I’ve already talked about why Spring of 2018 was special for me in the review of Golden Kamuy, Hinamatsuri just adds to the list of reasons mentioned over there. It is a hilarious 12-episode anime that didn’t get much mention beyond the season it aired. So I’m back at it, trying to give a show that I loved, some well-deserved attention.
When I picked up Hinamatsuri, I thought I knew what I was signing up for. Just a laughter marathon. Now don’t get me wrong, you will be laughing most of the time, but it is also a feels train. If you decide to watch it (which you should), let me just say this: you are in for one helluva ride!
Plot
Hinamatsuri follows Nitta, a member of the yakuza, who coincidentally comes in contact with a girl with psychic powers, named Hina. He suddenly finds himself acting as her caretaker and their daily life (and some others) is what the show is about. Within 12 episodes, Hinamatsuri has a few arcs. These are funny, emotional and above all, entertaining. Now, we could talk hours and hours about any show’s plot if we want to, but when it comes to a comedy anime, all that matters are the jokes themselves and the timing of their delivery, and Hinamatsuri pulls it off with aplomb.
It’s not all fun and games though as Hinamatsuri pulls quite a few surprises on you and can make you cry, feel wholesome, smile, you know, the whole range of emotions (I was also seriously enraged at Nitta at one point). The character arcs within the show are some of the best you can find in a 12 episode anime. Hinamatsuri also touches on some subjects that are generally not seen in anime, like homelessness and isolation, all the while maintaining a comedic touch. This might offend some people though, due to the way they have handled it.
Characters
Since it’s only 12 episodes long, it is hard to believe that Hinamatsuri would have fleshed-out characters by the end of its runtime. But it managed to do just that. Every character is different, their circumstances are different, the stuff they go through is different. This is exactly what the character arc is so interesting to watch too. There are a lot of different ideas being applied here, and such experimentation with characters has paid off big time. And the fact that they managed to do it all without compromising on the comedy is just incredible.
Animation
According to me, if the animation for this show were bad, it would not have left much of an impact. That is to say, produced by Studio “feel.”, this anime looks gorgeous for what it’s trying to be. The reactions of characters are the bread and butter of Hinamatsuri, and Studio Feel has not left any stone unturned to keep it that way.
Even the tear-jerker moments are done incredibly well to leave maximum impact visually and emotionally. The rare action moments have been given ample care too, it is fluid and a damn treats to watch. The opening scene itself gives you an idea of what you are in for animation-wise.
Conclusion
What I liked:
- Great comedy
- Heartwarming moments
- Likable characters
- Good animation
What I did not:
- Ends waaaaayyy too soon T_T…. on a more serious note.
- Some of the jokes are based on sensitive societal subjects which may offend some people.
