Shingster

Please note this review is intended to be read by those that have finished watching Konohana Kitan and while care has been taken to minimise spoilers there may still be spoilers within character analysis. You have been warned. Based off a well-known manga of the same name Konohana Kitan gives us the opportunity to see what the life and duties of a team of fox girls would be if they decided to operate a traditional hot spring inn in an setting reminiscent of ancient Japan that’s mixed with a fantasy world The first episode of the series really did an excellent job of introducingme to a world where all sorts of races exist and live alongside each other and left a pretty good impression on me enough that I decided to stick with it and im glad that I did. Taking place in a fantasy world that combines the traditional culture of ancient Japan with the fantasy world is a world that is populated by all sorts of races and creatures each of which has their own cultures and mannerisms. Here humans are but one race that exists in harmony with many other races that live in the world. The overall story follows the adventures of Yuzu a young fox girl that until now has been living with her master and guardian on the outskirts of the city and follows her exploits as she joins the staff of the Konohantei a large and popular hot spring inn that serves as the city’s main flagship hotel that has a well-earned reputation of being able to provide its guests with attentive service and solutions for problems that bother them. As Yuzu joins the inn’s staff to work as an attendant she will be joining a number of interesting characters that include the workaholic and serious-minded Satsuki, the elegant and refined Ren, the tomboyish but considerate Natsume, the quiet but helpful Sakura and the relaxed but intelligent head attendant Kiri. Working together with such a colourful cast and at such a relaxing hotel Yuzu would soon learn that providing rooms and helping with the needs of the hotel’s guests is only half of their duties and a true attendant also works to ensure that any problems that they are bothered with are dealt with and ensure that they can enjoy their time here to the fullest. Yuzu Yuzu voiced by new seiyuu Yuuko Oono is one of the main characters of the series and is the main protagonist of the series. A fox girl that had until the start of the series had lived her whole life with her master Yuzu is an innocent, eager and polite young girl that’s also positive and cheerful. In the beginning of the series Yuzu was a happy and go lucky girl that while a bit naïve made up for it by being eager to help others in their duties. Though an energetic girl she was also clumsy and in the beginning caused no small amount of trouble for her co-workers but instead of letting that affect her Yuzu did what she proves to be able to do the best which is bounce back. While dismayed at first that her master will be leaving her to work at such a strange place Yuzu as the series goes on comes to understand the reasons behind her master’s decision and comes to love working at the inn. While having no real skills in the beginning Yuzu in an effort to not bother others shows one of her more prominent traits which is that of her diligence as she works hard to both support her fellow attendants and learn how to improve her skills so as not to slow them down. This willingness to learn new skills to help her friends so as to not affect their duties is one of the traits that truly define her. As the series goes on and as Yuzu comes to understand the roles of an attendant more it can be seen that Yuzu starts to develop a fondness for working at the inn. This is because it allows her to not just work to improve her skills but also in allowing her to meet many new characters and situations that she can learn from and thus give her a purpose. Though surprised at first that being an attendant also involves listening to the problems that the guests are troubled with as the series goes on it can be seen that Yuzu is a very kind and caring person by nature that cares a great deal about the guests and their circumstances and she will try her utmost to understand the problems that they are burdened with. While respectful towards the guests and knowing that sometimes it can be hard for them to say what troubles them to strangers Yuzu would often go to great lengths to try and understand and figure out the problems which often results in the guests eventually letting up and tell her. While knowing the limits of her knowledge Yuzu nonetheless tries her best to offer her insights into the problems that were expressed and come up with a solution that is often a surprisingly well thought one. The character of Yuzu I felt was an interesting and well-designed one that had some pretty good development as the series went on. Seeing her develop from the naive, eager and clumsy young fox girl into a kind, caring and considerate young fox girl that was as adept at work as she was at listening to and understanding guest’s problems I felt was one of the best things about her character. I felt that her seiyuu Yuuko Oono really did an impressive job at voicing the character of Yuzu. Sakura Sakura voiced by veteran seiyuu Ai Kakuma of Brave Witches and Asterisk Wars fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Yuzu’s fellow attendants at the Konohanatei hot spring inn. A quiet, innocent and carefree member of the attendant staff Sakura despite being the youngest of the inn’s staff is a veteran attendant that has been working at the inn for some time. While polite and helpful towards both guests and fellow attendants it can be seen that Sakura is someone that is slow to trust others and seems wary of outsiders that enter into the close family that is the inn’s staff of attendants. However, as the series progresses it can be seen that Sakura once she has determined that the new member was someone that was trustworthy would gradually open up her personality to them and eagerly try to bond with them. While a quiet girl Sakura has been shown to be very loyal to her fellow attendants and friends and while she doesn’t speak much she will let her actions speak for herself. As it is I felt that the character of Sakura was an interesting character that emphases on the quiet but cautious member of the inn’s attendants, but I felt that she would have been better if she had more voice lines for her seiyuu. Still, I feel that wordless interactions with the others certainly had its moments that were appreciated such as her hostile relationship with Okiku. Satsuki Satsuki voiced by new seiyuu Sawako Hata is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Yuzu’s fellow attendants at the Konohanatei hot springs inn. A serious-minded, dutiful and hard-working member of the inn’s attendant staff Satsuki is a veteran member of the attendant staff and well versed in dealing with the types of guests that stay at the inn. While hardworking and dutiful and trusted greatly by the other members of the team in the beginning of the series it can be seen that Satsuki’s, attitude was rather aloof and quiet and seemed to be wary of working as a team with others. Moreover, her serious-minded and workaholic nature also meant that she often clashed with the more laid-back members of the team such as Kiri and Natsume. Despite this Satsuki’s experience of dealing with guests and ability to react to sudden situations is something that is valued greatly by the rest of the team and it can be seen that when she’s directing others to their duties that she imparts a sense of purpose and order to them when doing so. As the series goes on and as we see her interact more with the cast and with Yuzu, in particular, it can be seen that she is burdened with a great deal of responsibility that has the effect of driving her to do her best in her work. In the beginning of the series, Satsuki was someone that treated her work as an attendant with the utmost importance pursuing it relentlessly and never taking any time off for herself even for festivals. As a result of this Satsuki when she had time off was someone that looked somewhat lost when she had nothing to do which I felt was kinda sad considering her age. The main cause of this was her desire to show her sister that took her dream role from her that even in another role she can still do an excellent job. A direct consequence of this desire, however, is the pressure that she imparts on herself as she is afraid of making mistakes and cause troubles to others. As the series goes on and after meeting Yuzu and interacting with her Satsuki’s personality starts to gradually change. While she still remains hardworking and serious it can be seen that she’s also willing to interact more with the rest of the team on a more personal level and no longer keeps a distance from the others. In particular Satsuki gradually learns to rely on the other members of the team and place her trust in them rather than try to do everything on her own. The character of Satsuki I felt was an interesting character and one that was both well designed and saw a great deal of development as the series went on. In particular, I really liked the interaction that Satsuki actually had with Yuzu and the changes that she caused to develop in Satsuki’s personality. All in all, I felt that her seiyuu Sawako Hata really did an excellent job of portraying the character of Satsuki. Ren Ren voiced by new seiyuu Risa Kubota in her first role as a seiyuu is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Yuzu’s fellow attendants at the inn. An elegant, kind and understanding person Ren like Satsuki is a veteran member of the attendant’s team. Outwardly Ren is a positive, hardworking and the very image of someone that’s both self-confident in her skills as an attendant as she is in her physical appearance. As a result of this self-confident nature of hers Ren is someone that has great pride in her abilities and skills as a host and in the beginning her attitude can often be seen as arrogant and haughty as she takes everything seriously. However, beneath this surface personality, it can be seen that Ren is actually a very fair person and doesn’t like to be in debt to others or let them take the blame for her mistakes. While kind and positive it can be seen that Ren also has a cynical side to her as well best seen in her first interactions with Yuzu. This side of her however gradually disappears as the series goes on as a result of her deepening friendship with her. A prominent trait of Ren that I find interesting is her ability to switch from one expression to another quite literally a trait that not even Satsuki is able to accomplish. This I feel is an indication of both Ren’s skill as an attendant as well as her personality which is adaptive of different situations. As the series progresses and more of Ren’s personality is revealed it can be seen that Ren is someone whose inner personality somewhat contrasts with her outer personality. Outwardly Ren is someone that takes great pride in her physical appearance and believes that it’s the duty of all girls to look pretty and presentable to others. However, within her inner personality it can be seen that this holds a far greater meaning within her as inwardly Ren believes that if she wasn’t dressed up she wouldn’t be able to display the confident and efficient self that she shows to others meaning that in a way it’s her pride and dressing up nicely that actually makes her the person that she is to others. An interesting aspect of Ren is her close relationship with her fellow attendant and childhood friend Natsume. Although they are co-workers and have been working together enough in that they know each other’s habits as well as weaknesses it can be seen that their relationship goes beyond that of simple friends as Ren seems to be extremely conscious of her performance and mannerisms when in front of her. The interactions between these two I felt though were actually really cute especially when Ren is remarked by Natsume to be cute as Ren is someone that wants to be seen as classy and efficient rather than being cute. Overall, I felt that the character of Ren was a well designed and developed one that while haughty and proud on the outside is also unexpectedly nice and forgiving in the inside a contrast that I felt suits her nicely. For her first performance as a seiyuu, I felt that Risa Kubota really did an excellent job in her portrayal of Ren. Kiri Kiri voiced by veteran seiyuu Manami Namakura of Aoki Hagane no arpeggio and Unlimited Fafnir fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Yuzu’s fellow attendants at the inn. A calm, composed and elegant fox girl Kiri serves as the inn’s head attendant and as a result is the commander of the team of attendants that work at the inn. While Kiri can appear to be a rather laid-back person it can be seen however that Kiri is a perceptive and understanding person that as a result of her extensive experience is someone that’s kind and understanding and able to offer a great deal of advice and opinions to her subordinates and guests and as a result is well respected by both. Though the duties of a head attendant are a busy one it can be seen that Kiri is someone that trusts each of the girls massively and is willing to let them try and solve problems that guests may be burdened with but at the same time willing to protect them if things turn out sideways. While Kiri’s assignment of attendants may appear random at times it can be seen that this choice is actually based on her analysis and understanding of each of the skills of her team as well as their personalities and thus allowing her to deal with any flare-ups that happen quite easily. While Kiri’s personality may appear to be teasing at times it can be seen that she’s always ready to help and motivate people if they seem to be stuck at an impasse showing her helpful nature. The character of Kiri I felt was an interesting character in that while she appears to be a laid-back person that lets her subordinates handle the bulk of the work the fact that beneath that image of her is actually someone that is perceptive, kind and understanding of both guests and her subordinates and is actually someone that cares a great deal about her charges and willing to protect them was a nice surprise. Her observations on the guest’s problems as well as her tendency to let her charges think of a way to solve them so as to allow them to learn I thought was admirable and something that all bosses should aspire to be. I felt that her seiyuu Manami Namakura really did an excellent job at voicing her. Natsume Natsume voiced by veteran seiyuu Ayaka Suwa of Asterisk Wars and Phantasy Star Online 2 fame is one of the main characters of the series and is one of Yuzu’s fellow attendants at the inn. A positive, helpful and mischievous fox girl that like Ren and Satsuki are veteran members of the attendant staff. On the surface, Natsume is a positive and cheerful person that loves to pull jokes on people and help set the mood in situations that turn out to be grim. However, beneath this side of her it can be seen that Natsume is also someone that is diligent and skilled at her duties and cares a great deal about the welfare of the guests as well as her fellow attendants and would work hard to protect her fellow attendants and friends from harm. While Natsume’s default personality may appear to be a careless one it can be seen that she too has a serious side to her personality as when she becomes serious she can be surprisingly perceptive and understanding of the reasons that people may be down for. In this side, she’s shown to be surprisingly loyal and protective of her friends as well. On the surface, while Natsume is often paired with Ren in their duties as attendants of the inn it can be seen that their relationship is far closer than that of normal friends and co-workers. As the series goes on and their past gets revealed it can be seen that the two were in fact childhood friends that had bonded with each other due to a rather unusual circumstance in Ren’s past. As a result, it can be seen that Natsume views Ren as someone that is very important to her and treasures the relationship that they have between them strongly enough in that she will be there to protect her when she needs it. This relationship between the two forged over a simple promise to prevent Ren from going into despair I felt was interesting as it allowed us to see the depths of the bond that exists between the two characters. The Character of Natsume I felt was a well designed and developed one whose role in the series while focusing on comic relief and bringing fun to serious situations also served as the glue that bound the cast together. I felt that her seiyuu Ayaka Suwa really did an excellent job at voicing the character of Natsume. AMV Animation wise I felt that the inn and the town areas that the cast visit in the series was very well designed and did an excellent job of combing the scenery of ancient Japan and the new shared culture that exists in this world. The design for each of the races that were featured in the series I felt was also pretty good and varied enough to ensure that each being will be interesting as you see them. The individual character designs for each of the main cast I felt was well designed and matched well with each of their personalities. The music for the series I felt was one of the strong points of the series as it helped convey the overall mood of not just the series but also of the individual episodes and their stories as well. In particular, I really liked the opening and ending themes that the series made use of as it was not only catchy but also calming and cute as well with the latter being applied best to the ending theme. The voice acting for the series I felt was one of the series main strong points as I felt that each member of the cast was able to do an excellent job in portraying their characters. In particular, I felt that Yuuko Oono, Sawako Hata and Risa Kubota who portrayed the characters of Yuzu, Satsuki and Ren respectively deserve particular praise as I felt that despite being new seiyuu’s they still did a fantastic job in portraying their assigned characters. Overall conclusion In overall Konohana Kitan was an anime that I really enjoyed watching and had among its strong points an interesting premise, an excellent story that conveyed a lot of interesting life lessons, an interesting and well-developed cast of characters and excellent voice acting and music. The premise for the series itself is a basic one that is often seen in slice of life animes that Konohana Kitan belongs to but this simple premise I felt was what enabled the premise to be one of its greatest strengths of the series. Hot spring inns are one of the staples of the Japanese tourism industry and choosing to form a story around the work of the attendants at the inn as they work to not just manage the inn but also take care of the guests that stay at the inn and make use of the services was an interesting idea. The overall story that makes use of this interesting premise I felt was a strong one as not only did it show the casts development as they worked alongside and bonded with each other but also show how they worked to understand and solve the problems that bother the guests. This theme of not just taking care of the guests physically but also working to solve the problems that are bothering the guests mentally I felt was interesting and resonated well with the premise of attendants taking care of their guests. Each of the problems that were featured as part of the story I felt was well done and thought out that really imparted a number of interesting life lessons both to Yuzu and the cast and to us as the viewers. The fact that these problems incorporated a great deal of themes that were paired with each of the unique circumstances of the guests themselves I felt was an excellent move. In overall Konohana Kitan was an anime that I really enjoyed as it had an interesting premise and story that featured plenty of well thought out and developed sub-stories that served to make each of the guests that the cast welcomed a unique existence. Of these the cursed doll Okiku, the spirit of the daughter and the weaver were one of my favourites. The character development for the series as well as the development of the gradual bond of friendship that forms between the cast as they encounter, solve and learn from each of these problems was something I particularly liked as well. As a final score, I would say that Konohana Kitan would deserve a final score of 10/10.

Stark700

A beautiful village of spirits. A joyful weather. And a mysterious feeling of tranquility. It’s not every day you get to see a group of mythical girls hanging out together and enjoying life. Konohana Kitan is a show that’s simple as it gets – cute girls doing cute things with a touch of fantasy. This anime is a heartwarming show that knows how to put all the ingredients to craft a charming slice of life. For me, Konohana Kitan is a gem that really shined without complexity. Bringing together a cast of characters into this show feels like the creator needed to inject personality. I mean,lots and lots of personality. The initial first episodes portrays the innocent fox Yuzu as she arrives at Konohanaeti. The first impressions she brings in is questionable as Yuzu really demonstrates what it means to be a klutz. She is clumsy, inexperienced, and doesn’t know her place well. However, Yuzu is a very friendly girl that can get along with everyone and through her personality, she improves and has an innate charm that other characters begin to appreciate. It didn’t take me long to accept Yuzu as a likable character because the way she bonds with others. Indeed, relationship dynamics is an important part of this show and it really knows how to sell those points. Yuzu’s relationship with Satsuki is one of those relationships that really tests herself. In the beginning, their relationship starts rocky because let’s face it, their characters really are almost like foils of each other. Yuzu is friendly and respectful while Satsuki has a much more serious personality. Not to mention, Satsuki is a very hardworking character and doesn’t tolerate mistakes often. One might describe her as a workaholic although it’s clear that she cares about her friends/co-workers. Throughout the show, she begins to warm up to Yuzu and it’s obvious that she cares about her. Yuzu’s personality also has influence on her as Satsuki begins to enjoy the love of working, rather than just work towards her dream. Beyond Satsuki, Yuzu also brings the best out of other characters too through character relationships. Yuzu is able to impress Natsume and the both of them strives to work harder to make Konohanaeti into a better place. She and Sakura also shares a peculiar relationship because of their size although the both of them really begin to respect each other as time goes on. On the other hand, there’s Natsume and Ren, two characters that’s more like a ship-tease pair compared to the other cast. Through their interactions, it’s obvious that Ren harbors a crush on Natsume even though the show doesn’t fully explore it. Although this show isn’t a yuri that capitalizes on female romance, it can easily get fans to fantasize on this pair. That being said, the core characters in this show contains a lot of personality. Whether it’s Yuzu’s friendly attitude, Natsume’s tomboyish tendencies, Satsuki’s rigidness, or Ren’s strive to be perfect, the show can easily get you into the mood just with its colorful characters Despite the story being simple, it has a mysterious aura that almost feels like a bit of suspense. What exactly is Konohanaeti? Why do some characters come there? What is its true purpose? Where this is even located? Throughout the show, it has a certain mystique that I can’t help but wonder. While almost every episode is an adventurous sitcom, there’s definitely more than meets the eye about the world setting. Plus, we do get hear stories about the past that influences the future from certain characters. There’s also one particular episode that really capitalizes the opportunity for world building. It’s one of those episodes that draws the line between fiction and reality. Additionally, this anime is great at evoking certain emotions. These can bring a smile to the viewers’ face or more poignant moments for emotional storytelling. The comedy is also sold well on most parts through the relationship teasing and even occasional fan service. Adapted by studio Lerche, Konohana Kitan is a colorful show and I mean that as one that transcends its setting than beyond just an inn for characters to visit. The places has a youthful theme and brings in all types of characters including ones with relations to mythology. The animalistic characteristics of the cast is also noticeable such as Yuzu’s ears and Satsuki’s tail. There’s even a doll girl introduced in this anime to add a bit of innocent feel. Fan service exists and it’s often portrayed as a way of character teasing that’s hard to ignore. The theme songs are melancholic with a colorful vibe and decorated with creativity. That being said, I also feel like the character cast does a great job at portraying their characters. I mentioned before that the show has a lot of personalities. To bring that to life, it requires skill of the VA and thankfully, they pull it off in a masterful fashion. Yuzu’s innocence is portrayed convincingly thanks to the talent of newcomer Yuuko Oono. Sawako Hata’ talent is also worth mentioning for bring a character like Satsuki to life. It’s not easy to adapt a character with a serious voice but she pulls it off with flying colors through her words. Kiri, perhaps the most mature character of the cast is also well adapted thanks to the modern talent of Manami Numakura. Throughout the show, every episode also maintains a balanced OST with touches of melancholy. Konohana Kitan is an underrated show that proves slice of life doesn’t always need to rely on a modern setting. It doesn’t have to involve characters living the school life. Instead, this anime stands out on its own with its credible genres. The way every character is adapted really brings the best out of each other. It has a story that is simple enough to get viewers invested into its idea. I can honestly recommend this show to just about anyone. To put it simply, Konohana Kitan is an enchanting show that’s a love letter to slice of life.