Smart-san

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 gaTooru 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.

I watched this anime growing up in the 90s. I might be a bit bias since I watched the Arabic Dub of it not the sub. Haikara-san go Tooru was known as Benio in the arabic Dub and as "here comes miss modern" in Japanese. Plot = 9/10 In 1920 the young Benio has an embarrassing encounter with the VERY handsome army lieutenant Shinobu Ijuin. Between that, her classmate whispering in her ear about being a "modern woman" and her father announcing that he arranged her marriage to this stranger and that she must leave her home to leave with him... well she rebelled ofcourse. The entire plotis about the clash of the old ways and the new with Benio's fiery personality reflecting it. The uncertain times that japan was going through and how to adapt as well as how the role women played changed during that time period. It weakens near the end of the show as the war and it's aftermath roll in though. Characters = 8/10 There is nothing new here. The characters are very stereotyped for Shoujo manga (which this is based on). They are however true to type and act according to it. Benio is the standout, although fiery and extroverted tomboy her youth makes her mailable and easily influenced by those around her. The side characters all have their classic parts. The childhood friend that loves her but it's one-sided. The elegant classmate that she is admires. The... servant that treats her like a mafia boss??? Even within their established roles they all have their own personalities and motives which keeps things interesting. The only that doesn't is Ijuin, the love interest. His role is to look pretty... that's about it. Even then the anime dives into his background to explain why he's like that with little character moments throughout that endear him to the viewer. Animation and art = 8/10 This was made in the late 70s and it shows. Animation is a bit choppy at times however the style and character designs are distinct and very expressive. Music and sound = ???/10 Again I watched the arabic dub. the theme song was literally "Benio, Benio, how cute she is. Everyone that meets her is happy!" Repeat till the credits end... Overall = 8/10 This show is such an under appreciated gem and deserves more recognition as a classic. The animation is dated but still charming.

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”.

Haikara-san ga Tooru — this is not just an interesting story, but also a sincere and touching drama filled with love, humor and struggle for one's own ideals. Due to its originality and atypical heroine for the genre, this anime deserves special attention from both fans of the shojo genre and those who love good drama and historical context. This is an old and very atypical animation work in the shojo genre, which impressed the audience with its unique heroine and the vibrant atmosphere of the Taisho era. At first glance, this anime may make you expect the typical love twists and turns and sweet momentspeculiar to the shojo genre, but it demonstrates much more, thanks to its rich characters and elaborate historical background. The main character, Benio Hanamura, is the embodiment of the Japanese "modan garu": She is brave, independent and defies established traditions. Since Banio's mother died when she was still a baby, her father was engaged in her upbringing, which significantly influenced the formation of the girl's character. Benio is the personification of a headstrong and audacious nature, which is considered atypical for most of the heroines of shojo anime. She wears Western dresses, drinks sake, does kendo and loves adventures. Each character in the anime complements the unique atmosphere and depth of the narrative. For example, Benio's friend and love interest is officer Shinobu Izumizo, who, despite his noble birth and military discipline, respects the freedom and determination of the main character. This one unfolds into a controversial story that the viewer likes, where old traditions and a new, rapidly changing time collide. Anime gives you a unique opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of the Taisho era, watching the bright and colorful characters and their experiences. Each episode opens up new facets of Japanese culture and traditions, showing how the characters adapt to changes and preserve their identity. It should be noted that animation, despite its expressiveness and unique style, is partially outdated and may seem somewhat rude to a modern viewer. Nevertheless, the drawing style perfectly conveys the spirit of the time and gives the series a special charm, creating a unique atmosphere of the era. The classic approach to the design of characters and backgrounds makes anime a real retro gem that is worth watching for all true connoisseurs of the genre.