An Anime Blog Post (with some Hanamaru tossed in)

Before you do anything else listen to this piano cover of the Sora no Woto ED by Josh Agarrado: This guy is seriously my hero.

[All Hanamaru Content is from Episode 10]

Hanamaru Kindergarten has become the show I look forward to most every week. Admittedly Durarara!! had some epic happenings this week, but Hanamaru generally has that great mix of ridiculous and light, fluffy humor that is just fun to watch.

I don’t know when it happened, but I have to say my favorite type of stock character is probably the over protective dad. Maybe it was the King of Alzakerbadoodle (that is not the name) from One Piece following Vivi (or Bibi whatever floats your boat) around that initially got me going, but anytime someone who is supposed to be fearsome stalks his own daughter, well, it’s just funny. Needless to say Hinagiku also is worthy of mention. Her name reminds me of a particularly awesome tsundere

(Yes, any excuse to post a picture I will take) but she also runs the entirety of the Yakuza with a cute, iron thumb.

:)

Did anyone else start tearing up right here?

Please someone else admit to it, because I certainly did. Of course I stopped two seconds later when she stopped running and started crying, and I was completely out of sentimental mode when her brother went behind the finish line. That was just a bit too much for me.

Dear Gainax,

Sentimentality is something sacred and normally comes about best from small often unrealized gestures that you don’t point out to the viewer. Although you guys did a brilliant job of overplaying everything in Tengen Toppen Gurren Lagann I have to warn you that doing the same thing with Hanamaru Kindergarten will completely ruin it. Take a lesson from Clannad here, although the series ended up being brilliant the first arc pushed so hard it ended up turning half the fanbase off for the following arcs. No one wants to be jerked around. That said this does not hold for comedy. In short: Comedy- As ridiculous as possible, Sentimental moments- Keep it subtle and simple.

Best Regards,

From your dedicated fanboy

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Hanamaru might be too cute sometimes and have no sense of depth, but for the most part the comedy hasn’t gotten stale either. With that said, some of it has grown stale. For instance:

Just when Tsuchi finally steps up and says something worthy of Simon he follows it with becoming the same loser twenty seconds later. How can you go from realizing “I can’t let this girl get taken by someone else” to playing the same old love comedy misunderstandings? I really think this was a pretty big mistake on Gainax’s part. You can’t have the protagonist come to this big of a romantic realization and then throw it away and expect things to return to normal. If he was really thinking that he would have stood there and continued to tell her that he loved her until she understood he was absolutely serious. (Not in your head idiot, tell her out loud). This is the real problem I have with non harem love comedies (No I’m not counting Anzu and Hinagiku as realistic partners). Sure Shakespeare coined the comedy of errors and he was known as the master of love (or something like that), but his plays also only lasted a couple of acts—Not 13 episodes. The audience eventually gets tired of the two lovers miscommunication and wants to see them get together.

Still I’ve got to give it to Hanamaru for not making the other romantic comedy mistake of introducing some huge drama filled conflict that doesn’t make any sense.

(Dustin Begins to Rant)

I’m really sick of the love at first sight and the power of love plot device. It would be ok if it was just a couple of movies that had really amazing plots otherwise, but it’s in everything (this includes the subtly different “We’re friends so that’s why I came”). Why can’t we have slightly more believable characters? Sometimes I wonder if the people who write fiction have read so much of it that they actually believe people are really like that. People have shallow wants and needs. They’re the Konata’s of the world who make stupid decisions, they’re the Kagami’s who work hard but have some vices.

(Oh man I get to post a picture of my favorite Tsundere too! This is a good day) Most people aren’t super nice all the time. I’ve never met someone like Kanata (Sora no Woto), nor do I think I ever will (If I ever do I’ll be annoyed). The fact of the matter is people are funny on their own, just look at the Office. I’m not saying you have to go out and reinvent your genre, but why not try adding some new character subtypes. Aren’t you tired of animating the same characters over and over again? I know I am.

I’ve had that in my system for quite some time and needed to get it out. I’ve just been a little bummed because I haven’t seen a Major Motoko or a Cowboy Bebop in a long time. Without the really amazing stuff our median is in danger of becoming un-defendable. What’s really sad is the Dance in the Vampire Bunds: The stories with great source material that gets turned into everything else.

Why is Selty Tsun Tsun? Sure it’s cute, but for Anime’s sake you had the freaking grim reaper on a motorcycle slamming people into walls with her front tire and you turned her into a Tsundere? I realize that was probably the author’s fault, but way to declaw your motorcycle badass. Congratulations to the author too, you created another one of those characters, but you got your comic relief so it’s ok *facepalm*.

Dear Anime,

You have the potential to do so much and tell so many different stories. Why are you squandering it by telling the same few stories over and over again with slight variation in the setting? Please make something as controversial as Evangelion, or as dark as Black Lagoon. You can even make something that is just plain weird like Repoman. I’ll guarantee people will watch it and what’s more you’ll create a whole new genre.

(Dustin ends Rant)

*Sigh* Another blog post acomplia cheap that just can’t seem to stay on topic :P. I actually really intended to cover Hanamaru Kindergarten since it’s been pretty funny, but I hate just reiterating jokes the actual anime made. Ok, but I really loved this:

It was just so out of nowhere. I want to be in a room with the Gainax staff for a variety of reasons, but I really would have liked to have been there for the meeting that came up with this scene.

Head Writer: Hmm, so Tsuchi is actually going to confess to Yamamoto again this episode.
Writer One: I suppose so, it’s about time he tries again: Plus we can have a really fun lead up of him becoming more and more confident the more he drinks.


Writer Two: I like where you’re going with that, but what should we do after he confesses.
Head Writer: We could just cut to the next day of a ridiculous Tsuchi face that says “What have I done”.
Writer One: That’s pretty funny, but I think we’re missing an opportunity here?
Head Writer: Oh?
Writer One: Ok, just try imagining. He finally confesses and we do a really long drawn out celebration of the confession.
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W2: Like a party?
W1: No, no, like him and the other two drunk sensei’s hugging each other and chanting “You did it, you confessed”.
HW: Hmm, I like where you’re going with this… um… What was your name again?
W1: Just call me number one sir.
HW: Alright number one, I like where you’re going with this, but I don’t think you’re taking it far enough.
W1: Not far enough sir?
HW: Yep, now picture this: We do all of the stuff you just said, but after that we have them continue chanting while bunny hopping in a konga line.
W1 + W2: …
HW: Don’t look at me like that it will be great. Just picture it.
W2: And they’ll be doing this in the karaoke booth?
HW: No, no, of course they won’t be doing it in the karaoke booth.
W1: Then where will they be doing this… stuff?
HW: How about in front of lighting up objects… Like vending machines

and then buildings…


Oh! Oh! Then we could have the whole town lighting up as we show them still hopping like bunnies overhead.
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W1 + W2: …
HW: And then we’ll show the Eiffel Tower!

W1: Why?
HW: Why not?… Well what do you guys think?
W2: It’s… It’s… brilliant sir.
HW: Isn’t it? That’s why they pay me the big bucks you know.
W1 (Under his breath to W2): If he was really being paid the big bucks he’s be working on the rebuild movies?
W2: *Sniggers*
HW: What was that?
W1: Nothing sir, it was a great idea.
HW: Then hurry up and make it so number one.

And that is exactly how it happened. Soooo, are you guys still reading this post? Here’s the real question, am I even still writing it? The answer to the second question is yes, I am.

For all of those who have steadfastly waded through the other 1,500 words here comes my most startling insight into Hanamaru Kindergarden; are you prepared? So you are fully aware that one of our main characters has the sir name of Hiiragi right? You might have also noticed the cute purple haired twins that seem to appear every now and again with ponytails on opposite sides of their heads. Last but not least I’ve seen a few mirrors in the anime. If you combine all of these elements together you get a mirror (which has something to do with the name Kagami), Hiiragi, and cute purple haired twin tails on a twin. Gainax has a studio crush on Kagami Hiiragi: Don’t forget you heard it here first. This insight brought to you by the brilliant mind behind Yin no Piano.

(Dustin explodes into fandom confetti thus bringing this post to its conclusion).