Thursday 23 October 2014

Hanasaku Iroha: Home Sweet Home

I almost forgot to write this cause i actually saw it last night.

anyways This movie takes place sometime closer to the end of the main series but not past the final episode.

While helping Yuina learn what it takes to be an attendant at an Inn Ohana realizes that her day to day experience at Kissuisso has become a little dull and she has lost that drive to 'sparkle'.
By chance she stumbles upon some of the old log books that detail the final few months of her mother living at the Inn. She always felt that she could never understand her mother and they had never had anything in common until she reads that her mother wanted to 'sparkle' as well and felt smothered by the Inn lifestyle.
Over the course of the 66 minute film she realizes that her mother didn't start out as an adult and had many of the same hopes, dreams and fears as she does now... she figured out that she would have been worried about being in love or worried about what to do with the rest of her life and in her mothers case waorried about leaving everything she knows behind to pursue a dream.
At the same time she is realizing that some people are forced to grow up much faster then others due to family situations or added responsibility.
She learns more about her mothers mindset and that what she is going through, all this confusion and fear and hope and dreams is completely normal and that she will figure it all out one day.

It's a cute movie but honestly there are too many subplots.
I think it may have been better had it only been about Ohan's mothers story since of the three it's the most interesting and has the most room for growth.
The bit about the one friend essentially trying to be mother to her siblings is fine but kinda shoehorned in the rest of the story.
The plotline about Yuina doesn't need to be there at all and is only there to help Ohana find the old log books but the exact same thing could have been accomplished by having ohana be clumsy.
theres also a bit about Minko learning to be more observant of the customers but honestly that was addressed in the show. 

However for a 66 min long movie it never feels rushed and it manages to tie up all it's loose ends (and any loose ends left in the show)... i do wish it was longer... like even just 90 mins... and i would have loved to see way more about ohana's mother.

The good
Animation is PA Works so it's lovely... the openeing scene is set in the pool and it's just stunning.
Music, the show had a lovely sweet score and this does as well.

The not so good
Not terribly long and the boxset isn't terribly cheap (still lovely nisa quality though)
The implications of age difference between Ohana's parents.... however she's obviously much older when she has Ohana.
a certain character is brushed aside at a certain point and i would have loved to have seen more or find out what happened.

Still if you liked the show then you will probably enjoy the movie as it gives everyone a bit more character detail and improves everyone's arc... especially Ohana and her mother.
but yeah quite a bit crammed into just over an hour.

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