Hana wa Saku, Shura no Gotoku

Storys and presentation are truly important. How one presents something, but also, how one sounds while doing so. Such can bore someone to death. While in other case, it'll capture you in, drag you kicking and screaming, locking you in for the ride of your life. This is what Hana wa Saku truly showcases such.

Story and characters: 8
While the story presents itself as such, there is such underlining details that truly make it stand out as something more. Which throw in characters which one may say 'Oh they look like normal and generic' but when you get under their layers, and see and discover what ... they truly are, and how deep them themselves goes, it really opens up the anime in a whole new light. Which makes characters that look and seem like normal characters fitting an anime set in the school, have more flavor, have more interest and depth to them. Which only makes getting to know them much more pleasant for the viewer. Making it more in case of watching to see for yourself, and let them come into your life, to let them express themselves, rather than reading words on a screen.

But going back to the story, it really captures the watchers interest, as if there is way more than one realizes about it, and that we're in for more twists and turns as we go along. As if the title has flower in it's name, as if we're waiting to see this flower bloom into success, or failure. Keeping us on the edge of our seats throughout. As if taking such a simple idea, and presentation, and going about it, in the most creative way.


Art and sound: 9
For me, this gets the highest of grades, as while you may look at it at points, and think there is nothing special about it, they did a great job, it looks great, you don't need to spend a whole section going on about it. But given what the show represents, and how it's delivered and so. I feel like it's way more important then one may realize. As broadcasting takes a lot of effort and passion, there is a drive about it, and through this show, and how it's told, it's as if there is a magic about it. But it's not only the sense of that, being able to tell a story, to capture a reader's interest, to have the talent and creative passion. That can add a whole different element to it, and the way this show captures that through it's beautiful flowing animation. It's really charming, and lovely to see. Matched with great sound to boot.

Like seriously. I do love how they make it so you'll basically hear nothing in a moment, but then flow effortlessly into a different kind of track that naturally flows really well together, transitioning in a well mannered, and great way.

Hana Wa Saku certainly is a treat, and is a very good show to sink your teeth into for many reasons. I'd be watching for sure.

Flower of an Asura is about Hana, a girl from a tiny, remote island who grew up mesmerized by a recitation performance she saw on TV as a kid. She never had the chance to chase that dream since she was stuck far away from the mainland, but everything changes when she starts high school. She finally gets the opportunity to pursue her passion after being scouted by the Broadcasting Club.

The anime heavily leans on its voice acting to deliver its charm, focusing on recitation as an art form, which makes sense since it’s a medium that relies so much on sound. At first, the ... performances are okay but nothing special—until Hana steps up and recites the same poem she heard on TV when she was a kid, standing alone on the beach. That scene blew me away. Her voice—just her intonation, pitch, and raw emotion—completely captured my soul. Even if you don’t understand the language, you’ll feel it. It’s incredible how much her voice alone resonates.

On top of that, the sound design and music are phenomenal. Every little detail, from the crash of the waves to the background score, is done with care, easily making it one of the best-sounding anime in years. And while the animation isn’t flashy, the quality during the recitation scenes is noticeably better than your average show. It’s subtle but powerful—perfect for the kind of story it’s telling.

If you enjoyed something like Kageki Shoujo!!, where voice acting is such a big part of the experience, this show will definitely be up your alley. It’s a beautiful and emotional ride that’s worth checking out.

This really feels like it has a 'Director' problem. Would be such a waste if this ends up being an average show when it has all the tools it needs: Beautiful and high quality art and animation for the imaginary visuals, Good VAs for the in-story storytelling, and lots of characters to spare some time for. Unfortunately, so far, the only thing this show has to offer are those things that came from having a big production budget, and none of the things that comes from effort and care for the story-- In short, mostly aesthetics, not much substance.

4 episodes in and the story is ... still stuck focusing on one thing: the confidence-building phase of the protagonist, Hana. The pigtailed blonde's antagonistic motivation is itching to be told, the competition which would likely have lots of good reading performances with quality visuals would be exciting to see, the other newbies and the OG broadcasting club might have more to offer...
... and here's the show, consistently boring us on the way to those stuff.

A good director could slip a thing or two- planting and teasing story seeds ahead- not just to set things up early but also to mix things up during a stale chapter.
But this show, so far, has been focusing on one same boring thing for few episodes now, tackling only one singular topic for each.

At this point, I would have rather they lessened some of the Animation and Art budget and invested some of it on whichever story department is lacking. But it's too late now. We're now halfway through the cour and the work for the remaining episodes are likely done at this point. Unless this show starts establishing something in the next 2 or 3 episodes, it'll be nothing more than just an expensive visual treat.