Toilet-bound Hanako-kun Is Underrated
I’m not going to lie, Toilet-bound Hanako-kun is one of my favorite anime series of all time.
Plot
Besides the lovable characters and the adorable Mokke, I find it such a heartfelt story. I love the mix of supernatural elements with comedic moments sprinkled throughout. In season two, we meet more of the Seven Wonders of Kamome Academy. When Nene Yashiro finds out that time has been mysteriously altered, Nene, Hanako, Aoi Akane, and Kou Minamoto go searching for the perpetrator. The culprit is the first wonder, the Clock Keepers.
There’s a surprising revelation that Aoi Akane is actually one of the Clock Keepers. Mirai, the Clock Keeper, who can speed up time, is the one messing around with the school by turning the students into old people. Hanako warns Kou Minamoto to keep Nene away from her, but Kou doesn’t understand why. Unfortunately, he finds out the hard way. While everyone who Mirai touches turns old, Nene doesn’t age when she touches her. She passes out.
The reason? Hanako reveals that Nene is destined to die in one year. They decide to keep it a secret from her to protect the truth. Heartbroken by the news, Kou Minamoto becomes determined to save Nene even though Hanako insists her death is unavoidable.
Things escalate when Nene Yashiro and Kou Minamoto find themselves trapped in a fake world created by the fourth wonder, Shijima. Inside, the two of them encounter Hanako and Sosuke Mitsuba, who both want to keep them there for their own reasons.
While Hanako wants to prevent Nene from dying, Mitsuba wants to live happily with Kou as a student again. As Nene searches for a way back, she finds out about her death, the secret everyone’s been keeping from her. Despite knowing her time is limited, she chooses to return to the real world instead of living in ignorant bliss. Having to get past Hanako to escape, he finally gives in, respecting her wish to face reality.
Before Shijima destroys the painting for good, she advises Nene to find Kako, the oldest Clock Keeper who has been around the longest. Maybe, just maybe, he’ll be able to prevent Nene’s fate.
One of my favorite moments in this season is when Nene, Hanako, and Kou attend a festival together. Nene travels back in time and meets young Hanako who was still a human back then and was known as Yugi Amane.
Characters
In season two of Toilet-bound Hanako, Nene Yashiro goes from a girl with a goal to get a boyfriend to someone who understands the true value of life. After hearing about her impending death, she decides to live it up and prevent her death in any way possible.
Despite Nene’s initial fear of leaving Shijima’s fake world, her bravery shines through. Even though she could’ve stayed in the illusion and lived happily ever after with Yugi Amane (Hanako) while he was still human, she decides to return to reality where he’s an apparition and she’ll either die or continue to age while he remains a ghost.
As the story unfolds, Nene begins to realize her feelings for Hanako and even confess them. Meanwhile, Hanako distances himself emotionally, probably because he doesn’t want to get hurt or doesn’t want her to suffer. Or both. More than anything, he wants her to keep living, even if he believes it's impossible. Nevertheless, his soft spot for Nene shows when he gives in and lets her out of the world she’s trapped in. They share an adorable moment when Nene kisses Hanako on the cheek and he tries to play it cool (even though he’s totally flustered).
Kou Minamoto plays a bigger role in season two than he did in season one. He grows closer to Nene and cares about her a lot. After finding out about her death, he becomes determined to prevent it.
I can’t tell if his feelings for her are platonic or romantic. To me, it looks like Kou has a crush on her. If Nene survives (fingers crossed), I think she’ll end up with Kou since Hanako is an apparition after all. What do you think?
Themes
This season leans into some heavy themes, especially death. When Nene finds out that she’s going to die, she has two options: stay in the make-believe world and live in ignorant bliss, or return to her reality and live the time she has left to the fullest.
I love that the anime explores this because I think it’s something we all think about. No one knows how much time they have, so it makes you reflect on how you’re spending yours.
Animation
Personally, I think Toilet-bound Hanako-kun has stunning animation. The character designs are really unique and fitting to their personalities. Also, the colors pop in every scene. When they get dropped into Shijima’s painting, the anime takes worldbuilding to another level. Shijima’s castle is like something out of a Studio Ghibli movie—super detailed, whimsical, and magical, kind of like Howl’s Moving Castle.
Not only is the outside huge, but she has tons of paintings inside and we even take a look into her past when Shijima and Nene are dropped into the hospital room. Studio Lerche did a lovely job with the animation and really brought Shijima’s world to life. There’s even a part where Hanako locks Nene in a dungeon and Tsukasa, Hanako's problematic brother, teleports Nene and Shijima out of thin air.
Conclusion
Overall, the second season of Toilet-bound Hanako-kun exceeded my expectations. Nene’s impending death really raises the stakes and it’s interesting to see how each person reacts to the news. The worldbuilding goes deeper and the emotions hit harder.
For anime fans who like supernatural anime, add Toilet-bound Hanako-kun to your watchlist. Yes, yes, I know the title sounds strange. But seriously. It’s worth the watch. Check it out before the last four episodes of the season air this July. You won’t regret it.
They did an amazing job with Toilet Bound season 2
I honestly didn’t think I’d come across my favorite anime being described this well—this was so good! You really did it justice. I LOVE YOU