Hidamari Sketch x365 - Episode 9

It's quite simply been far, far too long since I last had an episode of Hidamari Sketch x365 to enjoy - Indeed, since watching episode eight, I've had time to enjoy the original series in its entirety, which has further boosted my love for the show as a whole.

Anyhow, in general episode nine of Hidamari Sketch x365 doesn't quite reach the same comedic heights as some episodes. The first half of this instalment focuses on Yoshinoya, who as usual is trying to avoid work as much as possible, preferring to concentrate on creating some of her infamous greetings cards during the break to celebrate mid-Summer with her students instead. Thus, we get the usual plethora of costumes you'd expect from her, with plenty of time taken up by the Principle chasing her around to boot. Not quite high comedy, but fun in its own way I suppose.


The second half of episode nine takes us back to Hidamari Apartments, as the quartet set off to an independant film festival which inspires them all in different ways. As per usual, Miyako gets all the best lines, while also making a flip book involving a fish that turns into a variety of food dishes (again, pretty much usual fare for Miyako). To top off the day, Sae receives her first ever fan letter for her writing, so again normal service is resumed as she proceeds to get rather shy and defensive about the whole thing.

Even when Hidamari Sketch isn't making me laugh my head off (and like most slice-of-life anime, it's pretty hit and miss in that discipline), it always proves to be as relaxing to watch as the bath that ends each episode of the show, and that in itself is something that should be cherished at the end of a hard week of work (and, of course, anime watching). It is perhaps this friendly atmosphere that makes Hidamari Sketch x365 such a pleasure to sit down to, and a rarity in many senses when so many other shows of every genre prefer to race along at a million miles a minute.