One of the new spring anime series of 2011, Hanasaku Iroha, has started off a great episode in my opinion. Hanasaku Iroha’s synopsis is:
Ohana Matsumae is sent to live with her grandmother, who she has never met nor spoken to, at her Taisho-era (1920s) hot springs inn. It’s not a lifestyle that Ohana would have chosen, but she decidesnot to be discouraged and to make the most of her new circumstances.
Hanasaku Iroha is a P.A. Works series, known for their reputation and works (Angel Beats!, true tears, etc), so as expected, the animation was up to par with their high standards with beautiful backgrounds. The dialogue of the show is great, not rushed or paced out at all, just perfect enough for me. I must say that I couldn’t help but smile the entire time I was watching this episode except the confrontation at the end, and personally I do think that this will become one of my top favorite for this season. Ohana, the main character, is cute in her own way but I’m not going to declare any favorite yet until we go more into depth on the other characters, such as the sharp-tongued Minko, the strict grandmother, the shy Nako, the boyfriend (probable?) Kouichi, etc. The cast looks to be widely varied, and I can definitely say that this will be a very enjoyable series!
Ephemeral Dreams 