Hanasaku Iroha

Number of episodes: 26

What Wikipedia says: "Hanasaku Iroha centers around Ohana Matsumae, a 16-year-old teenager living in Tokyo, who is left in the care of her estranged grandmother, following her mother's elopement with her boyfriend. Ohana arrives at her grandmother's country estate to realize she is the owner of a Taishō period hot spring inn called Kissuisō. She begins working at Kissuisō, at her grandmother's request, but finds herself at odds with many employees and customers at the inn. Initially feeling discouraged, she decides to use her circumstances as an opportunity to change herself for the better and to make amends with her deteriorating relationship with the Kissuisō's staff for a more prominent future."

What tTPO says: This is a good coming of age / slice of life series with slabs of drama, humour & nostalgia. The animation in this would have to be close to the best I have ever seen, and that includes both TV and many movies. Just look at the reflections in the windows, the water - just look at the reflections! And it never lets up. It is truly a beautiful series. The ensemble cast (a happy mix of teenagers, adults and the elderly - three generations of Ohana's family feature strongly) all get their little chance to shine at various times and for most there is a satisfying progression through the series. There are some frustrating moments with the teenagers who are just a bit slow on the uptake at times, but for god's sake, they're teenagers (and it's fiction). The main adult characters are actually a little more three dimentional than some other series with teenage leads. The timing and the plot are where things get a little ragged, especially in the middle of the season (the beginning is great), with some stand alone espisodes a bit less satisfying and some arcs (ie the movie arc) not really being resolved with full consequences. Things get back on track in the latter part of the season thankfully, and I was caring about where the characters were going to end up.

How about the music?: For me a successful theme instantly brings to mind the images and feel of a series. This box is ticked for Hanasaku Iroha. The opening themes are both appropriately frenetic though I preferred the first to the second if only by a sliver. The ending themes were less of a competition with the first working better for me than the less memorable second. 

So how does it end? (Spoiler Free): The ending is pretty strong. It was satisfying to see that they did not shy away from the possible tough decisions. 

Overall Grade: B (Near miss, see it if you can). There is much to like about this series, but the early to mid-season slack, and the fact it is 26 episodes means that it cannot qualify for an A. For those who like a more plot heavy anime I would rate this a C. I did however buy an Ohana t-shirt to add to my collection.