Note: this review is mostly spoiler-free. All spoilers are properly indicated in the text beforehand.

From the very first episode, I knew that I would love this show. The characters, the atmosphere, the plot: everything makes for a great anime.

The slice-of-life vibe and likable characters make for a very comfortable watch. Add to that a compelling plot with real progression and just the right balance of comedy and drama. This combination pulls you deeper into it with each episode and results in an extraordinarily binge-able and enjoyable gem.

This anime deals with a lot of interpersonal themes: romance, dreams, loss, hard work, finding oneself, growth, moving forward. All in all, it makes it very relatable and particularly aspirational.

But the real highlight of the anime is Ohana, the protagonist. At first, she is presented as a cheerful but cynical highschool girl (or in her own words: "quite the realist"), who is clearly bored with life and without a goal.

Ohana is strong-willed, self-centered, and can't read the mood. At the same time, she is a cheerful and happy-go-lucky girl who could easily fall into the "always nice, always happy" protagonist trope. Such characters are easy to like, but hard to take seriously given how unrealistic they are. But the contrasts in Ohana's personality, and her inner conflicts, make her pull off that bubbly vibe without coming off as overly naive or as the dweller of a rose-tinted fairy tale world. I can say confidently that there are very few characters in anime that earned my admiration so fast.

On top of that, Ohana is honest to a fault and extremely dedicated, making her almost impossible not to love.

To illustrate what makes Ohana so unique, I'll have to delve a little into the plot of the first episode, so a minor spoiler warning:

When her criminally irresponsible mother throws a curveball at her, making her change cities to live with her unknown grandmother who owns an inn in a small town, she accepts such a radical change with stunning straightforwardness. When it becomes clear that she is in for quite a hard life in that inn, she does not spend a single second moping around, immediately deciding to work hard and make the most out of it. It is such a contrast with the expected "teenage drama" reaction to such a situation that I was already sold. Her headstrong personality and lack of common sense unwillingly cause problems to those around her. But her candor and devotion win those same people back, making her a force to be reckoned with.

In conclusion, even if all components in this show are very familiar at first, their combination is masterful. The end result is uniquely entertaining and ranks in my favorite shows of the genre, even after watching my fair share of slice-of-life dramas.

Finally, I have to comment on my feelings about the end of the show, so spoiler warning:

The end of the anime is bittersweet, satisfying, and hopeful. Leaving behind a warm and comfortable place that your heart grew fond of is sad. But life is about moving forward, learning, evolving. You carry all the experiences you had, becoming ever richer, and going on to greater things. Finally, there's always the hope of returning to a place where you belong, now more mature and confident.