Anime Review: Hinamatsuri - Funny yet Serious

Last season's anime (Spring 2018) brought a good amount of very enjoyable anime. Hinamatsuri was one of them, and it felt different to your usual comedy anime, and I mean that in a very good way. Why is that so? I think it is because it is not afraid to explore the darker sides of society that involves very unique and interesting characters.

This is best reflected in our main character Nitta, who is a member of the Mafia, and a contrary to your usual thug. He's not a man who condones violence, and it makes sense why he is able to be seen a "fatherly" figure when he takes in Hina. Hina can be a character that you love or hate at the same time - she is a spoilt little brat who does nothing, but her emotionless demeanor always makes me laugh. Perhaps I have taken a liking to "boring" or emotionless people since their monotonous voice always breaks the ice because of how ridiculous it is. However, do you really blame Hina for being spoilt? After all, Nitta is the fatherly figure, but is that also his fault? Perhaps. 

Anzu, on the other hand, is a foil to Hina. She is incredibly emotional and this is due to her upbringing by the homeless people in the area. I really liked the anime's exploration of the homeless. Not a lot of anime bothers to explore this area since the homeless are usually ignored by society. However, it brings to light that the homeless are also humans, who just made a fatal mistake, and even had the ability to instill values into Anzu. After her separation from the homeless to live with a family, we really see her appreciation to be accepted into society and those scenes were really heartwarming yet tear-inducing at the same time. 

SHOOKED!

Hitomi is also one of the main characters I really liked due to her maturity for her age. Whilst we see her tear up and become "used" by the adults, eventually it is she who has the power over the adults. I also liked the shocked faces she makes during the anime - needed in every gag anime, but it was refreshing differently.

So what do all these characters have in common? I think each and every character has a fault with themselves, and that perfectly reflects life - no one is perfect. Hina not being considerate, Nitta for spoiling Hina (and not being a good fatherly figure), Anzu for being emotional and Hitomi for being "taken advantage of". But as the anime progressed, we too see the characters progress into amazing and respectable characters. All these characters were somewhat relatable, in the sense that I can understand how one's personality is developed (e.g. due to upbringing).

What I found interesting was Hinamatsuri's poster that seemed to had some influence from E.T. However, instead of E.T. riding with the kid, it is Nitta chasing after Hina, so it's a nice parody on the E.T. movie poster. Also the anime name, Hinamatsuri can be interpreted as a festival (matsuri) for Hina, since every day is like a festival for Hina (being spoilt and all), but can also be the "Doll Festival" where "practically speaking, the encouragement to put everything away quickly is to avoid the rainy season and humidity that typically follow Hinamatsuri" (Source: Wikipedia). And this is relatable since Nitta is forever in the endless cycle of taking care of Hina, a feat similar to taking care of oneself in the rainy and humid season.

Needless to say, the anime art style is also very unique, and I will probably be buying some Hinamatsuri manga, anime or some merch related to it since it was so enjoyable. The OP is also one of those that it is so good to listen to, and I didn't skip it (usually I skip it if it isn't catchy). The anime isn't supposed to make you laugh your ass off, but rather give you a couple of chuckles, and that's what comedy in anime should do. It's supposed to make you smile, chuckle, laugh, whatever you want, just as long it makes you happy. I doubt there will be a 2nd season for this anime since these sorts of anime are usually used a "sample" so that people can buy the manga to read further. Probably one of the best anime during Spring 2018.

Mfw I watch this anime

Overall Score: 9/10

Story: 8/10

Characters: 9/10

Art: 9/10

Sound: 9/10

Enjoyment: 10/10