Hanasaku Iroha
Encyclopedia
, or Hanairo for short, is a Japanese 26-episode anime
television series produced by P.A. Works
and directed by Masahiro Ando. The screenplay was written by Mari Okada, with original character design by Mel Kishida. P.A. Works produced the project as the studio's tenth anniversary work. The anime aired between April and September 2011 and had two manga
adaptations created.
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.
adaptation illustrated by Eito Chida began serialization in the December 2010 issue of Square Enix
's Gangan Joker magazine. The first tankōbon
volume was released on March 22, 2011; two volumes have been released as of July 22, 2011. A spin-off
manga, illustrated by Jun Sasameyuki, titled Hanasaku Iroha: Green Girls Graffiti with Minko Tsurugi as the main character began serialization in Bandai Visual
's online Web Comic Gekkin magazine on July 1, 2011.
television series is produced by P.A. Works
and directed by Masahiro Ando. The series aired in Japan between April 3 and September 25, 2011 on Tokyo MX. The screenplay was written by Mari Okada, and Chief animator Kanami Sekiguchi based the character design used in the anime on Mel Kishida's original designs. Sound direction was headed by Jin Aketagawa and the music was produced by Shirō Hamaguchi
. The anime series is simulcast to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Brazil, and Portugal by the Internet streaming website Crunchyroll
. A "new visual work" of Hanasaku Iroha will be produced in 2012.
titled by Nano Ripe
was used for the promotional videos and anime; the single was released on September 22, 2010 by Lantis
. Another promotional video featured the image song by Nano Ripe; "Yumeji" was released on the "Patricia" single. For the first 13 episodes, the opening theme song is by Nano Ripe, and the main ending theme is "Hazy" by Sphere
. For episodes 14 onwards, the opening theme is by Nano Ripe, while the ending theme is by Clammbon
. The song by Nano Ripe was used as the ending theme for episode six, and "Yumeji" by Nano Ripe was used as the ending theme for episode eight.
's voice as Ohana, the animation quality, and execution of the plot. The reviewer however commented that the beginning was not new nor innovative. Anime News Network
praised the realism and quality in the animation, score, and opening and ending theme music
. The character designs were noted to be attractive yet subtle enough to retain the realism, and also noted how Ohana's design is much better than a moe clone. As the characters' personality developed, the reviewer highly praised the realistic interactions between them as they are touching and substantial. Ohana's relationship with her mother and grandmother was noted to be especially well written with daunting emotions. After reviewing the second half of the series, the reviewer considered Hanasaku Iroha to be one of the best titles in 2011. Many fans of the series have visited the anime's real life setting of Yuwaku Hot Spring in Kanazawa, Ishikawa
. Prior to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
, all nine hotels were fully booked by fans of the anime, but 1,500 guests canceled their reservations after the disaster.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series produced by P.A. Works
P.A. Works
is a Japanese animation studio established on November 10, 2000 and is located in Nanto, Toyama, Japan. The company's president and founder Kenji Horikawa once worked for Tatsunoko Production, Production I.G, and Bee Train before forming P.A. Works in 2000...
and directed by Masahiro Ando. The screenplay was written by Mari Okada, with original character design by Mel Kishida. P.A. Works produced the project as the studio's tenth anniversary work. The anime aired between April and September 2011 and had two manga
Manga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptations created.
Plot
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 periodTaisho period
The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...
hot spring
Onsen
An is a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, though the term is often used to describe the bathing facilities and inns around the hot springs. As a volcanically active country, Japan has thousands of onsen scattered along its length and breadth...
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.
Characters
- Ohana Matsumae is an energetic and optimistic 16-year-old girl and the protagonist of Hanasaku Iroha. She is sent to live at her estranged grandmother's hot spring inn, Kissuisō, after her mother elopes with her boyfriend to evade his debt. Her best friend Kōichi Tanemura confessed his feelings to her before her departure and she was unable to reciprocate his feelings until the end of the series. At her grandmother's demand, she works at the inn as compensation for staying there.
- Tsurugi Minko is a 16-year-old apprentice chef and resident at Kissuisō. Her beautiful looks hide a very cold demeanor. She dislikes Ohana from their first meeting, nicknaming her balut, but has slowly accepted her as a friend. Against her parents' wishes, her dream is to become a professional chef, resulting in her search for training opportunities. Her search led her to Kissuisō, where Tōru Miyagishi accepted her as an apprentice chef. Since then, she has strong feelings for him and becomes jealous when he talks about other girls.
- Oshimizu Nako is a shy and timid 16-year-old cleaning part-time maid and waitressNakai (Japanese vocation)A is a woman who serves as a waitress at a ryokan or Japanese inn.Originally written as , which meant the anteroom in a mansion of a kuge or gomonzeki...
at Kissuisō. She has three younger siblings whom she assists her parents in raising. She becomes close friends with Ohana and teaches her how to perform her duties.
- Yuina is the 16-year-old daughter and heiress to the Fukuya Inn, the rival inn of Kissuisō. She is in the same high school as Ohana, Minko, and Nako.
- Ohana's 68-year-old grandmother and owner of Kissuisō. She has a fierce and strict composure towards her employees and is physically abusive.
- Tomoe is the 28-year-old head waitressNakai (Japanese vocation)A is a woman who serves as a waitress at a ryokan or Japanese inn.Originally written as , which meant the anteroom in a mansion of a kuge or gomonzeki...
working at Kissuisō. She enjoys hearing gossip about other employees and customers lodging at the inn.
- Ohana's 32-year-old uncle. He was bullied by Satsuki during their childhood. After Kissuisō's closure, Enishi plans to improve his management skills in order to succeed his mother.
- A 23-year-old junior chef working at Kissuisō. He is very outspoken and easily frustrated. He strictly mentors and supervises Minko's training, often going too far with verbal abuse. Ohana was initially intimidated by him, but has since developed a dislike to Tōru. However, Tōru appears to develop feelings toward Ohana as he feels that she is the only one who is willing to say she needs him. Afterwards, he is often seen looking out for Ohana.
- A 42-year-old head chef working at Kissuisō.
- A 30-year-old business consultant advisor for Kissuisō. She attended the same university as Enishi. She often has erratic plans to improve the inn and tends to spout out random English sayings.
- A 31-year-old novelist who frequently lodges at Kissuisō. He writes erotic novels using the Kissuisō's staff as character references. He eventually starts working at the inn after it is discovered that he can't pay the bill.
- A 73-year-old janitor working at Kissuisō. He has been working at Kissuisō since its establishment. The staff calls him "Beanman".
- Kōichi is a 16-year-old teenager who is Ohana's best friend. Kōichi confessed his feelings to Ohana before her departure, but was too afraid to hear her answer and ran away. He often offers Ohana support when she feels down. As the story progress, he feels abandoned by Ohana as she adjusts to her new lifestyle. Ohana calls him Kō.
- Ohana's 38-year-old mother. She is a journalist who elopes with her boyfriend to evade his debt. She leaves Ohana to the care of her mother, who claims to have disowned her daughter. She neglected Ohana as a child and raised her with the mentality of relying on oneself. She works as a hotel and inn critic, often asked to write scathing reviews if asked by her higher ups.
Manga
A mangaManga
Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...
adaptation illustrated by Eito Chida began serialization in the December 2010 issue of Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
's Gangan Joker magazine. The first tankōbon
Tankobon
, with a literal meaning close to "independently appearing book", is the Japanese term for a book that is complete in itself and is not part of a series , though the manga industry uses it for volumes which may be in a series...
volume was released on March 22, 2011; two volumes have been released as of July 22, 2011. A spin-off
Spin-off (media)
In media, a spin-off is a radio program, television program, video game, or any narrative work, derived from one or more already existing works, that focuses, in particular, in more detail on one aspect of that original work...
manga, illustrated by Jun Sasameyuki, titled Hanasaku Iroha: Green Girls Graffiti with Minko Tsurugi as the main character began serialization in Bandai Visual
Bandai Visual
, is a Japanese anime, film production and distribution enterprise, established by Bandai Co., Ltd. and a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings, Inc., which is based in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Since the reorganisation of Namco Bandai Holdings in 2006, Bandai Visual now heads the group's Visual and...
's online Web Comic Gekkin magazine on July 1, 2011.
Anime
The Hanasaku Iroha 26-episode animeAnime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
television series is produced by P.A. Works
P.A. Works
is a Japanese animation studio established on November 10, 2000 and is located in Nanto, Toyama, Japan. The company's president and founder Kenji Horikawa once worked for Tatsunoko Production, Production I.G, and Bee Train before forming P.A. Works in 2000...
and directed by Masahiro Ando. The series aired in Japan between April 3 and September 25, 2011 on Tokyo MX. The screenplay was written by Mari Okada, and Chief animator Kanami Sekiguchi based the character design used in the anime on Mel Kishida's original designs. Sound direction was headed by Jin Aketagawa and the music was produced by Shirō Hamaguchi
Shiro Hamaguchi
is a Japanese anime composer, arranger and orchestrator. He is best known for composing music to the anime franchises One Piece and Oh My Goddess! and arranging/orchestrating music in the Final Fantasy series...
. The anime series is simulcast to the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland, Netherlands, Brazil, and Portugal by the Internet streaming website Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll
Crunchyroll is an American website and international online community focused on streaming East Asian media including anime, manga, drama, music, electronic entertainment, and auto racing content...
. A "new visual work" of Hanasaku Iroha will be produced in 2012.
Music
An image songImage song
An image song or character song is a song on a tie-in single or album for an anime, game or dorama that is usually sung by the seiyū or actor of a character, in character...
titled by Nano Ripe
Nano Ripe
Nano Ripe is four-person Japanese pop rock band that formed in 2008 as an indie band. They released one single and three albums independently, but were signed in 2010 to Lantis. They released their major debut single "Patricia" in September 2010...
was used for the promotional videos and anime; the single was released on September 22, 2010 by Lantis
Lantis (company)
is a Japanese company that specializes as a music publisher label for Japanese musicians, anime soundtracks and video game soundtracks. It was established on November 26, 1999, and in May 2006, it was bought by, and became a subsidiary of, Bandai Visual...
. Another promotional video featured the image song by Nano Ripe; "Yumeji" was released on the "Patricia" single. For the first 13 episodes, the opening theme song is by Nano Ripe, and the main ending theme is "Hazy" by Sphere
Sphere (Japanese band)
is a J-pop idol unit made up of voice actresses who are all managed by Sony Music Entertainment, under the Lantis music label in the Music Ray'n subdivision of GloryHeaven. The group debuted in April 2009 releasing their first single "Future Stream"...
. For episodes 14 onwards, the opening theme is by Nano Ripe, while the ending theme is by Clammbon
Clammbon
is a Japanese musical trio, consisting of vocalist/keyboardist Ikuko Harada, bassist Mito and drummer Itou Daisuke. The group, originally formed in 1996 when the three were students at Tokyo Music and Media Arts Shogi, made their major label debut on Warner Music Japan three years later...
. The song by Nano Ripe was used as the ending theme for episode six, and "Yumeji" by Nano Ripe was used as the ending theme for episode eight.
Reception
The series received generally positive reviews. Mania praised Kanae ItōKanae Itō
is a Japanese voice actress and singer who was born in Nagano Prefecture. She is affiliated with Aoni Production and music publisher Lantis.- History :...
's voice as Ohana, the animation quality, and execution of the plot. The reviewer however commented that the beginning was not new nor innovative. Anime News Network
Anime News Network
Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...
praised the realism and quality in the animation, score, and opening and ending theme music
Theme music
Theme music is a piece that is often written specifically for a radio program, television program, video game or movie, and usually played during the title sequence and/or end credits...
. The character designs were noted to be attractive yet subtle enough to retain the realism, and also noted how Ohana's design is much better than a moe clone. As the characters' personality developed, the reviewer highly praised the realistic interactions between them as they are touching and substantial. Ohana's relationship with her mother and grandmother was noted to be especially well written with daunting emotions. After reviewing the second half of the series, the reviewer considered Hanasaku Iroha to be one of the best titles in 2011. Many fans of the series have visited the anime's real life setting of Yuwaku Hot Spring in Kanazawa, Ishikawa
Kanazawa, Ishikawa
is the capital city of Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.-Geography, climate, and population:Kanazawa sits on the Sea of Japan, bordered by the Japan Alps, Hakusan National Park and Noto Peninsula National Park. The city sits between the Sai and Asano rivers. Its total area is 467.77 km².Kanazawa's...
. Prior to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami
The 2011 earthquake off the Pacific coast of Tohoku, also known as the 2011 Tohoku earthquake, or the Great East Japan Earthquake, was a magnitude 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake off the coast of Japan that occurred at 14:46 JST on Friday, 11 March 2011, with the epicenter approximately east...
, all nine hotels were fully booked by fans of the anime, but 1,500 guests canceled their reservations after the disaster.