First Impressions - Hanasaku Iroha

So, I have begun a quest to watch some of the shows that are airing to get back into the swing of things, and that means getting caught up fast on shows airing on CrunchRoll's Simulcast service. I currently only use the service for Bleach, but I figure that's a waste, and watching new shows will give me something to blog at all two of you about.

So, I watched the first couple of episodes of this show, and so far it has been pretty good, actually! The story is about the girl you see in the middle up there, Ohana, who lives with her mother, who is apparently some sort of writer. However, this doesn't last long because Ohana comes home one night to her mother saying she and her boyfriend are going to elope to escape his debt, and she makes it quite clear that Ohana isn't going with them, and must instead go live with her grandmother (whom she's never met) at a hot springs inn. This is sort of surprising, and leads to a bit of a falling-out between Ohana and another character, a boy named Ko, whom upon hearing that Ohana is leaving, confesses that he loves her but, she has never noticed. I think the romance is important here, but more important is establishing Ohana's character as a bit oblivious.

But after all that, her gloomy trip to her grandmother's inn begins, and when she arrives, she is immediately put to work by her cranky, bossy grandmother, who smokes a pipe and takes no nonsense from anyone, always putting the customer first. From here, the story progressed naturally, with Ohana meeting the other people at the inn, who number quite a few. Noticably, a girl named Minko who is an apprentice chef under a very strict sempai, and a very shy girl named Nako, who is on the cleaning staff. Mino dislikes Ohana greatly, and has a habit of telling her to "die" whenever she is displeased. Nako, more friendly, seems to want to help Ohana adjust to the job, but has great difficulty in doing so.

After two episodes, it's a rather good drama, with a bit of slice-of-life elements thrown in for flavor. Small details are not ignored, but the episodes seem to be formulaic enough to be stand-alone, at least for now. I may edit in an update once I've seen more, but that won't be for another week because now it's Monday, and Monday means I will be checking out YuruYuri and Twin Angel for tomorrow's post.

If you want to check out Hanasaku Iroha, go watch it on CrunchyRoll! It's worth the time if you're a fan of Shoujo drama/comedy. Judging just by the first two episodes, I think it has great potential. There are currently 21 episodes, and new episodes go up for CrunchyRoll premium members every Sunday at 9:30am Central Time.