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Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs Episode 1 – Quick Summary
In Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs Episode 1, “The Yuragi Inn’s Yuuna,” Kogarashi Fuyuzora is a spirit medium who’s in financial distress. He thought he’d found the bargain of his life when he saw the price of a room at the Yuragi Inn. Even the rumor of it being haunted didn’t bother him. He was adept at sending spirits on to the next life! But he wasn’t expecting the ghost to be Yuuna. And he didn’t expect to meet her naked in the baths. Is it really a good idea for him to stay at that inn, regardless of the low rental rate?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs Episode 1
Kogarashi is serious about protecting older folks! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
When we first meet Kogarashi, we’re not sure just what kind of guy he is. Sure, he seems nice a nice young man. He carries himself with confidence, but not arrogance. He seems capable without being overbearing. But it’s hard to really get a sense of who he is.
The show wastes no time in cluing us in. It’s nighttime. A panicked elderly couple approaches a man who’s apparently shutting down his food cart for the night. They ask if he saw a woman with a completely smooth face. You get a sense something’s off – the guy won’t turn around. And when he does, he has a smooth face!
Which terrifles the elderly couple, of course.
Before the smooth-faced supernatural creature can get too close to them, Kogarashi leaps in and punches him as he cries out (02:55), “Don’t threaten the elderly!”
He sounded quite put out about it, too!
And just like that, we know that Kogarashi is the kind of guy who, without hesitation, stands up for the elderly. I like that in a protagonist.
Favorite Moment from Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs Episode 1
No one had just listened to her before. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
Setup: An Ecchi Comedy, for Those Who Celebrate
Last year, I read The Otaku Author’s reviews of the manga version of Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs. Here’s his review of the first volume. I remember thinking, “Oh, yeah! I remember watching the anime! It was a blast!” Since then, I’ve been waiting for an opportunity to review it. I figured it’d make a great, upbeat followup to my throwback review of Freezing.
Here’s a word of warning: if ecchi humor isn’t your thing, these reviews won’t be, either. I get it if this is something that bothers you, and I respect that. I also respect it if you enjoy this sort of thing, especially since I certainly do! So if you like ecchi humor with some heart, let’s hang out and enjoy this series.
I mentioned in my favorite quote that we had a solid handle on Kogarashi early on. He protected the elderly. Soon afterward, he arrives at the inn, confident that he can get a cheap room and deal with the ghost who’s haunting it.
It had to be super annoying to have to bathe in cold rivers or waterfalls. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
We also found out that he’s not been doing well financially when he looks at one of the hot springs and says (04:11), “No more rivers or waterfalls! My first hot bath in a month!”
So he’s a nice guy and he’s down on his luck. Talk about a sympathetic character! But we get one more detail when Yuuna shows up to take her own bath. She’s a ghost. She’s used to no one being able to see her. So, she drops her robe and gets into the water.Kogarashi realizes something. He might be in trouble, because, as he says (05:57), “I can’t punch a woman.” I’m pretty sure Kazuma Satou would have something to say about that!
Delivery: Strength with Heart
The thing about ghosts is that they can’t move onto the after life if they have regrets. And if they stick around our dimension too long, they turn evil. Kogarashi doesn’t want to turn her evil. He doesn’t want to punch her. So, he decides to do something decent: he decides to treat her well.
That night, when they settle down to sleep (because, of course, the landlady gave Nakai Chitose gave him the room that Yuuna haunts!), he just chats with her. Everyone she’d met before either ignored her (which is what I assume of the guests in the inn now) or were terrified of her.
It was a little awkward, but that made it endearing. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.
My favorite moment is how she reacted. Apparently, his casual kindness touched her deeply. “I’m happy that you came here, Kogarashi-san,” she said with happy tears in her eyes (13:24). “Because you aren’t afraid of me at all. This is the first time I’ve been able to talk with someone like this in this room. That’s why I’m happy.”
This show stuck with me all these years (it aired first in 2018) because of scenes like that. Sure, it annoyed me how Sagiri Ameno treated him the first time she saw him. But scenes like this one speak to me. I’m from an age where male strength carried a responsibility to do good – protect the weak, comfort those in need, that sort of thing. And yes, that meant saving the damsel in distress, if she wanted saving. Maybe it’s quaint. And the trope’s been over done. But I think this show struck the right note.
What did you think of Kogarashi’s reaction to a monk trying to force Yuuna to ascend? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs Episode 1: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: [Spoilers] Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san – Episode 1 Discussion
- My Anime List (must be logged in to view: Yuragi-sou no Yuuna-san Episode 1 Discussion
Ecchi is weird. I find ecchi shows fine enough, like some, don’t like others. The biggest problem with ecchi comes when it’s toned down elements in non-ecchi shows (such as Tamaki in Fire Force, which is a currently relevant example). If the entire show is centered around it, the problem goes away. There a shows I like (this one, Monster Musume), and shows I don’t (High School DxD, Testament of New Sister Devil). And then there are shows I’d rather forget, like Seikon no Qwaser… Finally, there I shows I can never make up my mind about (Sora no Otoshimono).
For me, lines like “I can’t punch a woman,” are mild turn-offs, actually. You should (prescriptice “should”) only punch people as a last resort, and when it comes to last resorts, gender should (predictive “should”) usually not matter. (I guess, punching each other can be a way of male bonding, but it’s a rather alien ritual to me.) But I’m also used to that line, so it’s not a big deal, and our protagonist is a very likable person. All in all, I really like the cast in this one.
I have a similar reaction to ecchi series. I like Fire Force, but it’s in spite of what it does with Tamaki.
I can attest that it’s possible to forget Qwaser. There are times I go weeks without thinking about it! Those are good weeks…
Someday, I’m going to review Sekirei. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I’ll be interested to see if you have an opinion about it.
As soon as Kogarashi said he couldn’t punch a woman, I thought of Kazuma! He’d have something to say about it. In this show, it worked for me because it was a demonstration of the character, not a throwaway line used just for humor. That’s a thin reason, but it worked for me.
I’ve never understood the whole punching-as-communication thing, either. Though I guess it is. Some bar fights are just to blow off steam, which seems really weird to me. There are more productive (and less life-threatening) ways to do it. I mean, traumatic brain injury is a thing! Beer bottles and skulls just don’t get along well.
I’ve been planning a rewatch ever since I finished the manga. Loves it the first time I watched it. I wonder how it will hold up after reading the manga. Kogarashi is such a stand up guy. He’s not clueless and he’s not a jerk. The bar is remarkably low for ecchi harem protagonists… lol!
Your manga reviews reminded me I wanted to rewatch this, so thanks for that! And yeah, Kogarashi helps make this enjoyable. Maybe the bar’s low, but it’s a lot of fun when a series clears it!