Going into Yuuna and the Haunted Hot Springs, I knew exactly what I was signing up for. The title and marketing scream generic fanservice vehicle, and the show definitely delivers on that front. But somehow, it completely won me over and ended up being one of my favorite comfort-food watches in the genre.

What actually sells the whole thing is Kogarashi. I am so chronically exhausted by harem protagonists who spend every episode as a squeamish, screaming, blushing mess stumbling into accidents. Kogarashi is the exact opposite: an absolute chad. He's built like a tank, handles spirits with literal bare-handed brawling, and actually has a backbone. Watching a lead who has agency, isn't totally dense, and calls people out on their nonsense makes the standard harem setup infinitely more tolerable.

Yuuna herself also carries the emotional weight of the show so well. Sure, she’s there for the cute and bubbly ghost gags, but her amnesia and the mystery behind why she can't move on actually give her character real heart. Whenever the show slows down past the constant slapstick, you genuinely just want to protect her. The rest of the Yuragi Inn crew—especially Sagiri and her hilarious chuunibyou ninja act—fill out that chaotic found-family vibe perfectly.

That said, let's not pretend the show is a masterpiece, because the flaws are right out in the open. The fanservice is relentless. Every single ecchi trope in the book is here, and while I don't mind when a series fully commits to its identity, it definitely goes too far sometimes. There were multiple moments where I was actually getting invested in the supernatural lore or a character beat, only for the anime to slam the breaks on for yet another predictable bath-house gag.

The writing is wildly inconsistent, too. The first half leans way too hard into episodic filler, and because it's a standard single-season run, the actual plot regarding Yuuna's past gets crammed into a rushed, abrupt ending that leaves things totally open-ended. Visually, the studio clearly spent the bulk of the budget making sure the fanservice looked polished, while background details and action scenes can occasionally feel a bit stiff.

Is it a deep, groundbreaking supernatural thriller? Absolutely not. But if you walk in expecting a masterclass in classic, unapologetic ecchi comedy with an elite protagonist and a genuinely wholesome found-family atmosphere, it's an absolute blast. Just turn your brain off, skip the high-minded expectations, and enjoy the ride.