Hanasaku Iroha – 25

Episode 25 –

And with this episode, most of the drama surrounding the closing of Kissuiso is brought to a close. It looks like Kissuiso will not be closing (though it hasn’t been 100% confirmed), and now that the final major hurdle is over and done with, all that’s left is to wrap up all the character relationships and such. That being said, this episode was quite good with a strong sense of growth for the main cast, where everybody eventually cast aside their worries and worked together as a huge team. The charm in the cast has always been how they’ve meshed together well, and produce a fun dynamic amongst the group. All the drama about the closing had almost killed that atmosphere, but luckily it turned out well after Takako slapped some sense into Enishi.

That being said, I found a few aspects to this episode fascinating. One thing that Tohru points out here is how much Ohana had changed in comparison to her early days at Kissuiso, where before she was much more unpredictable and rash. Her much more uncertain, reserved attitude is quite different from before, and is reflective of how much she has matured over her time at Kissuiso. She thinks things through much more thoroughly, and has grown attached to her new lifestyle.

Similar things can be said of Minko and Nako, where they too have undergone significant change since the beginning of the series. Nako has grown much more confident in herself, and ismore assertive than her previously shy persona. Minko has grown to care for Ohana, as reinforced her strong will towards her dream of being a chef though Tohru. Even the manager, Sui, has changed quite a bit since the beginning. She is becoming much more aware of how diverse her staff at Kissuiso is, as well as their motivations and determination.

You could really feel all this character development coming together this episode, resulting in one of the most lively days at Kissuiso I’ve seen out of this entire series. The halls are brimming with parents and laughing children, guests who enjoy their well-crafted meals, and a dedicated staff earnestly working their very best. I personally found the scenes where everyone was working together quite satisfying.

That being said, while this was an excellent episode to showcase everything this series has been about up until this point, it still felt a bit too convenient. We got Sui and Satsuki randomly joining in to help out, and it conveniently helped everything run smoothly. Ignoring that, this penultimate episode showcased the fruits of all the joys and difficulties the members of Kissuiso endured through, and the character development from all of that. The finale next week will probably finish wrapping up the character relationships themselves, now that all the drama is out of the way.

Overall Enjoyment: 4.0/5

Screenshots are later in the post.

P.S. Seeing Satsuki, Sui, and Ohana working together is really nice to see. Considering the rather complicated family situation for the Shijimas, and how it’s been an enduring issue in this series, this scene is great to see.