It’s Soooooo Japanese, And Other Stuff

Hanasaku Iroha episode 3:

Fanservice, that bathhouse thing, bondage. Is this true? Maybe. But here goes my sensibilities again. I’m glad some kids have stepped up to the plate. Surprise me!

What I can say about HanaIro at this point is that it’s formulaic, but it doesn’t feel that way. It’s well-executed but it’s still like a rough gem. What I can say is I like all of that about HanaIro. Some of my recent favorites are exactly this sort of a flawed existence. I also have to say whoever that works at PA Works for this and True Tears really knows how to do fanservice (classic style) correctly.

But you really ought not to listen to me as a metric of what measures with what anime. I’m digging AnoHana too, but so far the fact that Menma reminds me of Index is like trying to enjoy a bowl of tonkotsu ramen with a few ice cubes in it. I’m like, whyyyyyyy. And that whole dead childhood friend thing is also kind of Japanese-y. I’m not sure if I like where it’s going, but at least there’s promise.

It’s like interviewing and selecting HRs by picking those who have promise, and not just whose spec sheet has the bigger numbers and counts. It’s like in Episode One when Chancellor Palpatine talks about Skywalker’s future career “with great interest.” Dirty old people, we are.

Lastly, RIP Osamu Dezaki, we may not know you well but you were one of the good guys.