Hanasaku Iroha - Episode 9 Discussion / Poll

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Deconstructor

Your reasoning is exactly why a reviewer must know the fanbase - so he or she is aware of what will cause anger. I doubt Yuina would have been so concerned about the inn review if the reviewer wasn't a prominent figure in the community.

The magazine is prominent. The reviewer isn't a celebrity, as that would defeat the point. But "knowing the fanbase" isn't the same as "knowing who regularly stays where". It's a specialized magazine, not Facebook.

It's not a quick snap of the fingers. The reviewer can plan an inn review months in advance, and also ask regular customers months in advance to stay on the same day. You seem to be under the impression the reviewer gathered people within the timespan of one day, but not necessarily so.

It's not a matter of time. It's a matter of convincing people to change their timetable to suit you.

Besides, it wasn't just regulars. It was an influx of new customers on top of the regulars.

Sure, Kissuiso could notice an advertisement for recruitment. But they can't really do anything about the masses of people; they already assume the mystery guest is hiding within a large group of customers.

If they knew months in advance people would be coming, they wouldn't have had that staffing problem.

It's not a lot of effort on the reviewer's part. All she has to do is ask regular customers to stay at the inn on a specific day, then come herself. If the customers reject the reviewer's offer, then she simply asks someone else until the inn gets fully booked.

Just finding the customers is a lot of effort. Getting all of them to not leak the information is impossible.

Regular customers are assumed to stay more than once. So they at least have the money to do it again.

A few times a year. That they do for their own relaxation. Not for a magazine they may not even read.

Rather baseless assumption here. The mystery guest could have been over at Yuina's inn.

You don't get it. Everyone gets a mystery guest (though maybe not at the same time, and maybe not the same guest) - that's why they can make a "ranking".

If anything, the only reason Kissuiso got suspicious was the overwhelming influx of customers.



Everyone at Kissuiso seemed rather surprised.

Which just goes to show there was no prior reason to suspect they would be coming at that particular time.

Do you believe the Kissuiso phone ringing so many times within the same minute to be merely coincidence? You don't find it strange Kissuiso was booked exactly full - not one customer too many or too little?

We don't know about too many. All the uncle said was that as long as he had free rooms, he accepted the reservations.

And yes, I think it either coincidence or a story telling device to show how busy the inn was getting. I certainly don't believe it's a conspiracy by a magazine.

I don't think I'll ever convince you that an obsession is not required to stay over one night at an unextravagant, but still pleasant inn.

For my own vacation? Sure, why not? But for the sake of a magazine writing a review?

[Irisiel]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

If they had that many incredibly dedicated customers, I doubt they'd be failing.

I assumed that their problem is getting customers to stay during the off season, and maybe these loyal customers were more likely to show up during the on season (festival season? Certain holidays? Maybe there's a gastronomic draw such a certain fish during a certain time of year?), but they then decided for some reason (like getting better service because there might be a rumoured mystery guest) to show up during the likely reviewing weekend.

Because if Kissuisou would be this empty during the on season, it should have failed a few years ago. Many inns already fail when they have full on seasons but empty off seasons.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Irisiel

I assumed that their problem is getting customers to stay during the off season, and maybe these loyal customers were more likely to show up during the on season (festival season? Certain holidays? Maybe there's a gastronomic draw such a certain fish during a certain time of year?), but they then decided for some reason (like getting better service because there might be a rumoured mystery guest) to show up during the likely reviewing weekend.

Because if Kissuisou would be this empty during the on season, it should have failed a few years ago. Many inns already fail when they have full on seasons but empty off seasons.

We're talking about customers so dedicated, a magazine just asks them to go at a certain date, and they do. Those are bound to be outliers. For everyone of them, there ought to be tens who come once a year or more.

[Deconstructor]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

The magazine is prominent. The reviewer isn't a celebrity, as that would defeat the point. But "knowing the fanbase" isn't the same as "knowing who regularly stays where". It's a specialized magazine, not Facebook.

It's not hard to figure out who stays at an inn frequently. They could have scouts watch the exit, learn through word of mouth, or already know who comes due to past visits (the mystery guest stayed over 2 years ago at Kissuiso as well).

It's not a matter of time. It's a matter of convincing people to change their timetable to suit you.

Besides, it wasn't just regulars. It was an influx of new customers on top of the regulars.

Well, if people are told in advance, then they can easily schedule an overnight stay among their other activities.

I seem to remember most of the customers were regulars... but if there are many new customers all coming on the exact same day, wouldn't that be even more suspicious?

If they knew months in advance people would be coming, they wouldn't have had that staffing problem.

I never said Kissuiso would have known about the day everyone was visiting. Kissuiso may have known the mystery guest was recruiting cohorts to keep her identity secret, but they probably didn't know when she was visiting until the many calls for one specific day came in.

Just finding the customers is a lot of effort. Getting all of them to not leak the information is impossible.

How is it impossible? People don't say anything, and Kissuiso doesn't know. They have to resort to guessing and sending Jiroumaru to barge into people's rooms.

A few times a year. That they do for their own relaxation. Not for a magazine they may not even read.

These families can be on vacation. Their presence at the inn hides the mystery guest's identity; they can enjoy their stay without having to do any work for the mystery guest. Simply having enough people staying over is all the reviewer requires to see if the inn treats every customer equally, and how well the inn fares under pressure.

You don't get it. Everyone gets a mystery guest (though maybe not at the same time, and maybe not the same guest) - that's why they can make a "ranking".

No, I got it. The mystery guest could have been over at someone else's inn - you previously assumed the mystery guest was at Kissuiso because the magazine announced they would be in that particular region. But Yuina's inn is also in the region.

Which just goes to show there was no prior reason to suspect they would be coming at that particular time.

Sure, there is no prior reason.

We don't know about too many. All the uncle said was that as long as he had free rooms, he accepted the reservations.

They said they were booked full, and no reservations were turned down.

Even if they had to turn down people, isn't it a little too many people for Kissuiso's typical customer load?

And yes, I think it either coincidence or a story telling device to show how busy the inn was getting. I certainly don't believe it's a conspiracy by a magazine.

I'm operating under the impression the reviewer isn't bad enough of a reviewer to try and evaluate an inn when there's only one customer to attend to.

For my own vacation? Sure, why not? But for the sake of a magazine writing a review?

You can have your vacation - you just need to do it on a specific day. If I tell you weeks in advance, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. And you don't need to do anything for me - simply staying over gives me a crowd to hide in. It also means the inn staff have to work harder to fulfill your needs, giving me a clear picture of how good the inn really is.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Deconstructor

It's not hard to figure out who stays at an inn frequently. They could have scouts watch the exit, learn through word of mouth, or already know who comes due to past visits (the mystery guest stayed over 2 years ago at Kissuiso as well).

So now you want that magazine to hire private eyes to put that inn under surveillance for a year or more. That's not expensive at all, sure. And, more importantly, not creepy at all. Who are you, Jiroumaru?

Well, if people are told in advance, then they can easily schedule an overnight stay among their other activities.

Easily relative to what? It is, still, on overnight stay at the back end of nowhere. Not something you do for a random stranger.

I seem to remember most of the customers were regulars... but if there are many new customers all coming on the exact same day, wouldn't that be even more suspicious?

It's a spike in reservations. They do happen. Conspiracies by magazines to fill inns, though? Never heard of that. It makes no economic sense.

I never said Kissuiso would have known about the day everyone was visiting. Kissuiso may have known the mystery guest was recruiting cohorts to keep her identity secret, but they probably didn't know when she was visiting until the many calls for one specific day came in.

They never mentioned any of that. If they'd seen an ad asking for "cohorts", I think they'd have said as much.

How is it impossible? People don't say anything, and Kissuiso doesn't know. They have to resort to guessing and sending Jiroumaru to barge into people's rooms.

Exactly. People leak. People friendly to the inn would have told if some creepy reviewer had asked them to plan their vacation around their own investigation of the inn. (Which, according to the old woman, was a bit of a last minute decision, too...)

These families can be on vacation. Their presence at the inn hides the mystery guest's identity; they can enjoy their stay without having to do any work for the mystery guest. Simply having enough people staying over is all the reviewer requires to see if the inn treats every customer equally, and how well the inn fares under pressure.

How many families plan their vacations for the sake of magazines?

No, I got it. The mystery guest could have been over at someone else's inn - you previously assumed the mystery guest was at Kissuiso because the magazine announced they would be in that particular region. But Yuina's inn is also in the region.

No. My point is, many inns in that region got a mystery guest. It's almost certain Yuina's got its own. It's a ranking.

Sure, there is no prior reason.



They said they were booked full, and no reservations were turned down.

He said he didn't turn down people as long as he had free rooms. Even though, according to the owner, he should have, because staffing was the real bottleneck there.

Even if they had to turn down people, isn't it a little too many people for Kissuiso's typical customer load?

As I said, weird spikes happen. Magazine conspiracies don't. (At least not for that. I wouldn't put it past a tabloid to hire a hooker to put someone in an embarrassing position. That makes sense, money-wise. Your theory doesn't.)

I'm operating under the impression the reviewer isn't bad enough of a reviewer to try and evaluate an inn when there's only one customer to attend to.

Ah, yes, because artificially inducing a full booking at the last minute is so much better. If a place in unpopular, you say so in your review and move on to whether it's good or not.

You can have your vacation - you just need to do it on a specific day. If I tell you weeks in advance, that shouldn't be too much of a problem. And you don't need to do anything for me - simply staying over gives me a crowd to hide in. It also means the inn staff have to work harder to fulfill your needs, giving me a clear picture of how good the inn really is.

I have zero reason to do you that favor. And one not to: I don't like crowds. And one to freaking spill the beans to Kissuisso's staff: I want into Tomoe's pants. So, there. Your troublesome scheme, completely destroyed.