Hidamari Sketch xHoshimittsu 03 includes the six Hidamari residents, Yoshinoya, the Landlady, Natsume, and Mami and Nakayama. Part A surrounds the first day of the spring semester at Yamabuki High School, and Part B is a flashback to Yuno and Sae meeting at a bookstore and going to a cafe the previous December.
Scene 1: 00:03 - 01:01
C: Yo
Yoshinoya is found lingering in the school by the principal. She lies about wanting to help her students, but since Yamabuki is mixed-gender it doesn’t affect her. She ends with 0.
Scene 2: 02:42 - 02:49
C: Yu
Yuno wakes up. No yuri to note here.
Scene 3: 02:50 - 03:15
C: Yu, Mi
Yuno does radio gymnastics. Miyako greets Yuno and the two make small talk, but nothing in their countenance conveys especially significant yuri, so both end at 0.
Scene 4: 03:17 - 03:55
C: Yu, Mi, Sa
Sae wakes up and talks with Yuno. Before Sae joins them, Yuno and Miyako are talking about the short school day and Miyako is already trying to make plans with Yuno for lunch, a show primarily of friendship that gives her a 1 for the scene. Sae rises and Yuno apologizes for waking her up, but Sae assures her it’s alright and asks Yuno what she’s doing, displaying forgiveness toward and casual interest in Yuno which Yuno is happy to respond to with an explanation of her reasoning behind the gymnastics, giving both of them 1s as well.
Scene 5: 03:55 - 04:13
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, No, Na
Nori greets Yuno, Miyako, and Sae and Nazuna is caught watching. Nori also asks what Yuno is doing, but their interaction is too brief to give either readings for it. Yuno notices Nazuna staring down from behind a curtain, prompting a series of hearts to appear followed by Yuno calling attention to her, at which point Nazuna hangs her head in shame and once again hides herself. Though Nazuna’s furtive observation could be indicative of admiration for Yuno, it could also be caused by her inability to communicate directly with Yuno; one is a high-yuri explanation and one is a low-yuri explanation, neither of which is supported more than the other by her embarrassment at being caught, so Nazuna ends with 2 while Yuno gets 1 for noticing her and calling for her in a primarily non-yuri manner. The others stay at 0.
Scene 6: 04:13 - 04:41
C: Yu, Mi, Sa, No
Yuno, Miyako, Sae, and Nori continue to talk. A smiling Miyako leans over her railing to look for Nazuna, conveying a desire to see her that’s strong enough to raise her to a 2. Other than that, there is no noticeable yuri in this scene, and the others stay at 0.
Scene 7: 04:41 - 04:52
C: Yu, Hi, No
Hiro sleeps. She is smiling, conveying that she is having happy dreams; her whispered murmur of “Sae...” indicates that these dreams are about Sae (and, given the nature of dreams, likely include herself), but since Sae is not in the scene and is not heard speaking before Hiro says this, the dream must have started beforehand. Nothing is given about the specific content of the dreams, but Hiro’s total contentment and peace associated with her thoughts of Sae convey that it’s a very warm dream, and Hiro gets a 4 for this show of affection. Yuno and Nori, meanwhile, talk about the proximity of Hidamari Apartments to Yamabuki, which doesn’t really suggest yuri and leaves them both at 0.
Scene 8: 05:51 - 06:13
C: Yo
Yoshinoya introduces herself to the students. Her attempt to expose herself to the students again doesn’t give her yurilevels since she is being lewd in front of a mixed-gender group, so she ends with 0.
Scene 9: 06:17 - 06:47
C: Yu, Mi, No
Yuno and Miyako walk down the wrong hallway. They are pleased that the teachers haven’t changed in personality from the previous year, essentially giving their tacit approval to Yoshinoya’s lewdness and suggesting they accept or even enjoy it. They then run into Nori, having entered the first-year hallway by force of habit. Nori is surprised to see them and is confused as to why they would look for her, a suspicion that holds her yurilevel readings down. Yuno tries to cover up the slip of mind by saying they were looking for Nori and asking how she is, though this is an attempt to save face and not a genuine interest in her and as such she is not helped by it. Yuno and Miyako each end with 2, Nori with 0.
Scene 10: 06:47 - 07:16
C: Yu, Mi, Yo
Yoshinoya gives the students their new seating arrangements. The new chart arranges all the boys’ seats in the shape of a heart, a brazen display of heterosexuality that holds Yoshinoya at 0. Yuno and Miyako do nothing of noteworthy yuri and also stay at 0.
Scene 11: 07:21 - 07:46
C: Yu, Mi, Mami and Nakayama
Mami and Nakayama greet Yuno and Miyako. Miyako is happy that she and Yuno can sit close to each other again in the second year and notes that she can pat/smack Yuno’s head from behind her; Yuno is happy to be near Miyako, but reacts poorly to being touched, limiting the yurilevels she can receive from Miyako’s actions so that she ends with 1 while Miyako gets 3. After this, Mami and Nakayama stop by their desk, and Nakayama says hello while Mami waves both of her hands, and this division of tasks between them suggests a group mentality conveying a strong connection between them, giving Mami and Nakayama a 3 overall.
Scene 12: 07:47 - 07:52
C: Nt
Natsume despairs. Her woe stems from not getting to be in the same class as Sae due to the structuring of Yamabuki classes, which would not automatically convey a yuri attachment to her, but her angst is strong enough to bump her up to 3.
Scene 13: 07:53 - 08:11
C: Yo
Yoshinoya continues to be lewd. There is still nothing specifically yuri in her actions, keeping her at 0.
Scene 14: 08:11 - 08:27
C: Yu, Mi
Yuno and Miyako discuss their elective choices. Yuno rests her head on Miyako’s desk to cope with the stress of decision making, slightly suggesting she views Miyako as a source of comfort but since it’s only her desk she only gets a 1. Miyako, who ignores Yuno’s plight to make the conversation about herself, gets a 0.
Scene 15: 08:29 - 08:58
C: Yu, Mi, No, Na
Nori and Nazuna talk about their first impressions of Yamabuki High School. Yuno and Miyako run home from school laughing cheerily on the way, a shared joy that could suggest a close, warm friendship that would moderately increase both’s readings. Nori and Nazuna greet them by saying “welcome home” (おかえりなさい, “okaeri nasai”), to which Yuno and Miyako respond “I’m home” (ただいま, “tadaima”), an association between Hidamari Apartments and home that elicits a comparison between their neighbors and a family and as such conveys a sense of belonging that greatly increases everyone’s readings. Nori says that orientation was surprising and smiles, referring to Yoshinoya’s lewd actions and seemingly approving of them, similarly to Miyako; Nazuna, in contrast, uncomfortably whimpers at the thought, showing her discomfort with female sexuality and diminishing her readings. Yuno defends Yoshinoya’s actions by saying that Yoshinoya cares about her students, and her defense of Yoshinoya raises Yuno to 3, while Miyako and Nori also get 3 and Nazuna only gets 2.
Scene 16: 08:58 - 10:26
C: Yu, Mi, No, Na, La
The Landlady visits to check the state of the apartments. Yuno tries but fails to introduce the Landlady to Nori and Nazuna, an attempt to invoke her role as sempai (elder in school or work) that implies a sense of benevolent authority or guidance over them, giving her a slight increase. The Landlady asks Nori and Nazuna about how their tenancy at Hidamari Apartments is going, including a teasing question about if they’re afraid of their sempai, and they respond to these questions in unison, even occasionally looking at the other and smiling, a clear show of a close and strong connection; their response to the question about their sempai is a quick denial that makes Yuno blush, helping all three from their show of warmness toward each other. Nori and Nazuna end with 4 each, Yuno with 2, the Landlady with 1, and Miyako with 0.
Scene 17: 10:26 - 10:58
C: Yu, Mi, No, Na
Nori asks about clubs at Yamabuki. She asks Yuno and Miyako if either is in a club, which neither one is, and Yuno responds by asking both Nori and Nazuna if they plan to join a club, which both are noncommittal about. Yuno gets a 1 for showing some not especially deep interest in their affairs, while Nori is too self-focused and the others too passive to get above a 0.
Scene 18: 11:00 - 11:12
C: Yu, Mi
Yuno and Miyako part. Nothing noteworthy in this short connecting scene, so both get 0.
Scene 19: 11:12 - 12:25
C: Yu, Sa, Hi
Yuno asks Sae and Hiro about making her elective choices. Asking for their help at all shows she views Sae and Hiro as respectable sources of advice, an admiration that gives her an initial boost and Sae and Hiro minor increases for agreeing to help her. Yuno apologizes to Sae for bothering her while she was working; however, Hiro was already present, suggesting her presence in Sae’s room is normal or expected, conveying a closeness between her and Sae that increases both’s readings. Yuno then asks Sae if she chose planes but looks at Hiro***, and Hiro is the one to confirm it rather than Sae, saying Sae made up her mind quickly, showing a detailed knowledge of Sae’s affairs. Hiro adds that she also chose planes, but explains that it was for reasons not related to Sae also picking planes (namely that she wasn’t good with solids or information), so her selection doesn’t affect her. Throughout the scene, Hiro acts to comfort Yuno, reassuring her that she’s only choosing extra lessons and asking what she wants to choose, an effort to nurture her development that comes off somewhat motherly, increasing her readings so that she and Yuno end with 3 each, and Sae with 2.
Scene 20: 12:25 - 12:34
C: Yu
Yuno walks back to her room. She wonders if Miyako has already decided, showing a wonder at her competency that’s not yuri enough to warrant more than a 1.
Scene 21: 12:34 - 12:56
C: Yu
Yuno worries about how to choose electives. Again she tries to figure out how Miyako is deciding in the hopes it will help her decide, which here conveys something closer to trust or reliance in Miyako, giving her a 2.
Scene 22: 12:56 - 13:04
C: Hi
Hiro worries about the sound from Yuno’s room. Her concern is what Yuno is doing rather than whether it’s hurting her, though monitoring her actions does still suggest a desire for her well-being that gives her a 1.
Scene 23: 13:05 - 13:59
C: Yu
Yuno finds a postcard from her mother. Her sentimental attachment to the postcard is likely an attachment to her family as a whole (the text of the letter mentions that her mother, father, and cat Nyanta all support her), so since there isn’t a postcard from her father to compare to Yuno can’t receive yurilevels here, ending with 0.
Scene 24: 13:59 - 14:21
C: Yu, Mi
Miyako visits Yuno. She enters by shouting “let’s hang out” (遊ぼ, “asobo*”), expressing a spontaneous desire to spend time with Yuno that moderately increases her yurilevels. She also notices that Yuno has remodeled her room, though the differences are substantial enough that it can’t be said to convey yuri in her attention to detail. Yuno laughs giddily from the recognition and tells Miyako she chose planes, so while the incoherent giggling may be a side-effect of her happiness from having reached a decision her eagerness to inform Miyako is still somewhat yuri since it suggests a desire to share her happiness with Miyako. Miyako also leaps into Yuno’s bed, a show of comfort around Yuno’s possessions that additionally raises her readings. She tells Yuno she randomly chose solids, to which Yuno responds with an astonished “wow,” but since astonishment does not equal admiration Yuno is not aided by it. Miyako ends with an overall 3 while Yuno gets 1.
Scene 25: 14:26 - 14:34
C: Yu
Yuno wakes up on the wrong side of the bed**. A slapstick gag with no yuri to discuss.
Scene 26: 14:34 - 14:41
C: Hi
Hiro sleeps further. Here the sound she makes as she sleeps is a contented sigh, but this is not yuri on its own, so she stays at 0.
Scene 27: 14:41 - 14:47
C: Yu, Mi
Yuno and Miyako walk to school. Miyako seems somewhat concerned about Yuno’s visible injuries, giving her a slight increase to end at 1, but Yuno’s vague response holds her at 0.
Scene 28: 14:53 - 15:10
C: Yu
Yuno selects electives in class. She is proud of her self-reliance in being able to decide, but is also thankful to Sae and Hiro for being helpful, a gratitude that raises her to a 1 for the scene.
Scene 29: 15:19 - 16:57
C: Yu, Sa
Yuno and Sae meet at the bookstore. Sae is the first to notice her, but this is partly because Yuno is preoccupied putting books back and since it can’t be determined whether Yuno would notice Sae if she was not busy, Sae does not get an increase here. Yuno remembers that Sae has a story published that day, an attention to Sae’s accomplishments that earns minor readings which are accentuated by her asking a bookstore employee to find a copy, giving her a 2 overall. Sae, meanwhile, ends at 0.
Scene 30: 17:00 - 17:09
C: Nt
Natsume excitedly rides the train home. She cheerily peeks at her bagged issue of “Kirara Monthly” (shown previously to be the magazine Sae’s stories are published in) and tells herself she has to wait until she gets home before reading it. Her excitement is almost certainly from getting to read Sae’s piece, but it could also be an enjoyment of good literature (Sae is implied to be at least somewhat talented), so yurilevels in this scene come from her desire to support Sae, which gives her a 3.
Scene 31: 17:09 - 19:58
C: Yu, Sa
Yuno and Sae drink together. Sae is the one to offer getting drinks, and throughout the scene generally tries to seem respectable and mature to Yuno, ordering her coffee black, pretending she visits high-end cafes regularly, and telling Yuno not to force herself to drink her espresso. This display is later revealed to be mostly false, and wanting Yuno to look up to her gives her a significant increase. Yuno falls for it, telling Sae outright that she’s mature, a compliment that makes Sae delighted. Sae’s facade falters when she begins to talk about her dilemmas concerning choosing post-high school education, an openness that shows she has a high intimacy with Yuno, giving her further readings. Upon hearing her troubles, Yuno tells her not to worry and tries to advise her, a show of support that raises Yuno to 2 for the scene, while Sae’s desire to appear favorable to Yuno is strong enough to give her a 4.
Scene 32: 19:59 - 20:13
C: Yu, Sa
Yuno and Sae return to Hidamari and see a mysterious figure. Yuno thanks Sae for the drinks and Sae reciprocates, though this could easily be a polite response to being treated to drinks, so neither gets readings here for it. The woman departing school makes Yuno intrigued, and Sae appears similarly curious in her attempt to rationalize it, giving them each a 1 for their desire to know more about her.
Scene 33: 20:15 - 20:46
C: Yu, Mi
Yuno talks about her date with Sae. She sees parallels between her and Sae to an extent, and notes in the absence of one of Yuno’s negative aspects a positive one of Sae, an admiration for her that helps her readings. Miyako says that Sae’s ability to know what she wants is to be expected of her as a sempai, which is more respect than admiration and does not give her as great a bump as it does Yuno. Later, Miyako’s statements about her carefree approach to life cause Yuno to sparkle and tell Miyako she’s amazing, again displaying admiration and giving her a 3 overall while Miyako only gets 1.
Scene 34: 20:47 - 21:37
C: Sa, Hi
Sae confesses her vulnerabilities. She admits that she lied to Yuno in order to seem mature, specifically saying she tried to act like a “big sister” (お姉さん, “oneesan”), again evoking a familial closeness with Yuno. Her lament that she ended up seeming pathetic is immediately and strongly denied by Hiro, who tells her it isn’t pathetic to be worried about her future decisions, and Hiro’s insistence that Sae isn’t pathetic could be partly out of a desire not to see Sae as pathetic, suggesting a very positive view of Sae in her mind. She then goes to make coffee, already knowing that Sae wants two lumps of sugar and cream, even calling it the usual, showing she and Sae drink coffee together regularly. While she’s up, Sae notices that Hiro has purchased the issue of “Kirara Monthly” that Sae’s story appears in, which is followed by a shot of Hiro surrounded by a white haze. This is implied to be Sae’s perspective, so it’s Sae that is seeing Hiro in a bright, almost heavenly view, conveying strong gratitude and affection toward Hiro for purchasing the magazine. Sae also blushes and is forced to cover her face with a book, an embarrassment that can safely be considered yuri in nature. Both end with 4.
Scene 35: 21:43 - 22:08
C: Yu
Yuno cleans a strange taste out of her mouth. Again she wonders if she’s becoming grown up, but this is not implied to be a yuri-related issue, so she ends at 0.
Final Yurilevel Readings: (both Aokis and Umes are out of 4):
Episode: 1.5322A
Characters:
- Hiro: 3.161U
- Natsume: 3.000U
Mami and Nakayama: 3.000U - Nazuna: 2.670U
- Sae: 2.200U
- Nori: 2.114U
- Yuno: 1.435U
- Miyako: 1.041U
- Landlady: 1.000U
- Yoshinoya: 0.000U
Another very high yuri episode with more phenomenal individual character readings, which seems to be becoming the norm for this season. Despite taking up much less of the episode than the first half (about 400 seconds out of over 1100), Part B contributed more yurilevels, primarily from the fairly long and yuri Scene 31, which raised Sae and Yuno’s readings but not enough to place especially high in the rankings. Nearly every character in the top half (with the exception of Sae) appeared for less than 200 seconds, a low scene time that led to their high readings being significantly weighted; this is especially noticeable for Hiro, who ended with another reading above 3.0 Umes while having a scene time of only 149 seconds. Nori and Nazuna continue to post very strong readings, though I’m surprised Nazuna is consistently ranking higher than Nori given that, later, Nori tends to be the more flirtatious and teasing one. It’s likely her character hasn’t been fully developed yet and that once she and Nazuna are firmly established Nori will perform better, though the ease with which Nazuna can be nurtured and cared for could keep her on top for some time.
Further analysis will continue with Hidamari Sketch xHoshimittsu 04.
*: The kanji 遊 literally means “play” and is usually conjugated in the infinitive as 遊ぶ (“asobu”). The ending “-ぼ” (“-bo”) is the volitional form, which is used to express intention. In context “let’s hang out” is a valid translation, but given Miyako’s impish carefree nature the more literal “let’s play” would also be acceptable.
**: Jokes aside, seeing Yuno in pain is always a distressing experience.
***: The Japanese here is unclear and could be directed either at Sae or Hiro. Asking Hiro would still show that Hiro is interpreted to be on top of Sae’s affairs, which would give her equivalent readings to her answering for Sae, so it doesn’t have a significant effect on her yurilevels.
Corrections:
8/24/13: Yamabuki High School was initially mislabed as "Yamabuki Academy." The name has been corrected.
