First Episode Impression: Konohana Kiten

Synopsis

This is the story of a young fox girl by the name of Yuzu.New to the small town of youkai she is set to work in the inn Konohanatei. Though clumsy and a bit slow, her earnestness to work hard and eagerness to learn leads her to a journey of growth and friendship.

The Good

From the art to the characters and the general plot itself, it was like entering into a cloud of fluff and cuteness. So many aspects of the episode just left a gentle touch for majority of the time while also slipping in a dash of humor here and there. When it comes to anime series like this, with cute girls as the main feature, a viewer can always look forward to the amazing art of the background.

The way that the town buildings look mixed with the cherry blossom trees make it look like something out of a painting. Even the animation of little things like the lighting of the lantern or the falling of cherry blossom petals seem very gentle. Though the general designs of the characters isn’t much in all fairness, it does mesh well with the background and creates a solid balance for the art.

Speaking on the characters, the way that the first episode was able to give exposition to just about every character for the story while not giving too much away and maintaining the flow of the story is another check mark for the episode. The protagonist really stands out as an earnest and dedicated type of character with a cute factor added to her without making her overly annoying. The way that established herself in the inn and the perception she has for certain situations is already setting a very interesting and solid framework for her. Her interactions with the different characters are also an interest point to the first episode.

Overall, like many other works involving cute girls in a simple setting and story, the art of the background and the details that go with it are gorgeous. The characters were all well-established and the main protagonist has an endearing quality to her that bodes well for the rest of the series. On a minor note with the opening and ending, in a personal opinion it would have been better switched but it still has a good quality.

The Bad

The main thing to understand with these kind of anime is that the moment you know that the main cast is all female and half of them are moe, Yuri baiting is to be expected along with dashes of fanservice given that it is an inn with hot springs. But at best they’re pretty tolerable in comparison to different similar other works.

Then looking at the characters, as a whole they are quite predictable at first glance. The tough one with a gentle side, the tomboyish type and even the silent type is found. Honestly, with the different slice-of-life/fantasy works involving cut moe girls that have come out over the years, a little more dynamic points could have been given to them. But given that this is only the first episode, a little leeway can be given.

Overall there is a pinch of yuri baiting and fan service to be found here and there given the nature of the show. As a first episode, expectations are not so high but at the same time, there are points when the protagonist, if not careful could come off as annoying with her earnestness and eagerness to work hard and learn. So, not much errors but at the same time, there were some bullets to dodge.

Conclusion

Great art, simple plot and established characters are the main points to look forward too when checking in on this cute piece for the season. In fact, there are quite a few of cute pieces for the season but if you’re looking for something relaxing with gentle tones and some endearing characters to go with it then this is the series to watch. Being that there is only one episode out, there is only so much to nitpick, but it is there in the form of yuri baiting and fan service, something that is to be expected. As a first episodes goes though, there was a well established framework, story and characters to build up anticipation.

Rating: 7.5/10