Hanasaku Iroha - Episode 26 (END) Discussion / Poll

[icatero]

Sooo, where's Minko going to live now? D:

[calorie]

They actually had the guts to close down the inn and I respect that (referring to the P.A. Works, not the characters).

Honestly, I don't know what kind of ending I had wanted prior to seeing this. Perhaps this was it. Hanasaku Iroha had a good start as a show, managed to stir up my emotions in the first couple of episodes and make me care about the characters -- and I still do care about them. However, the oscillating quality, ranging from average to slightly above average in everything except animation and pathos, which were both kept high and relatively low respectively, as constants, throughout the show, make it awfully forgettable I'm afraid.

P.A. Works have in the end pulled it off (in a way), and managed to bail out without screwing it up. Don't think there was much they could have done to give the story more punch in the finale; the romance between Ohana and Ko had already started to become too awkward so yeah, I'll settle for a confession and yakisoba sharing. Additionally, Ko's timidness had only made it more obvious how young they both are so a happily-ever-after would be a tad...hmm, unnatural and forced.

As for the side characters - looking at the bigger picture it's hard to believe that Minchi and Tohru did not end up together. Well, not really together. Though they did give us a hint of them moving forward in that direction. I had also expected to see Tomoe and Renji pairing but alas, that did not happen either. Kind of makes me sad that those two oddballs stayed alone. This lack of couples in the finale makes it more melancholic and realistic at the price of it being a pretty lukewarm experience.

I don't think I've come across an anime that falls into the 'Very Good=8' category quite so well as Hanasaku Iroha. Definitely better than the plain 'good' on account of the visuals, the characters and rather amusing plot digressions but still miles away from being anything close to exceptional. Like Sol Falling put it - a bit too real slice of life.

[0utf0xZer0]

So I correctly called a few things - that the final arc would be rock solid, that the ending would be low key and not entirely conclusive rather than super dramatic, and that Sui's wouldn't die. Actually, I'm not surprised that both her illness and Ohana's nosebleeds were red herrings. The inn being shut down and the cast parting ways did surprise me though.

Overall I consider the ending great. I do agree with Triple_R that the resolution of Ko/Ohana was maybe a little too understated, but that was relatively minor. I also agree with Calorie that I would have liked to have seen Tomoe finally luck out, but that's such a minor issue for me I wouldn't actually factor it into an assessment.

As to the series itself, I consider it to have some major flaws but the overall result was extremely impressive. The PVs got me pumped and even the weak episodes never dulled my enthusiasm for long. Perhaps this is because I never doubted the show as much as some - in fact, I guessed in advance which episodes would be sidestories/comedic and which would be major plot episodes with a fair degree of accuracy. And since I tend to be very forgiving of flaws in shows I love for other reasons, I'm really hoping this gets licensed by NIS America - because I want those in character commentaries and NIS is probably the only licensor I can see translating them. Plus their artboxes are beautiful.

[LuxorMG]

Originally Posted by ThereminVox

I also liked how they book-ended Ohana's time at the inn by having her scrub the deck as her final act there.

A few bumps, but I still enjoyed the ride.

Yes, the book end is important for slice of life and pseudo-slice of life series. But it's a nice touch, even if I rolled my eyes at how absurd it was. I guess it was the writer's way of having Ohana and Okami have one last meeting to close out the finale.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

Well, optimistically, maybe it's just the beginning for Enishi. It's the first time he's truly left the nest. Before, he just coasted on the fact he was the owner's son. That he'd be stuck in that inn no matter what. In fact, until recently, he believed his sister would come back to take charge of everything anyway.

It's different, now. He can get fired, for one thing. He has a goal of his own, rather than an inability to escape his mother. So maybe he will, at last, grow.

Or maybe Takako will learn and do something.

That's... too optimistic for me. I'd rather see something depressing.

Of course, we can always go for the dissection of the slice of life genre (like we had with Madoka) and have all the characters in depressing situations. But I guess we can leave that to the dark fiction guys.

[~Yami~]

some highlight in this episode :

Ohana's wish to become like Sui Shijima (well, Sui's hardworker nature is very good. The only weakness is her bold way to treat her family)

Ohana's confession... (why should she confess in front of Yakisoba's stand... can you find somewhere more romantic?? lol.. )

Satsuki and Sui's relationship (both of they are really in good term and understand each other. I'm very touched when I see Shijima family)

Jiroumaru ruined the scene.. lol... I was guessing Ko want to say "Date me" to Ohana but looks like we can't manage to hear that word... too bad

Inn closed (Enishi become very mature. The whole Kissuiso's crews are also great. They have changed a lot and looks like Ohana is one of the reason why they're changed)

The ending is absolutely going like my wish... I'm very happy so I give this episode 10/10
Maybe they should put the reunion scene at the end (like Minchi become master chef, Nako become chief waitress, and Ohana is Madam Manager... lol)

[Dop]

That was a very beautiful bittersweet way to end the series, and so glad they avoided the temptation for cheap melodrama by killing off Sui.

Kind of hoping one of the eventual DVD/BluRay 'extras' will be a reunion episode.

[Qikz]

Originally Posted by Dop

That was a very beautiful bittersweet way to end the series, and so glad they avoided the temptation for cheap melodrama by killing off Sui.

Kind of hoping one of the eventual DVD/BluRay 'extras' will be a reunion episode.

This, oh god this I was so scared they were going to kill of Sui. I'd already been crying slightly throughout the episode and the bits where she was walking through the empty in had me in tears (those sorts of things always get to me). When she saw her husband on the stairs I was like, oh god no. Don't kill her off, please don't die Sui and then Ohana piped up.

Really sad it's ended, hopefully eventually they'll maybe make some more after Enishi has studied enough, but I doubt it.

[Tempester]

Fantastic final episode. Everything was resolved decently, with the open ends simply being the characters moving on with their lives. The drama was laid thicker than usual, but not so much as to go against the nature of the anime and just enough to evoke sweet, sentimental feelings.

If only most of the anime were up to the caliber of the finale. I'm not sure what exactly happened during the writing process of Hanasaku Iroha, but I suspect that it had something to do with the sheer length of the anime having to adhere to a shorter script. It's ironic to think that, with a few adjustments, HanaIro might have worked better as a 13-episode anime while PA Work's other anime Angel Beats seemed tailor-made to be 26 episodes long.

While I was thinking rather pessimistically about the anime when watching around the middle of HanaIro's first half, episode 10 and the following arc considerably revived my faith. The second half had its ups and downs, but never veered near the worst of the first half. And I was delighted for the anime to wrap itself up in such an excellent finale. In my opinion, the ending of a piece of entertainment can be a real make-or-break deal as to the quality of the entire piece. So it's extremely fortunate that HanaIro was blessed with a good finale.

Best anime by PA Works yet. Even though that isn't saying much, it still gives me hope that PA Works can make an anime that really blows me away someday.

[calorie]

Originally Posted by Tempester

It's ironic to think that, with a few adjustments, HanaIro might have worked better as a 13-episode anime while PA Work's other anime Angel Beats seemed tailor-made to be 26 episodes long.

Well put.

The finale reminded me of Ohana's fighting spirit which made the show "sparkle" every now and then. Somewhere along the way that got diluted with the wish-wash like the unnecessary drama and certain side character focused episodes. It could very well be that the show wouldn't have lost some of the pacing if it had been 13 episodes long.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by calorie

P.A. Works have in the end pulled it off (in a way), and managed to bail out without screwing it up. Don't think there was much they could have done to give the story more punch in the finale; the romance between Ohana and Ko had already started to become too awkward so yeah, I'll settle for a confession and yakisoba sharing. Additionally, Ko's timidness had only made it more obvious how young they both are so a happily-ever-after would be a tad...hmm, unnatural and forced.

Of course that does bring to question, if this is the only kind of resolution you can bring between Ohana and Ko...what was the point? The Ko/Ohana romance ultimately didn't influence Kissou in any substantial way, nor it's final. It kind of existed in a self contained bubble seperate from the rest of the series that flared with lots of drama initially, but then kinda fizzled out towards the end.

This isn't to say that I think that Ko NEEDED to be removed from the series (though I do admit this is a viable possibility.), but he certianly needed more direct involvement to make the drama surrounding him more relevant to the main plot. Alternatively, they keep Ko, but lower the level of plot drama surrounding him to what's appropriate for how involved he is in the show. Ohana can have a sweetheart back in Tokyo that she can sometimes get a bit flustered over, but the existential angst shouldn't be played up.


With where Ko/Ohana ended up going...I'd have much rather have had more exposition on Satsuki, Ohana's deceased husband (seriously. We're about to find out more about this, but Ohana hangs up due to Ko) and even on Ren.

[calorie]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

Of course that does bring to question, if this is the only kind of resolution you can bring between Ohana and Ko...what was the point? The Ko/Ohana romance ultimately didn't influence Kissou in any substantial way, nor it's final. It kind of existed in a self contained bubble seperate from the rest of the series that flared with lots of drama initially, but then kinda fizzled out towards the end.

This isn't to say that I think that Ko NEEDED to be removed from the series (though I do admit this is a viable possibility.), but he certianly needed more direct involvement to make the drama surrounding him more relevant to the main plot. Alternatively, they keep Ko, but lower the level of plot drama surrounding him to what's appropriate for how involved he is in the show. Ohana can have a sweetheart back in Tokyo that she can sometimes get a bit flustered over, but the existential angst shouldn't be played up.

Ohana's crush on Ko was used as a means to show her "blooming"; at that age, with her personality and under those circumstances (moving to a completely new environment), existential angst wasn't that unexpected. Perhaps the fact that they've left us with no resolution to their relationship says something about how (un)important it really is. That's what I extrapolated.

[Roger Rambo]

See, the problem with the "Blooming" metaphor, is that's not the impression you get. Ohana going from a motivated, responsible outgoing worker at the inn, to a brooding, melancholic, flustered crying girl doens't convey that Ohana's "Blooming". It makes it look like Ko is a walking regression emitter.

This could have worked to nuance how their relationship had progressed. Ohana and Ko managing to display their feelings to each other in a mature, tender manner would have played in with the "blooming" motif. But when at the end of the series they're still at the "EEEEK! HOLDING HANDS!" stage? Completely falls flat.


Though I think you've caught onto the *(un)important* aspect of the relationship. Think about it. The last scene between Ko and Ohana ends with Ohana catching Jiroumaru listening in on them. The relationship ends on a punchline.

[MeoTwister5]

Until We Meet Again.

The decision to close Kissuiso was most likely one that Sui had been mulling over for a long time, probably even before Ohana had even come to the inn. What I surmise is that part of Sui’s decision in closing changed. Previously it seemed possible that she had planned to close the inn at some point for good, but all that changed when Ohana came into everyone’s life, bring with her Sui’s estranged daughter. Ohana was a grandchild she never knew existed, the daughter of the daughter she had all but disowned. But she saw something in Ohana: she saw herself. Perhaps the youthful exuberance she used to have when her husband was alive, that excitement mixed with worry as she struggled with him to turn an old rundown inn no one wanted into a respectable establishment. Ohana came into the inn determined to make it her new home, her new life, to breath into it her own sense of life and living that would invariably change not only the inn but also herself. She did what she had to do to make the inn functional and, ultimately, a place where staff and guests alike could find a place to live and relax. She did it for the customers, for the staff, and for herself.

And when she saw her younger self in Ohana, she knew that there was hope for the inn when her previously unknown daughter first started to wipe the floors. Her faith was restored not only in her but her son, and everyone else in the inn, that she could leave it in good hands one day. That day might not be today, but that day would come. Until that day, everyone will be better, and she will wait on that train platform when everyone, not just Ohana, comes back.

What ultimately began as a show about a girl being displaced, exiled even, from the world she knew and transplanted into the countryside eventually became a story not just about her, but of a group of workers of 3 generations trying to make a home for themselves in the hustle and bustle of running an inn. Personalities clash, tempers flare, quirkiness ensues, but in the end in our brief glimpse of a little less than a year in the lives of Kissuiso’s staff we learn just how these things have brought everyone closer and have made them a family. We have perverts, workaholics, anger issues, domineers and the like, a motley crew indeed, but families are made of of such motley men and women. At the end of the day the inn runs and runs fine because of these people, their conflicts, and their idiosyncrasies.

And when there is a time to be together, there is a time to part ways. What happens at this time and beyond is no longer within our sights to see, but I fully believe that there will be a time for them to be together again, older, wiser, more mature, ready to come back together and put the inn back in business. They may have parted ways to build new lives, but their days and memories of the inn will always be there, waiting, in it’s wooden halls, steamy baths and busy kitchens.

Kissuiso is their home, is it not?

[shibakun]

Wonderful ending. I loved every bit of it and I definitely would like to see an epilogue.

After the closing of Kissuiso, are Yuina , Minko and Nako still in the same school?

[calorie]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

See, the problem with the "Blooming" metaphor, is that's not the impression you get. Ohana going from a motivated, responsible outgoing worker at the inn, to a brooding, melancholic, flustered crying girl doens't convey that Ohana's "Blooming". It makes it look like Ko is a walking regression emitter.

This could have worked to nuance how their relationship had progressed. Ohana and Ko managing to display their feelings to each other in a mature, tender manner would have played in with the "blooming" motif. But when at the end of the series they're still at the "EEEEK! HOLDING HANDS!" stage? Completely falls flat.

By "blooming" I meant Ohana's coming of age - not their relationship. Teenage romances tend to stay like that, it's still too early for either of them to display enough emotional growth for their love to grow and evolve to a new level. She doesn't have her emotions sorted out yet, but as she leaves on that train, I think she realizes that the time she spent in Kissuiso was an important lesson in her life, one that she'll fully understand in years to come. So even if the effects aren't visible yet, she has undergone the "blooming".

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

Though I think you've caught onto the *(un)important* aspect of the relationship. Think about it. The last scene between Ko and Ohana ends with Ohana catching Jiroumaru listening in on them. The relationship ends on a punchline.

At that moment it actually occurred to me that she felt relieved that someone interrupted them.

Ko-chan had really become a coward by the end of the show, which started by him manning up and confessing.

[Shadow5YA]

Nako looks the best with her hair down.

I was kind of hoping for a timeskip with adult Ohana, Nako, and Minko working together at the Kissuiso too.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by calorie

Ko-chan had really become a coward by the end of the show, which started by him manning up and confessing.

The first thing Ko did after confessing, was to run away from her, then not see her off at the station.

I'd argue this isn't out of character for Ko.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by icatero

Sooo, where's Minko going to live now? D:

With her parents? It's not like they're dead or anything.

[Triple_R]

Here is why I have a different view on Ko/Ohana than perhaps most do, and why I think it really deserved more time and emphasis in this finale:

Maintaining serious romantic feelings for a person when you live far apart from him or her for several months is not that easy, especially for teenagers I would think (given the raging hormones of that age, and what have you). I mean, Ko had to keep turning down a perfectly cute alternative in that library girl simply to have a chance with Ohana.

Ko's almost sisyphean display of patience in waiting on Ohana, and Ohana's tendency to have her thoughts automatically go back to Ko whenever the thought of "romance" or "boyfriend" crossed her mind, makes me think of something a lot stronger than a simple and easily passing high school crush.

And a lasting romance is obviously not unimportant.


Honestly, I think that Okada just doesn't like writing happy romantic ends. If you look at True Tears' finale, for example, there's much more focus on the person who lost the romantic triangle than on the happy couple that arose from it.

[Guardian Enzo]

How open-ended was the romatic ending, really? They've both confessed to each other and the series ends with the two of them meeting up and walking off together. They're 16 - if you wanted a wedding or a consummation I think you're barking up the wrong tree. Isn't it enough - and perfectly natural - that the first thing two shy 16 year-olds who decide to have a relationship do is start dating?