Haikara-san ga Tooru

Set in the 1920s, Haikara-san ga Tooru is the story of the high-spirited tomboy Benio and her relationship with a handsome half-German soldier named Shinobu. Benio is a very outgoing and athletic girl with firm ideas about being able to live her life as she wants to. When she first meets Shinobu, she dislikes him intensely, even though he manages to help her out of a series of embarrassing mishaps. She is therefore surprised when she finds out that she has been forced into an arranged marriage and that her husband-to-be is none other than Shinobu! The story then has many twists and turns, as Shinobu has to fight in the war, Benio has to wrangle with the idea of getting married, and getting along with her future in-laws and employer. Meanwhile, the great Kanto earthquake looms in the future...

Hanamura, Benio Main

Yokozawa, Keiko Japanese

Ijuuin, Shinobu Main

Mori, Katsuji Japanese

Aoe, Tousei Supporting

Inoue, Makio Japanese

Fujieda, Ranmaru Supporting

Sugiyama, Kazuko Japanese

Ushigorou Supporting

Masuoka, Hiroshi Japanese

English Teacher Supporting

Mizutori, Tetsuo Japanese

Ohikizuri-san Supporting

Yoshida, Rihoko Japanese

Primadonna Supporting

Matsukane, Yoneko Japanese

Female Teacher Supporting

Ootori, Yoshino Japanese

Shuran, Douji Supporting

Kimotsuki, Kaneta Japanese

Yokota, Kazuyoshi Director, Episode Director

Szczepanski, Vincent Script

Takagaki, Kouzou Storyboard

Yoshida, Hiroshi Storyboard

Reviews

May 30, 2020

jumbosan

Recommended

(re-edited)
It make me sad that not many people has seen this great anime Gekijouban Haikara San ga Tooru Despite being old /classic anime , It really has that historical ,comedy, drama romance that many would want to see.(okay maybe i exaggerated a little bit but it still kinda sad no one willing to do fansub on it). And fortunately i came across it and watch full episode of it with no subtitles . I'm also had seen the 2 movie that being produced last year.

Story 8/10
it sets the story at 1920 Taisho period where the country of Japan is start to modernized and west culture ... was rising. Hanamura Benio is one of woman who intend to break free from the norm where she does thing that are unlikely done by a girl in that era, she wears western clothing, learn sword play ,fighting and many more. In other word Yes , she's a tomboyish girl where the haikara nickname given to her. The arranged marriage between her and Ijuuin Shinobu is the point in her life where it changes her life. The story is light and comedic and not many romance in it but it makes the moment more special and precious to be await for. The beginning of story more to gag comedy and ridiculous, and it maybe hard to understand sometime,.However it began to shift it tones to heavy when her thoughtless action started to have implication on the other character especially Shinobu and her in law family. In other time, the story focused on her shenanigan.

Character 8/10
The most interesting character i could see is Benio the heroine herself as she changes from the adolescent to adulthood.She really have development in the series but by not losing her courage and unyielding self even though overcoming upcoming obstacles .She is not the heroine where all she can do is cry and being dame in distress waiting hero to come but solving problem by doing all thing in her own unique way, i really admire that full of flaw and goofy character of her and , although sometimes her playful nature may invite trouble than not ,You cant help but Laugh or sympathizing at her . This is where the lieutenant her fiancee comes in , Shinobu also was an intriguing character .He always smile or laugh when it comes to her but sometimes you cant understand what hes thinking type of character.He by the textbook is the perfect guy good looking , patient , perfect man that opposite to the main heroine Maybe it sounded boring but it complimenting the heroine attitude and suit them So Well but he sometimes unexpectedly have pretty laid back and fun attitude where he also joins in our heroine mischief where he fight with her. or causing public uproar together.

Art 9/10 , Sound 6/10
Because this is from, the earliest stage of manga and anime , it contains originality where the art is kinda reminds me Rose of Versailles or Anne of green gable . Watching it makes me take time to getting used to but when you watch it you will fall in love with it.

The opening was different, it was like when you listen the first 3 second you can figure what anime it is .The quirky and upbeat saxophone makes us audience really get into the atmosphere of the story while the ending is so chilled like you are drinking tea in evening and the visual is lovely in both.

Overall/Lesson/Enjoyment 8/10
Well this anime might suit someone who can appreciate classic anime but also drama in it while not too absorbed in romance but for me it really a unique experience . And i notice that the light comedy maybe to hide deeper theme in it .Like woman have to married early or arranged by their parents , Freedom of woman in education at that time and also political war and the consequences. The anime not only to entertain but also It may have been an anime to give the hope for woman to be positive int their lives and try to fall in love with man of your chose.Between the movie and anime series, i reluctantly have to chose the series because the journey of Benio to become who she is can be seen in anime series more naturally and makes thing make more sense than the movie itself .( I mean it was 42 episode) many thing happens although the movie 2 is better in execution of ending (depend on your taste some find it better than the original). I really love the anime please watch it if you get the chanc, but bear in mind it is a shoujo so the typical aspect and cheesiness is still there

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Sep 14, 2021

mathemagican

Recommended

If I ever took on a personal anime translation project, it would the absolute diamond in the rough, Haikara san ga Tooru はいからさんが通る. This show takes a popular showa manga in the rom com genre set in the Taisho era of Japan, and brings it to life in the way only anime can deliver. These characters evolved from seemingly flat comedy tropes into people who I constantly think about, months after finishing the show. This show succeeds as an adaptation by bringing a far more melancholic and ethereal ending to a typical "true love finds a way" narrative. Haikara san ga ... Tooru has a message about loss and morning which is hard to find even amongst the sea of anime released in more recent decades, and very few people in the west have ever heard of this show, a real shame, as I see it.

It's perhaps best to address the short comings of this show up front: If you dont particularly enjoy slapstick showa comedy, seen in shows such as osomatsu kun, tensai bakabon, or Urusei Yatsura, you may want to temper some of your expectations. I found it charming, funny, and found myself smiling and chuckling along the way. This was made long before the era of Otaku media, afterall, and so there is an element of the writing being a product of the time and culture. This extends to the art, from the backgrounds to the character designs, which may be less detailed and more stylized than the modern anime fan may be used to. Art evolves over time, after all. I found these aspects to be quite appealing, myself.

With that said, I will readdress the art as a strong positive, as the color work and the framing finds strength in how it communicates the emotional movement and themes of the show with particular poise. This aspect, particularly, improves greatly through the shows run time, with a specific scene around episode 30 coming to mind as a strong point. The visual language of Haikara speaks to the viewer in a visceral way.

The show diverges from the manga at a certain point, due to the abrupt cancellation of the show's place on television, but the anime take on the ending morphs the story and its themes into something amazing. Where the manga holds that true love can always find a way, the anime comments on the cycle of love from beginning to end, and that message resonated with me in a lasting way. The staff were able to deliver on something special as only a well considered adaptation can.

Finally, i think one of the most interesting aspects of Haikara is the way in which it engages with gender norms (at least as understood from a western perspective. I understand Japanese, but I am still a westerner after all). This theme is explored in a number of directions from a number of different characters, from Benio's masculine take on femininity to Ranmaru's feminine take on masculinity. There is certainly much more depth to this, but i will leave this note of the review here. I found this commentary to greatly enhance the core narrative and its themes, with a simple message: people are people, and they exist in society. People's relationship to societal expectation is, in the end, fluid and ever changing.

That Haikara san ga Tooru is not translated for the wider anime audience is quite honestly, a great shame, and I hope we as a community can correct that in the near future. If you understand Japanese, I highly recommend this show.

Reviewer’s Rating: 8

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Jul 11, 2019

Estefan

Mixed Feelings

I like historical settings, and the final phase/aftermath of world war 1 could be interesting I thought. This was the time when Japanese expansion began to take speed, and great transformations occurred internally. Interest in the epoch lead me to watch this piece. What I got was just another romantic comedy. At least it was not as bad as other romantic comedies that I have seen so far.

The opening and ending music was pleasing to the ear I think, from the rest I do not remember much. Must have been OK probably.

Some words about the graphical aspects of this animation title. Backgrounds are pretty basic, ... and the fight scenes are sometimes just a dust cloud with some fists coming out of it. However, I somehow got an impression of Japanese streets and clothing of the Taishō area (google it, you may also need it for the calendar dates in the series). The Ryōunkaku (google it), which was destroyed in the 1923 Kantō earthquake, is shown several times.
About clothes: Some characters do not seem to have many clothes to change, even if they are not exactly poor. For example Shinobu usually wears his uniform even if he is not on duty. The female or crossdressing characters (Ranmaru) have a bigger wardrobe. The protagonist Benio herself has various sets of clothes for school, housework, and the street. She dresses herself rather traditional in the first half of the series, but in the second half (after her hair cut), she acquires some sets of fashionable European clothes, even if her economic situation got worse. I think this is in order to express Benio’s change of character and personal circumstances.
In any case, the art is not good, but also not ugly. It reflects the time, and is also linked with the story development, which puts it above mediocrity for me.

The historical background shown in the pictures is just the stage on which the characters act. The characters have no influence at all on historical events, even those that affect their lives. The most prominent example is the Japanese Siberia Expedition after the Russian Revolution. This is closely linked to a turning point in the lives of the main characters, but they are just helplessly subjected to the events. What they make from this experience is another matter though.

Apart from the main characters, there are a couple of side characters for comic relief, which serve no other purpose. Some are only annoying, like that boy with the alcohol bottle or the voluptuous hag with the white kimono. Others have some purpose, like Benio’s henchman Ushigorou, who transports his boss Benio through town after he enters into her service. These do not change noticeably (for example Ushigorou), or their change is not shown (Benio’s friend Tamaki).

The protagonist Benio is the focus of the entire series. At least in the first third, her story seems to be that of an unwilling girl getting gradually attached to a snobbish rich guy. She is a rather outspoken person, who talks a lot about independence of women, which means to her to be able to select the spouse that she wants. However, she accepts the engagement that her father and grandmother decided, grumbling, but without offering serious resistance. Then, she gets relocated to her grandparents’ household, where she spends her time grumbling and doing household chores. In short, she seems to be rather superficial and more bark than bite regarding the important matters (her life and future).
Regarding unimportant matters, she shows more fighting spirit and quite a violent streak.
Benio's antiques include bickering, drinking alcohol, fights (with words and fists), boob jokes (maybe those will last as long as mankind), duels, property damage, bodily injury… Somehow, she does not get into serious trouble for her escapades. One of her fights even earns her a henchman, who serves as comic relief for the rest of the series.

Shinobu, on the other hand, has the air of a somewhat arrogant and oblivious upper class guy, who falls for Benio for some reason, but does not seem to take her really seriously. He usually just laughs about her escapades, and about events that also concern Benio he does not inform her in advance.

Things take a turn later, when it is not Benio, but Shinobu who receives the retaliation for some of Benio’s escapades. Separated from family and Benio, Shinobu is put to the test, and gets the chance to show that he is more than just a well bred snob. Far from home, he manages to get accepted by new companions, with compassion, loyalty and courage, and I started to feel sympathy to him.

Starting with the separation from Shinobu, Benio now also makes some experiences, that change her from the shallow moody parasyte of the first 15 episodes, to someone who thinks about the consequences of her actions and actually takes care of herself and others. She gradually becomes more independent, discovers goals in life and makes a career, which goes well beyond her previous notion of independence, which seemed to be restricted to the free selection of a husband at first. Benio becomes a much stronger and responsible character. She still has her moods and makes mistakes, but now they rather add to her charm.

I didn’t quite like the last scene. It is a scene with stylized background, unrealistic colors and few words. It seemed to be a dream. But if it was a dream, what became of Benio and Shinobu? The narrator finally says what is the conclusion, but I personally think it would have been better if the outcome was properly shown. The way it was, it was somewhat… frustrating. (Not sure if this is the right English word to describe my feeling, but I can’t think of a better one.)

This series was a chore for the first couple of episodes. It seemed to be a clichéd romantic comedy with annoying characters, the protagonist being the worst of them all. As the series progressed, the episodes got more serious and more engaging. Both the characters and story quality improved, and I started to enjoy the title. Especially Benio progressed greatly, but she also started from pretty low lows, so even reaching mediocrity may have been a big step for her... All in all, the series was fairly enjoyable I would say.
Since enjoyment decides my ratings, the final verdict is 6, “fair”.

Reviewer’s Rating: 6

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	Is anyone planning on subbing this ? Rozalthiric - Jun 3, 2017	14 replies	by ApacheSnow69 »» Dec 13, 2024 2:29 PM
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