Hidamari Sketch, in theory, should be one of my all-time favorite iyashikei for wholesome, relaxing slice-of-life. I like the idea of relatively nice girls with different personalities all attending the same art school, sometimes crossing paths, sometimes doing their own thing.

However, I found that Seasons 1 and 2 were inconsistently likable—sometimes a little too slow-paced and uninteresting, even for me. I tended to enjoy the episodes that slowly developed Yuno, along with the occasional ones where they all just hung out and had some comedy. But overall, I only liked the show sometimes.

As it turns out, the best way for me to more consistently enjoy the series was by Hoshimittsu (Season 3) introducing two very memorable, likable underclassmen: Nazuna and Nori. If I’m being honest, I think this duo is much more interesting and fun than Hiro and Sae, who mostly function as okay upperclassmen that occasionally give advice but not much more.

Shifting the dorm dynamics to six characters adds much-needed variety—not just for comedy but also for character growth and unique interactions.

For example, like the two other notable pairings, Yuno & Miyako and Hiro & Sae, Nazuna and Nori have their own yuri-bait close female friendship. They have a natural opposites-attract dynamic, with Nazuna being very shy and Nori being direct and blunt. Their interactions alone are super charming, but I also love how they affect the rest of the group.

They give Hiro and Sae more opportunities to lean into their low-key, mature, caregiving roles, and they allow more goofy moments for Miyako’s quirky humor. But most importantly—on a personal level, as someone who likes Yuno the most—this change gives Yuno a chance to grow even more.

In Seasons 1 and 2, most of Yuno’s memorable character development revolved around her lack of self-confidence. She’s an art major whose best friend is kind of an art genius, so she often doubted herself. But by the end of Season 2, she gained more confidence, and in Season 3, she gets to take on the role of a proper upperclassman for Nazuna and Nori. It’s great to see her naturally shift from the meek new girl to someone who applies what she’s learned to her two new friends.

Most of what makes the Hidamari series good (and sometimes not as good) is still here. There are plenty of scenes where the six characters just hang out, plus some interesting art discussions since almost all of them (except Nazuna) are art majors at an art-focused school. Those moments are thought-provoking in terms of how they improve their art.

Unfortunately, the most recurring character I don’t like is still around: Yoshinoya-sensei. I guess I can see why some people enjoy an adult female character who’s a little immature, likes being attractive, and craves attention, but by this point in the series, I’m really sick of the same joke. She tries too hard to get attention from students, the principal rebukes her, rinse and repeat. It’s not as annoying in Hoshimittsu, but the joke was already stale by the second or third time in earlier seasons. The fact that they keep doing it almost every episode is a case of Japan overdoing quirky humor until it gets really, really old.

While I liked the average episode of the girls just hanging out much more than in Seasons 1 and 2, there are still some dull moments, even as someone who enjoys cute girls doing cute things, slice-of-life, and hangout series.

That said, I still really like Hidamari Sketch Hoshimittsu for pushing the series in a much more consistently great direction—just by adding two new, very likable characters. It’s a shame this is one of SHAFT’s more underrated shows because some days, I consider it on par with Madoka Magica—and definitely way better than the -monogatari series.