Hanasaku Iroha is the story of a young girl, Ohana, whose impulsive mother decides to elope with her lover, and she is sent to live with her grandmother at her hot spring resort. There she must cope with her new circumstances and make the best of her situation. This anime is a typical slice of life series with few unconventional aspects. The characters behave in fairly predictable ways, and aside from Ohana, who practically carries the show, these characters remain stagnant, and show almost no growth throughout the series. This was pretty frustrating considering how many opportunities the writers had to develop these characters. The result is a cast that is largely unrelateable. Ohana's character is so strong, however, that she singlehandedly saves the show from being a waste of time. Also, I find it hard to buy into the idea that these 16 year old girls have such a strong sense of duty and responsibility. These elements served to hinder the show's potential, but it still had a decent amount of entertainment value. Some of the stories were engaging, and the first half of the series was notably stronger in this regard. However, every third episode or so would be a waste of time, and it really hurt the show's momentum. As expected of a P.A. Works production, the visuals were wonderfully done, and the soundtrack was relaxing and appropriate. This certainly helped make some of the more frustrating scenes more palatable. Overall, Hanasaku Iroha was a decent anime that will probably appeal to most slice of life fans. Just don't expect anything that would set this anime apart from its peers.
6/10
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