Review: My only reason of choosing to watch this anime is that I was getting tired and wasted after laboriously got through many intense and super serious anime. Well, that wasn’t even a good reason since there were several other high profile comedy anime piling up in my backlog. So there you have it. I have no good reason for watching Hanamaru Kindergarten and honestly, the anime is so unremarkable that it is difficult to recommend this anime to anyone.
Hanamaru Kindergarten can be labeled as just another ‘boy chasing girl’ anime or as ‘love triangle’ anime with one member of the triangle being a kindergartener. Tsuchida is recently recruited into Hanamaru Kindergarten as the first and only male sensei. He is a typical nerdy nice guy who loves observing big boobs. On his first day at work, he falls for Yamamoto at first sight. The problem is that Yamamoto is so dense in matters of love and gives Tsuchida extremely difficult time in approaching her. Things are further complicated when Anzu-chan, the student in his class, naively falls in love with Tsuchida and declares that she will be his bride.
This entire main plot is introduced within the first episode and there is nothing more than that. Hanamaru Kindergarten is one non-progressive series. The rest of the show explores Tsuchida’s life in his new work place. Most of the funny events come from the children’s innocent thoughts and behaviors. Aside from Yamamoto’s extreme insensitivity to love, the characters in this show are also very generic and they don’t change much during the course of the show.
That might sound like I did not enjoy this show. Spending 12 episodes watching good people taking care of good children and living carefree, happy lives indeed sounds painfully boring. The generic plot and unremarkable characters are neither good nor bad. I think it depends on the execution and the circumstance. And it so happened that I was in the mood for something simple and lighthearted. I did have a good time watching Hanamaru Kindergarten. The anime could really generate a few genuine laughs from me which wasn’t an easy task, actually.
The only thing that bothers me is the ending and how thick headed Yamamoto is. Hanamaru Kindergarten literally ends in a strange note. Tsuchida tries to confess to Yamamoto. It is Christmas night, the snow is falling, the city is lit with beautiful lights; it’s the right time, the perfect time. But Yamamoto somehow misinterprets the whole thing and thinks Tsuchida is talking about work. I got the feeling that the creators were deliberately making room for a sequel.
Though never too outstanding, the animation was nicely done but I felt that the character design was a little extreme for the children’s part. The kids look cute but they are conspicuously disproportionate; ballooned heads, giant eyes, tiny limbs and no neck (okay, they have necks in some scenes). The strange design is all the more obvious in the scenes that feature both the kids and the adults because the adults’ design uses normal proportion. It took me quite a while to familiarize myself to this. Another thing that I would like to mention is the unique ending credits for each episode. They are really fun to watch and I especially like the one that pays homage to American horror films.
Conclusion: Hanamaru Kindergarten is not a must –watch show but I can confidently say that if you happen to come across it, you will have quite a good time.
Rating: B
Facts
Title: Hanamaru Kindergarten (Hanamaru Yochien)
Genre: comedy, drama
Release date: January 10, 2010 – March 28, 2010
Episode: 12
Director: Seiji Mizushima
Animated by: Gainax
Canne's anime review blog 
This show would have been way better if the ending wasnt disappointing.. but i guess it leaves the door open for a season 2.. I SHOULD DAM HOPE SO! D:
But in general it was very fun to watch =) hiragii was the superstar in my opinion, with all the costumes she had XD
Yes! Hiragii is the funniest characters in this show. (love her shark swimsuit)
I still haven’t watched this. I need actual motivation, like someone saying: THIS SHOW IS GREAT. or something. It reminds me of Potemayo, which I surprisingly enjoyed, but only watched because Rie Kugimiya was in it.
Regrettably, I cannot say that because Hanamaru is not great. It’s just good. Nevertheless, I think if you watch it for whatever reason, you’ll be inspired to write quite a few posts concerning it ;)
SHIP SHIP SHIP SHIP
I don’t really get it but welcome to my blog!
^_^
Hey, I was kicking and screaming throughout Zeta Gundam, and I didn’t stop watching it :p Whatever part of our brains that decides what we watch and our tolerance to it works in wonderful ways…
I thought the second last episode twists for the worse or something? Or was I just getting trolled on Twitter?
Hanamaru youchien proved too troubling to me. Everyone was telling me how harmless it really was, but I just couldn’t buy it. Kindergartners trying to marry adults, increase their own bust sizes… I suppose it’s that lower limit I never knew I had.
I was disturbed by those things you mentioned as well but somehow I managed to ignore them after a short while…I’m not a pedophile, am I? (>_<)
Thanks for the review! I didn’t have the time to check out Hanamaru Kindergarten, but it seems pretty sweet. I think that you explored both the good and bad points of the show very well- it seems lighthearted and perhaps I’ll tune in for an episode or so as it does look rather cute :3
It is sweet and fun. If that quality matches your taste, then should really try it!
And welcome to my blog :)
The ending was disappointing, but it was good in my book, I’d give it A- . I laughed (wow) during the anime, so that’s why it was rated higher in my books, compared to other comedy anime which just made me get bored (i.e. Seitokai no Ichizon.)
Yeah, and if you watch it you’d write posts concerning it.
Hope for a season 2 =D
It is never wrong to give the show that manages to steal your heart a high rating.
Season 2? I’m a skeptical about it thanks to the numerous bad sequels coming out lately -_-
A second season would be nice, and it would be an interesting move, though I’d rather see a second season of the other moeblob show (Potemayo) before a second Hanamaru.
I am not really anticipating Hanamaru’s sequel that much, actually.
Umm, now I have to watch Potemayo.
Those types of scenes where one confesses very seriously and the other misunderstands really bother me. Now don’t get me wrong I love a lot of series where one character is oblivious to the feelings of another. But when the words and facial expressions are REALLY straightforward, there is no excuse for misunderstanding anything any more.
No excuse but that she is just hopelessly thick headed :P
Mood definitely can affect enjoyment. I’ve loved some truly mediocre series simply because I watched it under the right circumstances.
Anyways, I haven’t seen Hanamaru Kindergarten. It sounds like a relaxing slice-of-life though, and for series like those, I really don’t mind not having strong plots. Will try to give this a chance if I get the time.
Do give it a chance if you want something light and…pedophilic o_O
I don’t think it’s Pedophilic. Probably not as Pedophilic as Kodomo no Jikan
Luckily, I did not watch that one.
This anime is so wonderful but the ending is so disappointing… i hope there will be season 2 T_T
I think if it actually went forward with the sequel, it could lose some of its charm that many have come to like in the first season.