#so enjoyable

A journalist’s attempt to gauge Princess Anne’s thoughts on the ‘Olympic conclave’ yesterday.

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). In this anime, there’s a rumor that if your 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 two months ago as I type, and the manga is ongoing (and being released in English both digitally and in print).

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, although at the time of writing (May 2020) the last 4 episodes haven’t been dubbed due to interruptions from the pandemic.

Visuals: Holy crap I love them SO MUCH. It’s so visually distinct.

Worth watching? Yes. So much. Yes.

Where to watch (USA, as of May 2020): Hulu (sub), Funimation (sub and dub)