Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun

desudesuanimu

The art style is so lovely and unique! Nene’s design is absolutely adorable and Hanako is one of my favorite characters of all time. He’s funny and mysterious and the two protagonists have this great chemistry. My favorite thing about the series ist the influence of supernatural, Japanese folklore, and mystery that are supported by amazing visuals. The manga is pretty to look at and entertaining as we follow Hanako and Nene to a world of dangerous creatures and mysteries. The anime also adapts the art style pretty well and makes use of darker colors and contrasts. The music and especially, the opening is amazing! ~~~~~~ img220(https://media1.tenor.com/images/f637e7caeca95232b7e06b64a2475def/tenor.gif?itemid=16757363) ~~~~~~ Honestly, I just want to print out all the artworks of the manga and tape my wall with them. The character’s eyes and clothes are drawn so well and I like their colorful hairstyles (Hanako’s hair is just dark but still love him). There’s also quite a lot of comedy in both the manga and the anime and it felt genuine. It didn’t disrupt the scenery and dark vibe but it did make the story a bit more light-hearted and a little less dark and disturbing. As a reader, I wanted to know more about Hanako’s past and what happened to him and while there are a lot of hints the suspense kept me going. I wanted to read and watch more. ~~~~~~ img220(https://media1.tenor.com/images/194b3cbeac946ebe781a4ef2f13e7e6f/tenor.gif?itemid=17369931) ~~~~~~ The premise of Toilet-bound Hanako-Kun wasn’t something completely new but it is fun and presented nicely. The strong suit of this manga lies in its visuals and character design and as for the anime, it was great that they did their best to stick to the original art style. Some of the supportive characters didn’t feel that interesting to me but they were still well done and played their part. In my opinion, sometimes it’s the flat characters that make the other characters stand out more and that’s necessarily bad. The animation is great as well and conveys the atmosphere pretty well. I also liked how they drew the expressions and the background art is reminiscent of the manga. The voice acting is done nicely as well in both English and Japanese and as I mentioned before, the music was really good as well. ~~~~~~ img220(https://media1.tenor.com/images/8739874c66278cad4f677617a4e5099b/tenor.gif?itemid=16498747) ~~~~~~ The series was fun to watch and I’m hoping for the next season! As for the manga, I haven’t quite finished it yet but I love it so far and I recommend checking it out. Especially, if you’re into supernatural stories with funny moments and cute characters. You could say that it also includes some horror elements but I wouldn’t call it scary. Toilet-bound Hanako-Kun doesn't seem to be underrated per se but I still feel like many people don't know about it yet. I think that this may be one of my all-time favorite manga and I’d recommend giving it a chance. Thank you for reading! Patsie

Tiredluny

(Second review ever! I'm getting it now) Toilet-bound Hanako-kun is a fine anime. I don't dislike it, but don't love it either. The manga is really good but both of them suffer from the same thing, lack of depth in it's plot, so if you are here for a complex story this anime is not for you at all. First let's talk about things that I really liked: - fun situations - cool pacing and aesthetic - unique artstyle - well balanced chemistry between Hanako and Yashiro - interesting character dynamics and interactions Synopsis (from wikipedia): Kamome Academy is famous for its rumors regarding its Seven Mysteries and supernatural occurrences. Nene Yashiro, a first-year high-school student who loves the occult and wishes for a boyfriend, summons the Seventh and most famous Mystery, "Hanako-san of the Toilet", a girl who allegedly haunts the bathroom and can grant wishes for the right price. Upon summoning her, Yashiro discovers that "Hanako-san" is nothing like the rumors say; Hanako is a boy. With a turn of events, she is spiritually bound to Hanako and becomes his assistant, helping him destroy evil supernaturals and change rumors in order to maintain the balance between the spirit world and the human world. Now with that said time to beginn Let's admit it, what sold it is the gorgeous colors and artstyle, and they don't disappoint! It's a very unique experience watching it but I'm not going to lie, the animation itself feels static, with some shots that barely move at all. It's an artistic liberty they took and I fully understand that, but I can't help but find it kinda lazy. Aside from that, what I really like about this anime is it's aesthetic, and the art definetly contributes to that with amazing color palletes. All of its elements fit really well the whole mystical japanese legends theme and is overall really immersive. I just wish the plot made a good use of all of these elements and made a genuinely great anime, because it HAD the potential. The problem is that nothing emotional happens, aside from the main characters no side character is well developed (Mitsuba is an exception, and is not even that good). They introduce us interesting characters like Yako, Aoi and that spider dude just to forget about them. None of them are useful to the plot. In the end the story is overused and super cliche despite the solid start. This leads to another point I want to make, Amane doesn't seem threatening enough in this anime. I haven't feel hatred nor wanted to call him a bastard one single time. In the manga on other hand.... I hated him. And that's what makes a good villain. I feel like the anime had this need to make him look like a psycho uwu babey and kinda forgot to make him an evil asshole. If he works as antagonist? Yeah he works, just not that well. Aside from all that I don't have anything to critique. The comedy can be very funny at times and I love the characters. It is a light-hearted and weird universe and I like it. Conclusion, I would recommend this anime to you but I recognize it has it's flaws. Perhaps I'm being too kind because I'm emotionally attached to the manga but I'm trying to remain "professional". If you are interested by the artstyle, sure, go watch it. But if you are expecting a serious anime it isn't the right show for you. Byee~

Aniosophy

img700(https://i.imgur.com/6Cl8hhO.jpg) - __TL;DR: Not a bad anime, just, unfortunately, the only reason you should watch this is for the aesthetic.__ __Intro:__ Guys, I really wanted to like this show more, from the trailers you might expect a rich intriguing mystery surrounding ghost and other supernatural phenomenon (at least I did), but unfortunately, that is not really what you get here. Of course, these are aspects the narrative tries to incorporate, but ultimately it is significantly brought down by an entire cast of characters who stay just as one-note as they begin, and by a plot that is so disorganized as it randomly meanders from one seemingly unconnected side story to the next, that any semblance of an overarching narrative is unfortunately lost in the clutter. I don't feel like this is an anime that necessitates a long review like many of the other series I have reviewed, thus I'm going to try to condense some areas and make this review shorter than usual, so here we go. img500(https://media1.tenor.com/images/18d620d79440d997cd1516715b36dd2b/tenor.gif?itemid=16498760) - __Story:__ The biggest glaring flaws regarding this series are connected to arguably the two largest pieces in any series, the characters and the story, so let's start with the latter one first. The biggest problem to me with the story in this twelve episode anime is that there isn't one, there genuinely is not a single narrative thread that is strongly maintained throughout the entire season. The show starts off with our main character named Yashiro, a first-year high school girl who decides to meet a well-known spirit trapped in the school who goes by the name Hanako-kun (hence the title), because this spirit is known for granting wishes in exchange for an equal price being paid, and after inevitable hijinks play out in the first episode, Yashiro inevitably falls into the debt of Hanako-kun and now must spend the remainder of her time (they literally do not say how long) working off this debt. So, you might think that naturally a straightforward premise like this might be followed by a straightforward narrative where Yashiro spends the rest of her time paying off this debt, and you would be absolutely wrong. This premise is almost immediately thrown so far back on the list of importance that it is never brought up again unless it is convenient to the plot. Instead, the show spends the majority of its time jumping from one side story to another, so much so that you would almost consider this series episodic, except for the random few times characters call back to previous events, reminding you that there is a set order to these otherwise unconnected side stories. It genuinely feels like the narrative of this season couldn't decide if it wanted to focus on a single goal, or be a conglomerate of a bunch of side stories, and instead, it fails at both of these tasks by not committing to either of them. img500(https://i.pinimg.com/originals/bc/c2/8b/bcc28b41112ffe9fd0851c42b6971c1c.gif) - __Characters:__ There is then also the characters, which are infuriating because of how little they progress throughout the entire season. Every main character in this series basically ends in the same place they began, maintaining the exact same personality virtually the entire way through. Of course, there are conflicts during this series that as expected invoke a variety of different reactions within all of our main characters, however, none of these changes last the rest of the season, since these conflicts are almost always immediately resolved in the same episode they arise in. Other than the ones that are intrinsically tied to the premise of this series, there are zero lasting consequences for any of the decisions any of our main characters make. For brief moments you almost think there are, but they are almost immediately undone by later events within the same episodes. In fact, the only thing more infuriating about all of this in regards to the characters, is that throughout the series there are hints that there could be more. Throughout the entire season, the narrative leads you on with little moments hinting that there might be more to these characters, but ultimately nothing comes from it, and that is the critical downfall for these characters in my opinion. img500(https://data.whicdn.com/images/341978157/original.gif) - __The Look & Sound:__ Like I said at the beginning, by far the most enjoyable and interesting part of this anime is its aesthetic. Everything from the thick black lines outlining almost everything, to the cutesy designs for all of the characters, to the bold color palette used to fill in everything on screen, everything about this anime’s aesthetic is extremely appealing to the eyes, and honestly, it is this aesthetic that carried the majority of my interest for this anime while I watched it. I really can't understate how influential the entire look of this anime was in convincing me to finish this series once I already started it. Throughout all of the times I became disinterested in the characters, or the times I became empathetic to the convoluted plot, the beautiful animation and aesthetic present throughout this entire season always kept me coming back for more. There is also the music for this series, and while it is by no means groundbreaking when it comes to the plethora of anime focused on high school, it does significantly enhance the aesthetic this series has the entire way through. While some might consider the music cliche at times, ultimately I felt it did add a nice layer of cuteness and light hardness in all the scenes that warranted it, while also enhancing the few serious or intimate scenes that are within this season, so in this regard, the OST executed it’s job quite nicely. The OP and ED were also nice additions to the soundtrack of this anime, the OP does a great job highlighting the playfulness throughout this entire season, while the ED highlights a slightly more somber note, which is typical in high school anime. To me personally, while the ED was definitely more typical and in some ways cliche considering this is an anime centering around a high school, ultimately I did find it to be the more enjoyable one of the two. img500(https://data.whicdn.com/images/339483425/original.gif) - __Conclusion:__ In the end, while I did quite enjoy the visual and audio aspects of this anime, ultimately its biggest flaws are the aimless narrative and undeveloped characters that are entangled with these aspects. Which is quite disappointing, I promise, like most people who started watching this while it aired, I went into this with pretty high expectations because of the very well put together trailers, however, the series ultimately didn't turn out the way I feel many of us expected it to. I don't necessarily think the plot or characters are so far gone that they cannot be salvage in future seasons, (so who knows, maybe in later seasons this show can become much better), but as of right now this is how I feel. All of this is why I ultimately finding myself giving the series a 75/100, and honestly the only reason that it is not getting a 70/100 is because I truly did really enjoy the aesthetic of this series, but an entire show cannot be carried alone on aesthetic. If you are willing to read the manga afterwards where it theoretically can fix some of these problems, or if you are into it just for the aesthetic, by all means, go right ahead and embark on this journey, but otherwise, I wouldn't particularly recommend watching this series. If you ended up enjoying it great, but as for me this is where it ends, so until the next review, じゃあね👋 img700(https://64.media.tumblr.com/7f957c7737742b007d19f5cd5964ba54/6bcfdb402ea22f54-8c/s500x750/7062c652cf6dd107d86e584ab8b536e36ca81884.gifv)

Kalladry

Look, I get it: _that’s a weird title and does not sound appealing at ALL,_ I thought. But I kept seeing it mentioned as a good series that people were enjoying and so I though, _sure, I will give the potty anime a try._ __Good thing I did!__ Turns out it references a Japanese ghost story, _Hanako-san/Hanako of the toilet_ ([Wikipedia link](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanako-san)). In this anime, there’s a rumor that if you go to a particular bathroom and say her name three times, Hanako-san might appear and grant your wish. When occult-loving Nene does so in hopes of getting her crush to notice her, she discovers that Hanako is a boy! There are some Shenanigans™ and Nene is linked to Hanako. Now she helps him handle supernatural problems that pop up in the school. Look, the only flaw in this series is that it’s only 12 episodes. If a second season isn’t made, I WILL RIOT. There’s reason for hope: this is a 2020 series so it only just wrapped the first season last year as I type, and the manga is ongoing (and being released in English both digitally and in print). I hope that in the next few years, we get news of a second season. The first thing you’ll notice about the anime is how visually stunning it is. It’s a distinct, often rounded style of drawing that makes its high school characters look about 10 years old. But hey, it’s consistent across the board. After character designs, the colors! Bright, warm, rich colors abound. I can’t think of another series I’ve seen that comes close to the gorgeous eyecandy of this one. I also loved how it frequently it overlaid panels, like a manga. Sometimes for comedic effect, sometimes just to show a change in expression. Combine that with the colors–I _swear_ they must’ve added a subtle texture because so often there’s an aspect to the animation colors that looks like it was colored with markers–and it feels like a manga come to life. But beyond the visuals, the story itself is really fun. Hanako is in charge of keeping supernatural things in line at the school, which is positively _bursting_ with spirits, so Nene, as his helper, gets drawn in. Hanako himself is mystery: Kind, dangerous, silly, strict, gentle, all in turn. He’s the leader of school spirits, with a lot of responsibility. He’s also the ghost of a child murderer. He is _extremely_ reluctant to let Nene get close, or to explain his past. I watched the Japanese, so I can say that his voice actress, Megumi Ogata, is _amazing,_ able to portray his different aspects and moods while keeping it all the same person. (If Megumi Ogata’s name is familiar to you, she’s been the voice of a bunch of popular characters including Kurama from Yu Yu Hakusho, Haruka/Sailor Uranus in Sailor Moon and Yukito/Yue in Cardcaptor Sakura.) The story is a good mix of supernatural one- and two-shot adventures, and Nene and eventual third-party member Kou getting closer to Hanako and starting to understand his past, and his personality, better. Overall, I was just immersed in this show like I haven’t been in a long time. It’s so charming, so funny, so much action and adventure. I am _desperate_ for more, and will probably rewatch the entire season pretty soon. ___Verdict___ _English dub?_ Yes _Visuals:_ Holy crap I love them SO MUCH. It’s so visually distinct. _Worth watching?_ Yes. So much. Yes.

Kwaxiiiii

Animation - 9/10 The style of the anime is cartoony and I love that type of art style. With this style, I think the director was trying to give us a happy type of mood but at the same time, it gives me the creepy mood in a good way. It is my first time watching an anime with this type of style. The animation style fits well with the mood of the anime. This animation is something that I’ll probably not forget. Some parts of the animation did go well fluidly but sometimes it got choppy. But I feel it suppose to be like that. It matches well with the mood of the anime. There wasn’t any variation of animation quality it stay the same throw out the series. Some of the background art was drawn pretty realistically. The one that stood out to me the most was this boundary called the Misaki stairs. The characters were drawn by having a thick brown line. It really suites well with the anime. I can tell that Hanako was gonna be a hero because his look is innocent but I know I shouldn’t judge a book by its cover but I did anyway. There were many different character designs in the show that matches well with their personality. If there was a silhouette of them I would recognize Hanako because of his hat. Sound - 7/10 Just a heads up I watched the English Dub. I love Mitsuba’s voice actor, Kyle Igneczi. He was able to portray the emotions of Mitsuba. I like the opening song. It was pretty catchy and it matches up the mood of the show. I don’t watch the ending. I usually skip it. Story - 8/10 They told the story by having each episode talk about a rumor and they try to change that rumor. They are also told by trying to figure out who is Hanako. The story is pretty interesting because it was cool to find out the history of the school. It does have an open ending but I do hope they have another season for it. All in all the story was pretty satisfying. Characters - 10/10 As I like for all characters to have is flaws + strengths. I don’t like characters that only have strengths and not some flaws with them. It doesn’t feel right with me. But for this show, the characters have some flaws and strengths. The characters act pretty realistically. I was able to put myself in their shoes and understand why they are feeling that way. Hanako evolve went he met this character that appears which you will find out yourself. After he met that character he hasn’t been himself. He became quieter and to himself. There were a lot of characters that didn’t evolve but I wish they did such as Nene. I just kind of wish Nene can do something for herself and not always ask Hanako for help. The villain's personality is spectacular. Like I love it so much. Value I believe I will watch this anime a second time because it is pretty funny and I like to laugh. If I had the chance I would buy this anime because this is good and I want to support the director & staff. I’ll probably talk so much about the show to my friends and probably some non-anime fans. I realize that the director, Masaomi Andou, also made my favorite anime, Fairy tail. So me seeing that he made Toilet-bound Hanako-run I knew this anime will be good. I do think people will keep watching in the next 10 years or so because it is good. I enjoy this anime. I like it so much that it is worth rewatching. I might as well read the manga There are of course some things I don’t like such as Nene always expecting Hanako to save her. But I do like Kou wanting to be friends with Mitsuba. That scene was really beautiful. So I give this show 8/10

ItsBoris

~~~img220(https://assets.fanart.tv/fanart/tv/368364/hdtvlogo/toilet-bound-hanako-kun-5e05a4268bdf1.png) ~~~ ___Visuals and Animation Style:___ The animation style is a harmonious blend of charming, cutesy aesthetics and eerily beautiful supernatural elements. Each character is brought to life with intricate details, and the fantastical settings are truly fascinating. The seamless transitions between whimsical moments and spine-chilling encounters enhance the overall visual appeal. ~~~img220(https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/374e309d-713c-4ef2-b941-912bd95a5d52/def72co-6d5fc0d0-93ea-4a59-8eac-93e024640728.png/v1/fill/w_1280,h_1088/__toilet_bound_hanako_kun__render__by_stardustinqs_def72co-fullview.png?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9MTA4OCIsInBhdGgiOiJcL2ZcLzM3NGUzMDlkLTcxM2MtNGVmMi1iOTQxLTkxMmJkOTVhNWQ1MlwvZGVmNzJjby02ZDVmYzBkMC05M2VhLTRhNTktOGVhYy05M2UwMjQ2NDA3MjgucG5nIiwid2lkdGgiOiI8PTEyODAifV1dLCJhdWQiOlsidXJuOnNlcnZpY2U6aW1hZ2Uub3BlcmF0aW9ucyJdfQ.F4zn5hYUtf2bxd8ddWXhh-QwsCE6XHqjTKh4X7r-dic) ~~~ ___Opening Intro:___ [The opening intro](https://soundcloud.com/chocola_neko/no7?utm_source=clipboard&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=social_sharing) is a masterclass in symbolism, blending elements that foreshadow events and highlight the overarching themes of the series, making it an integral part of the storytelling. ~~~ img220(https://pnghq.com/wp-content/uploads/pnghq.com-hanako.png) ~~~ ___Repetitive Episode Structure:___ One notable con of Toilet-bound Hanako-kun is its tendency to fall into a somewhat repetitive episodic structure. Each episode often follows a pattern where Nene encounters a supernatural mystery, she interacts with Hanako-kun and then they try to solve the issue. But i dont think it will make you to lose interest over time. ~~~ img220(https://sweezy-cursors.com/wp-content/uploads/cursor/hanako-kun-hanako-animated/hanako-kun-hanako-animated-custom-cursor.gif) ~~~ ___Comedy and Mystery Fusion:___ The anime blends together comedy and mysterious plotlines. The balance between the two genres that makes the show truly captivating, allowing us to engage with the characters on multiple levels. ~~~ img220(https://cdn.custom-cursor.com/packs/4165/hanako-kun-yako-and-fox-form-cursor-pack.png) ~~~ ___Japanese Folklore:___ The show's integration of Japanese folklore is a captivating aspect, with each arc drawing inspiration from various urban legends. The incorporation of supernatural beings like yōkai and tsukumogami (they are called mysteries in the series) adds depth to the narrative, as a fan of any kind of mythology and stories I truly value the incorporation of urban Japanese legends into the show; it adds a captivating and unique cultural dimension to the storytelling. ~~~ img220(https://64.media.tumblr.com/00eebd7a92b49973f631a0fa839946a7/dd03183a174bd369-63/s2048x3072/16be39ea3658ffb19cc4b346b979e1a3946c4c77.jpg) ~~~ ___Rating:___ _Toilet-bound Hanako-kun_ is an enchanting anime that manages to captivate its audience with its bewitching visuals and intriguing premise. However, it's worth noting that the anime's short duration compared to the manga leaves the story feeling somewhat incomplete and the plot does not go anywhere significant. In conclusion, for its animation, cute characters, and emotional story, objectively, I would rate the show an 8 out of 10 (but due to its special place in my heart, I gave it a 9 on AniList.) ~~~ img220(https://media.tenor.com/eZIUxlJfla0AAAAC/its-a-bit-sexy-jshk.gif) ~~~ PS: I forgot to mention that despite its cute and childish art style and main characters being children, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun includes sexual jokes and themes that make it unsuitable for younger kids. The anime is intended for a more older audience. (13+)

bizor

TOILET BOUND HANAKO-KUN is an expensive picture drama (hereafter referred to as "Hanako-kun") The very first episode of Hanako-kun made me instantly aware that I was not going to have a great time when its animation reminded me a lot of the 1 1/2 episodes of another show I watched, Hakumei and Mikochi. I tried watching that show back in 2018 shortly after it finished airing and while it had quite a lot of beautifully illustrated frames, everything connecting those frames was a grating experience. I have since confirmed that both shows were helmed by studio Lerche and directed by one Masaomi Andou so I felt confident in my first impression. To not be completely negative right off, I do like some parts of Hanako-kun. I like the bright contrasting colors and cutesy character designs with bold outlines, which feel rare in modern anime. I like stories about characters of wildly different persuasion and experience developing camaraderie and trust with each other. I have no issue watching cute characters experiencing emotional distress. And of course I always appreciate Megumi Ogata when she shows up for voice work. Character writing is a major priority for me in fiction of any sort. If I like even one major character I will tolerate just about any production shortcomings or writing nonsense to get to hang out with them. The characters in Hanako-kun are, fine. They're cute. I don't feel very strongly about them. I like the moments where the writing threatens to make Hanako a morally complex character. I wish Nene got to have more narrative agency as she's mostly just pulled along for the ride. It's all fairly inoffensive stuff. Partway through an early episode of Hanako-kun I decided to pop open the first manga volume and find where it was adapting. This was not very hard as I found the panel that looks identicle in composition to the frame I was paused at. I rewatched the scene and was shocked to realize that the whole anime was storyboarded directly out of the manga. Every panel is simplified, colorized, and then gently rigged to suggest a continuity of action between them. I enjoyed the few chapters of the manga I read and while I do think the visual design of the anime is nice, it doesn't hold a candle to the delicate and lacy linework in the manga. The anime character designs feel almost rubbery in contrast. The manga has all the same gags and developments but paced and prioritized in a way that feels organic and snappy. I could easily read a couple volumes in a sitting and have at least a decent time. Because of its stationery nature, manga artists have many tools to approximate the experience of a continuity of action with panel size, page layout, abstract visual indicators like smears and action lines. Normally when adapting printed comic media to animation these are replaced or reworked with animation techniques, like, animating the clearly implied action. This is not what Hanako-kun does. It straight up recreates the manga techniques because it is just remaking the panels without regard for their intended meaning. Sure, plenty of anime comedy and parody stuff will do this When It's Funny, the problem is that it is being done for every single shot and in place of properly animating Anything. The way I understand adaptation is also how I feel about translation. To transmute a story from one form factor to another requires a lot of creative decisions. There is no machine process to create a definitive adaptation. Faithfulness is ultimately a value judgement on the part of the transmuter. You can decide to "directly" translate the literal lines and words on a page and probably end up with something clunky and unnatural, or you can decide that being faithful means seeking to evoke the same feelings of the original with all the tools and techniques that the new language, or medium, enables. There are a lot of decisions that needed to be made so that Hanako-kun could exist as an anime and the majority of them were dictated by a misguided textual faithfulness and the confines of a low slack tv animation production pipeline. All art has to compromise to exist, commercial art even more so. I have no issue with an animation production using stylized shortcuts to bring down the labor needed to get it finished. I love a lot of the visual effects and abstraction that many studio SHAFT productions utilize to make something that looks impressive but doesn't require a ton of intricate bespoke animation. I love how in classic Anno Gainax productions they play around with the physical medium, KareKano inserts manga pages to craft scenes that feels especially silly and manic. Animation is illusion, and I am always seeking out a well rendered illusion. The issue I take with Hanako-kun is that the entire work is all shortcuts, all compromise. If anything the impressive visual design only further condemns the animation, it would be financially Impossible in the modern tv anime industry to properly animate something that looks like this. It exists in the form that it does out of necessity and misplaced priority. But as much as the production of the anime holds back its story, it's not really a story that would engage me for very long. I see through its overplayed kids media formula and recognize that Hanako-kun is foremost a muted gag comedy that crams in slivers of mystery, action, drama, romance, and what passes for "shock value" in a kids show and it ultimately does not have the space to do any of these aspects well. There is of course no crime in a kids' show being made to appeal to kids. As an adult, I've watched and greatly enjoyed many animated shows for 11 year olds. I accept their limitations, but I know they can be quite a bit better than this and that children deserve better art.