Hidamari Sketch x365 OVA 01 includes the four Hidamari residents, Yoshinoya, the Landlady, Natsume, Kuwahara, and Chika. The episode centers around Sae’s acquisition of a Polaroid camera and the ensuing fun.
Note: In a deviation from the outline in the Project Overview, the subtitles used in this episode are by SpoonSubs, not Nutbladder.
Scene 1: 00:12 - 00:32
C: Yu
Yuno reluctantly wakes up. No yuri to speak of.
Scene 2: 02:15 - 02:35
C: Yu
Yuno eats a hearty breakfast and makes lunch. She apparently burns her insignia into her toast, which is vain but not yuri. She ends with another 0.
Scene 3: 02:35 - 03:04
C: Yu, Mi
Miyako visits Yuno. Both seem pleased to see each other, but Miyako may also be happy for seeing the dishes and correspondingly thinking of food, so her yurilevels aren’t increased as much as Yuno’s. They also look at illustrations in a magazine together, which is slightly yuri but even then in a friendly way, so it’s not a major effect. Yuno ends with 2, Miyako with 1.
Scene 4: 03:04 - 04:11
C: Yu, Mi, Sa
Sae attempts to capture a picture of the wild Hidamari in its natural habitat. She apologizes to Yuno for her unflattering image, showing an empathy for her distress that helps her somewhat. They both conclude that Hiro should join them in their newfound photography habit, and the desire to include her in their fun shows a warmness that brings Sae to 2 and Yuno to 1. Miyako spends the scene pretending to be a Godzilla-esque being named “Polaroidon” (ポラロイドン) which crushes men and women alike beneath its thunderous foot and thus doesn’t increase Miyako’s readings, keeping her at 0.
Scene 5: 04:12 - 04:34
C: Yu, Mi, Sa
Sae takes a picture of Hiro while she sleeps. This happens soon after Sae finds Hiro is asleep, so it’s likely Sae’s first reaction. Her unchanging facial expression rules out the possibility of it being a joke or prank as well as it being something she’s eager to do, so it’s likely that Sae just wants to use the camera and Hiro happens to be a vulnerable target. Her taking advantage of Hiro’s weakness gets her a 1, while the others stay at 0.
Scene 6: 04:34 - 05:26
C: Yo, Ku
Yoshinoya sings karaoke. While Kuwahara is present, it’s clear that she doesn’t have any interest in Yoshinoya’s self-described mini-live, just as it’s obvious Yoshinoya is performing for anyone who would bother to listen. Neither one of them suggests yuri here, and they end with 0s.
Scene 7: 05:26 - 08:03
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, Hi
Hiro wakes up and everyone gets a makeover. Upon finding out that Sae took a picture of her, Hiro angrily squeezes Sae’s arm and demands a reshoot, an act of physical aggression that gives Hiro yurilevels but not Sae. She retakes the picture, but Hiro demands another one, which Sae also acquiesces to, showing a readiness to concede to Hiro that bumps her up a few levels. Once Hiro calms down, she gives everyone new hairstyles: Miyako gets twintails, Yuno becomes an honorary Hindu, and Sae gets a look that Miyako describes as boyish, giving Sae masculinity yurilevels. Since Yuno’s hair keeps her from getting a new hairstyle, Sae suggests that she be given new clothes, conveying a desire for Yuno to undress. Once Yuno dons her new punk ensemble, Hiro asks everyone to get embarrassing clothes, which they all agree to do; this purposefully non-yuri-embarrassing action is itself yuri since they would have to be comfortable with each other in order to do something like this. Hiro ends with 4, Sae with 3, Yuno and Miyako with 1 each.
Scene 8: 08:03 - 08:41
C: Yo, Ku
The principal unilaterally begins a karaoke competition. He sings “Onnanoko Puzzle” (おんなのこパズル, “Girl Puzzle,” listen here), a song included with the single release of Hidamari Sketch OP “Sketch Switch”*, but as a male he can’t receive yurilevels from it’s subject matter about friendship. Yoshinoya focuses on beating him, almost entirely ignoring Kuwahara’s presence. Kuwahara merely shows exasperation at the situation, so again neither one gets yurilevels.
Scene 9: 08:43 - 12:01
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, Hi
The Hidamaris continue their makeovers and take more pictures. Sae gets yuri-embarrassed by wearing extension hair, giving her a slight increase. Hiro then puts makeup on her and says she's wanted to do so for a considerable time, which could possibly be a reaction to Sae’s masculinity. She ultimately gives everyone makeup, which brings her into close contact with everyone’s faces and gives her a boost in yurilevels. Later, Hiro tries to take a picture of Sae, but can’t since Sae can’t pose properly. Sae says that she’s better at taking pictures than at being taken, prompting Miyako to join in saying that she’s fine with either one and Yuno to imply that she’s better at having her picture taken. These all fit with the roles the Hidamaris have established of Sae as the more dominant one, Yuno as a more passive actor, and Miyako hovering in between, and everyone involved gets increases for this display of a makeshift social norm. When Yuno takes a picture of Miyako, Miyako accidentally reveals her stomach as a result of standing on her head; while lewd, it’s unintentional and not automatically yuri. Hiro ends with 3, the others with 2.
Scene 10: 12:01 - 12:09
C: Yo, Ku
Yoshinoya tries on a costume for her mini-live. It terrifies a nearby male server for unspecified reasons, but since Yoshinoya is still fitting it at the beginning of the scene it’s entirely likely she dressed in front of him, showing a comfort around men that keeps her at 0. Kuwahara comes out to tell her that it’s her turn to sing, but in doing so she doesn’t suggest any desire to see Yoshinoya sing, so she also ends with 0.
Scene 11: 12:09 - 12:19
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, Hi
The Hidamaris title their pictures. One such picture, which Yuno titles “peace!!” (ピース！！, “pissu!!”), shows her and Miyako making peace signs while holding each other around the shoulders, a display of strong physical intimacy that gives them each a 3. Hiro calls it cute, showing she is pleased with this intimacy and giving her a 2.
Scene 12: 12:19 - 12:20
C: Yo
Yoshinoya sneezes. Since sneezing is a bodily function performed by all sexualities, Yoshinoya doesn’t get yurilevels for it.
Scene 13: 12:20 - 12:24
C: Mi, Hi
Hiro titles a picture of herself. She draws hearts around herself and captions it “[onomatopeia for laugh]” (ウッフン, “uffun”). Her display of ego doesn’t get her yurilevels, but Miyako’s response to call it sexy gets her a 4.
Scene 14: 12:24 - 12:25
C: Yo
Yoshinoya sneezes again. Another 0.
Scene 15: 12:25 - 12:29
C: Mi, Sa
Miyako titles a picture of herself. Her handwriting is very stylized and it’s difficult to make out the characters in the last line but I believe the caption translates approximately to “sweet and spicy for you” (あなたを辛せた[unknown kanji]甘う～, “anata wo kara seta [unknown kanji] amau~”); since it cannot be fully and accurately translated I am reluctantly forced to disregard it. She has drawn herself as an angel, which, like Hiro, is vain and non-yuri, and Sae’s confusion at this prevents her from getting yurilevels. They both end with 0.
Scene 16: 12:29 - 12:35
C: Yo, Ku
Yoshinoya sneezes again. Kuwahara asks if her she has a cold, which could indicate a yuri concern for her health, but Kuwahara is a nurse so she’s probably inclined to look out for symptoms of illnesses and as such may be doing what comes naturally to her. She gets a 1, while Yoshinoya stays at 0 for doing nothing but sneezing.
Scene 17: 12:35 - 14:15
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, Hi
The Hidamaris discuss finances and eat. Sae happily takes responsibility for the cost of the camera film, saying she wanted everyone to take pictures together. Her self-sacrifice for the sake of everyone’s fun shows a commitment to the group over herself that gives her a 3 for the scene. Yuno and Miyako go to and return from Berry Mart together, suggesting a desire for each other’s company that gets them slight yurilevels but nothing substantial since it’s more likely friendly. Miyako also mentions to Hiro that she noticed Hiro had an empty box of snacks, displaying an attention to details concerning Hiro that increases Miyako’s readings as well. She ends with 2, Yuno with 1, and Hiro stays at 0.
Scene 18: 14:15 - 14:39
C: Yu, Mi, La
Yuno and Miyako meet the Landlady at Berry Mart. The Landlady says she’ll give them a discount but reneges since the owner of the store would get mad at her; the combination of special treatment for her tenants and broken promises gives her a 1 overall. Yuno and Miyako don’t exude significant yuri toward the Landlady, with Miyako’s excitement only being caused by the promise of subsidized food, so they stay at 0.
Scene 19: 14:39 - 15:30
C: Yu, Mi, La, Nt
Natsume enters the store. Yuno and Miyako initially respond with caution, discussing between themselves what the deal is between her and Sae before being stopped by her gaze. They become fearful as she approaches them, with Miyako sporting two beads of nervous sweat in her hair, but Natsume acts surprisingly similarly to a human and not just a one-note running gag by recommending a package of mitarashi dango and asking them to help her find something to bring to a friend’s house. While Yuno never fully warms up to Natsume and gets a 0, Miyako is quickly comfortable enough to recommend some pudding cakes, giving her a 1. Natsume herself is still fairly awkward and stilted, suggesting that rather than being a tsundere she’s just socially handicapped, but it still holds her at 0. The Landlady, for her brief role in the scene, welcomes Natsume as a function of her role as temporary employee, which means it isn’t yuri and thus gives her a 0.
Scene 20: 15:30 - 16:10
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, Hi
The Hidamaris make plans for the afternoon. Hiro and Sae say they’ll work on homework together before rejoining Yuno and Miyako, either viewing homework as something to approach together or as an excuse to spend time alone with each other, which either way gives them 2. When talking about how to divide the pictures, Miyako makes a baseball reference that the other, more feminine Hidamaris don’t understand, giving her masculinity yurilevels that leave her with a 1 overall. Yuno stays at 0 for her passiveness in the scene.
Scene 21: 16:13 - 18:08
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, Hi
Sae and Hiro join Yuno and Miyako in Yuno’s room. Yuno brings drinks, but as a polite gesture rather than a yuri one, so it doesn’t affect her. She later gets a message from Chika responding to the picture of Miyako as an angel which Yuno sent, conveying that Yuno wants to include Chika in their activities and increasing her readings. Miyako wonders if Chika will come to Hidamari for spring break, leading to Sae uncomfortably admitting that she hasn’t invited Chika over yet. This is met with an outcry by the other Hidamaris, who force the issue by demanding Sae invite her, showing a fondness for her that helps everyone but Sae. Yuno ends with 2, Miyako and Hiro with 1, and Sae with 0.
Scene 22: 18:08 - 19:31
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, Hi, Ch
The Hidamaris try to get Chika to come by talking to her on the phone. The strong friendship between Yuno and Chika is revisited here a few times: after Sae asks her to visit at Yuno’s request Chika excitedly agrees she’ll do so, mentioning that she wants to see everyone and singling out Yuno in particular, and then when Yuno talks to her on the phone she says she’ll look forward to meeting again. At this point in the chronology they have still only met once, so it’s still notable how quickly they warmed up to each other and they each get high readings. Miyako and Hiro both also show a fondness toward Chika, with Miyako asking Chika to visit for a week and Hiro telling her they’ll welcome her warmly. Sae, as always, is reluctant to express emotion toward her sister and ends up fighting with her again, preventing notable yuri readings from her. Chika and Yuno end with 3, Miyako with 2, Hiro with 1, and Sae with 0.
Scene 23: 19:31 - 20:36
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, Hi
The Hidamaris keep talking into the night. Everyone, including, eventually, Sae, smiles at having talked to Chika, showing they enjoy her company but in an unverifiably yuri manner. A later part of the scene depicts the Hidamaris through Polaroid images of them; while Yuno and Miyako appear alone in theirs, Hiro and Sae’s are shown together, with Sae leaving her picture to join Hiro’s. Since only they appear together instead of individually, it suggests that their relationship is closer than any others among the Hidamaris, which nets them significant readings for their extraordinary closeness. Upon Miyako realizing her hunger, the Hidamaris leave, with Miyako stopping to say a casual goodbye and Hiro stopping to say the snacks were tasty. Miyako’s parting is more friendly than Hiro’s since it is a direct show of closeness while Hiro is indirectly complimenting Yuno through talking about the dango, so Miyako gets a more significant boost than Hiro does. Sae and Hiro get 3 each, while Yuno and Miyako get 2 each.
Scene 24: 20:38 - 21:06
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, Hi, Yo
The Hidamaris encounter Yoshinoya on her way back home. Yoshinoya asks them what they did that day, displaying an interest however polite it may be in their affairs, and Hiro says that they stayed inside with a smile. Yuno adds that it was fun, and the other Hidamaris become visibly brighter at the thought of their day inside together. Their happiness at being with each other gives them all 2s, while Yoshinoya gets 1.
Scene 25: 21:12 - 21:32
C: Yu
Yuno bathes and goes to sleep. Neither of her stuffed animals is obviously feminine, so sleeping with them doesn’t get Yuno yurilevels. She ends at 0.
Scene 26: 21:52 - 21:59
C: Sa
Sae wakes up to a surprise from Hiro. Since she seems displeased at the thought of Hiro taking a picture of her in her sleep, she gets a 0.
Scene 27: 21:59 - 21:03
C: Mi
Miyako also finds a surprise. We don’t see her reaction, but she doesn’t seem happy either, so she also has a 0.
Scene 28: 22:03 - 22:08
C: Yu
Yuno sleeps with her eyes open, apparently. Her expression is the most negative of the three, visibly showing a shock that gives her another 0.
Final Yurilevel Readings: (both Aokis and Umes are out of 4)
Episode: 1.3957A
Characters:
- Chika: 3.000U
- Hiro: 2.361U
- Sae: 1.845U
- Yuno: 1.397U
- Miyako: 1.384U
- Landlady: 0.320U
- Yoshinoya: 0.208U
- Kuwahara: 0.057U
- Natsume: 0.000U
This episode was heavily dominated by some long-running scenes, but they were just average enough in terms of yurilevel readings that the episode wasn’t too strongly weighted by them and ended up around average for this season. The character rankings were noticeably affected by the longer scenes, however, with Hiro’s 4 in Scene 7 and 3 in Scene 9 helping to push her to the top of the chart while Yuno and Miyako’s lower readings in those scenes helped to keep them down. Some additional things worth noting are that, in the absence of Sae, Natsume was planted firmly at the bottom of the list, largely since her character has little substance outside of her feelings toward Sae, and that this episode has the first one-second scenes of the investigation, Scenes 12 and 14.
Further analysis will continue with Hidamari Sketch x365 OVA 02.
*: STOP IT WITH THE SKETCH SWITCH, HIDAMARI SKETCH. IT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO REJECT WIDESTRUMENTALITY AND RETURN TO THE REAL WORLD THE FIRST TIME.
Corrections:
2/17/2013: The original version of this write-up did not note that subtitles were by SpoonSubs instead of Nutbladder. A note has been added.
Very funny OVA ! and thanks a lot for sharing this.
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