Genres: Comedy, Sci-Fi, Seinen, Slice of Life, Supernatural
The most entertaining show of the season. Change my mind. I am serious here man, this one is a well rounded show that never failed to make me laugh every episode and to top it off it also delivered in the feels department. Comedy and heart felt moments in one? Yes, comedy and heartfelt moments in a single show, packed in a 12 episode series that made me gasping for air after laughing hard in one scene and then go full 180 on me and dish out emotional and heart warming scenes but what's surprising is that the show did it naturally, they allowed the viewers to experience those emotions without it feeling forced. So if you have the time to spare, then please see for yourself the wonderful show that is Hinamatsuri.
Plot
Honestly there's not much I have to say about the story. In fact the story didn't even progress that much so I really have nothing to talk about in the first place. All that was shown was a random girl with psychic powers named Hina dropping in the head of Nitta, a yakuza member. Then due to various circumstances and twist of events they of course, ended up living together just like how most shows handles this trope. Then various quirky characters are added into the fray and voila, we're done here! Seriously that's just how it went, in the end nothing much was explained about the world where Hina came from, all that was mentioned is that she was discarded by an unknown organization for her tendency to lose control and destroy things.
Now, you might be puzzled as to why I am so gung ho when I am introducing the show then flat out dissed the story. It is kinda simple, really, because this is a show that you won't watch for the plot but for the characters - their interactions, their growth and how they let the viewers experience a whole lot of emotions in a matter of minutes. That is the strength of the show, that is what Hinamatsuri is.
Characters
Hinamatsuri has a lot of supporting characters that contributes to the humor from time to time but the amount of screen time they've got is negligible so they are not fleshed out nor developed so let's just focus on the main ones for now.
First is Hina (well the show is basically named after her so it’s a given, unless this is Daily lives of High School Boys all over again), the mysterious girl that popped out of thin air. She shows no enthusiasm and usually has a disinterested outlook about everything, except food, she is always hungry after all. She is seen as a slob and ungrateful person early on the series, but she started to develop and became somewhat of an "OK" human being (still far from being a decent human being but she's putting efforts into becoming one so let's leave it at that). She delivers the dead pan comedy and is usually partnered with Nitta during their comedic routines.
Then there's Yoshifumi Nitta, the yakuza guy that took Hina in. He is a calm and collected guy which is evidenced by his reaction during his weird first encounter with Hina. He provides the comical retorts and internal monologues that is usually the source of the comedy when he is on screen. Despite his background as a yakuza member, he is actually a nice guy that cares for Hina though something unfortunate always happen before he gets the chance to show his gratitude towards her.
And we have Anzu, another girl with supernatural powers that came to get Hina back but ended up unable to return to her original world after losing her means to do so. During her first appearance, she could easily be mistaken as another blonde generic tsundere character, but that would be a fatal mistake because she is the most precious thing in the whole show. Unlike Hina that freeloaded at Nitta's house, Anzu had it rough since she stayed with the homeless people, but through that experience she became someone that knows how to appreciates little things, enjoy simplicity and return kindness that was directed towards her. She is the usual center of the emotional parts of the series, those parts are just pure bliss, they are not intended to make you feel sad or to make you cry, it is more like kindness was given shape in the form of Anzu and you just can't help but feel warm inside at sight of humanity's innate kindness that has mostly diminished in the real world by now.
Finally we have Hitomi Mishima, seatmate of Hina and a perfectly normal student, at least in the morning she is, but in the evening she serves as a bartender that is patronized by many for her incredible skills at mixing drinks. She is the type that can't say no and always gets swept in the moment so she always finds herself in absurd situations most of the time. Also, she is friends with Hina and Anzu and as the one that possesses the most common sense among the three, she often offers help and gives advice to the other two when they need it. She also offers retorts and her signature open mouth, tongue sticking out reaction is priceless.
Animation
The animation is good and the movements are fluid. The style used is comparable to the one used in Tsuki ga Kirei which is not surprising since both series are animated by Studio feel. The character designs though are somewhat unique and not the usual moe type of designs we often see nowadays, which may be caused by sticking to the source material's design as much as possible but I won't say that it is a bad thing, in fact I think that it gives the show more novelty and must be praised for trying to be different.
Just look at this scene, it's more fluid than water.
Conclusion
Many people says that humor is subjective, and I won't argue with that as I believe it to be true too. So it is kind of hard for me to promote anime with comedy as its main theme in it, but Hinamatsuri left an impression on me and if not for my personal favorite, Hero Academia airing alongside it, I would have put it in my number one for the season.
Hinamatsuri's strong point lies in its use of perfect reactions to a perfectly set up scenario to deliver its brand of comedy, kudos to the VAs for their wonderful work on this one. Comedy wise, the show is already on the top of my list but there is something else up its sleeve, and that is the use of heart-warming scenes without going over dramatic, just the right amount to make people feel fuzzy inside and bring smile to people's faces. Feels good to be alive man!
The only thing of concern for me would be the lack of progression in the story but that is just a trivial matter in this case and wouldn't stop me from recommending the series to everyone.
There is nothing for me left to say... maybe just one more thing, PLEASE. WATCH. IT! and together, let's all hope for a second season to be made. But if the anime Gods will forbid it, then let's just go for the manga lol.
Ciao~
