I know it is a bit premature, but I don't think I can stand watching this and not discussing it on a forum.
this show is just an incredibly cute vibe and done well, the quality, the characters thus far, from episode 1 it has caught my heart!
Ohana-chan is so cute~~~
The Hanasaku Iroha anime (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anime) TV series produced by P.A. Works (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P.A._Works) and directed by Masahiro Ando began airing in Japan on April 3, 2011 on Tokyo MX (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_MX). The screenplay was written by Mari Okada, and Chief animator Kanami Sekiguchi based the character design used in the anime on Mel Kishida's original designs. Sound direction was headed by Jin Aketagawa and the music was produced by Shirō Hamaguchi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shir%C5%8D_Hamaguchi).[3] An image song (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image_song) titled "Patricia" (パトリシア? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Installing_Japanese_character_sets)) by Nano.Ripe was produced for the anime; the single was released on September 22, 2010 by Lantis (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lantis_%28company%29).[4] "Patricia" was used in several promotional videos for the anime,[2][5][6] and another promotional video featured the image song "Yumeji" (夢路? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Installing_Japanese_character_sets), "Dreaming") by Nano.Ripe;[7] "Yumeji" was released on the "Patricia" single.[4] The opening theme song is "Hana no Iro" (ハナノイロ? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Installing_Japanese_character_sets)) by Nano.Ripe, and the ending theme is "Hazy" by Sphere (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sphere_%28Japanese_band%29).[8]
Plot Summary: Ohana Matsumae is sent to live with her grandmother, who she has never met nor spoken to, at her Taisho-era (1920s) hot springs inn. It's not a lifestyle that Ohana would have chosen, but she decidesnot to be discouraged and to make the most of her new circumstances.
first ep: Upon returning from school one day, Ohana Matsumae learns that her mother is going on a moonlight flit with her boyfriend to escape from debt and they are sending her to live at her estranged grandmother's hot spring inn in the country. When her best friend, Kōichi Tanemura, hears of this, he confesses his love for Ohana before running off, not seeing her off when she leaves. As Ohana arrives at the Kissuisō inn, she makes a bad first impression with one of the employees, Minko Tsurugi, before being informed by her grandmother, Sui Sujima, that she is to work at the inn to earn her keep. She is shown around the inn by the head mistress, Tomoe Wajima, and another employee, Nako Oshimizu. When Ohana notices the hard work Minko has to do, she tries to do something nice for her by airing out her futon, but it ends up falling off a window and landing near some customers. As Minko is slapped by Sui for Ohana's mistake, Ohana demands to slapped even harder, though Minko doesn't particularly thank her for it.
Well then. Just watched the second episode of this, and it's certainly caught me by surprise, as I thought this was going to be a light, slice-of-life series. Instead, we have a drama about a young girl crossing the threshold into adulthood, at a remote country inn. Some of the narration is downright poetic such as the description of the city buildings blocking most of the dusk sky
, and thus far, its pace seems more like a movie than a television series. I found myself being drawn into this story, which lures you in gently, and at times being able to identify with the hardships she's facing. And it certainly helps that the art in it is at times breathtaking.
Anyone else following this? What do you think?