HINAMATSURI

I get so genuinely excited when I see an anime try something new. When it comes to anime comedies, so many these days are set in high school and use the same set of jokes that every show's been telling for the last decade, and it is assumed that if they just tell the joke loudly enough and have the rest of the cast act disproportionally shocked then that makes it high comedy. By comparison, Hinamatsuri's understated humour and sense of genuine comedic timing are a breath of fresh air. Right from the first episode the show demonstrates snappy joke set up and execution, and lets each gag breathe organically rather than constantly having to point out to the viewer how hilarious the jokes are. The consistently above average animation quality and well drawn character expressions only add to the visual comedy.

One of the things I love most is the cast. The characters play off each other so well, and the series demonstrates that no matter which combination you throw together they'll get into some ridiculous situations. Some of my favourite segments centre around Hitomi, one of the most straight-laced and "ordinary" characters in the series, who nonetheless has some of the best plot lines in the show. Even though most of the characters are arseholes in their own way, they're still loveable and endlessly enjoyable to watch.

Even though it's a comedy first and foremost, Hinamatsuri is also able to deliver some genuinely heart-warming stories. These vignettes are often focused on Anzu, another girl with supernatural powers who didn't have the good fortune of being taken in by a surprisingly fatherly (as much as he doesn't want to admit it) yakuza. Although these scenes often still demonstrate some great comedy, they also help to build an emotional core that helps to bind the characters together, whether it's bonding the younger cast members as friends or lending some humanity and introspection to the adults. Rather than creating a tonal whiplash, these moments help to establish and develop the cast and make the audience care.

Despite having an obvious supernatural element, I was pleased to see that the series didn't dwell too much on that side of the story. Although the girls do sometimes use their powers, these instances wane as the show progresses and I appreciated that because it thrives the most when focusing on the mundane, every day situations rather than these girls and their powers. We only get a few hints regarding what their lives were like before they crashed down in Tokyo, and that's enough for me because to dwell too much on their previous lives, where they seemed to be working for some kind of military organisation, wouldn't exactly have been a barrel of laughs.

Honestly, my only real problem with Hinamatsuri is that there wasn't more of it. I'm going to miss seeing Hina, Nitta and the gang on my screen every Friday, and I can only hope that the popularity of the anime will help to get an official localisation of the manga into Western stores. If you like unconventional comedies with a strong ensemble cast, or if you've played too many of the Yakuza games and can now only consume media that is tangentially related, then you should definitely give this one a try.