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[Categories: OAVs, Movies and Full Series]

Hidamari Sketch season 1: iyashicomedy

Posted by Martin  [Tags: Akayuki Shinbo, Hidamari Sketch, iyashikei]

It’s been a healthy period of catch-up for me in getting through the first season of Hidamari Sketch in the last few weeks. It’s one of those shows I like to dip into frequently rather than marathon several episodes in one go; I found myself sitting down last thing in the evening to watch an episode in the same way that I did with Aria (which I will post about soonish, promise). As a matter of fact there are a few similarities between the two, mostly in regards to the iyashikei side of things. There are a few parallels with Lucky Star too I suppose, but while it’s easy to draw comparisons I’m reluctant to rely too heavily on this approach when trying to convey how much Hidamari Sketch rules in its own quirky, offbeat way.

May I present to you Exhibit A: Yoshinoya-sensei, the coolest teacher this side of GTO

The main reason why I didn’t cotton on to HS for so long is that I was put off by the superficial impression that it’s yet another saccharine load of moe rubbish (in other words, don’t take the appearance of the above pic out of context). What interests me here is that the original 4-koma manga was published in Manga Time Kirara Carat, a seinen magazine: this puts the likes of me squarely in the target demographic but it could alternatively be pandering to the fanboys. There is the issue of whether the series has more going for it than a bunch of saucer-eyed moeblobs who serve as mere otakubait, as opposed to being genuinely worthy of praise as a show with substance; maybe it’s just me but I really think it does because this is a delightful piece of easygoing entertainment that I’ve had to invent another loanword for: iyashicomedy.

The premise of HS is simply that of four girls at art college but in all honesty the premise is often irrelevant anyway. The pervading theme of creating art is more often than not an excuse for Shaft to go all-out in doing what they love to do; I didn’t realise it was directed by Akayuki Shinbo until three or four episodes in, after which point I was seeing Shinbo-isms left, right and centre. The enthusiasm that Yuno and her friends have for art, which must be shared by the production staff if they’re making a living in the animation industry, forms a perfect excuse for Shinbo and Shaft to demonstrate their penchant for quirky visual effects.

Shinbo has an obsession with textures, filters and geometry which sometimes makes the characters take second place to the kaleidoscopic colours, shapes and patterns. I found these effects noticable but not offputting, which is something that surprises me every time with Shinbo’s stuff because his style is every bit as distinctive as the likes of Anno, Yuasa and Oshii and acquires a bit of flak for that. A shame really because this very oddness is what gives it individuality, and shows a creative team who are being, well, creative.

Given that Le Portrait de Petit Cosette was dark and Sayonara Zetsubo Sensei was darkly comedic I was pleasantly surprised at how he pulled off straightforward light, fluffy comedy. I describe Hidamari Sketch as a comedy reluctantly because it’s as relaxing to watch as it is funny, which is why I wound up with the iyashicomedy description for it. This is where the Lucky Star comparisons begin to creep in - in order to get those out the way I will concede that both have a mundane premise, stylised and simple animation, a general lack of strong storyline and a high school/college setting. I guess that if you dislike one you probably won’t like the other much either but while I enjoyed both equally in different ways I was able to warm to Hidamari Sketch faster.

Um, yeah, like I said there aren’t many similarities to LS at all…

I think the reason for this is that, despite the Shinbo-isms HS is a relaxing show that lacks Lucky Star’s zaniness and surreal nature - its atmosphere is quite a lot like Aria in that it feels undemanding and utterly harmless. Everything happens at a sedate pace, each episode being literally a slice of life in that it starts with Yuno waking up in the morning and finishes with her reflecting on the day’s events in the bath. The routine that remains unbroken through the episode run, even though successive episodes aren’t portraying days in chronological order, gives a peculiar sense of continuity and a general feeling of security and predictability.

This feeling of security, which could be construed as lazy characterisation and storytelling in dragging out the old tropes and archetypes, nevertheless comes across as true light entertainment. Yuno is the enthusiastic and timid one, Miyako is the energetic one who never stops eating, Sae is the mature and studious one while Hiro is the supportive sort who is ironically insecure and obsessed with her own weight. I quickly got a grasp on the nature of their personalities and acquired a sentimental attachment to them with minimal effort, which adds to the show’s philosophy of familiarity and lack of surprises. There are few plot twists to speak of because, well, there isn’t a great deal of plot to start with.

I’m not making a convincing case with this particular screencap, I know…

Obviously quite a few viewers would hate this and even though I loved every Shinbo-ism filled minute, I had to be in the right frame of mind to appreciate it. Iyashikei and slice-of-life shows don’t just appeal to a certain sector of the audience: they require the right circumstances or mood for you to enjoy their charms too. As for the subject matter, I call it trivial and innane in the most complimentary way possible.

Think for a minute about what you talk about when you’re hanging out with your closest friends and killing time. Chances are you won’t be talking about politics or even gossiping - if you know each other well enough you’d be observing little details about people and things sitting around you at the time, going off at tangents and making each other laugh without feeling self-conscious about how dumb it might sound.

The nature of HS’s dialogue is just that - and the fact that this trivial and innane dialogue is so true-to-life is what makes it funny and easy to relate to. Sitting in the pub and coming up with reasons why Guinness bubbles go down isn’t too far removed from, say, speculating on what Yoshinoya-sensei does in her spare time, questioning the inflammatory nature of drying agent sachets or, indeed, arguing about which way to eat a chocolate cornet. In the case of the latter I suspect Miyako would say “The whole thing in one mouthful!” By the way, my friends and I never did resolve the issue of the guinness bubbles, or whether dogs really can look up.

…while the imagery used here is fantastic

I’m actually reluctant to say there’s character development though because the moments of realisation and maturing as people are scattered islands in a sea of everyday events and gentle laughs; x365 might change that but I doubt it somehow. I must admit that I was chuckling within five minutes of the first episode and had plenty of “That’s happened to me too!” moments but I was never creased up on the floor; but then, when I’ve had a long day and just want to unwind I’m not after that…and that’s what made Hidamari Sketch worth my time. Maybe it is intended to be a moe series but as long as I don’t see it that way I really couldn’t care less.

[Filed under OAVs, Movies and Full Series]  [Tags: Akayuki Shinbo, Hidamari Sketch, iyashikei]

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