Hidamari Sketch x365 - Episode 5

After the last episode of Hidamari Sketch x365 offered up plenty of hilarity, things were a little more sedate in episode five, although they somehow managed to remain pretty much equally entertaining.

One of the big 'tricks' to pull off for any slice-of-life series is taking the mundane and making it fun to watch, and in that sense Hidamari Sketch x365 really does have that ability down to a fine art. This episode dealt with the visit of Sae's sister Chika for the duration of spring break, and despite largely featuring the group eating and chatting away (but for some asides, including a a bath house scene with so much fan service that it actually started to get a bit tough to concentrate on the dialogue) it was still enjoyable in the kind of 'warm and fuzzy feeling' way that this series manages to elicit, making you feel almost as though you're part of the group rather than simply an outsider looking in.


It's that feeling that leaves you reaching the end of an episode feeling refreshed and invigorated, so sweet yet undemanding is this series. While episode five lacked the big laughs that the previous instalment had to offer, it still managed to retain that almost inexplicable feel-good factor that makes me want to keep coming back for more.