Why should you watch Hinamatsuri?
The story is Great (9). Hinamatsuri is one of the anime that I did not pay attention to during the initial spring lineup yet placed it on my to-watch queue, but to my surprise, it took the No.1 spot in my Best Spring Anime List of 2018 together with Mahou Shoujo Site. The reason why it is one of the best boils down to its honesty and childlike innocence. Hinamatsuri in Japan is a kind of festival/celebration for the coming of age of girls, and this is hugely represented in Anime with its young girl characters having their own quirky coming-of-age stories.
What makes it stand out from other slices of life anime is that it develops the characters in a natural way that you can almost see them appearing in real life. It perfectly mixes comedy with action and drama which is a difficult feat to accomplish.
There were moments while watching this anime that I ended up bawling my eyes so hard because of a side story with a supporting character, or segments that cracked me up so hard with the simplicity of its jokes. It amazes me that the story allows its main characters to be outshined by its supporting characters, but still keeps the story intact. Simply brilliant!
Art is Good (7). Graphic-wise, Hinamatsuri does not stun me with its animation approach. It is a standard-looking anime when you first watch it which made it hard to pick out which similarly animated anime it was grouped with. However, the art is well-made and clean and it does not distract me from enjoying every episode it releases so that is a great thing.
Sound is Great (9). The opening theme “Distance” by Rie Murakawa is one of the best theme songs that I have heard in an anime. It sets the mood quite nicely which is a great thing, and I never found myself skipping it, unlike other opening themes.
“Sake to Ikura to 893 to Musume (鮭とイクラと893と娘)” by Yoshifumi Nitta (Yoshiki Nakajima) the ending song is the one song that makes me feel the yakuza vibe of the story. Although I felt that it doesn’t mesh well with the whole anime package, it is still a good listen.
“Shashinchou (写真帖)” by Yoko Ishida, the ending song of Episode 6 was the trigger to me crying my heart out. The story Anzu, one of the supporting characters, is something unexpected in a story that sells itself as a comedy anime.
Characters are Outstanding (10). I strongly believe that Hinamatsuri’s characters are the strongest part of this anime. They are well written, beautifully characterized, fleshed out, and know their roles in the story. From the bartender Hitomi, the garbage collector Anzu to the main character Hina, and even the recently introduced Mao, all of them stand out in their charming way.
Even the minor roles in the story like Hina’s classmates or the families of Nitta and Anzu are incredibly well written. You could feel the amount of care they put into the characters of the story.
No doubt, that the characters are the best part of Hinamatsuri.
All in all, even if you are not into the slice-of-life/comedy genre of anime, you should give Hinamatsuri a shot. I am 100% sure that you would not regret watching this anime.
With that said, I would give Hinamatsuri 9 exquisite vases out of 10.
