Hanami Review | Better Than Samurai or Just a Pretty Upgrade?

About Hanami, from BoardGameGeek:

Pack your bento box, grab your picnic blanket, and find the perfect spot under the treetops. The sakura blossoms are in full bloom and people from all over are gathered in the park for Hanami (or “flower viewing”) a centuries-old Japanese springtime tradition. In Hanami, you'll be picnicking in parks all across Japan and Tokyo city in the springtime, fighting the crowds to celebrate the floral spectacle. Players will place their tiles out to reserve spots near the various activities found there. Each tile represents a picnic blanket set out by a member of your group to claim a spot in the park. Tiles indicate the strength of your group (the number of pips on the tile), and the favored activity of the group (viewing sakura, eating onigiri, or an evening under the lanterns). You'll collect Activity Tokens once they're surrounded by Player Tiles, if your tiles have a higher strength than any other player's. Earn Victory Tokens at the end of the game for each activity by having the most of the corresponding Activity Token. Earn the most Victory Tokens to win Hanami! Hanami is a new reimagining of the classic game Samurai, designed by Dr. Reiner Knizia. This updated game tells a new story: One of relaxing picnic lunches among the cherry blossoms and paper lanterns of Tokyo city parks or the lush countryside of Japan. It brings new strategies and two distinct ways to play: The Japan map allows players to enjoy the classic Samurai ruleset, and the Tokyo setup gives players new challenges, new abilities, and new tiles. -description from the publisher