Hanasaku Iroha - Episode 21 Discussion / Poll

[ID555]

Originally Posted by sikvod00

Because it implies having a male touch her. Nako is the physical manifestation of Yuri.

Hell yeah. I got some pretty good vibes between her and Mugi... I mean artist girl in last week's episode.

[Kaoru Chujo]

I don't have a chance to watch many anime these days, but this is one I continue to watch and enjoy. The characters and their interactions are interesting, and the scene-to-scene pacing works for me. Realistic? No. But very human.

Yes, it looks like Tomoe and Ren may get the Inn. That'd be fine. Now we know that Okami-san and her husband did not inherit the Inn, as I had imagined they did.

Maybe we'll just get the realistic development that Tohru is ready to get married and have children, and Minko is not, so they will not become an item. Or else he will start to fall for her -- or realize he already has -- and the kids can come later.

And we did hear Kou-chan's name again. Will Ohana return to the city, a better woman for her experience here, and finally take up with Kou? Or will she just return and live her own life?

Anyway, I enjoyed this week's episode. I enjoyed seeing the son and the management consultant really get together. I enjoyed seeing Okami-san treat the management consultant with respect. And I was relieved that she does not plan to put them in charge of the Inn.

The other shows I'm still watching are Ikoku Meiro, Dantalian, and Usagi Drop (though I've fallen behind there). Nothing against the others, I just don't have time, and these are bringing me the most enjoyment.

[ThereminVox]

While I haven't been Minchi's biggest fan, I should note that her facials are probably top 5 comedy moments of this season. Between her "wut.." face at Enishi and Takako in the pool, and the looks she gave Tohru in the car, she cracks me up. 5 kids, eh, Tohru? Now we know what someone looks like when they are thinking "My uterus is clenching in violent rejection."

Yuina's become a real scene-stealer too. It's a shame she could barely be considered a regular until midway through the second cour.

[kk2extreme]

Ohana seems to have the ability to piss off other girls when it comes to romance, case in point, Minko, Yuina, and the glasses girl with Ko (forgot her name )

...and she is oblivious of that unless someone tells her in plain words

[Pocari_Sweat]

Ok this episode. If this were a standalone episode I would have thought this was an excellent episode (9/10). However, given we are at episode 21 which is near the end and given previous episodes, this ep feels like there was too little too late.

This was another Enishi and Takako centric episode, with their "marriage" as the key central theme. Now, in a way it's nice to see the anime to try and take them seriously but in all seriousness, why now? HSI made both of them comic relief characters from the start and their supposed arc (The "movie arc") the anime made them appear like fools, and now of all a sudden they are all serious business? Wtf mang. At the very least this episode should be entirely replaced the movie arc as the "Enishi and Takako" development arc. Better yet, not make Enishi and Takako as comic relief characters for the vast majority of the anime.

As for the Tohru/Ohana/Minko love triangle side-plot, why wasn't this earlier in the series, say at the start of the 2nd cour instead of the "fillerish" Yuina arcs. At this point of the anime, the focus should be on Kissuiou, their financial difficulties and talk about succession (briefly mentioned this ep but in no way substantial enough). All this love triangle and romance affair should have mostly been dealt with by now (except for maybe Kou, who I'm expecting -may- rock up towards the very last episodes). Yes, it was nice to see Minko love flustered towards Tooru and it was entertaining to see Ohana and Minko have a semi cat fight like Hiromi/Noe True Tears style (see my sig), but cmon... this is being shown that at this stage?

For that reason, I can't give the episode a more than a 7/10 because this should have come way earlier. Forget romance, forget more side character arcs, at this point focus should be on Kissuiou and wrapping things up. Heck, I'll take melodrama like Grandma dying at this point now. I am really sick and tired of side characters appearing on main stage on episode 21 of a 2 cour series.


One final note regarding Minko. I'm seeing a lot of hate on AS and on various blogs regarding her still. Imo, I think she has developed very well in this 2nd half of HSI and imo the best developed character of this 2nd half so far. Tbh I think she's better developed than Ohana at this point. Ohana's character seems to have taken a step backwards, we hardly have seen her "bullheaded" nature that we all seemed to love from the 1st cour. Regarding her lashing out at Ohana this episode, I think it made a sense and logical. If you're biggest crush and dream gets crushed by the person you have a crush on because he is outright complimenting your "rival" in front of you, of course you are going to be upset. Also doesn't help that both Tohru and Ohana are oblivious (Tohru oblivious to Minko liking him, Ohana oblivious to Tohru liking her) - lol anime stereotypes. But hey that's human nature for you.

[deadite]

I have a feeling Sui is going to shut down the inn. And the scene in the beginning with Denroku is her making plans for everyone to work in Fukuya. Ohana doesn' like this and leaves (OP song). Remember what her husband said: We have to please ourselves before we can please the customers. Sui thinks that her children aren't happy so she'd rather Satsuki and Enishi do something they love then succeed the inn.

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by deadite

I have a feeling Sui is going to shut down the inn. And the scene in the beginning with Denroku is her making plans for everyone to work in Fukuya. Ohana doesn' like this and leaves (OP song). Remember what her husband said: We have to please ourselves before we can please the customers. Sui thinks that her children aren't happy so she'd rather Satsuki and Enishi do something they love then succeed the inn.

What? Enishi wants to succeed the inn. He's incompetant, but he still likes the Kissuiso. The only one who didn't want to be there was Satsuki, but even then she has some fond memories.


On a side note, Ohana really is something else. She has become a part of not one, but two love triangle affairs.

[Reckoner]

I think people are being a bit hard on this episode, and perhaps they'll see why in the coming episodes (I hope I'm not wrong by the way about my predictions).

First of all, maybe I'm wrong, but for some reason I don't think this wedding is going to be a 2-parter.

A wedding is a big plot device, because it's a huge event. They're issuing out invites to people so we might see the return of Ohana's mother and possibly Kou (Unless their relationship really is over)?

So it draws together a lot of the cast for this arc, potentially.

Furthermore, the whole plot about the inn, its succession and future, has finally been put on the table by the one who has said the least about it.

The relationship statuses of the characters have finalyl come to a head.

I was very skeptical of Hanasaku Iroha's ability to close up all its loose ends in the remaining episodes, but with this plot device of a wedding, it offers the perfect solution to clear it all up in one swoop.

Now they shouldn't have been in this situation in the first place ... But regardless, I think this is culminating into quite the spectacle, whether or not it turns out well I can't say!

But still it manages to raise the interest levels, by bringing or potentially bringing together so many of the show's big topics to the limelight...

Now if these plot lines or threads don't interest you at all in the first place, then it doesn't matter, but I think there's quite a lot of potential here to do a lot of good for the plot of this show, and I'm pleasantly surprised.

Hopes are up, chance for disappointment and rage are running high...

[Guardian Enzo]

That was all right, but fundamentally still only a modestly satisfying episode. It was nice to bring the focus within shouting distance of something more important than omurice, but no amount of persuasion can make Enishi and Takako compelling viewing for me, and the subject of Tohru's supposed crush on Ohana is only marginally more so. I would have hoped for better from a "canon" Okada-written ep.

Of course the big cliffhanger is, what does Sui plan to do with the inn? Satsuki? Closure? Mr. Ren and Tomoe? In terms of whether the entire series is a troll on the relationship front, it's certainly possible. I do think it's a certainty we'll see Kou again, but nowhere near as much that he'll be truly important in the final arc.

[ReddyRedWolf]

Originally Posted by deadite

Nako; a teenage girl who raises an infant, a toddler and a young child on a daily basis, works and studies and practically runs her household is afraid of getting pregnant. lol

Remember Jiromaru is using the staff as basis for his ero novels.

Nako felt like she was being raped figuratively speaking.

[Pocari_Sweat]

So apparently Okada actually wrote the script for this episode herself. Not surprising, considering that as a standalone ep it was excellent. But my stance that I believe that this is too little too late still holds.

[marcosius]

Originally Posted by DemiSoda

So apparently Okada actually wrote the script for this episode herself. Not surprising, considering that as a standalone ep it was excellent. But my stance that I believe that this is too little too late still holds.

You are not wrong, Okada wrote the script. And It seems next too.

[Flower]

Mm hmm. I enjoyed episode 21 quite a bit. I vote 8/10 for this ep.

I tell you - the landlady is a very interesting character to me. Her inflexibility covers both interpersonal relations (frustrating or outright rude at times while insightful and even instructive at other times) and responsibility to work and others (also maddening but reflecting a orientation and ... erm ... "world-view" that I feel many of us could learn from in terms of principles and priorities). Yet beneath it at times something else seems to peek out that I find interesting....

Poor Minchi ... lashing out at Ohana like that - you can see she is unhappy about things and also mad at herself in part, but feels there is little she can do about it. Part of me wishes Ohana would just slap Minchi at times ... but I don't think that would really do much. Minchi seems her own worst enemy.

[~Yami~]

Originally Posted by deadite

Nako; a teenage girl who raises an infant, a toddler and a young child on a daily basis, works and studies and practically runs her household is afraid of getting pregnant. lol

LOL

well.... finally we get back to the story and it's developing fast

now we got two important issues

the marriage and Ohana-Minko-Tohru relationship

I'll give 10/10 to this episode because of the wonderful beginning of Kissuiso... and for many possible pairings which appear in this episode
Maybe in the end, Tohru will reveal that he loves Minko not Ohana (you can see from Tohru's eyes when he is looking at Minko)

I wonder when will Satsuki come back.... since Madam Manager still got a high hope at her (and judging from her ability, Satsuki is the most suitable successor)
Maybe I'll root for the pairings : Enishi X Takako (epic facepalm couple), Minko X Tohru, Ren X Tomoe (yeah! the perfect ending), and Ohana X Ko (still got any chance, right?)
and right now I feel that I become more mature when watching this anime.... hahaha

[SonOfHeaven]

I'm thinking Kissuiso gets shut down or Satsuki inherits the inn. That dream she had previously which she told Satsuki about will probably happened. Actually more interested in Ohana's family than these other relationships honestly.

[totoum]

Originally Posted by DemiSoda

This was another Enishi and Takako centric episode, with their "marriage" as the key central theme.

I disagree with this statement,while as Reckoner said the marriage is a plot devise/catalyst for stuff to happen I hardly found it the "central theme" or the episode to be Enishi/Takano centric

As for the Tohru/Ohana/Minko love triangle side-plot, why wasn't this earlier in the series, say at the start of the 2nd cour instead of the "fillerish" Yuina arcs. At this point of the anime, the focus should be on Kissuiou, their financial difficulties and talk about succession (briefly mentioned this ep but in no way substantial enough).

Because the love triangle is just another random side story just like Yuina's,it's reserved for last because it's more dramatic and therefore would be out of place in the fun and relaxed atmosphere of the second half,also for the "return of die" to have the impact it did it needed to be gone for a while.
Also since it's a side story it will be dealt with quickly or even if it lasts it won't overshadow everything you mentioned about Kissuisso which with that cliffhanger will become the real focus of the end of the show,and I feel there's plenty of time left to deal with it

[Soconfused]

Ugh, watching Minko torture herself over Tohru...makes me ill. Hopefully by the end of the series she writes it off as a silly high school crush and Tohru is left alone, while Ren gets it on with Tomoe.

I rather enjoyed this episode though.

[revive4563]

I too used to think that Ohana gets Tohru in the end, until 2 months ago. But definitely, this story is Minko x Tohru route now.

Otherwise...

[totoum]

Originally Posted by revive4563

I too used to think that Ohana gets Tohru in the end, until 2 months ago. But definitely, this story is Minko x Tohru route now.

Otherwise...

I'm getting more and more sure that nobody in the "love pentagon" will end up together (that includes OhanaXKo)

Hell I'm starting to wonder if all the "hints" that Tohru loves Ohana are all a trap meant to troll shippers

[HandofFate]

Is the Inn really what Enishi wanted to do?

Though he wanted to be a writer or something, but Satsuki left so he was the only one left to fill the spot.

I think the landlady wants to give it to Ohana, and let Enishi find his own calling.