Gainax is one of my favorite producers regarding anime, only behind Production I.G. They were involved in a lot of not only my favorite animes of all time, but also countless classics and instant classics, like FLCL, Gurren Lagann, the Cowboy Bebop Movie, Otaku no Video and of course, the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise. Almost all of the animes with their name involved in it are exceptionally good, and have a reasonable amount of care and respect attached to them ( Budget...eh...not so much... ). So, imagine my surprise when I heard that their latest anime, which premiered in 2010 this January, was a slice-of-life series, one of the biggest cash-cows of anime as of recently, based off of a manga about kindergartners. I was a bit skeptical, to say the least. However, I am a huge sucker for slice-of-life and moe (as well as other series, don't get me wrong), so I gave it a shot. I got to say, I am willing to admit I was wrong having my doubts, as Gainax went back to their roots with this one; Hanamaru Kindergarten is the best of the genre this year.
One of the biggest guilty pleasures I have are slice-of-life shows. I wouldn't strictly say that that's all I like, seeing as though the majority that I watched weren't good in the least. Of course, a few of them have that adorable and humorous factor to them, as well as likeable characters (to name off an obvious few, Azumanga Daioh and Genshiken). Newer shows like So Ra Wo No To disgust me for cashing in on the average big-sellers like K-ON! and other countless harems and moe-themed throwaways. I'm a big fan of moe, and I have my own type of girl who'd I'd want to be my waifu (Tsunderes and "too-smart-for-their-own-good" girls are obvious picks for whom I would protect), so it's really hard seeing only a few shows from last year bringing something new to the table. When it comes to slice-of-life shows, it's almost no different. But suddenly, when Gainax announces a show that relates squarely back to their older works (Otaku no Video, His and Her Circumstances), it's normal to be a bit curious as to how it'll be. At first glance, Hanamaru Kindergarten seems like one of those aforementioned shows that have no content. Of course, while it's not revolutionary, it does serve its purpose in being a cute, funny show that doesn't seem like an obligated shot of moe, but rather a nice way to spend 10-20 minutes on an episode or two.
The series begins with the newly graduated male teacher Tsuchida. As he's late to his first day at a small elementary school as a kindergarten teacher, he runs into a small child named Anzu, who is all by herself on the sidewalk. Worried that she's lost, Tsuchida keeps her company, and Anzu, thinking that he's hitting on her, suddenly develops a cute crush on the easily bashful teacher. As Anzu's mother approches, Tsuchida, realizing he's incredibly late, runs off to the school. As it turns out, he realizes that he's the only male teacher in the entire school and finds out that the little girl Anzu is not only one of his students, but is announcing that she was hit on by him. Being the lovable klutz that he is, Tsuchida is adored by his students and is beloved by his co-workers, as well as a fellow female teacher and his newest crush, Ms. Yamamoto. From there, Anzu, along with her new friends Koume and Hiiragi live through their kindergarten lives in wondrous imaginative and childish ways. The series really does a good job expressing what it's like to be a child, and the main theme of Hanumaru never is too far from "Cute". Sometimes, Anzu and co. go onto imaginary adventures, where the viewer is taken into the world of the main youngsters, and sometimes how they perceive things (like the height of a slide) are shown through the same eyes, bringing refreshing perspectives and truly reminding you what being a kid sometimes was like. Anyone familiar with the manga Yotsuba!& will recall the feeling of how adorable and naïve children can be.
As stated before, the animation style is completely washed away with other similar looking shows that have aired recently, so saying that it's appealing is a general overtone to many other anime as well. The colors are bright, and smoothed out fairly nice. The character models of the adults are normal and pleasant enough, but the deformed looking models of the kindergarteners could take some getting use to. Seriously though; the heads are huge…like, Rugrats huge...
You'll find that the characters are all great and satisfyingly familiar. Koume is incredibly shy, Hiiragi is unfathomably intelligent, and Anzu is energetic and undeniably cute. These three get themselves into some humorous situations, and the only usual case of conflict comes from an everyday problem of getting lost around the school, or getting picked on by those goddamn second graders! What a bunch of dicks! Those stoopid second years always ruin everyone's fun! >:| On the voice acting, each character is appropriately given a tone all their own. The monotone Hiiragi is a favorite, as well as the clueless and high-pitched Yamamoto. Each character is given a typecast voice all-too-familiar to fans of the genre, but that's not to say that it's still not a great effort on the actors' part, as each character is still enjoyable in their respected roles. In fact, without giving away too much shock value towards Anzu's mother, I must admit that the back-story for her is quite interesting and surprisingly deep and mature for a series like this. It also seems to give off some overtones and hidden messages as well, seeing as though her child is virtually copying the same thing she herself has done, albeit in a more childish and lightly way.
Hanamaru Kindergarten is a return-to-sender for those akin to another Azumanga Daioh, Crayon Shin-Chan or Hidamari Sketch in that it's incredibly endearing and never feels like a waste of time to watch an episode or two. However, if you feel that you hate this and similar genres, don't expect this series to be the one to change your mind. While a valiant effort by the great Gainax, when it comes to the year 2020, I would be happy and expect it to be seen listed as an honorable mention in a "Greatest of the Decade" discussion, but nothing more. If you at all want an anime to be able to laugh with, or just to have a throw-back to your life as a child, then do yourself a favor and mark Hanamaru Kindergarten on your list of must-watch anime. If not, then it's most likely that you're just a jealous and selfish second grader who thinks he's too old for it. I don't know about you, but I'm not above beating some sense into a few 7 year olds...
-Marcus Speer
One of the biggest guilty pleasures I have are slice-of-life shows. I wouldn't strictly say that that's all I like, seeing as though the majority that I watched weren't good in the least. Of course, a few of them have that adorable and humorous factor to them, as well as likeable characters (to name off an obvious few, Azumanga Daioh and Genshiken). Newer shows like So Ra Wo No To disgust me for cashing in on the average big-sellers like K-ON! and other countless harems and moe-themed throwaways. I'm a big fan of moe, and I have my own type of girl who'd I'd want to be my waifu (Tsunderes and "too-smart-for-their-own-good" girls are obvious picks for whom I would protect), so it's really hard seeing only a few shows from last year bringing something new to the table. When it comes to slice-of-life shows, it's almost no different. But suddenly, when Gainax announces a show that relates squarely back to their older works (Otaku no Video, His and Her Circumstances), it's normal to be a bit curious as to how it'll be. At first glance, Hanamaru Kindergarten seems like one of those aforementioned shows that have no content. Of course, while it's not revolutionary, it does serve its purpose in being a cute, funny show that doesn't seem like an obligated shot of moe, but rather a nice way to spend 10-20 minutes on an episode or two.
The series begins with the newly graduated male teacher Tsuchida. As he's late to his first day at a small elementary school as a kindergarten teacher, he runs into a small child named Anzu, who is all by herself on the sidewalk. Worried that she's lost, Tsuchida keeps her company, and Anzu, thinking that he's hitting on her, suddenly develops a cute crush on the easily bashful teacher. As Anzu's mother approches, Tsuchida, realizing he's incredibly late, runs off to the school. As it turns out, he realizes that he's the only male teacher in the entire school and finds out that the little girl Anzu is not only one of his students, but is announcing that she was hit on by him. Being the lovable klutz that he is, Tsuchida is adored by his students and is beloved by his co-workers, as well as a fellow female teacher and his newest crush, Ms. Yamamoto. From there, Anzu, along with her new friends Koume and Hiiragi live through their kindergarten lives in wondrous imaginative and childish ways. The series really does a good job expressing what it's like to be a child, and the main theme of Hanumaru never is too far from "Cute". Sometimes, Anzu and co. go onto imaginary adventures, where the viewer is taken into the world of the main youngsters, and sometimes how they perceive things (like the height of a slide) are shown through the same eyes, bringing refreshing perspectives and truly reminding you what being a kid sometimes was like. Anyone familiar with the manga Yotsuba!& will recall the feeling of how adorable and naïve children can be.
As stated before, the animation style is completely washed away with other similar looking shows that have aired recently, so saying that it's appealing is a general overtone to many other anime as well. The colors are bright, and smoothed out fairly nice. The character models of the adults are normal and pleasant enough, but the deformed looking models of the kindergarteners could take some getting use to. Seriously though; the heads are huge…like, Rugrats huge...
You'll find that the characters are all great and satisfyingly familiar. Koume is incredibly shy, Hiiragi is unfathomably intelligent, and Anzu is energetic and undeniably cute. These three get themselves into some humorous situations, and the only usual case of conflict comes from an everyday problem of getting lost around the school, or getting picked on by those goddamn second graders! What a bunch of dicks! Those stoopid second years always ruin everyone's fun! >:| On the voice acting, each character is appropriately given a tone all their own. The monotone Hiiragi is a favorite, as well as the clueless and high-pitched Yamamoto. Each character is given a typecast voice all-too-familiar to fans of the genre, but that's not to say that it's still not a great effort on the actors' part, as each character is still enjoyable in their respected roles. In fact, without giving away too much shock value towards Anzu's mother, I must admit that the back-story for her is quite interesting and surprisingly deep and mature for a series like this. It also seems to give off some overtones and hidden messages as well, seeing as though her child is virtually copying the same thing she herself has done, albeit in a more childish and lightly way.
Hanamaru Kindergarten is a return-to-sender for those akin to another Azumanga Daioh, Crayon Shin-Chan or Hidamari Sketch in that it's incredibly endearing and never feels like a waste of time to watch an episode or two. However, if you feel that you hate this and similar genres, don't expect this series to be the one to change your mind. While a valiant effort by the great Gainax, when it comes to the year 2020, I would be happy and expect it to be seen listed as an honorable mention in a "Greatest of the Decade" discussion, but nothing more. If you at all want an anime to be able to laugh with, or just to have a throw-back to your life as a child, then do yourself a favor and mark Hanamaru Kindergarten on your list of must-watch anime. If not, then it's most likely that you're just a jealous and selfish second grader who thinks he's too old for it. I don't know about you, but I'm not above beating some sense into a few 7 year olds...
-Marcus Speer
