That was more like it. A good, straightforward “back to basics” episode – something I think this show badly needed. No wheels were reinvented, but there were no shenanigans either – just down-the-middle light drama and comedy consistent with what this show is when it’s working. I wasn’t thrilled that […] Read more

I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t disappointed in the direction HanaIro has gone in the last couple of episodes. While this one was a small improvement from last week’s debacle, I can’t call is a successful episode because, quite simply, I just don’t think it worked. I give […] Read more

I think I can make it official – HanaIro is the most maddening show of the Spring for me. One rule it clearly needs to learn – if you’re going to piss away entire episodes to slapstick comedy, you might want to hire a writer who knows how to make […] Read more

After six episodes, I’m finding that my feelings towards HanaIro tend to run directly contrary to the bulk of opinion (other than with the almost universally-disliked episode #3). I loved the 5th episode, which was met with a yawn by most – and while the buzz I’m seeing on this […] Read more

Another excellent entry from Hanaaku Iroha – not quite as flashy or brilliant as last week’s, but a solid temporary conclusion to the Tohru mini-arc and a nice cliffhanger. Of all the Mari Okada series out there, this one is reminding me the most of her PA Works effort True […] Read more

I’ll admit I was a little worried after last week’s wayward episode, which felt like a completely different series had possessed the one I’d grown to admire so much after two episodes. But based on this week, I needn’t have – unless Hanasaku Iroha has one of the biggest cases […] Read more

Honestly compels me to opine that this third episode of Hansaku Iroha was not nearly as good as the first two episodes. Admittedly, they set a pretty high bar, and this certainly wasn’t terrible. But while I don’t dislike a change of pace, especially in a two-cour series like this […] Read more