Hanasaku Iroha – Episode 1
Short Summary:
Ohana Matsumae isn’t like other girls. Her thoughts seem to be a bit quirky and she wants to break out of her boring life and experience something dramatic. Her wish is granted faster than she expected when her mother decides to run off with her boyfriend and send Ohana to her grandmother. Because Ohanas mother and grandmother aren’t on good terms with each other the latter and Ohana have never met. Before she leaves for the samll mountain village in which her grandmother runs an hot spring inn Ohana meets her best friend Ko to say goodbye. Unexpectedly Ko confesses her love for Ohana but leaves directly afterwards. The bewildered girl doesn’t know how to react.
Without another word to Ko she leaves and waits excited for her personal fairy tail to enfold. And indeed, the Taisho era inn looks beautiful, like out of a movie. But that’s about everything that’s fairy tale like for Ohana. The girl she has to share a room with tells her to die the first time they meet and Ohana’s grandmother sees in her a worthless child of the daughter she detests. Ohana has to work for a roof above her head and as there’s no other place to go to she faces whatever struggles may lie ahead.
My opinion:
Hanasuka Iroha is quite a suprise. As usual I dived into the show without any knowledge of the story or anything. Then we meet Ohana as this quirky heroine who’s got her head in the clouds. Her grandmother treats her and the other girls at the inn like crap. I’m sure we’ll get to know that woman’s motives but in my opinion there’s no excuse for slapping her employees. I can see myself watching this show if I’m able to warm towards Ohana.