Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs

Episode 3

Given that the setting of Yuragi Inn is too limiting to base a full series on, you had to figure that the series would eventually branch out to additional locales. Given the protagonist's age, a high school seemed the most logical choice for an alternative venue, so that's exactly where the action moves to initially, though Kogarashi ends up in several other places too. The surprising thing is that Yuuna seems freely able to accompany him.

Actually that probably shouldn't be surprising, given that opportunities for shenanigans would be vastly more limited if Yuuna couldn't leave the inn at all. I was pleased to at least get an explanation for this; Yuuna explains that she was originally bound to the inn's confines but over time has learned how to overcome that restriction. Yeah, that logic flies in the face of traditional lore about ghosts, but Yuuna seems to be a special case. I'm now curious to see if that implies anything else about her unusual nature. The revelation that her yukata is actually part of her spiritual body and can be changed into other clothing at will is also interesting, raising the question of what it says about her that she's often disheveled or exposing herself.

The school scene also allows the introduction of another character: Chisaki Miyazaki, who's basically Kogarashi's class idol. This wouldn't be a harem comedy if Kogarashi didn't accidentally end up in compromising positions with her and get slugged for it, but her need for an exorcism allows them to make a connection after Kogarashi (perhaps unwisely) decides to be frank about his abilities during class introductions. I was a little surprised to see that the culprit turned out to be a raccoon spirit, but the reason she was interested in Chisaki couldn't be more appropriate for this series. Chisaki has a big rack, which the fox girl has somehow concluded is necessary for passing in the human world. Her fascination with big breasts means she fits in just fine when Kogarashi takes her back to Yuragi Inn.

In other words, even though the series has every bit the feel of a classic harem romcom, it's already showing an inclination to be inventive with its fanservice. This episode certainly doesn't shirk on delivering cheesecake, opening on sexy shots of Yuuna and continuing in this vein throughout its runtime. Chisaki also makes a good addition as a potential romantic rival to Yuuna who's unable to perceive her – priming the trio for all sorts of pratfalls. That potential rivalry also opens the door for more serious contemplation of getting too attached to a ghost when human options are available (not unlike Dusk maiden of Amnesia), but I'll be rather surprised if the series takes the time to get that serious. For now, it's doing what it must to fill its particular anime niche, and you can't expect much more than that.

Rating: B

Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.