Waching daily Aug 5 2018

So, Hinamatsuri is an anime series produced by Studio Feel, based on the manga of the

same name by Masao Ōtake, about a girl named Hina with telekinetic powers who crash lands

in the apartment of a rich Yakuza member named Nitta, who, fearing her immense power, subsequently

takes her in, and the two slowly form a familial bond as they and those around them deal with

absurdity both mundane and extraordinary, from telekinetic assassins to middle school

bartenders to the eternal struggle posed by, teleportation, balls . . .

When I first heard about this show, I, honestly, did not care for it.

I didn't expect it to be a series I would enjoy, but, after hearing the praise it was

getting, I gave it a chance out of curiosity, and now can very safely say that it's one

of my favourite shows of the year.

The artwork is nicely stylized without feeling like it's gone overboard, and the animation

has this rough fluidity to it that breathes that much extra life into every little movement.

There's little I can say that the clips currently playing won't easily be able to

convey, but suffice to say, visually the show is a feast for the eyes.

Of course, this would be meaningless without the show's strong cast.

It's filled with well fleshed out characters with distinct personalities that, as exaggerated

as they are, feel true to life, and who, over the course of the series, shake off their

initial archetypes and reveal the conflicted complexity buried deep in their hearts.

Most of the time, at least.

Their respective dynamics and interpersonal conflicts not only make for some great entertainment,

but manages to subvert our expectations of who they really are.

And that subversive nature is integral to the show's humour.

Now, of course, almost all comedy is based on upending one's expectations, but there's

something distinctly unique about the way that Hinamatsuri approaches it.

It doesn't just do something you don't expect for the sake of a laugh, it's carefully

constructed so as to not only flip your assumptions about these characters and the show on its

head, even at times taking clichéd old jokes and tropes in new directions to do so, but

does it in a way that's adds to the characters and their growth.

For example, in Episode 2 there's a plot about Nitta realizing that him taking care

of Hina is affecting his bachelor lifestyle, and he subsequently starts leaving her alone

at night so he can god and have fun out on the town.

Hina is annoyed by the fact that he's having fun without her, and one night decides to

try and follow him to see what he's up to.

But after talking about her problem with Utako, a friend of Nitta's and the owner of his

favourite bar, Utako encourages her to tell Nitta how she's feeling instead of bottling

it up, and, at the climax of the episode she does just that.

The ethics of bringing of a teenage girl to a hostess club aside, this moment is both

a funny gag whose resulting ridiculousness only builds on itself, but also acts as

a strong moment of character growth for both Nitta and Hina.

For Hina, it helps her to realize that she it's important to communicate how you feel

with people so that your problems can actually

be resolved, and for Nitta, it helps him to realize that Hina isn't a drag on his life,

and in many ways can and does add to it.

The show's comedy isn't just funny, it's meaningful.

But for as funny as the show is, thinking of it purely as a comedy I think almost does

a disservice to how well it balances it's humour with its drama.

The journeys each of these characters take throughout the series are honest and, at points,

almost too relatable, whether it be Nitta realizing that, for as annoying as he finds

Hina to be at the best of times, he does care about her, or how Hina learns to become more

empathetic and open with those she cares about.

But in this regard, I think Anzu's story quite literally steals the show.

Granted, it's hard to describe without explicitly spoiling it, but rest assured, her growth

from selfishness and arrogance to kindness and consideration is one that, even a good

two-ish weeks after watching still gets me emotional just thinking about it, like, christ,

I did not sign up for this roller coaster of feels, man, I WANT OFF ALREADY!

Hinamatsuri isn't just a great comedy, it's also a down to earth and emotionally resonant

story that reminds us to take a step back and appreciate the things in life we take

for granted, especially the people we share it with, and to be able to express our gratitude

for it when we can, because we never know when it might end up being too late to do so

Man, sometimes, you forget that this show has girls with telekinetic superpowers . . .

Oh yeah, wait a minute!

Hinamatsuri is a show I did not expect to enjoy as much as I did, and I'm glad I eventually gave

it a chance.

From its artwork to its characters to its clever comedy and heartwarming story, it's

a series that didn't just subvert my expectations, it went above and beyond them, and, for me,

that's what makes it so fun to watch.

And yeah, those are my thoughts.

I didn't mean to make two fun to watch videos in a row but oh my god, this video was a NIGHTMARE!

I spent a week going through draft after draft after draft of this thing before literally the night

before recording this I scrapped it and started all over again!

God, I f&$%ing, GAAAAH!

So, uh, yeah, how was your week?

Anyway, let me know what yous think, if yous agree, disagree, what you'd do with telekinetic

powers, if you think Anzu is the best character of the show because you know it's true,

etc, and thanks for watching!

If yous enjoyed this and wanna see more than be sure to watch my last video, where I explain

why Cells At Work's terrifying absurdity makes it so fun to watch!

Or, check out my video on Darling in the FranXX's ending and why, for me, it fell apart.

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