Hanazuki is the YouTube-published cartoon from Hasbro that features their rising star, Hanazuki. She might look like many other cute girl heroes but she is actually quite different. Hanazuki, both the show and the character, focus on being able to understand and work with a wide range of emotions — not just the easy ones like fun or happy, but sad and angry too.
The show has been out for a while but this month the app was released. We had early access to the toys that support the app and the show. Along with being a collectible toy-line, the Hanazuki range can all be scanned into the app to unlock characters like Skylanders.
This is a simpler game, of course, aimed at a younger demographic, but the collecting instinct is the same. In addition to the general toys (small plastic mini-characters and plush dolls) there is a Moodgleam smart-band. This connects to the app vie bluetooth and lights up different colors depending on what mood the character is in.
You can attach the collectible characters to the watch to change the current emotion of the game world — unlocking bonuses and gaining boosts. The watch is also used to extend the experience of the app by flashing different colors to highlight action on the screen — not unlike a Dualshock 4, actually.
The show itself will be getting more Hanazuki episodes on YouTube (also in the app) on May 19th. There has also been a second season confirmed for 2018.
