Hanasaku Iroha - Episode 12

While it's fair to say that Ohana's return visit to Tokyo hasn't exactly gone swimmingly so far, she does at least find herself in safe and familiar company as this episode begins, courtesy of Tohru and Minko's arrival to pick her up.

Of course, the primary mission of Ohana's visit in her eyes was to persuade her mother to rethink her article about Kissuiso, and given her refusal to either rewrite the review or visit the inn for herself, there's clearly only one logical course of action left - to kidnap Ohana's mother.  Needless to say, Minchi and Tohru aren't exactly sold on the idea, but it seems that the latter is more interested in playing cupid as he suggests that he'll only go along with the plan if Ohana brings Koichi along too.

So, while Minko and Tohru go to check out Tokyo's food scene rather too aggressively for the former's liking (indeed, it seems like quite the nightmarish first date), Ohana makes a beeline for Ko - except he isn't answering his phone, and a visit to his workplace only sees her admonished by Ko's co-worker and admirer.  By the end of all this, and when she does finally get hold of Ko, it seems that even Ohana has lost the will to "fest it up" as she wallows in her own self-pity and perceived selfishness.  However, it seems as though Ohana's trip isn't entirely wasted, as another visit to her mother's workplace (on Tohru's insistence) finds said mother ready and raring to visit Kissuiso after bagging a few days off work.  Mind you, that suggests there will be even more drama for Ohana to deal with next time around, not less.

As per last week's episode, I'm currently thoroughly enjoying Hanasaku Iroha's trip into human drama territory, as Ohana continues to blunder through life with a blend of genuine mixed-up teenage emotions and her larger than life personality.  Perhaps even more interest here is the dynamic between Ohana, Minko and Tohru - is Minchi's reading of Tohru's behaviour as worrying/caring about Ohana correct, or is she over-thinking his actions?  It makes for an interesting aspect to the series that looks likely to run and run, and I can already imagine the growing arguments when it comes to "shipping" Ohana or Minko with Tohru - personally, I've actually warmed to at least the plausibility of Tohru's interest in Ohana of late if nothing else so, as per the rest of the series, I'm very much interested in where it's all headed.