The series continues to degrade at an alarming rate.
(Spoilers in this review)
Hinako bumps into people during dance practice again and again. This, coupled with the fact that Chiaki keeps doting on her, frustrates Yua.
While she attempts to clean up the bookstore with Kuina, Hinako finds a book about theatre and attempts to act like certain animals to improve her stiff movements. Such a novel idea proves to be ineffective for the scarecrow main character.
As the festival (and the performance for the play) draws near, Hinako and the others head to the park to practice. Yua, who has been upset at Hinako while begrudgingly admitting that Hinako is eager to learn, also jumps in and personally instructs Hinako out of friendship because she wants the play to be a success.
In an attempt to hide its stagnant plot, Passione has opted to overload Hinako Note with an abundance of fanservice. They’re not even trying to subtle here, folks. Nevertheless, sloppy distractions doesn’t change how:
- The jokes are overused and seem to be on loop. We see Hinako bumping into other people while dancing three times in this episode.
- The production values for the series is low. Hinako’s clumsy antics are predominantely shown as still frames as with many other instances in this show. Characters who are not involved with the immediate interaction between two other characters are cast as silent, immoving statues who can only watch from the sidelines. Maybe it’s a bit much to expect funny background events in every series, but the characters look so lifeless as they just stand around with their hands by their sides.
- A fair amount of the characters are not well-developed (before Hinako and Ruriko and Chiaki can protest, I’m talking about in terms of characterization). What you see from the characters in episode 1 is basically what you get. Hinako is still trying hard to not be shy. Chiaki is the cool genius. Mayu has demonstrated that she is skilled at dancing and is rather clingy towards Chiaki. Too bad that’s not a flattering quality for the worst girl in the show to have. Kuina is actually a pretty good friend for Hinako considering how she’s always trying to encourage the scarecrow heroine. Meanwhile, Yua continues to be a smug bitch who can’t help but want to help Hinako. In other words, some of the (physically) underdeveloped girls are more engaging but that’s a small victory as the cast as a whole is, as one of my readers pointed out, is basically a bag of tropes.
- I suppose the pacing is decent enough for a slice-of-life series but I just felt bored watching this. Not like this matters, but after the 10 minute mark, I took an hour-long nap and went out for lunch and tried to practice singing before even considering that I had the rest of the episode to watch.
Overall, this isn’t a good look for Hinako Note. I guess some people will be very interested in the gratuitous angles, but it isn’t appealing to me. The fanservice is consuming what little the series potentially had to offer as a slice-of-life show. Instead of being comfy or funny, it’s just becoming trashy.
The Lily Garden 
“A fair amount of the characters are not well-developed (before Hinako and Ruriko and Chiaki can protest, I’m talking about in terms of characterization).”
I too have kind of been a bit disappointed with how we’ve got more “development” than plot development in this series. I like Cute Girls Doing Cute Things shows for being sweet and off the wall, and while I can ignore (although I don’t love) a bit of fanservice in them (Long Riders was fine), too much is off-putting. I like to see the characters get to show off their quirks and maybe overcome some anxieties or weaknesses they have. There’s obviously a market for cute girls doing cute things with some fanservice elements as they keep making these shows, but I don’t feel like part of the market.
The eyecatch this week is from Phantom of the Opera, specifically the Masquerade number at the beginning of Act 2. It seems like all the eyecatches are reasonably well-known musical theatre productions (I say this, but I’m probably way more into musical theatre than the average person so maybe my opinion isn’t super in touch).
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Mmm I’m glad that you are also disappointed with how things are developing. M-misery enjoys company?
CGDCT certainly can overlap with fanservice but that’s for a whole ‘nother crowd.
Long Riders managed the fanservice elements relatively well, I agree.
Ahhh that would make sense. Nahh I’m just out of touch with musical theatre in general due to my lack of knowledge. It’s funny how we are stationed at opposite ends of the spectrum in that regard!
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I know it’s not something that everyone is into. I was exposed to it at a young age (both my parents playing soundtracks, and also taking the family along to some local amateur productions), so I got into it. I think it’s like how some people say they’re into classic rock, or punk music, or things like that because their parents played them when they were young. I have no idea how prevalent the knowledge of musical theatre is amongst most people. I know basically nothing about contemporary music that is not musical theatre if that makes you feel better. 😀
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Fair enough.
And oh I don’t feel bad or anything. Just appreciative that you’re knowledgeable about something that I don’t. I’m speaking nonsense already and I haven’t even started drinking yet, oops.
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Gratuitous boob/butt shots do not an engaging show make, especially when the girls in question are too tiny and moe to ever be sexy. Seriously, they look like ‘well-developed’ children. Or maybe that’s just me.
You going to drop this or soldier on till the end? Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you drop a show you’re blogging.
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Mmm no I agree. But somehow some people are eating this up! Not us, though. We be civilized. *pours 7-up into wine glass*
I think I will drop all the shows I’m reviewing this season (except for Sakura Quest) after this week. I’ll talk about it in the upcoming Midseason Musings post (oh that’s coming out this week and I haven’t started on it….thanks for reminding me indirectly, D).
I’ve….dropped Sin Nanatsu? Did the one episode review (and it was the most popular post of the month. And is still really popular this month….) so I think that counts. I stopped doing episode reviews for Fate/kaleid liner Prisma☆Illya 2wei! after the first one, but that was due to how it wasn’t simulcast, how that was my first episode review and I wasn’t ready for how long such posts take, and how I already knew what happened in the manga so it felt very weird playing dumb while writing about it. One of these days I might have to do a series review for that show (it’s the second season) and the following 3rd and 4th seasons. But I’m less inclined to do so these days since they kind of sexualize younger children…
And then there was Idol Jihen last season and then Regalia the season before that (which had its own production issues). Still ended up watching them to the end to do series reviews, though.
So…Sin was my first time!
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It’s a very fitting show to be anyone’s first time 😐
I did intend to watch Prisma but this one gif I saw on it – what looked like tiny girls french kissing – has kinda put me off…
Dropping all those shows should free up some time in your schedule so that’s a plus. Why waste time on mediocre shit, right? (And you’re…indirectly welcome?)
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Indeed… ;__;
Yep that’s what the show devolved into starting from the second season. So…yeah….
Yep! Yay! (Thank ye kindly)
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Kimmie has been picking most of the shows we’re watching this Spring. I wonder why she didn’t pick this one up. I’m missing some quality PASSIONE.
On a related note: I think “Passione” could work as a fine substitute word for “fanservice.” You should try to get that going.
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Wahaha I do recall telling her that this show seemed to be another slice-of-life that wasn’t worth writing home about a few weeks ago. And my early hunches didn’t seem to be that far off. But it is faring better than Gabriel DropOut at least?
That sounds like a marvelous idea. Hopefully Passione doesn’t continue to put in too much PASSIONE in upcoming episodes or else my dwindling passion for the series will dissipate altogether.
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