Hanasaku Iroha (generic discussion thread)

[Simon]

Originally Posted by winkel

Ohana's the type of girl where if something *bad* did happen to her, she'd be too naive to understand/realize it.

On one hand Ohana does come across as naive, but on the other she can be very matter-of-fact. Except for a small pause she had no problem telling Nako and Minko that they co-starred in an ero-novel involving "mops in inappropriate places" - personally, going by what we've seen of Minko's character I wouldn't have been brave enough to tell her that

That's something I like about Ohana, that she isn't portrayed as your typical clueless "genki girl" who bounces through life with an inane smile plastered across her face. She can be unsettlingly direct (just ask Nako) but unlike some anime characters she's sufficiently down-to-earth that you aren't left wondering what drugs she's on.

That being said, the fanservice in this episode was a bit out of place...

I dunno, I'm normally the first to rage about fanservice ruining a good show but I still think the episode redeemed itself by playing those scenes for laughs. Put yourself in Okada's shoes for a moment - as a professional writer it must be great fun to pen a deliberately corny H-scene (I mean come on, "bubbly training"? mop sex?), and then have one of your characters comment "that was so lame, I have no talent". And I'd love to have been a fly on the studio wall when they were recording the novel sequences - I wonder how many takes were needed before the VAs could get through their lines without bursting out laughing?

The funniest part of the Wave Room scene for me was Ohana stopping to ask "am I really that loud?", after we'd seen Minko and Nako discussing that very aspect of her. Although a close second would be Tomoe saying later "Beanman was about to be put in a turtle shell bondage!", with the implication that both she and the others knew what it was called. I mean, think about it for a moment...

(Random trivia for the day, the book Jirōmaru was referring to when he had Ohana tied up is titled 縛り百選 Shibari Hyakusen, which roughly translates as "100 Selected Bondage Techniques". But before anyone gets too excited, notice that the ISBN on the back cover is all zeroes so I'm pretty certain it isn't real )

Originally Posted by Kaoru Chujo

When I saw Grandma smile at the thought Ohana was like her mother, I imagined that the mother was Grandma's favorite child, the one she saw as most like her. Now she has Ohana and wants to make use of her good qualities and lead her along Grandma's path rather than her mother's.

Hmm, interesting take on things - perhaps Sui can see her younger self in Ohana, which forces her to admit that she and Satsuki clashed because they were so alike. I'm keeping an open mind on this one for lack of evidence, but what's clear is that Ohana isn't "just an employee" in her grandmother's eyes now (if she even was to begin with, which is questionable).

Originally Posted by totoum

You know,considering we got swimsuit promo art I'd guess we're at least getting the obligatory beach episode which could possibly be in the same tone as this.

I'm sure the marketing people will be agitating for it, but swimsuit art just seems to be the price of getting your show into Newtype and co. If we're lucky HanaIro might end up like say Hitohira, which promised / threatened the cliché beach scene in the OP, then subverted it in an amusingly fourth-wall-breaking way.

[Azuma Denton]

@pellissier
Claiming this if you don't mind.
Thanks...

[CWW]

My issue with the third episode wasn't the fanservice or people acting out of character, it's the bad plot devices.

They had everyone get in the van, even the elderly woman (who would do that, honestly?), to chase some nutjob, just to have Nako save the attempted suicide later with her mad skills (oh your hobby is swimming how awesome!), let the grandmother hear her granddaughter's heroic speech (you and your mom are like two drops of water blabla) and finally have a camping trip on the spot with Ohana serving them food they hate (where did that come them? wasn't she preparing the food in the kitchen?). It's just bad writing no matter how comical it ended up being.

Throwaway jokes are completely fine. This however was just hilariously bad given the whole situation. Honey & Clover had tons of comedy situations, but none of them ended up being a bad plot device for character development. A bad plot device would have been Morita winning the Oscar for best special effects, complete with a George Lucas lookalike on stage, then turning into a heroine addict.

Maybe the good production values are clouding everyone's judgement or something.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by CWW

My issue with the third episode wasn't the fanservice or people acting out of character, it's the bad plot devices.

They had everyone get in the van, even the elderly woman (who would do that, honestly?), to chase some nutjob, just to have Nako save the attempted suicide later with her mad skills (oh your hobby is swimming how awesome!), let the grandmother hear her granddaughter's heroic speech (you and your mom are like two drops of water blabla) and finally have a camping trip on the spot with Ohana serving them food they hate (where did that come them? wasn't she preparing the food in the kitchen?).

You may not have noticed, but they stopped mid-hot chase to shop for groceries and let the cook catch up on foot (which is absurd in itself, yes...). They just happened to buy food that Minko hated, along with the rest of the food.

[Deconstructor]

Spoiler for Episode 3:

So... how exactly did we go from Ohana working at the inn to Ohana being tied up to the crazy writer about to commit suicide off a cliff?!?!

This is the type of storyline I'd expect out of some other anime... Nichijou comes to mind.
I like Hanairo because of it's down-to-earth, realistic story writing. In this episode, the viewers are treated to another weapon of the writer's repertoire.

Episode 3 is okay. Fanservice is delivered in a random, but unexcessive manner. Better yet, all of episode 3 is delivered in a random, but unexcessive manner. Unlike some over-the-top, insanity-inducing comedies, Hanasaku Iroha takes its time and progresses steadily through each event, building up to a letdown. I simply prefer the drama of everyday work over the drama of car chases.

Episode 3 Rating: 7/10

[deadite]

Spoiler for Spoiler:

[creaothceann]

Originally Posted by deadite

Spoiler for Spoiler:

Minko packs a negligee by mistake for the beach trip!
It's super effective in the wet swimsuit contest!

[DragoZERO]

Is that future service or something? This series might have the best service of the year.

[dark998]

After episode 3 Nako is now my favorite character. That diving style, that swimming, that long hair appearance.

And finally the manager is softening up to Ohana. I knew she wasn't as hardass as she looks.

[BaKaBaKaOtaKu]

damn, mah favorite episode so far. XDD NAKO!!!! fanservice ftw!! XD

minko going tsun at ohana is so cute. she doesn't really hate ohana. =3

[VentAileron]

Originally Posted by CWW

Maybe the good production values are clouding everyone's judgement or something.

I don't see anyone saying 'oh my god the plot of episode 3 is sooo goood!'.

[Hooves]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

You may not have noticed, but they stopped mid-hot chase to shop for groceries and let the cook catch up on foot (which is absurd in itself, yes...). They just happened to buy food that Minko hated, along with the rest of the food.

So they were grocery shopping while they were waiting for the cook to catch up after he failed to grab onto the truck? I just thought they were just waiting for him

Edit: Ohh... I can't believe I missed that..

[Silverwyrm]

I find it kinda weird that so many people went too. Several of them would have been better off staying back other than the plot wanted them there.

[Anh_Minh]

Bah. If we'd been in character, Nako would have stayed behind. Which would have meant no wet Nako. Clearly, going the absurd whacky hijinks route was the good choice.

[CWW]

That or write a sequence of events that has an ounce of common sense and simultaneously allows for money shots? Preferably without a failure of a writer? It's not like the show has a source to follow.

[DummyInc]

Originally Posted by wm4

It was rumoured that
http://d.hatena.ne.jp/ike_tomo/20110418/1303094241
Although one suggested that he was a parody of Osamu Dazai.

no wonder i find that author so familiar especially i watched aoi bungaku recently

[Vexx]

I was getting weird "Working!" (comedy series) vibes in episode 3. The first two episodes of this series were quite beautiful to me (storytelling, art, etc)... ep 3 just seems disjointed... not a bad episode just seems more like it dropped in from another series. Nonetheless, so far still one of my favorites of the season.

[Deconstructor]

Originally Posted by Silverwyrm

I find it kinda weird that so many people went too. Several of them would have been better off staying back other than the plot wanted them there.

The inn was closed for the rest of the day. Everyone was probably bored out of their minds and needed an excuse to get some fresh air. A fake, pretentious writer stealing their truck qualifies as an excuse.

I admit, they should have left at least one person at the inn. There are very little security measures in place already... someone can enter through the back door and help themselves.

Originally Posted by Vexx

I was getting weird "Working!" (comedy series) vibes in episode 3. The first two episodes of this series were quite beautiful to me (storytelling, art, etc)... ep 3 just seems disjointed... not a bad episode just seems more like it dropped in from another series. Nonetheless, so far still one of my favorites of the season.

I appreciate when a writer goes outside of the main selling point of an anime. Episode 3 is an attempt at a humorous series of events; usually the comedy is restrained to brief moments, and never overshadows the serious drama. I just don't feel episode 3 worked as well as the last two episodes. Perhaps I expect too much of a throwaway episode... I wanted to laugh as hard in episode 3 as I was emotionally moved in episodes 1 and 2. Unfortunately, the jokes mostly failed. I did get a good laugh with the fantasy onsen scene.

[risingstar3110]

Originally Posted by ninryu

I'm the only one who waits for OhanaXNakoXMinchi three way?

Second here.... None of you have real taste in good fan service!!(man i wished that i saw ep 3 when it's just out)

The storyline was average, disjointed but original (after all most of the anime will keep the plot inside the ryokan to save animation efforts). The fan service was excellent through

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by ninryu

I'm the only one who waits for OhanaXNakoXMinchi three way?

Ohana likes K-chan, and Minchi likes Tooru.


so probably not