cannot stand bad writing. For me, good writing and an emotional connection with the characters are the two most important factors in why I give the ratings I do.

But strangely enough, the more the show went on the more I liked it, to the point where I gave it an overall passing grade. Yeah, Decent ain't exactly brilliant, but it is way better than what I was going to rate it if I had dropped it at episode three like I was going to. I don't even know why I kept up with it, probably just so I knew what I was talking about when discussions about the series came up.

I think the first episode I liked was the one with Tomoe and the survivalists. Despite myself, despite the completely illegal things the men were getting away with, I couldn't help but enjoy it. I didn't enjoy many episodes after that one, but there were definitely pieces of episodes that I thought were pretty good.

I hope Hanasaku Iroha is never licensed because I have no interest in buying it (which I would have to as per my three+ fansub episode rule), but on the other hand I would recommend it to certain people I know. Eh, it could have been much much better, and it could have been much much worse. Should I count myself lucky, or should I demand the ten hours of my life back?
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pachy_boy



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1323
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:22 am Reply with quote
This series turned out so much better than I thought. It had a beautiful first episode, but then it clearly felt the rest of the series dropped off from that quality. Every other episode started having really dumb elements that almost put me off, like that group of gun fanatics--seriously, I didn't buy for one moment that nobody should have called the cops after all their blatantly criminal antics. I also thought it would've been a lot better without the fan service. I had even considered a number of times in dropping this series.

But after a while, I just gave up. Because despite the low points, it makes up for it with more good points. I got too attached to the characters despite everything. When the story is funny, it's funny, and when it's charming, it's charming. And it definitely closed out with an final episode that was as terrific as the first episode. As mixed as this overall series was, it ultimately became a pleasant surprise to view.
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jojothepunisher



Joined: 04 Sep 2007
Posts: 799
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:55 am Reply with quote
After hearing this I might give it a try again, but not until I am less busy.
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MUSAWE



Joined: 13 Jan 2010
Posts: 34
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:35 am Reply with quote
pachy_boy wrote:
This series turned out so much better than I thought. It had a beautiful first episode, but then it clearly felt the rest of the series dropped off from that quality. Every other episode started having really dumb elements that almost put me off, like that group of gun fanatics--seriously, I didn't buy for one moment that nobody should have called the cops after all their blatantly criminal antics. I also thought it would've been a lot better without the fan service. I had even considered a number of times in dropping this series.

But after a while, I just gave up. Because despite the low points, it makes up for it with more good points. I got too attached to the characters despite everything. When the story is funny, it's funny, and when it's charming, it's charming. And it definitely closed out with an final episode that was as terrific as the first episode. As mixed as this overall series was, it ultimately became a pleasant surprise to view.


I had a lot of the same complaints about the show plus the drama felt really forced and cheap. This anime was trying way too hard to be a feel good show. I ended up dropping it. Ano Hana turned out to be a much better show and while that anime isn't without its flaws, it has that great nostalgic atmosphere and references going for it.
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Thallium



Joined: 06 Aug 2007
Posts: 40
Location: Netherlands
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:04 pm Reply with quote
Great show and the review seems spot on. Here's to hoping that this one will be licensed someday, despite it being highly unlikely to happen.
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blackseer



Joined: 09 Sep 2011
Posts: 94
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 3:18 pm Reply with quote
MUSAWE wrote:
pachy_boy wrote:
This series turned out so much better than I thought. It had a beautiful first episode, but then it clearly felt the rest of the series dropped off from that quality. Every other episode started having really dumb elements that almost put me off, like that group of gun fanatics--seriously, I didn't buy for one moment that nobody should have called the cops after all their blatantly criminal antics. I also thought it would've been a lot better without the fan service. I had even considered a number of times in dropping this series.

But after a while, I just gave up. Because despite the low points, it makes up for it with more good points. I got too attached to the characters despite everything. When the story is funny, it's funny, and when it's charming, it's charming. And it definitely closed out with an final episode that was as terrific as the first episode. As mixed as this overall series was, it ultimately became a pleasant surprise to view.


I had a lot of the same complaints about the show plus the drama felt really forced and cheap. This anime was trying way too hard to be a feel good show. I ended up dropping it. Ano Hana turned out to be a much better show and while that anime isn't without its flaws, it has that great nostalgic atmosphere and references going for it.

it's interesting for you to say this, because I felt Ano Hana forced too much to make me weep, unsucessful, and that's the reason I don't think it was a great show, only enjoyable, while HanaIro is one of the best completed series of the year so far, alongside Star Driver and Tiger & Bunny.
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here-and-faraway



Joined: 21 Jun 2007
Posts: 1528
Location: Sunny California
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 5:21 pm Reply with quote
Quote:
Despite the quality of the series, it seems like an unlikely candidate to be licensed and released, as it does not have manga or game tie-ins, is very specifically Japanese in many respects, and does not contain any of the kinds of story elements which are normally considered salable in the American DVD/Blu-Ray market


I agree that the chance of this getting licensed is slim. It does have a Nozomi/Rightstuf feel to it though. (Aria, Sound of the Sky, Maria Watches Over Us, etc.)

I really enjoyed this series. I know it will never happen, but I'd love to see the characters five years from now. I grew attached to them and was sorry to see them go.
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Moonsaber



Joined: 16 Jan 2007
Posts: 342
Location: USA
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 6:52 pm Reply with quote
I guess I am less critical with the other posters, and agree more with the reviewer. Makes me want to go back and watch it from the beginning, but I was a weekly indulger with regularity of this show. (I watched each episode as it was available, as soon as I could).

I think this show was simply beautiful, the plot could have been more, and many things could have been more, but I enjoyed every bite that I got, regardless. It was fairly true to life, and I think the initial episodes had a truer 'ring' after you got to know the characters by the end.

Nozomi/Rightstuf, I would gladly buy this one if you will be kind to release it! I already recommend it to friends.
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SethMosrite



Joined: 27 Nov 2010
Posts: 173
Location: Boston, MA
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 7:32 pm Reply with quote
Great review. This is one of the two shows I have rated as a Masterpiece this year (the other being Puella Magi).
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Big Hed



Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 1607
Location: Melbourne, Australia
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:18 pm Reply with quote
blackseer wrote:
it's interesting for you to say this, because I felt Ano Hana forced too much to make me weep, unsucessful, and that's the reason I don't think it was a great show


I couldn't agree more. Never mind comparisons to AnoHana, I'd be very interested to know what elements of Hanasaku Iroha people considered forced/melodramatic.


Last edited by Big Hed on Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:27 pm; edited 1 time in total
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Megiddo



Joined: 24 Aug 2005
Posts: 8360
Location: IL
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:25 pm Reply with quote
To be fair, I don't recall Menma ending up in a strange bondage-like situation. That's when I personally decided that HanaIro wasn't for me.
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boredandlazy



Joined: 16 Nov 2009
Posts: 189
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 8:53 pm Reply with quote
To be fair though, the 'bondage situation' was easily the lowlight of the entire series, and it happens very early on(episode 3 I think). There is nothing even remotely like that for the rest of the series, and I agree wholheartedly with the review. I really enjoyed this show, and I would be unbelievably appreciative if it did manage to get licensed.
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Big Hed



Joined: 04 May 2006
Posts: 1607
Location: Melbourne, Australia
PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:00 pm Reply with quote
Megiddo wrote:
To be fair, I don't recall Menma ending up in a strange bondage-like situation. That's when I personally decided that HanaIro wasn't for me.


That's a fair reason to drop the show, but I don't think it's a fair reason for calling the show's drama (using the term in the strictest sense in this case) as a whole "forced". In retrospect, neither the bondage nor urban warfare shenanigans are substantial plot points. Much of what happened in those episodes aside from those scenes went towards character development though, while being only tangentially connected to the ero-slapstick, and so in that sense the two episodes weren't even complete disasters.

Anyway, my point is that I get the impression that above criticisms are broader than the show's misadventures into bizarro comedy (clearly dtm didn't even mind the latter instance). It's frustrating that the show needlessly put up those two barriers to enjoyment, though.
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zrdb





PostPosted: Mon Oct 17, 2011 9:18 pm Reply with quote
dtm42 wrote:
For me the show was already fatally wounded from the incredibly forced drama, the unrelatable characters and the absolute disaster that was episode three. I wasn't exactly impressed by the first two episodes, and the third one was cringe-inducing.

I don't care how nice a series looks and sounds - and this one is beautiful and well-animated to be sure - I just cannot stand bad writing. For me, good writing and an emotional connection with the characters are the two most important factors in why I give the ratings I do.

But strangely enough, the more the show went on the more I liked it, to the point where I gave it an overall passing grade. Yeah, Decent ain't exactly brilliant, but it is way better than what I was going to rate it if I had dropped it at episode three like I was going to. I don't even know why I kept up with it, probably just so I knew what I was talking about when discussions about the series came up.

I think the first episode I liked was the one with Tomoe and the survivalists. Despite myself, despite the completely illegal things the men were getting away with, I couldn't help but enjoy it. I didn't enjoy many episodes after that one, but there were definitely pieces of episodes that I thought were pretty good.

I hope Hanasaku Iroha is never licensed because I have no interest in buying it (which I would have to as per my three+ fansub episode rule), but on the other hand I would recommend it to certain people I know. Eh, it could have been much much better, and it could have been much much worse. Should I count myself lucky, or should I demand the ten hours of my life back?


WHAT? You must have been watching it in hell or something. I found it to be an endearing show (as it is a sol drama). I'd seriously consider buying it if it was released dubbed. I enjoyed every minute of it. Well, as they say-different strokes for different folks.
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