Zoku Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru (2018) — Story, Release Date, Rating

Synopsis:

Set against the backdrop of a modern city subtly interwoven with ancient mythology, this series continues the story of the Touken Danshi – sentient sword spirits who reside in a shared apartment. Following the events of the previous installment, the narrative explores their evolving relationships and daily lives as they navigate the challenges of existing in the human world. The focus shifts to exploring individual character arcs and the complexities of belonging, examining how these historical figures grapple with contemporary issues while maintaining their unique identities. Expect quiet moments of camaraderie alongside explorations of nostalgia and purpose. The series offers a gentle blend of slice-of-life elements with subtle fantastical undertones, inviting viewers into a world where history and modern life gently collide.

Trailer:

Streaming Platforms:

Crunchyroll

Episodes:

Episode 1: January - I Must Become Stronger
Episode 2: February - I wish tomorrow will be a good day, too
Episode 3: March - I Will Not Lose!
Episode 4: April - Because You're Our Comrade in This Citadel
Episode 5: May - What I Can Do Because I'm Me
... and 7 more episodes

Characters:

Kiyomitsu, Kashuu (Main) - Voice Actors: Masuda, Toshiki, Storms, Garret
Yasusada, Yamatonokami (Main) - Voice Actors: Ichiki, Mitsuhiro, Reid, Dallas
Aoe, Nikkari (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Majima, Junji, Gemaehlich, Robert
Fudou, Yukimitsu (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Sakaguchi, Daisuke, Igneczi, Kyle
Gokotai (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kasuya, Yuuta, Clark, Leah
Hasebe, Heshikiri (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Shingaki, Tarusuke, Roberts, Aaron
Higekiri (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Hanae, Natsuki, Shipman, Matt
Hitofuri, Ichigo (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Tamaru, Atsushi, Grelle, Jessie James
Hizamaru (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Okamoto, Nobuhiko, Wehkamp, Christopher
Hotarumaru (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Iguchi, Yuuichi, Bennett, Dawn M.
Imanotsurugi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yamashita, Daiki, Munoz, Anastasia
Ishikirimaru (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Takahashi, Hidenori, Duncan, Justin
Iwatooshi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Miyashita, Eiji, Ferguson, Ian
Jiroutachi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Miyashita, Eiji, Pearlman, Randy
Kanesada, Kasen (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Ishikawa, Kaito, Seung, Oscar
Kanesada, Izuminokami (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kimura, Ryouhei, McCollum, Robert
Kogarasumaru (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Hoshi, Souichirou, Ayres, Greg
Kogitsunemaru (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kondo, Takashi, Huber, Chuck
Konnosuke (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Shin, Yuuki, Strait, Sonny
Kotetsu, Hachisuka (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Okitsu, Kazuyuki, Sinclair, Ian
Kotetsu, Urashima (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Fukushima, Jun, Sanders, Stephen
Kotetsu, Nagasone (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Shingaki, Tarusuke, Sabat, Christopher
Kunihiro, Horikawa (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Enoki, Junya, Pate, Justin
Kunihiro, Yamabushi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Sakurai, Tooru, Massey, Bryan
Kunihiro, Yamanbagiri (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Maeno, Tomoaki, Chapin, Clifford
Kuninaga, Tsurumaru (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Saitou, Souma, Fajardo, Ricco
Kunitoshi, Aizen (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yamashita, Seiichirou, Bowling, Anthony
Kuniyuki, Akashi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Asari, Ryouta, Solusod, Micah
Masakuni, Doudanuki (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Sakurai, Tooru, George, Cris
Mitsutada, Shokudaikiri (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Satou, Takuya, Stimac, Marcus D.
Mitsuyo, Oodenta (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Namikawa, Daisuke, Walker, Tyler
Munechika, Mikazuki (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Toriumi, Kousuke, Mignogna, Vic
Muramasa, Sengo (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Suwabe, Junichi, Wald, David
Nakigitsune (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Asanuma, Shintaro, Viktorin, Alison
Nihongou (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Tsuda, Kenjirou, Rager, Chris
Ookanehira (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Ono, Yuuki, Inman, Jeremy
Ookurikara (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Furukawa, Makoto, Ryan, Chris
Otegine (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Hamada, Kenji, Greene, Jarrod
Sadamune, Monoyoshi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Ono, Kensho, Yu, Apphia
Sadamune, Kikkou (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Yamanaka, Masahiro, Wang, Howard
Sadamune, Taikogane (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Takahashi, Kouji, Saab, Alejandro
Samonji, Souza (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Tai, Yuuki, Tatum, J. Michael
Samonji, Sayo (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Murase, Ayumu, Berry, Morgan
Samonji, Kousetsu (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Satou, Takuya, McNamara, Blake
Sendai Konnosuke (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Tobita, Nobuo, Strait, Sonny
Shishiou (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Oosaka, Ryouta, Shepard, Blake
Sohayanotsurugi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Asari, Ryouta, Phillips, Kyle
Taroutachi (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Williams, Kent, Tai, Yuuki
Tonbokiri (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Sakurai, Tooru, Guerrero, Chris
Toushirou, Hirano (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Briner, Justin, Asari, Ryouta
Toushirou, Honebami (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Suzuki, Yuto, Mills, Daman
Toushirou, Namazuo (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Saitou, Souma, Robinson, Rachel
Toushirou, Gotou (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Murata, Taishi, Fu, Stephen
Toushirou, Shinano (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Kobayashi, Yuusuke, Burnett, Chris
Toushirou, Houchou (Supporting) - Voice Actors: Miyata, Kouki, Shipman, Megan
... and 9 more characters

Staff:

Cook, Justin (Producer)
Kamata, Hajime (Producer)
Kohama, Takumi (Producer)
Usa, Yoshiki (Producer)
Herek, Samantha (Assistant Producer)
Koshida, Tomoaki (Director)
Sasaki, Sumito (Episode Director)
Shirahata, Yoshiyuki (Episode Director, Storyboard)
Asari, Ryouta (Theme Song Performance)
Fukushima, Jun (Theme Song Performance)
Furukawa, Makoto (Theme Song Performance)
Hanae, Natsuki (Theme Song Performance)
Hoshi, Souichirou (Theme Song Performance)
Ichiki, Mitsuhiro (Theme Song Performance)
Irie, Reona (Theme Song Performance)
Kasuya, Yuuta (Theme Song Performance)
Kobayashi, Yuusuke (Theme Song Performance)
Maeno, Tomoaki (Theme Song Performance)
Masuda, Toshiki (Theme Song Performance)
Miyashita, Eiji (Theme Song Performance)
Miyata, Kouki (Theme Song Performance)
Murase, Ayumu (Theme Song Performance)
Murata, Taishi (Theme Song Performance)
Namikawa, Daisuke (Theme Song Performance)
Okamoto, Nobuhiko (Theme Song Performance)
Okitsu, Kazuyuki (Theme Song Performance)
Oosaka, Ryouta (Theme Song Performance)
Oosuka, Jun (Theme Song Performance)
Saitou, Souma (Theme Song Performance)
Satou, Takuya (Theme Song Performance)
Shingaki, Tarusuke (Theme Song Performance)
Suwabe, Junichi (Theme Song Performance)
Suzuki, Yuto (Theme Song Performance)
Tai, Yuuki (Theme Song Performance)
Takahashi, Kouji (Theme Song Performance)
Takizawa, Akira (Theme Song Lyrics, Theme Song Composition, Theme Song Arrangement)
Tamaru, Atsushi (Theme Song Performance)
Yamada, Tomokazu (Theme Song Composition)
Yamamoto, Kazutomi (Theme Song Performance)
Yamanaka, Masahiro (Theme Song Performance)
Yamashita, Seiichirou (Theme Song Performance)
Yamashita, Daiki (Theme Song Performance)
Yamaya, Yoshitaka (Theme Song Performance)
Digitarou (Chief Producer)
Fukunaga, Gen (Executive Producer)
Hawkinson, Peter (Recording Engineer)
Kawai, Kenji (Music)
Kikunaga, Chisato (Chief Animation Director)
Koga, Miyuki (Animation Director, Chief Animation Director)
Kurihara, Yuu (Chief Animation Director)
... and 6 more staff

Reviews:

User Skejven (Score: 8/10):
Second season of Hanamaru delivers probably everything you could expect from a sequel to the first season. More Japanese swords and polearms transformed into either cute or handsome B O I S and their wholesome slice of life type adventures. Getting to the point, if you're a fan of either Touken Ranbu, or just the TR anime, it's a must watch. Art style is pretty generic, but it's still enjoyable to look at, animation is fluid and overall it's doing it's job. Can't seem to recall any music that stood out other than the opening. Moving from the audiovisual stuff, lets talk about the most important aspect ofthis series. Characters. If you're looking for psychological anime with a lot of character development and moral questions, you won't find it here. And that's good. Those are really straightforward characters and I need to say, it's hard to dislike any of them, especially if you played the TR game. In this show you will find a lot of lighthearted, heartwarming situations, some small dramas here and there with a lot of comedy thrown into it. nJust seeing your favourite swords (or naginatas or yari or whatever) in the action really gives you a big smile on your face. nnSo if you're looking for a wholesome show about really likable male characters, their lifes, interactions between them, struggles and histories, you should give Zoku a go!
User 4561236 (Score: 7/10):
Where Touken Ranbu Hanamaru fell short, It's sequel made sure to make up for it in ways I honestly did not expect from this kind of slice of life series. A common issue with the previous season that is a MASSIVE improvement on Zoku, is the fact that now we do actually get time to see the rest of the huge cast do their daily activities or just be silly dudes doing silly stuff when not having action packed scenes. Speaking of those scenes, I was pleasantly surprised to see an improvement in there as well. While the animation itself is on the cheap side, theanimators knew how make good action with the available tools. Which, again, is nice for a series that is not mainly about the fighting.nnCharacter wise I would say It stayed truthful to the source material to the point It was hilarious in my opinion. nnMusic was the same as the art, honestly. Nothing bad, nothing particularly impressive either. Just did the job when It needed to be done. Personally some of the handful scenes where the characters start to sing just because weren't really to my liking since I felt It wouldn't make a huge difference whether or not they were there.nnOverall this isn't a extremely complex anime and is clearly aimed at fans of the game or people with a certain level of knowledge on the series as well (I compare It to Fate in that sense. Lots of characters), yet is a nice show to pass the time.

News:

'Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru' Receives Anime Movie Trilogy in 2022 (02/14/2021)
North American Anime & Manga Releases for February (02/04/2019)
Winners of the Newtype Anime Awards 2018 (10/07/2018)
Winter 2018 Simulcast List [Update 1/24] (01/01/2018)
Winter 2018 Preview (12/15/2017)
Recap Movie for 'Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru' Announced (09/27/2017)
PV Collection for Mar 20 - 26 (03/26/2017)
TV Anime 'Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru' Gets Sequel (02/04/2017)

Forum Topics:

External Links:

Related Anime/Manga:

Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru (anime - Prequel)
Toku: Touken Ranbu - Hanamaru - Setsugetsuka (anime - Sequel)
Katsugeki/Touken Ranbu (anime - Alternative Setting)

Genres: Action, Anthropomorphic, Comedy, Fantasy, Historical
Themes: Anthropomorphic, Historical
Studios: Doga Kobo
Producers: DMM.com, Good Smile Company, Marvelous Entertainment, Nitroplus, TOHO animation
Licensors: Funimation
Rating: 7.29 / 10
Rank: #2942
Popularity: #4330
Users Listed: 31,747
Users Scored: 8,857
NSFW: No
Last Updated: 07/01/2024
Aired: January 8, 2018 – March 26, 2018 (Winter)
Type: tv
Source: game
Age Rating: PG 13
Episodes: 12
Broadcast: Monday at 00:00 (JST)

Zoku Touken Ranbu: Hanamaru