Hidamari no Ki

A story set in the mid-1800's about a young doctor who has been trained in Western-style medicine and a young samurai who is trying to live up to the old traditions of his class and culture. The story is actually based upon real people - the doctor, Ryo-an, was Tezuka's great grandfather.

During the Second Year of Ansei (1855) in Edo's Koishigawa are two young men, Manjiro Ibutani and Ryoan Tezuka. Ibutani is a low-ranking samurai who is a gifted swordsman and has a straightforward and strong sense of justice. Tezuka has a more carefree attitude. He has an eye for the ladies, but he is passionate about becoming a doctor. The two opposite characters come of age during the backdrop of the turbulent end of the Tokugawa Period (1600-1868 CE).

(Source: AnimeNfo)

Ibuya, Manjirou Main

Miyamoto, Mitsuru Japanese

Tezuka, Ryoan Main

Yamadera, Kouichi Japanese

Okon Supporting

Matsumoto, Rica Japanese

Kusunoki, Otojirou Supporting

Hiyama, Nobuyuki Japanese

Hotta, Masayoshi Supporting

Sawaki, Ikuya Japanese

Hashimoto, Sanai Supporting

Futamata, Issei Japanese

Taki, Genpaku Supporting

Ogata, Mitsuru Japanese

Tamayaya, Yazaemon Supporting

Masuoka, Hiroshi Japanese

Touko, Fujita Supporting

Tahara, Aruno Japanese

Tatsuzou Supporting

Takase, Akimitsu Japanese

Maruyama, Masao Producer

Tamura, Manabu Producer

Ooshima, Mitsuru Producer

Yamashita, Hiroshi Producer

Reviews

Apr 15, 2025

Teramol

Recommended

Hidamari no Ki, also translated to A Tree in the Sun, is one of the many stories written by the Japanese legend Tezuka Osamu. In the story we see the povs of a doctor and a samurai in the mid 1850s Japan when the times were changing rapidly to bring western ideologies to Japan via the Meiji Restoration, also known as the end of the Shogunate and the samurai era.

I've always loved historical dramas when it comes to anime. This series, like many other great ones, still takes liberties for the sake of a better flowing narrative, but it still has a high amount of ... respect for actual events and it doesn't try to glorify or apologize for the bad stuff either. This gives it a new layer of authenticity that enhances the immersion and makes it believable.

Regarding our main duo, Ryouan the doctor and Manjirou the samurai. They have two very different paths and personalities but their destines are ultimately intertwined. Ryouan is a womanizing lecher but still takes pride in his work in trying to bring the western medicine to Japan in an era where the foreigners were deemed mostly barbaric. And Manjirou is a traditional warrior through and through. Extremely loyal to his retainers and the shogunate, he would toss his life aside from the common good. But most importantly, both of them value their family above all.

While the series had a lot of characters and to tell you the truth, most of them are forgettable, I still very much enjoyed our protagonists. Something about them having some very apparent flaws while clearly still being good people made it easy to root for them. There are times when they are separated from each other quite a bit but whenever they interact I got this warm feeling of brotherly love between them.

And a small gripe regarding the big cast. Most of the girls had very similar designs because of apparel/hairstyles back in that era so sometimes I found myself confused as to who was on the screen until a name was hopefully dropped to make it clear. The men mostly wore the same stuff too but they had much more distinct facial features so this issue didn't exist with them for me.

Now, I have to address my biggest issue with the show that I cannot easily overlook. There is a lot of sexual abuse in the story. And a lot of it is shown too. Obviously women were not all treated very well back then so I would say there is a level of accuracy to it, but I feel like we did not need to see as much of it as we did.

Next I'm going to just fawn over the good stuff for a bit. The politics are amazing. The main interest of conflict in the series is the adaptation of western culture to Japan. We constantly see people from both ends, either opposing or supporting the movement. We also get a pandemic arc that expertly showcases how brutal something like that was back in that time. The battles are mostly smaller scale but whether it was small or big, they were directed well and felt realistic without plot armor.

Speaking of the above, I was very surprised to find out how well the show has aged visually. Madhouse showing once again that they were the kings of early 2000s anime. No cheap stills, ugly CGI, reused footage or panning shots to give you illusion of fake movement. It's all real and raw.

I also wanna talk about the music on the aesthetics topic. It's fully orchestral and incredibly beautiful. Relaxing, thrilling, eerie, tragic are just some of the words I'd use to describe the wide range of emotions it conveys. The piano work is masterfully present. But outside of the OST, the fully instrumental Opening is eerily haunting but the two rock songs we get for the Endings were a terrible fit for the show tonally and this is coming from a rock fan.

At this point, hopefully it was obvious that I adored this show. I find the term pretty cringy but I would truly call it a hidden gem. A show that is criminally underwatched or not known about in general. It sits at just above 5,000 members in MAL at the time of writing this. If this review convinced even a few people to watch it, then my job is done.

Reviewer’s Rating: 9

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Dec 12, 2023

ZephSilver

Recommended

Well-written

The final death throes of the Tokugawa Period as seen through the eyes of a doctor and samurai. Ryoan Tezuka, a well-meaning and occasionally lecherous medical practitioner who's embraced the advancements of Western medicine, and Manjiro Ibutani, a staunch traditionalist indoctrinated in the way of the samurai, whose ascetic lifestyle and approach in upholding Japan's core values are placed in jeopardy as the world continues to march forward without him. A healer of life and one who takes it. A career path whose future prospects can only point towards exponential growth, while the other finds itself in a precarious predicament, where decades of peace have ... not only dulled the blade of its forces but, in the face of the Industrial Revolution, which has not only disrupted the conservatism that defines the ethos of the land but outright threatens to replace it altogether, marks the beginning of the end for many ways of life as it had been known for centuries. It's a showcase of class struggle and personal beliefs set against the weight of a nation in transition; for the land of the rising sun, it would mean the last glimmering light of an old era as it sets to give rise to one better equipped for the uncertainties of the century ahead.

There's a patience and considered approach to Hidamari no Ki that feels last century, where most of its character interactions and narrative development occur at a pace befitting the material it's set in, where the period piece it's covering is made to be equally as important as the way they choose to let it unfurl. An art of storytelling that's mostly lost in the streaming era, where expedience takes precedence. It only makes sense then that this title is all but forgotten. So quaint that for many viewers, it may just be knocking at the door of antiquation. That being said, there's still a good deal that it has to offer, with its softer impressions reminiscent of World Masterpiece Theater content and means of conventional storytelling, which at this point has been mostly phased out to where, in hindsight, feels slightly unconventional when viewed through a modern lens, not only granting it a second wind but making it passively enjoyable, in a lazy Sunday kind of way. I'm not sure you can even market something like this today and expect, with any good reason, that it will be successful; however, that doesn't mean there isn't something here worth discussing. That something is less about what it chose to cover and more about how it does it.

Unlike most historical anime, many of its chronicled events tend to occur at the periphery of our characters' lives or, in some cases, absent from their direct involvement with it, largely due to the fact that these leads aren't major historical figures. There are only a handful of proceedings where they have hands-on involvement. And because it covers so many key incidents that occurred during this time, if someone were unaware of the specifics, it creates a baseline unpredictability with its narrative direction. Unlike narrative fiction, real life is often disorderly, lacking the poetics and theatricality of fictionalized drama. Of course, the show still relies on these storytelling tropes to weave in-between the spaces that are propped up by these significant landmark moments of history, but because these occurrences have already existed and can't be ignored, at best, its author Osamu Tezuka, could only reverse engineer the minutia surrounding each crest and trough of documented happenings. Long story less long, Hidamari no Ki can often be a slice-of-life thr(ch)ill ride.

On top of that, their plausible involvement never extended beyond what their professional placement or personal upbringing would allow. Significant historical events may alter the overall paths of their lives, but the day-to-day conflicts, ambitions, and small victories remain immediate and personal. For Ryoan, that meant dealing with the antipathy of Eastern medical practitioners whose unscrupulous political maneuvering and xenophobic stance towards vaccinations and other Western practices meant his physician father, Ryousen, and other like-minded pro-western medical activists having to navigate the inherent dangers presented by being outspoken at a time when American merchant ships that docked the shores were viewed by many as a corruptive force, threatening the preservation of the country's cultural purity. It also meant witnessing his metamorphosis from a more chipper, womanizing, wayward personality to someone who would acquire far more discipline and commitment to his craft when faced with the realities of his profession and what it means to be a doctor: to hold someone's life in your hands. As for Manjiro, the intrigue of his character arc and involvement with the story, besides the obviousness of cool-ass samurai action, is that, as a viewer, I sympathized with what ultimately drove his character. While both men stood as analogs for the show's themes of inevitable change in the face of stubborn, prideful stagnation, his story was unequivocally the more tragic of the two. His pride in his country and its culture wasn't based on bigotry but on pure intent. He can relate to the average Japanese of that time because he was one of them. As Hidamari no Ki, Tree in the Sun, stood as a metaphor for this long-lasting period of prosperity and pride for one of its most significant eras, Manjiro ostensibly came to represent its last hopes. A dying remnant that kept fighting, clinging on desperately. To preserve an era defined for its economic stability and relative peace for its citizenry. An era often romanticized, but understandably so. As we witness his growth and journey through the military ranks, the unavoidable changing of the guards, as already marked by history, means either surviving by severe compromise to his core beliefs or trying desperately to uphold a way unsustainable in an age of revolution.

This approach ensured that both lead men and their supporting cast remained endearing throughout, a rare, mostly-adult cast at that, which reflected in its sensibilities and handling of the content. Content that was so considered that some of its more impactful instances had little to do with the history around them and more with the quieter, "insignificant" moments, such as a family member passing away from old age or someone making a full recovery from an illness. And because almost all the characters in the series were adults, it opened the door to more meaningful topics. Commentary that's self-critical to its country, in a way many anime would advert from, not because it disparages outdated social customs, but because it presented it in a way normalized for its time. Sexwork accepted as a transactional exchange, like any other part of daily life, yet the glass ceiling placed upon its female participants meant limited career mobility; often, at best, becoming the den mother or, rarer still, head of their own pleasure quarters. The delicate political dance carried out between men with power, often full of pride, and allowed to carry swords—the outcome inevitable. You really feel like you're witnessing the passage of time between real people's lives. And in circumstances where a side character may not be as detailed, their stance is at least documented.

Hidamari no Ki tells a story of a Japan ravished by civil unrest and disease but also pauses and looks around long enough to appreciate the ephemeral beauty that has made the Edo period so iconic in pop culture's lexicon. It feels lived in, and with a steady hand, traces the various characters and locations it brings to life, making for a soothing, bittersweet story of decay. The Tree in the Sun, proud and graceful, comes to an end, but its heritage lives on.

Reviewer’s Rating: 7

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Feb 6, 2022

RKASHYAP621

Recommended

When I chose to watch this anime by reading the synopsis, I was in assumption that this would be a normal anime. But as I started watching, episode by episode I was pulled into the world and emotionally invested with the characters and overall this turned out to be a great show for me.

Story: When we talk about the story of this anime, at the very crux this encompasses history at its setting, from the viewpoint of two main characters of this show, Ibuya Manjirou and Ryouan Tezuka. To be frank the whole story can be summarized with simple words, but the power lies in ... the way they have portrayed the sequences. There were many sequnces throughout the anime which were harsh, rough and also some simple moments which excellently captured my heart. The comical segments in this anime were purely brilliant and natural.

Characters: The main strength in this anime were the characters, the main characters around which the story progresses are Ibuya and Ryouan, who being youngsters were a part of important historical segment and their way of perception, action and reaction are are the combination of their wonderful characterization.

Sound: The magic of this anime is the music design. The anime starts with a peaceful OP which welcomes you into the world and the ED makes sure to bring your mind back to reality, which helps to appreciate the special moments and gives engaging time for you to ponder your thoughts regarding the characters and sequences at the end of each episode. And my most favorite music piece appears time to time in each episode in two cases:
1. At the conclusion of each episode where the narrator sums up the episode at the end just before ED starts.
2. At key emotional moments.
This music piece brought me serenity and made my heart light filled with emotion.

Overall this was a wonderful experience for me to watch Hidamri no Ki and this is a highly recommended to the following people,
1. Who love anime with historical setting.
2. Who love organically developed comic sequences rather than overly exaggerated funny pushovers.
3. Who love to invest time in those anime which exposes you to quirky characters who tuns to be a wonderful human as they grow, which eventually makes you to grow your emotions upon them.
4. Who love light-hearted emotional animes, which encourages you to introspect yourself and appreciate your life.

At the end, Hidamari no Ki is one of the special anime which was highly worth the time I spent with it and I really appreciate the blissful experience I received with it.

Reviewer’s Rating: 10

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	Poll: Hidamari no Ki Episode 25 Discussion Alcoholicide - Sep 16, 2018	8 replies	by CaptainKenshiro »» Jul 9, 2022 10:52 AM
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