15th Animation Division Jury Selections
Hanasaku Iroha
Animated TV series [Japan]
ANDO Masahiro
Outline
Because of her mother’s whim, Ohana Mathumae moves from Tokyo to distant Ishikawa Prefecture to live at “Kissuiso”, an old hot-spring inn her grandmother runs. Baffled by culture gaps, she, along with the young people, some of them are slightly older than her, commences her long, hard battle to adapt herself to a new life and the working world. This is part of a “hot spring coming of age” genre in a beautiful rural setting of Ishikawa whose central character surmounts difficulties with her natural cheerfulness and inner strength.