The final episode of Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun was filled with lots of Hnako x Yashiro moments and that is the only reason why this episode is worth watching.
This episode didn’t feel like a climax or the season finale. It was just like an ordinary episode and it feels like nothing is concluded in this final episode and there are so many loose ends. Even the most significant things have not been sorted out which include the complete understanding of Yashiro regarding Hanako and there are still so many secrets between them. The arc shown at the end of this series is actually at the beginning of the manga and that is why it wasn’t much excitement for a final episode.
There was nothing important in this episode. A fish comes to Yashiro and informs her that she is a princess and asks her to go with them as she deserves to be on the throne, as there is still some link between her and the mermaid. The fish has some problems with Hanako as well as for them he is a devious guy and does not like her.
She keeps asking everyone around her for the advice and unexpectedly most of the people suggest her to agree but she is the one who will make the final decision. Despite this suggestion and Tsuchigomori’s reply, she was hesitant and did not feel the right to agree to do it. She was forced by the fish but quickly saved by Hanako. Yashiro was reluctantly ready to do it because she thought that after transforming into an apparition, she would be able to get closer to Hanako. Yashiro should have known about Tsukasa and Hanako relation and he was killed by him as we already know it, so this was quite a bizarre moment. The pinky promise between Yashiro and Hanako was very cute. Their scenes together were the best moments of this episode and it is indeed the most beautiful thing in this show. Everything about them is very cute like hugging, hair brushing.
The episode reached its climax very soon where Tsukasa is becoming more troublesome and Kou prepares to bring back Mitsuba. One more thing that was a little strange was who Teru was looking at his brother which was a caring gaze as I thought that he was not considerate towards apparitions. Something felt incomplete at this moment again. Once again Yahiro and Hanako meet while Yashiro holds Hanako’s hand and they both smile at each other which shows the development in their relationship throughout the series. As it was a pure friendship instead of scaring or teasing. I hope this relation will it will develop more.
Although I like this and find it very interesting for some obvious reasons but out of 10 I would not rate it more than 7 for many other reasons. The final episode is one of those many reasons and it is something that is noticeable since the beginning of this anime. There are some loopholes. It’s not the plot or the story but it can only be seen in the anime as they didn’t show all arcs in the same sequence which becomes a hindrance in the development of the plot the way it should have ad also disrupts the way characters changed throughout the series.
For example, Kou should have had arc dedicated to him, highlighting his character with his brother but the anime missed that. It could have explained a lot about Kou’s character like why he felt outcast for such a long time or not very intriguing until the end. So many interesting things happened in the middle of the show but still, it doesn’t seem to have make any big progress in the plot. The moved ahead a bit and then took a few steps back which is the reason why this show also felt too slow. The plot of the series is very interesting and there were things that made me excited and I was eager to know more about it and the characters are equally interesting but still, it feels a little off. Hanako is the main focus of the show as his personality is not just funny but very charming as well. He seems like a character who likes to tease others but has some secrets and a side of him which he keeps hidden beneath the surface. He is hilarious and his chemistry with Yashiro is loveable. Yashiro, on the other hand, did not seem to be an impressive character in the beginning but as the anime progressed, I began to like her. She is a nice girl with a kind heart but sometimes acts silly. But it’s not just Yashiro who seems a little dumb but almost all characters of the series.
Comedy is the other part that wasn’t done right in the series. The funny jokes seem only good when they actually make you laugh but if it becomes an obstacle in the pacing of the story and becomes repetitive then it becomes annoying. There were times in the show when I actually laughed but most of the time the jokes were repetitive or were forced in an arc where it was not needed. There were some ‘funny things’ which were actually annoying like Yashiro having fat legs and ignored. And it kept repeating in the show which became even more irritating and unbearable.
The show seemed to follow the same formula in almost every episode where Yashiro gets in trouble somehow, she is either abducted or in some kind of danger and then eventually Hanako rescues her and everything turns out to be okay. This also makes Yashiro so much dependent on Hanako that cause hindrance in the development of her character. Her character is lovable but she should have been shown tackling things herself. There were moments where she got to shine but most of the time, she was helped by Hanako to get out of the trouble. But that were also those cute moments between Yashiro and Hanako… still, there were many other ways that It could have been done.
The animation of this series was very different and not in a bad way. The visuals were very eye-catching. But there were some flaws in the animation that became more noticeable later in the series and some lacking were very clear. Although animation is not that bothers me much. Both the opening and ending themes were amazing and amusing. The character design was very compelling especially everything about Hanako is amazing. The show became more interesting when it started to reveal a few things about Hanako/Amane. I am still eager to know more about that. The show seems very interesting and captivating with a tone like that, a little serious.
Like I’ve mentioned earlier I liked the show but for the reasons I mentioned above, I cannot rate it more than 7 out of 10. I would love to watch season 2 if they continue it and I’m planning to read the manga. Even after so many flaws, I would still recommend it as it is a very entertaining show with its interesting characters, mysterious plot, beautiful visuals, fascinating setting and of course the Hanako x Yashiro ship. I would love to see more and see how it will end.
