Hello and welcome to my anime review for Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun (a.k.a. Toilet-bound Hanako-kun). I’ve recently had the opportunity to enjoy this series to the fullest and I must say I was quite pleased. You probably already know this already, but TBHK was a manga series written and illustrated by Iro Aida. It was later adapted to an anime in the year 2020 by Lerche. I’ll be honest with you, I didn’t read the manga first at the time of this review.
So, should you watch Jibaku Shounen Hanako-kun? Yes! You should definitely give it a watch if you’re into dark fantasy + romance. It’s rated PG-13, so not to worry!
After watching, I felt so compelled to read the manga, because I wasn’t ready to part away from this anime yet. There was much left unsaid in the anime compared to the manga, but it was an enjoyable experience for me nonetheless.
Synopsis Below:
I detailed my journey with this anime and you are free to check out my Episode Review List for details if you so desire. Please also be aware that these episodic reviews may contain spoilers, so read them at your own discretion.
- Episode 1 – Hanako-san of the Bathroom
- Episode 2 – Yousei-san
- Episode 3 – The Misaki Stairs, Part 1
- Episode 4 – The Misaki Stairs, Part 2
- Episode 5 – The Confession Tree
- Episode 6 – The 4 O’clock Library
- Episode 7 – Donuts
- Episode 8 – Mitsuba
- Episode 9 – Tea Party
- Episode 10 – The Hell Of Mirrors, Part 1
- Episode 11 – The Hell Of Mirrors, Part 2
- Episode 12 – Little Mermaid
Toilet-Bound Hanako-Kun Anime Review
Art: 10/10.
I really can’t get enough of the art. It’s eye-catching, unique, and it’s the style that drew me in. I loved how everything was drawn, the frames each made an impact in their own way, and I was mesmerized. The setting that takes place in a school during the afternoons or evenings looks aesthetically pleasing to the eye. I enjoyed the way the story is told in a similar way to fairy tales as if they’re reading a children’s book to me. The comedic, horror and romantic elements are there and I rather enjoyed the unique experience.
Story: 9/10.
A plot built around rumors that eerily come true. Moments I almost thought were startling turned out to be comedic and I love the funny moments. The mixture of horror and comedy blends nicely and I was unable to predict how it was going to turn out. I enjoyed it while it lasted. I especially enjoyed the subplot for romance there. It’s a nice touch.
Sound: 8/10.
The background music was actually enjoyable for me and I liked it. I cannot love it though. The opening theme has an upbeat catchy tune. The ending theme has a soothing yet sad tone and Akari Kitou has a rather sweet voice. It won’t be my favorite songs unfortunately due to personal preferences. However, I would say the sounds that stood out to me the most were the music boxes. Music boxes tend to have an innocent yet eerie effect and I love how it was executed.
Opening Theme: “No.7” by Jibaku Shounen Band
(Youji Ikuta from Penguin Research x Masayoshi Ooishi x ZiNG)
Ending Theme: “Tiny Light” by Akari Kitou
Characters: 8/10.
I thoroughly enjoyed the characters in this. I wanted to know about Hanako-kun’s past in particular though. He kind of stood out to me the most and it’s almost unbelievable why Yashiro Nene insists that Hanako-kun isn’t her type. He’s so cute. The amount of times I saw Hanako-kun hugging Yashiro Nene had me wanting to root for them so much. It’s really wholesome. It also feels like Kou and Teru didn’t get enough screen time to make an impact. I would have wanted to see the character development that follows for our exorcists.
My Overall Score: 9 / 10.
There was much that went on during my time with this anime adaptation. The pacing seemed off and there were parts where I still felt confused. However, it was an overall enjoyable experience. Like Yashiro Nene, I’m willing to stick around to hear the story behind Hanako-kun. The relationship between Yashiro Nene and Hanako-kun was wholesome. They’re not perfect, but I loved seeing them nonetheless. I don’t think I could part with this series yet, so I planned on checking out the manga as well!
What’s Next?
Go watch it on Funimation! If you love it like I do, you can check out all the lovely merchandise via Amazon!
Episode Review List
- Episode 1 – Hanako-san of the Bathroom
- Episode 2 – Yousei-san
- Episode 3 – The Misaki Stairs, Part 1
- Episode 4 – The Misaki Stairs, Part 2
- Episode 5 – The Confession Tree
- Episode 6 – The 4 O’clock Library
- Episode 7 – Donuts
- Episode 8 – Mitsuba
- Episode 9 – Tea Party
- Episode 10 – The Hell Of Mirrors, Part 1
- Episode 11 – The Hell Of Mirrors, Part 2
- Episode 12 – Little Mermaid
Tags You Might Like:
Action Comedy Dark Fantasy Isekai Romance Royalty School Sci-Fi Shounen Supernatural Thriller Tragic
