It’s the beginning of summer. With that, Ohana and her classmates go on a class field trip to a coastal city where many things are bound to happen.
…
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 14 – Fun at the Beach and Yuina’s Future
PA Works
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 13 – Family Bonding
Since Satsuki finally decides to grant Ohana’s wish to visit the Kissuisou Inn, it looks like things are about to get crazy… or maybe not as she wants to make up with her mother.
…
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 12
After Ohana had her world turned upside down in the last episode, things turn out for the better for her mother. As for Ohana’s love interest, well…
…
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 11
Even with the hard effort Ohana puts into the inn, it’s not enough to stop the slanderous reviews that swept through all the inns in the Yunosagi Hot Springs. In order to make things right, she goes on a journey to fight against the person who wrote those reviews until she finds out the shocking truth.
…
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 10 – Ohana’s Fever and Homesickness
After Ohana’s big success from the last episode of dealing with the flood of customers, she has become too dedicated that it eventually caused major fatigue. This leads us to one of the strangest sick episodes I have seen so far.
…
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 9 – Brief Thoughts
From the last episode, the Kissuisou Inn had a sudden surge of customers. With Ohana’s grandmother in the hospital after collapsing, things got stressful rather quickly. After Ohana fetched the notebook with all the customers out and called Nako for help, Ohana sets out to find Tooru.
…
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 8 – Troubles at the Kissuisou Inn
The first time since Episode 5, things get a bit serious as the sudden surge of customers pour into the inn with Takako making the situation even worse with a stream of bad ideas.
…
Spring 2011 Midseason Impressions
We are finally at the midway point of the spring season and so far, the shows airing for the most part are very enjoyable. (Image Source)
…
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 7 – Tomoe-san’s Shining Moment
It’s Tomoe’s time to shine at her job and she had so much fun doing it!
…
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 6 – Clothing Challenge!
Of course, it’s challenge!
In the past several years, business at the Kissuisou inn has been declining for several years… In effort to bring in more potential customers Takako, a business consultant issues an outrageous challenge that Ohana apparently accepts.
…
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 4 and 5 – Lovestrucked, Tsundere Minko…
After the big commotion over Episode 3, everything seems to go back on track with Ohana settling to the new school for the first time. Later, Minko reveals that she has a crush on Tohru, which she is somewhat insecure about.
…
Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 3 – Second Coming of OreImouto-like Outrage?
Like the outrage that happened with Ore no Imouto Episode 4, it seems that the aniblogosphere has started the outrage machine again over brief fanservice scenes, the perverseness of Jiroumaru and sudden lighthearted mood of Hanasaku Iroha Episode 3. I believe that this outrage is misguided considering that a slice of life story in my opinion is never meant to be completely consistent.
…
Spring 2011 Season Taste Test Score Card
With the taste testing of Spring Anime is coming to a close, I want to share my thoughts wrapped up into one sentence for every show I taste tested. For shows that debuted last week, it will be updated once I watch the second episode. (Image Source)
…
Taste Test Part II – Hanasaku Iroha
No matter how much effort Ohana puts into her work, there is one thing about her that astonishes me. She is so independent that she refuses to cooperate with others, which causes silly mistakes.
…
Taste Test Part I – Hanasaku Iroha
After the rather disappointing production of Angel Beats, things can only get better for PA Works. When I have watched the first episode of Hanasaku Iroha, the show has already exceeded my expectations.
…
Spring 2011 Preview and Future Plans
Since the Spring 2011 Anime Season will start in about a week, I have a hard time deciding what to watch besides Nichijou considering that there are so many shows airing during the season.
In addition, I will reveal future plans regarding the blog and real life stuff. (Image Source)
…
Angel Beats! – Final Review
Angel Beats is a very odd Anime. It’s a anime original that was hyped not only because Key was producing it, but PA Works who worked on “True Tears” and “Canaan” was going to animate the show. What we got is the Tsundere of Anime with inconsistent storyline and out of place drama and comedy. Even though I enjoyed Angel Beats, it felt like an experiment.
…
Angel Beats – Epsode 8-9 – Some Thoughts
A lot had happen since I last watched Angel Beats. Episode 8 is the battle to save the real Tenshi with the reprogrammed cloning ability by Yuri. In Episode 9, Tenshi looked like she is in an eternal sleep while they have others rewrite the program. Meanwhile, we get more of Otonashi’s memories after the train crash. Otonashi I have to say is a pretty strong character that doesn’t seem to give up and give others hope, but at the same time didn’t survived after the help crew came. The whole 7 days was like you see in Hurricane Katrina back in 2005 where people are left without food and supplies and some dying on the streets. Same case scenario here, but in a train wreck and both ends are covered with rocks.
Retouching on why people end up in this “purgatory,” people come here because they couldn’t live out their youthful days, as Tenshi put it. Life can be unfair and good people might pass away even if they didn’t want to. Life has many variables that it’s nearly impossible to get an accurate meaning of life. People need to live life to the fullest and not end up with a life full of regrets. That way, people can remain optimistic and strive for their goals.
Otonashi and Tenshi seem to want to help others, even though it means that the person disappears. However, Angel Beats seems to have so many unknowns because we don’t know exactly what happens when the person disappears. Does the person get reborn as someone else or reincarnated? Perhaps humans who are in this “purgatory” don’t want to disappear because they are afraid of the unknown. We won’t know exactly until the next few episodes.
This ultimately means that Tenshi gets back her student council position and the rest of the season focusing on clearing people’s regrets? I won’t know until I watch, so stay tuned and remember to have a box of tissues beside you… It’s going to be an emotional roller coaster ride!
Angel Beats – Episode 6 – Naoi’s Family Affair
It only took Otonashi grabbing him to convince him.
The SSS finally know that Naoi is behind the massacre, but how about Otonashi convincing him to stop this madness?
The highlight of the story is Naoi’s past. The first half of the episode didn’t matter as much compared to the second half.
Being locked up alone really sucks.
Naoi being locked up to play while his other brother does the more important stuff is very typical. This seems to happen frequently to younger siblings. Usually, the older brother/sister gets more attention than the youngest sibling. I never had that problem in my life, but I’m sure others had trying to get more attention from their parents.
This is a very important quote that will pretty much change Naoi’s life and holds some significance towards the end of his story:
You’re the one who died.
A lot of work ahead of you now…
Parents always want their children to succeed in life. Probably, the only way for a younger sibling to do gain more attention is from hard work and succeeding. However, some people aren’t cut out at some things even they put their full efforts. In this instance, Naoi swaps places with his brother so he can have an important meaning to his life, but sacrificing his previous life. Naoi faced a lot of difficulties because he was simply not good at pottery like his father and his brother. Eventually he got it with an award, but he did not do nearly as well.
Tragedy strikes and…
It makes you wonder… What Naoi achieved in his life since his father can no longer train him? Nothing. He considers himself as a failure because he does not have the skills and he have to take care of his father for rest of his life. He failed because he was trying to be more like his brother instead of being himself, which is why the quote “you’re the one who died” holds true. Being yourself and hard work is the only path to success.
Besides from Naoi’s story, the episode is a rather a good one. The joke seems to be somewhat out of place. It kind of reminded me of the previous Key Anime adaptations that had a period of comedy and then turning into a melodrama. With the pacing in Angel Beats being slightly fast, it gets out of place. Now with Tenshi on their side, will Naoi join in as well after Otonashi bringing back to his senses? We will find out next episode.
Verdict
8.8/10
Angel Beats! – Episode 2 Thoughts and Impressions
Nevertheless… this remains really interesting…
In continuation of this episode, the mission is to restock on weapons from the Guild underground. To get there, they need to get through the traps that are meant to repel Tenshi. Besides the “it’s a TRAP!” (not with boys crossdressing as a girl, but actual traps) moments that includes but not limited to a hammer, a laser trap that cuts your body (don’t worry, it doesn’t actually harm them after all), pitfall trap, big rolling bolder, falling ceiling, you name it! It is quite funny how some of these characters fell for these traps that I laughed… Well since they are immortal after all and only causes a lot of pain. Of course, our main character sees some, well you know for the first time and Yuri going all tsundere… well, dere with the blushing…
And then, there is this flashback which is on the verge of tearjerking sad…. The robbers decide to break into her house and nearly wiped out the whole family. Yuri tries to find something they would want, but fails to bring down the large pot since she slipped down stairs and started to bleed. Along with that, she is the leader simply because she rebelled against Tenshi first. Soon, they arrive at the guild and she decides to shut it down since Tenshi already found out and wanted to destroy all the knowledge and then rebuild the guild elsewhere. The workers start with preparation to demolish the guild and Tenshi got there. Otonashi and Yuri stand Tenshi off until the workers finally donated the TNT to blow up the guild, although the cannon was a complete failure.
Overall, this episode still made me rather interested in the show. Although the pacing is a little off, I think it will get better in the later episodes. Except for some scenes in the flashback, the animation was a improvement over the last episode and looked more appealing. It seems that they finally got the OP and the ED done with song and animation, which looked and sound amazing. About the OP, of course it sounded a little different compared to other songs that Lia sung (yes, I listen to alot of her songs, not only her Anime songs as seen on Last.fm), but it’s is rather mature… The ED sounded rather peaceful and yes, this is what I got from it. It is obvious that P.A. Works is trying to push to become like Kyoto Animation as always. Anyways, I can’t wait for the next episode…
Verdict
8.4/10