Rarely do you find a show that emphasizes the humanity of its cast as much as this one does. With a strong narrative about growth, acceptance, and hard work - Hansaku Iroha is ultimately a show that inspires me to live to my fullest potential.

Let me start of by saying that Hanasaku Iroha has been my favorite (if not at least top 2) anime for the past 3 years or so now. So do keep in mind that I certainly have subjective biases towards it. With that said, I will be trying to present the shows merits in an objective manner to help you decide if its worth your time.

Hansaku Iroha has "heart". I know you may have heard this word quite often being used to describe a show, and to be fair I'm quite guilty of it too, but what exactly I mean by that can't quite be described... You know how you could potentially have more fun doing something with others as oppsed to doing it alone? Or how "home-cooked food" tastes better than its restaurant-served counterpart? I can't quite place it but I would say it comes down to the attention to detail. That extra element of something that is put into a usually predictable and bland situation.

The premise of girls working in a hot spring (with a focus on slice of life Slice of Life too on top of that) is by no means new or exciting to begin with. You probably won't watch a show like this just because of synopsis since my first instinct would be to assume that the show just packs regular SoL high jinks with the setting just being a gimmick and excuse to add in some predictable fan-service. NO. That isn't what Hanasaku Iroha is. Okay maybe there's a little fan-service (which isn't in any way bad tbh) but the show largely respects your time and actually has a message. It's a story about growing up, accepting yourself and the ones you love, and also moving on. It's presented with beautiful art, a masterful soundtrack and a uniquely moving story that are all equally deserving of focus in this review alone. But I think I'll let you experience that yourself, if you choose to.

What I'd like to highlight here is the characters, or actually, how much they don't seem like "characters". This may sound cliched but they do really feel like they are actual living breathing human beings. During my numerous times re-watching the series, I do find myself thinking that these could very well be real people living their lives just being filmed. A lot of the characters feel like they have lives outside the scenes and some major characters aren't even treated with the usual "main character treatment". We don't learn all their live stories and aren't even being persuaded to like them as human beings. There are plenty of characters who have questionable personalities and make odd decisions at times, some characters are outright mean and a lot of times their actions aren't justified. If they make a mistake, they don't apologize and when they are happy don't always show it. But I still love all of them to bits, and I feel like you guys will too. It's because they are human and humans make mistakes, don't always say what we feel and hurt others as a result of it. It doesn't end after a character arc too, these problems will stick with us until the day we die. It's unavoidable. That's why its nice when I see these qualities in others. And seeing them live on believing in the warmth of humanity makes me one to do the same.

Do give Hanasaku Iroha a try if what I described sounds appealing to you! I realize that the review could be read as extremely subjective but I promise you there are objective merits to it too! If you're still unsure, check my favorites list, and if we share at least a few on there I'm quite confident you'll enjoy this show. To be honest I'm only writing this to spread the word since I feel more people definitely need to give the show a try. So if you did end up watching it and enjoyed your experience, do let me know. I'll be overjoyed to hear it :)

Note: this review is mostly spoiler-free. All spoilers are properly indicated in the text beforehand.

From the very first episode, I knew that I would love this show. The characters, the atmosphere, the plot: everything makes for a great anime.

The slice-of-life vibe and likable characters make for a very comfortable watch. Add to that a compelling plot with real progression and just the right balance of comedy and drama. This combination pulls you deeper into it with each episode and results in an extraordinarily binge-able and enjoyable gem.

This anime deals with a lot of interpersonal themes: romance, dreams, loss, hard work, finding oneself, growth, moving forward. All in all, it makes it very relatable and particularly aspirational.

But the real highlight of the anime is Ohana, the protagonist. At first, she is presented as a cheerful but cynical highschool girl (or in her own words: "quite the realist"), who is clearly bored with life and without a goal.

Ohana is strong-willed, self-centered, and can't read the mood. At the same time, she is a cheerful and happy-go-lucky girl who could easily fall into the "always nice, always happy" protagonist trope. Such characters are easy to like, but hard to take seriously given how unrealistic they are. But the contrasts in Ohana's personality, and her inner conflicts, make her pull off that bubbly vibe without coming off as overly naive or as the dweller of a rose-tinted fairy tale world. I can say confidently that there are very few characters in anime that earned my admiration so fast.

On top of that, Ohana is honest to a fault and extremely dedicated, making her almost impossible not to love.

To illustrate what makes Ohana so unique, I'll have to delve a little into the plot of the first episode, so a minor spoiler warning:

When her criminally irresponsible mother throws a curveball at her, making her change cities to live with her unknown grandmother who owns an inn in a small town, she accepts such a radical change with stunning straightforwardness. When it becomes clear that she is in for quite a hard life in that inn, she does not spend a single second moping around, immediately deciding to work hard and make the most out of it. It is such a contrast with the expected "teenage drama" reaction to such a situation that I was already sold. Her headstrong personality and lack of common sense unwillingly cause problems to those around her. But her candor and devotion win those same people back, making her a force to be reckoned with.

In conclusion, even if all components in this show are very familiar at first, their combination is masterful. The end result is uniquely entertaining and ranks in my favorite shows of the genre, even after watching my fair share of slice-of-life dramas.

Finally, I have to comment on my feelings about the end of the show, so spoiler warning:

The end of the anime is bittersweet, satisfying, and hopeful. Leaving behind a warm and comfortable place that your heart grew fond of is sad. But life is about moving forward, learning, evolving. You carry all the experiences you had, becoming ever richer, and going on to greater things. Finally, there's always the hope of returning to a place where you belong, now more mature and confident.