Forum - View topicHanasaku Iroha (TV).
|
Goto page Previous Next |
| Author | Message | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
HaruhiToy
 Posts: 4118 |
|
|||
I think she rather enjoys intimidating the younglings. However that bit about the magically stacking wash basins I think went a little over the top. It seems to be the one and only supernatural effect in the whole series. They shouldn't have done it but I suppose someone couldn't resist. Three naked girls and no fan service. Go figure. |
||||
|
||||
Yttrbio
 Posts: 3652 |
|
|||
What, you don't include Granny? |
||||
|
||||
Dorcas_Aurelia
 Posts: 5344 Location: Philly |
|
|||
|
Epic bath time.
So, am I alone in thinking that spoiler[the rest of Kissuiso's refusal to help with the festival is a horrible choice. It's just as selfish as Sui's decision to close the inn, if not moreso, as her intentions are misguided more than punitive. Plus it gives the other inns a legitimate grievance in what's never been a particularly pleasant relationship from what we can tell.] |
||||
|
||||
|
Key
Moderator
 Posts: 18200 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
|
|||
|
FINAL EPISODE:
That is the way to finish a series. In fact, I'd rank episode 26 up with Cross Game's episode 50 as one of the best series finales in recent memory. It didn't do anything terribly special, as the only major plot point in play was the final fate of Kissuiso. (And I think everyone will agree that the right decision was made on that.) It just did everything exceptionally well. Everything about the episode - from the look and feel of the festival to the emotions in play to the slight touches of humor to even (especially) Ohana's wish - was beautifully done, and everything and everyone stayed true to themselves through to the end. The only flaw was that they didn't resolve anything about Sui's health issues, but I'll give the series a pass on that given how well the rest of it was handled. With such a strong ending, I feel that I can now officially call this one of the year's best series. |
||||
|
||||
|
Yttrbio
Posts: 3652 |
|
|||
|
My one complaint is that I didn't really feel any chemistry between Ohana and Ko. He just never seemed very important to Ohana, at least not in the way they eventually resolved it. Even when she was whiny about him, it was really her being whiny about herself, with him just being a trigger.
|
||||
|
||||
|
Errinundra
Moderator
 Posts: 6528 Location: Melbourne, Oz |
|
|||
|
So good.
Unlike Usagi Drop, which ultimately disappointed, Hanasaku Iroha lived up to the promise of its first couple of episodes. What made it so good were the characters, led by the irrepressible Ohana and the severe but kindly Sui - about the only dud characters were Yuina and the live-in writer; the beautiful but never overdone background artwork (PA Works excels at this sort of thing); and the general tone of optimism - you can always make things better by "festing" them up - tempered by a grounded sense of reality. I really appreciated the full 26 episodes given to the story. The two other, somewhat similar in tone, series that I finished over the last few days - Usagi Drop and La Croisée dans un Labyrinthe Étranger - both felt cut off at the knees in comparison. There were few wasted episodes and no sense that more could have been said. Mind you, it's just crying out for a series following events after the re-opening of Kissisuo. |
||||
|
||||
|
Key
Moderator
Posts: 18200 Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley) |
|
|||
And I agree, but that was never a major focal point of the series, either. The writing always emphasized Ohana trying to sort out what feelings (if any) she had about Ko rather than the dynamic between the two. That's why the series is labeled as a drama rather than a romance. |
||||
|
||||
Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23785 |
|
|||
|
A strong finish, indeed. In fact, under the sway of it, I bumped the series up from Very Good to Excellent. Thank God for the slice of life genre. When done well, as this show was, it gives us a welcome break from the anime database of Types and gives us actual Characters.
You can only earn that poignant, bitter-sweet "trip down memory lane" ending after 26 episodes. I've been watching this show faithfully every Sunday for half a year now, and just like the denizens of the Kissuiso itself, I'm sorry to see it go. |
||||
|
||||
|
maaya
Posts: 976 |
|
|||
Minko = Tsundere, Ohana = genki-insensitive girl, Nako = the shy one oO Actual characters ... are different ... deeper ... more complex ... for me anyway. Satsuki can be counted as one. |
||||
|
||||
|
Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23785 |
|
|||
While I would never argue that the characters in Hanasaku Iroha attain the heights of Tolstoyean psychological realism, only the most uncharitable of people would not recognize that the characterization was several degrees more acute than one finds in Animu Generica. To dismiss Minko as a tsundere is trite (it amazes me that there are some people who actually think that any female who has a prickly personality is automatically a tsundere; an astoundingly superficial analysis) and to tag Ohana as "genki-insensitive" actually misses the mark by a country mile. |
||||
|
||||
|
HaruhiToy
Posts: 4118 |
|
|||
Thank you for writing that -- I couldn't have put it better. If you scroll back to the first pages of this thread, you will see me and others argue against other posters who seem to have pre-determined what the characters were without looking at any of the actual story. Some viewers saw Ohana as a spoiled brat when the story made it clear she was as salt-of-the-earth as Little Orphan Annie. (well maybe not that much but still) I see this happening more and more, not only with Hanasaku Iroha but other titles as well. It reminds me about how people seem to pick their political figures (here in the U.S. anyway). George W Bush was the manly tough guy with a backbone (who actually dodged the draft and was afraid to get near a horse) and John Kerry was the French-looking wimp who would cut and run at the first sign of trouble and unfit to serve (who actually had multiple war decorations and actually has a combat maneuver named after him). But there is no convincing people who are determine to see what they want to see. It is all perception. |
||||
|
||||
|
maaya
Posts: 976 |
|
|||
errr, I guess so. But since most animes simply offer no characterization at all, that doesn't really mean much. |
||||
|
||||
|
Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23785 |
|
|||
Well, you seem to have taken a rather simple-minded approach to this series, so nothing you have to say really means much to me. |
||||
|
||||
Hentai_JP
 Posts: 605 Location: Toronto, ON |
|
|||
|
Just to drop my 2 cents. Love it. Superb drama/comedy to come out recently (overall, this year has been pretty good so far). I love the character dynamics and their interactions. Some of the writing is simply outstanding, like Ohana's quest which started with her desire to correct the unjust magazine ranking, and led to the precious family reunion - this whole sequence is definitely my favourite part.
I am a little confused about the closing of the inn. As I understand it, the granny suddenly realized she did not want to encumber others with her selfish pursuit of a dream (what was her dream again?) and would rather close the whole place down. Her offsprings, one being unreliable and other not interested didn't leave her much of alternative. Since she also didn't look too sickly, and she promised to wait for Ohana in the end, I presume her health is not an issue here. Soo... does it mean she closed down the whole place on a whim? Or was it a clever trick to force the evolution |
||||
|
||||
|
Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23785 |
|
|||
|
Hey, Hentai_JP, welcome back!
Here's my take on it: Granny, realizing her health is not great, knows she can't carry on being Madam Manager for much longer. She has three heirs. Her daughter has no interest in taking over the Inn. Her son doesn't have the chops and, she suspects, is really only involved in the Inn because of her, not because of his own deep-seated desire to run it. Her grand-daughter is too young to take over. Plus, she wants to be sure Ohana works out her own dream instead of inheriting hers. So rather than see the reputation of her beloved Kissuiso go down, she decides to close it. Ultimately, however, she realizes her son (and others) really do want to keep it open. However, he is not ready to run it at the same high level it has been. He needs to go off and learn more, which even he recognizes. So Madam Manager closes the Inn, temporarily, where it waits for her son (and perhaps Ohana) when they are ready. |
||||
|
||||
 |
All times are GMT - 5 Hours |
|
|
|
Powered by phpBB © 2001, 2005 phpBB Group