HaNaYaMaTa

Ever since K-on came out i have been hesitant about shows that focus on clubs with freakishly cute characters.
While i wont say K-on is a bad show (i mean i personally don't like it but it's not bad) for me it felt really pointless as there is (at least in the first season) no character arc and everyone is damn near perfect without practicing or hardship... but it was really popular so many shows shortly after, and to a lesser extent even now, did a similar formula of having Moe girls in a club where all they seem to do is eat cake and talk about things.

However, for the past few years i have tried to watch a little of everything Crunchyroll simulcats since i do pay for a subscription... so i may as well use it as much as possible... and i have watched some shows i would have never touched thanks to this.
HaNaYaMaTa is definitely one of those shows.

We follow Naru, an ordinary girl who dreams of being able to stand out and 'sparkle' despite her crippling shyness.
By chance she bumps into a blond girl named Hana who is dancing at a shrine, she mistakes the girl for a fairy (cause naru is more then a little obsessed with fairytales) and through a series of evens Hana forces Naru to dance with her.
The next school day arrives and it is revealed that Hana is infact human... an American to be more precise and has transfered from the states and is obsessed with a type of dance known as Yasokoi.
The problem with Yasokoi is that you need a group to be able to dance it and Hana's appraoch is a bit too strong for her schoolmates who just think she's a little weird.

Over time she recruits Naru to her club and slowly they start to get members. Still school regulations are tricky to work around and so between actually making the club legit, getting an advisor, getting more members, and participating in festivals proves to be extremely difficult but the show is about them working through things no matter what is thrown their way.

These girls work hard... unlike the other show i already mentioned i didn't like.

Honestly i did worry that this was going to be another Kiniro Mosaic bait and switch but as i continued to watch i continued to enjoy.

Is it a great show? maybe not... but it has a sweetness and sincerity that other shows that have a heavy focus on clubs tend to miss.

plus i love the intro and ending songs... very very pretty.

The good:
Animation - It's so bright and colourful... the style is a bit strange but you get used to it pretty quick.
Music - this could be personal taste since i like the type of music they are playing quite a bit.
Character arcs - everyone has them and while some are more believable then others they all still work... i do think the guy who owns the shop does add a bit too much of a deus ex machina elements but i forgive it since it's rare.

The not so good:
only 12 episodes so it feels a bit rushed... especially at the end.
if you hate shows with freakishly cute characters then yeah this wont change your mind.
a little predictable.

I can't think of anything bad... maybe it would have been nice to see a few more festivals but again it's only 12 episodes so more would have made it feel even more rushed.

it could probably have a second season, i don't think it should or needs to but i wouldn't be upset if it happened

yeah just an all around sweet show.


Now it's time for pain... time to wtach Blue Spring Ride and probably bawl my eyes out.