Hanasaku Iroha has had small fluctuations in quality since it began. What started as a portrayal of a daughter of a neglectful mother moving in with someone who can better support her and her adaptation to a different and hectic lifestyle, slowly became something that took a more slice of life approach, and shifted focus to the other workers of the inn. Unfortunately, this has taken away most of what focus it did have.
Starting around the character derailment of episode 3, the show began to go downhill. It felt needlessly cluttered; taking sitcom gimmicks that didn’t work in the sitcom heyday of the 1980s and trying to make them work. The results were predictable.
So, how does this compare with the first two episodes, which are generally agreed to have superb writing to go along with the crisp animation? I wouldn’t say it’s as good, but it’s getting there. It still relies too much on the gimmicks, cheap gags, and hyperbolic human caricatures to recover that somewhat somber spark. Thankfully, no more balut.
The episode starts with Ohana cleaning out front with Nako, when the Akiomobile pulls up and a sharply dressed lady exits her vehicle, scoffing in traditional villain-of-the-week fashion. She’s apparently a management consultant, brought in by Enishi, the manager’s assistant. Speaking in several oddly well spoken Engrish phrases right from motivational posters, which begs the question why she couldn’t convert the metaphors to proper Japanese, she confronts the waitresses. Thinking that they’re the root of the inn floundering, she heckles them into trying on the skimpy uniforms that she brought.
Everyone but Ohana is hesitant to try them on, but they finally cave in to the consultant’s whims. As can well be imagined, it ends catastrophically.
Ohana, Minko, and Nako head off to school, talking about the failing business. At the end of the day, Minko races to the inn while the others casually stride back, finding Enishi begging her to stay and the manager coldly shrugging her off. The consultant leaves in a huff, and the girls quickly run off to work.
Enishi tells Ohana about the business and his less than stellar efforts to pick it up, which after a tender moment, inspires Ohana to discuss it with the manager, using the smart phrase ‘Going out of business.’ As can be imagined, this ends catastrophically as well, with the manager refusing to change anything about the inn. Beanman gets Ohana’s attention, leading her rather creepily to a secret compartment above the control room area. In it are garments of various designs, all designed by the manager decades ago. Nako follows them, and they all try on the uniforms.
So, oddly enough, business picks up. And all it took was a few flashy dresses with unremarkable aprons.
Reaction
Um… what?
This episode was fine until the very end. The writing still wasn’t as sharp as it was at the beginning, but it was definitely a step up from the previous two episodes. Just… why was it that dresses picked up business? What’s more, doesn’t that validate what the management consultant said? I think that makes me violently ill.
Again, the rest of the episode was fine. It began following Ohana again, which was a nice change from Minko’s problems. It finally brought in her strained relationship with her mother again, albeit in a passing fashion, and the characters were toned down a bit from the previous episodes. Ohana’s grandmother also continues to be the most interesting character.
I wouldn’t say that it’s back to where it was, but it’s better than it has been. And I can only hope that it continues to get better from here. And if it doesn’t, at least it’ll be fun to follow it to an agonizing crash and burn. Thus far, I’m going to give the episode, and the series as a whole, a tentative thumbs up.
Though it seems you don’t quite like this show that much due to story problems, I guess, I find it a very entertaining show and one of the best this season. it’s nice to come across an anime that doesn’t require gunfire and badguys fro once. Oh, and I have my own anime blog as well and it would mean the world to me if you could head on over there and check it out and comment. Thank you!
http://aniphiles.wordpress.com
Oh no, I like it well enough. It’s just a little disappointing that it couldn’t keep up the masterful writing of the first couple o’ episodes.
And thank you for the information, I’ll mozie on over and check ‘er out.