Hanasaku Iroha - Episode 14 Discussion / Poll

[Lexxus]

Oh. Ko is still in the opening.

[Guardian Enzo]

This is priceless comedy here. You can't even put a tag on it. Keep it coming - it's more entertaining than the series at this point!

No one would be laughing harder than Okada-sensei...

[Archon_Wing]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

This is priceless comedy here. You can't even put a tag on it. Keep it coming - it's more entertaining than the series at this point!

No one would be laughing harder than Okada-sensei...

You blew my cover and revealed my plan. It's so good to not be a shipper. *Runs*

Also, Okada > Okada.

But I still think the male cast sucks.

[DorkingtonPugsly]

KO!!!!! yesssssss! I am so glad he's still gonna be a part of this show.

[taichi-kun]

Originally Posted by deadite

You realize how cool Ko is when you compare him Ohana's male classmates who fawn and drool over Minko and Yuina. Same with the guy who was confessing to Minko a second time; he couldn't get a hint that Minko didn't want to talk and he didn't read the situation so well.

Yeah kou is mature,he works ... and school mates are a bunch of losers,poor minko and yuina.

[germanturkey]

Nako needs to feature more in the next ep. i'm in love with Yuina's VA. that is all.

[ReddyRedWolf]

Know what? It is that sort of assertive attitude Ko should have had with Ohana. That passive and conceited attitude doesn't work with her.

Passive that he doesn't show sincerity chasing after Ohana. Conceited that he believes Ohana will turn around his way eventually.

Far as I see it with misunderstanding and all, Ohana is the one that dumped Ko by giving up on him.

Dude make your presence known like this guy.

[revive4563]

I was thinking kappa is very minor merman/monster of Japanese rural legend.

btw Yuina is scary as a girl friend.

[DragoZERO]

Great episode. I am enjoying the Yuina time as well. However, the lack of Nako (especially at the beach) was painful. Why did she have to be in a different class!? Thank god for her night swim, haha.

And the new OP/ED songs are great.

[black_star]

Originally Posted by revive4563

I was thinking kappa is very minor merman/monster of Japanese rural legend.

btw Yuina is scary as a girl friend.

Yuina is scary, indeed. But why she's so cuuutee.....

And...we got Nako as a kappa.

[Lessing-love]

Originally Posted by revive4563

btw Yuina is scary as a girl friend.

It's always the cute ones who surprise everyone the most...

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

No one would be laughing harder than Okada-sensei...

Speaking of which, I'd like to repeat a query again, which previously I think got buried under commentary.


What specific examples of characters and situations are present in other series that Mari Okada has worked on in the past that makes them think the lack of character interaction between Ohana and Ko isn't a sign that the writer is working towards an ending where they clear the waters and separate? What about these situations make them comparable to what we've seen (or rather, what we haven't seen) in Hanasaku Iroha?

[Tiberium Wolf]

OP and ED visuals are stunning but the songs are mediocre and horrible. Not enough Nako in this ep.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Roger Rambo

Speaking of which, I'd like to repeat a query again, which previously I think got buried under commentary.


What specific examples of characters and situations are present in other series that Mari Okada has worked on in the past that makes them think the lack of character interaction between Ohana and Ko isn't a sign that the writer is working towards an ending where they clear the waters and separate? What about these situations make them comparable to what we've seen (or rather, what we haven't seen) in Hanasaku Iroha?

You're asking the wrong question, Roger, because I think your premise is fundamentally flawed. There's been more meaningful interaction between Ohana and Kou than between Ohana and just about anybody else - it's just that most of it hasn't been face to face. To be blunt, she's obsessed with him and dissecting her own feelings for him.

It's important to point out for the zillionth time that not all of Okada's series are romances (and this one isn't) and not all of them end up with a pairing. But when it comes to the shows where there isn't a "forever alone" ending, she tends to favor the obvious over the curve ball. The one that's always on your mind is usually there for a reason, and childhood attraction trumps late challengers.

[hanashi]

up

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

You're asking the wrong question, Roger, because I think your premise is fundamentally flawed. There's been more meaningful interaction between Ohana and Kou than between Ohana and just about anybody else - it's just that most of it hasn't been face to face. To be blunt, she's obsessed with him and dissecting her own feelings for him.

It's important to point out for the zillionth time that not all of Okada's series are romances (and this one isn't) and not all of them end up with a pairing. But when it comes to the shows where there isn't a "forever alone" ending, she tends to favor the obvious over the curve ball. The one that's always on your mind is usually there for a reason, and childhood attraction trumps late challengers.

Woah, there. That was really unnecessary. "Point out for the zillionth time?" I'm going to give you the benefit of the doubt and assume that you didn't mean to come off as condescending as you sounded. Roger didn't mention Ohana's interactions with anyone else. He asked for examples from some of Okada's other works that would show that the radio silence between Ko and Ohana doesn't mean we're being set up for Kissuisou/Ohana.

I've also noticed a tendency of others to answer 'If you've done the research' or 'if you've seen Okada's other works' rather than responding to actual posts, particularly when we mention why we find Ko/Ohana kind of a limp pairing. It can't be both ways. Either Okada's previous works can be used to analyze HanaIro or they can't. And if they can't, can we please stop bringing them up in discussion in place of an actual response as though they're some sort of smoking gun? It's like writing a 5 paragraph essay without the supporting argument.

[Roger Rambo]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

You're asking the wrong question, Roger, because I think your premise is fundamentally flawed. There's been more meaningful interaction between Ohana and Kou than between Ohana and just about anybody else - it's just that most of it hasn't been face to face. To be blunt, she's obsessed with him and dissecting her own feelings for him.

It's important to point out for the zillionth time that not all of Okada's series are romances (and this one isn't) and not all of them end up with a pairing. But when it comes to the shows where there isn't a "forever alone" ending, she tends to favor the obvious over the curve ball. The one that's always on your mind is usually there for a reason, and childhood attraction trumps late challengers.

No, I think I asked EXACTLY the right question. Before I wasn't sure how Okada's previous writing related to Ko and Ohana's long distance communication issues. The main thing I'm picking up is that Okada doesn't seem to feel any special obligation to ensure a main couple forms at the end, only that she prefers the obvious one when she does.


...Doesn't that leave us back where we started? Where we're disagreeing over how meaningful Ohana and Ko's long distance communications have been? It doesn't seem that this roundabout invoking of Okada's name actually progressed the discussion with regards to Ko. Now Tohru on the other hand...yes, I'd say it's relevant related to him (OTOH, everyone already know I was really heavily betting on something else than him).

[Guardian Enzo]

Well, I agree with you about Tohru - there's just not enough smoke there and the clock is ticking fast. If that's even going to elevate to the level of a misdirection, never mind a serious development it's going to have to start pretty damn quick.

Frankly, while no two Okada series are alike you've summed it up pretty well with the last sentence of your first paragraph. You can go down the laundry list of her series at ANN or MAL and I don't think you'll find a single one that had an unexpected romantic twist at the end that resulted in a surprising pairing. Admittedly some of those series are adaptations, so one can assume that unless the series had an anime-original ending it was the original author who decided how the story would conclude. But there's a long list to go on - TT, Toradora, AnoHana, Gosick (which did have an anime-original end), Hourou Musuko... It's either the obvious pairing or no pairing at all. I haven't seen every single series she was the lead writer on so I may have missed the exception that proves the rule.

It just seems obvious that there's a lot of thinly veiled character-bashing in this thread posing as analysis (and I'm not singling you out here). If the agenda is to bash the character, just come right out and admit you're speaking from the heart...

[Chase]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Well, I agree with you about Tohru - there's just not enough smoke there and the clock is ticking fast. If that's even going to elevate to the level of a misdirection, never mind a serious development it's going to have to start pretty damn quick.

Frankly, while no two Okada series are alike you've summed it up pretty well with the last sentence of your first paragraph. You can go down the laundry list of her series at ANN or MAL and I don't think you'll find a single one that had an unexpected romantic twist at the end that resulted in a surprising pairing. Admittedly some of those series are adaptations, so one can assume that unless the series had an anime-original ending it was the original author who decided how the story would conclude. But there's a long list to go on - TT, Toradora, AnoHana, Gosick (which did have an anime-original end), Hourou Musuko... It's either the obvious pairing or no pairing at all. I haven't seen every single series she was the lead writer on so I may have missed the exception that proves the rule.

It just seems obvious that there's a lot of thinly veiled character-bashing in this thread posing as analysis (and I'm not singling you out here). If the agenda is to bash the character, just come right out and admit you're speaking from the heart...

That i absolutely agree on.

[Archon_Wing]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

It just seems obvious that there's a lot of thinly veiled character-bashing in this thread posing as analysis (and I'm not singling you out here). If the agenda is to bash the character, just come right out and admit you're speaking from the heart...

*Points at custom title* I never mince words about character bashing.

[ChairmanMeow]

On a completely unrelated note, I figure Yosuke is going to last one or two more episodes, considering how he's not in the opening. Probably there to give Ohana a perspective about childhood friends since Yuina seems to be making the choice that goes against him.