#Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (2016) | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

deaddee-anime-brownfanlady · 3 years

Text

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo ShinJuu:Descending stories Series Lookover.

So I know I'm kind of super late to the party on this one here. But I've just recently watched this anime show not too long ago, which is now one of mine personal top favorites anime series of all times in terms of well-done mature layered compelling storytelling. But I just want to add in while also giving my own thoughts on this who's is Shinnosuke “Baby Daddy” thing along with my other thoughts regarding the ending.

Now, I can totally understand also get why that some people or better yet a good number of some fans being seriously gross out or just plain put off from that “part” of the ending regarding the subject of Kikuhiko / Yakumo being Shinnosuke possible biological father by Eisuke. Honestly when it was brought up in conversation within the scene I really wasn't too freaked out or all that bother by it, cause for one thing this is Eisuke were talking about here, I mean the man while he isn't a awful bad character by any means ... but he is highly, super, extremely creeper noisy as hell! Even Yakumo within the manga series mentioned that he can be rude also inappropriately insensitive at times, or that he's got a real bad habit with his search for “knowledge & truth" were he sticks his nose into other people personal matters and business were he most definitely shouldn’t be.

Especially when comes to Yakumo past for that matter. So him coming up with the theory of Yakumo being the possibility of Shinnosuke being made wasn't something I was surprise at nor was I shock at the fact that Konatsu refuses to either deny it or clam it was true or not, which I think fits perfectly within the realistic themes and elements of the story itself. For one thing Yakumo himself has kept a decade long secret of hiding the truth of how Konatsu parents were actually killed and leading mainly him to carry that heavy burden, guilt, pain, grief, shame also blame for so many years all for her sake alone . Because he would rather her hate him for the rest of her life then had her suffer similar to what he's been going through with knowing that she was basically responsible for her own beloved father / parent's death. Konatsu keeping the secret of who is Shinnosuke actual real bio father is to me her basically doing the same thing of what Yakumo did in order to protect her family & keep the peace. I also didn't think it was that controversial or messed up that she mentioned she might had a strong crush on Yakumo during her younger teens years. Which considering her already highly complex, conflicted, damaged emotions regarding Yakumo and how she felt about him growing up & such wasn't something I was too shock at upon watching the anime for the first time ever and seeing their strained contempt-fueled parental / guardian / child relationship.

I think both the anime also the manga makes good cases here and there on Kikuhiko / Yakumo sexuality in terms of him obviously but also subtly not fully being 100% Heterosexual; its shows his lack of sexual interest towards women or the fact that Yakumo is pretty detach from his own sexuality. Showing him refusing to do anything sexual with Miyokichi or not even allowing her to touch him even though he loved her, I think his lack of interest within women could be based on his early childhood growing up and most likely being born in a geisha House probably had to do with it, also within the manga 10th volume extra chapter with Konatsu as a high schooler its pretty much makes it very obvious as well as clear as day that Yakumo was actually truly in love with Sukeroku. Also if a sexual encounter did happen between the two when Konatsu was a young adult, since she did got pregnant with Shinnosuke when she was within her early 20s, don't you think that Sukeroku would've brought it up within the Afterlife? Cause I feel he would hardly not talk about it or not bring up the fact that his super close best friend who took in his daughter and had sex with her later on & not be pissed off about that, I feel that considering how Yakumo is within the series with him holding onto so much deep-ridden guilt & blame over what happen with being unable to save both Sukeroku and Miyokichi and how internally broken he is inside. Don't you think he would feel the same way of some kind of deep guilt or awful shame for having to had sex with Sukeroku daughter who he has raised and take care of for over 10 to 20 years just cause she wanted the Sukeroku bloodline to live on & not died out.

The fact that Matsuda still wanted to keep the truth of how Konatsu parents actually were killed and that both Yota and Eisuke never told her about it even though she might have probably already figure it out, says and adds a lot to the theme of this story . That life can be highly complex, sad, messy, sometimes fucked up, but also that there are some things within Life that are better left unknown also as well as better left unanswered.

Whoever Shinnosuke real biological Dad is, whether its possibly maybe Kikuhiko / Yakumo or probably most likely Oyabun or some other character. I personally feel that at the end of the day it doesn't really truly matter either way, I think that Shinnosuke is basically the symbolic metaphor of three bloodlines coming together as one at the ending. That he is a lovechild of Rakugo but also a lovechild of Kikuhiko, Sukeroku, Miyokichi fused together of what maybe could've been between either one of them if not for tragic events or bad choices or just unfortunate issues. I think that the plot twist in itself adds so much more to that sense of the weird but also sometimes screwed up aspects of actual real Life regarding family secrets and familial dark history and bloodlines. Also I feel that "part" within the final episode shouldn't deter those of a overall well-written, well-developed, mature good storytelling anime that I've seen in a while so far.

38 notes · View notes

latinozevran-archive · 4 years

Text

the amount of sgrs content that insists on reminding me it came out the same year as yuri on ice...

#o #shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu #i lead a sgrs revival just so every piece of content abt it doesnr have to be from 2016 #talk abt things that shouldve had nothing to do with each other and yet...

4 notes · View notes

threecheersforinking · 2 years

Text

top anime i watched in 2021

I already made a post about the top new anime I watched in 2021, but I also wanted to talk about the overall best anime I watched including ones from past years that I just got around to seeing now. Let’s go!

Mob Psycho 100 (2016)

I know I’m super late to this one, but I just recently started watching Mob Psycho 100 and I love it so much. Mob is such an adorable likable protagonist, and the story is proving to be super interesting and unpredictable as well. And it almost goes without saying that the animation is absolutely fantastic.

Bungou Stray Dogs (2016)

I’ve been on the internet so of course I’ve heard of BSD for a couple years now, notably Osamu Dazai and his online fanclub. For whatever reason I finally decided to finally give it a shot, and I couldn’t stop watching. I love all the characters (but specifically Atsushi, he’s my current fave) and all of their special powers were super unique and unlike anything I’ve seen in superpower-like media before.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (2016)

I’ve made quite a few posts about this show this year, so of course I had to include it on my end of the year summary post. I think Rakugo Shinjuu is definitely the most unpopular/underrated show on this list, so I urge you to look into it if you’re reading this and are unfamiliar. It’s a very gripping drama (albeit with some funny moments) in a unique historical setting.

Baccano (2007)

I had been putting Baccano off for years now because I watched the first episode in like 2017 and couldn’t get into it at first. However, I finally pushed through and realized how cool this story actually was. I ended up getting a new favorite character, and it made me really want to start reading the light novels.

Revolutionary Girl Utena (1997)

Utena is just an incredibly beautiful show with so much symbolism and nuance that it skyrocked to my top 10 anime of all time. I am so glad I chose to watch it, albeit 20 odd years late. Here’s my wysw post, if you haven’t seen the show!

Thanks for reading, and as always thanks for another year of caring about some rando’s (me) anime opinions. I really enjoy the feedback and discussion that happens on my posts, and I read pretty much every reblog tag that I get and sometimes they’re so nice they genuinely make my day. I’d love to hear about the older anime that you just got around to watching in 2021, as well.

Thanks for reading!

-threecheersforinking

#anime #anime review #anime blog #revolutionary girl utena #baccano #shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu #bungou stray dogs #mob psycho 100 #2021 #2021 wrapped #2021 anime #anime recommendation #anime recs #anime rec #anime rec blog #new years post

82 notes · View notes

somegirlsnerdywords2 · 4 years

Text

Anime i’ve Watched

That begin with a S (Part 3)!

Yep this is how i’m going to bring over all the anime and manga i’ve watched and posted about on the old blog. It’s not so detailed but it will have to do. Anything new I watch or read from this point on will have their own posts.

Shinsekai yori (From the New World):

Genres: Drama, Horror, Mystery, Psychological, Sci-fi, SUpernatural

Synopsis: In the town of Kamisu 66, 12-year-old Saki Watanabe has just awakened to her psychic powers and is relieved to rejoin her friends—the mischievous Satoru Asahina, the shy Mamoru Itou, the cheerful Maria Akizuki, and Shun Aonuma, a mysterious boy whom Saki admires—at Sage Academy, a special school for psychics. However, unease looms as Saki begins to question the fate of those unable to awaken to their powers, and the children begin to get involved with secretive matters such as the rumored Tainted Cats said to abduct children. Shinsekai yori tells the unique coming-of-age story of Saki and her friends as they journey to grow into their roles in the supposed utopia. Accepting these roles, however, might not come easy when faced with the dark and shocking truths of society, and the impending havoc born from the new world. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 8/10

Finished airing in 2013 with a total of 25 episodes.

MY Thoughts: What a wild concept and execution. I feel like some bits were executed a bit poor but overall it’s an interesting anime worth at least a single watch in my opinion.

Shisha no Teikoku (The Empire of Corpses):

Genres: Film, Sci-fi, Historical, Psychological

Synopsis: By the 19th century, humanity has cultivated technology enabling the reanimation of corpses. Unable to experience individual thoughts or emotions, the corpses are programmed by humans to act as laborers in various occupations. This newfound technology, however, comes with a catch. Science may be able to restore the corpses' ability to move, yet it cannot return what every corpse loses at death: the soul. But Doctor Victor Frankenstein, who vanished shortly after his revolutionary work on corpse reanimation, is said to have revived the only corpse in possession of a soul. In pursuit of this scientific knowledge, London medical student John Watson hopes to fulfill his promise to his late partner, Friday. After being scouted by a government agency, Watson is on a hunt to obtain Frankenstein's notes, which he believes hold the key to the secrets of the soul. During his search, Watson uncovers the harsh realities of the developing corpse technology and the price he must pay to advance his research. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 5/10

A film released in 2015.

My Thoughts: Very clear Frankenstein influence. Pretty bleh. Nothing great. Not worth a watch.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu:

Genres: Drama, Historical, Josei

Synopsis: Yotarou is a former yakuza member fresh out of prison and fixated on just one thing: rather than return to a life of crime, the young man aspires to take to the stage of Rakugo, a traditional Japanese form of comedic storytelling. Inspired during his incarceration by the performance of distinguished practitioner Yakumo Yuurakutei, he sets his mind on meeting the man who changed his life. After hearing Yotarou's desperate appeal for his mentorship, Yakumo is left with no choice but to accept his very first apprentice. As he eagerly begins his training, Yotarou meets Konatsu, an abrasive young woman who has been under Yakumo's care ever since her beloved father Sukeroku Yuurakutei, another prolific Rakugo performer, passed away. Through her hidden passion, Yotarou is drawn to Sukeroku's unique style of Rakugo despite learning under contrasting techniques. Upon seeing this, old memories and feelings return to Yakumo who reminisces about a much earlier time when he made a promise with his greatest rival. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is a story set in both the past and present, depicting the art of Rakugo, the relationships it creates, and the lives and hearts of those dedicated to keeping the unique form of storytelling alive. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 10/10

Finished airing in 2016 with a total of 13 episodes.

My Thoughts: A masterpiece, one of my favourite animes to date and it even has a sequel! Great artwork, music, story and characters. A very interesting experience. That being said... it may not be an anime for everyone but if it interests you I highly recommend this particular title!

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen:

Genres: Drama, Historical, Josei

Synopsis: Even after having risen to the utmost rank of shun'ichi, Yotaro struggles to find his own identity in the world of rakugo. Caught between his master's teachings and the late Sukeroku's unique style, his performance lacks an important ingredient—ego. And while his popularity packs the theaters, he is but one of the few; rakugo is under threat of being eclipsed. Meanwhile Yakumo, regarded by many as the last bastion of preserving the popularity of rakugo, struggles to cope with his elderly state. Even though his performances are still stellar, he fears that he is nearing his limits. His doubts grow stronger as an old friend creeps ever closer. Konatsu, for her part, attempts to raise her son as a single mother, which Yotaro is heavily opposed to. Instead, he seeks to persuade her to marry him and in turn raise her son as his own. In Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen, the curtains fall on Yotaro and Yakumo's story, tasked with restoring the near-obsolete art form as well as overcoming their internal conflicts. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 10/10

Finished airing in 2017 with a total of 12 episodes.

My Thoughts: Just as good, if not better than the first season. A perfect ending to a perfect story.

Skip Beat!:

Genres: Comedy. Romance, Drama, Shoujo

Synopsis: Bright, diligent, and yet naïve 16-year-old Kyouko Mogami works hard to support the career and dreams of her childhood friend, crush, and rising pop icon, Shoutarou Fuwa. Toiling endlessly at burger joints and tea ceremonies, the innocent Kyouko remains unaware that day in day out, all her tireless efforts have been taken for granted, until, one day, she finds out that her beloved Shou sees her as nothing but a free servant. Shocked, heartbroken and enraged, she vows to take revenge on the rookie star by entering the ruthless world of entertainment herself. As she steps into this new life, Kyouko will face new challenges as well as people who will push her out of her comfort zone. Based on the best-selling shoujo manga by Yoshiki Nakamura, Skip Beat showcases the growth of a young woman who slowly unlearns how to work herself to the bone for the satisfaction of others and takes her future into her own hands instead. [Written by MAL Rewrite]

My Rating: 7/10

Finished airing in 2009 with a total of 25 episodes.

My Thoughts: I do not love the artwork... but that can be easily overlooked. Honestly I can’t remember all that much about this particular anime. I do know that it has a manga which is much further along than the anime.... so maybe you should check that out first if you’re interested and watch the anime as extra after?

#shinsekai yori #from the new world #anime #past anime #the empire of corpses #shisha no teikoku #films #shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu

23 notes · View notes

sukerokus · 3 years

Text

30 questions tag game

tagged by @beekugou and @kiyomie thank yu!<3

rules: Answer 30 questions and tag others

>Name/Nickname: vanessa

>Gender: gorl

>Star Sign: leo

>Height: 5ft 3

>Time: 12:29PM

>Birthday: july 27

>Favorite Bands: BTS.....exo, brockhampton. thats all i can think of rn i dont think i listen to a lot of bands lol

>Favorite Solo Artists: frank ocean, the weeknd, rich brian, joji, billie eillish, daniel caesar, tyler the creator

>Song stuck in my head: go go by bts

>Last Movie: i have no idea

>Last Show: rewatching the punisher

>When did I create this blog: maybe 2016? 2015?

>What do I post: anime. cute pix. some bts (but not too much cuz yall gonna unfollow me)

>Last thing googled: bts LOL

>Other blogs: @ehnzou is my BL blog, @taehvunn is my BTS/tae blog .. i have other blogs but im not active on them anymor

>Do I get asks: sumtimes

>Why I chose my url: because i love shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu i will never change it

>Following: 253. mainly other gfx makers, and then some bts, art and bl stuff

>Followers: 10k++ :-() :-))(

>Average hours of sleep: i try to get more than 8 or im tired jk im tired all the time

>Instruments: piano

>What am I wearing: tshirt and shorts (no it is not like 10 degrees C in my room)

>Dream job: RN

>Dream trip: japan ###1!!!!!! and then somewhere cold to see the northern lights

>Favorite food: pasta, sushi, any type of noodles. and all dem fwuits (except durian nty)

>Nationality: chinese

>Favorite song: probably thinking bout you by frank ocean

>Last book read: who

>Top three fictional universes I’d like to live in:i agree w mel and cristen.. ghibli :) and i cant think of anything else im unoriginal

tagging @osamusmiya @runwiththewind @bokuakash @choutarouootori @aominne @dicennio @rumprich

#dont have to do if u dont want to or already did it bc idk #<3 #personal

8 notes · View notes

catboystigmata-archive · 3 years

Text

watch sgrs shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu 2016❗️

2 notes · View notes

newsintheshell · 3 years

Text

Sasaki to Miyano: l’anime arriverà nel 2022, svelati cast e staff

La serie animata è in produzione presso Studio Deen.

Svelati, assieme a delle prime immagini, nuovi dettagli riguardo alla serie animata tratta da “Sasaki to Miyano”, il manga boys life (l’editore usa questa accezione per evidenziare la natura più marcatamente slice of life a differenza del classico genere boys love) di Shou Harusono che debutterà sulle tv giapponesi nel corso del 2022.

Partendo dallo staff, l’adattamento sta venendo diretto da Shinji Ishihira (Super Lovers, Fairy Tail), con l’assistenza di Takehiro Ueno (direttore d’episodio in Kochouki: Wakaki Nobunaga), presso STUDIO DEEN (KonoSuba, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu). La sceneggiatura è supervisionata da Yoshiko Nakamura (Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, Sewayaki Kitsune no Senko-san), mentre il character design sta venendo curato da Maki Fujii (Zutto Mae kara Suki deshita: Kokuhaku Jikkou Iinkai, Starry Sky).

A causa di una rissa scoppiata a scuola, Miyano, un appassionato di fumetti boys love sempre preoccupato per l’aspetto femmineo del proprio volto, cattura l'attenzione di un compagno di scuola più grande di nome Sasaki. Con grande sorpresa di Miyano, il ragazzo mostra interesse per il suo hobby e i due iniziano a diventare amici.

I due protagonisti della storia sono:

Shuumei Sasaki: Yuusuke Shirai (Combattente No. 6 in Sentouin, Hakenshimasu!)

Yoshikazu Miyano: Souma Saitou (William James Moriarty in Moriarty The Patriot)

Il resto del cast è composto da:

Taiga Hirano: Yoshitsugu Matsuoka

Jirou Ogasawara: Yuuki Ono

Masato Hanzawa: Yuuma Uchida

Tasuku Kuresawa: Ryouhei Arai

Gonzaburou Tashirou: Mitsuhiro Ichiki

Lanciato online nel 2016 su Gene Pixiv, il manga conta attualmente sette volumi. Dall’opera sono stati tratti un romanzo, scritto da Kotoko Hachijō e lo spin-off intitolato “Hirano to Kagiura”, che ha anch’esso ispirato una novel.

* NON VUOI PERDERTI NEANCHE UN POST? ENTRA NEL CANALE TELEGRAM! *

Autore: SilenziO)))

[FONTE]

#sasaki to miyano #sasamiya #anime #manga #boys love #boys life #serie tv #light novel #newsintheshell #cartoni animati #news in the shell #animazione #giappone #hirano to kagiura

13 notes · View notes

madara-fate · 4 years

Note

I remember you once made a post a few years ago about your top 3 animes every year since 2010, but it stopped at 2016. Care to finish the list for the decade?

I’ve always thought about doing that actually, so this was good timing. I’d also just like to highlight the following because I noticed that I had failed to make this clear in my original post - This list incorporates solely the TV series versions of anime, so any OVAs or movies will be excluded. That’s rather painful for me to do because a movie like A Silent Voice is not only my joint favourite anime movie of all time, but it would certainly be in my top 3 anime of the decade in general, but alas, this is the rule that I have chosen.

2010:

Special mentions to Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood and Bakemonogatari, both of which finished airing in 2010, and would have both made the top 3, but they both started airing in 2009 :)

Honourable Mention: Seitokai Yakuindomo

Top 3:

3. Shiki

2. High School of the Dead

1. Nodame Cantabile Finale

2011:

Honourable Mentions: Ano Hana, Haganai: I don’t Have Many Friends, and Shakugan no Shana III.

Also a Disclaimer - I have not watched Hunter X Hunter (2011), I want to but I just haven’t gotten to it yet, but I’m pretty sure it probably would have made my top 3 for the year, or at the very least an honourable mention.

Top 3:

3. Fate/Zero

2. Mirai Nikki

1. Steins;Gate

2012:

Honourable Mentions: Ano Natsu de Matteru, Another, Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions!, Hyouka, Nisemonogatari, Psycho-Pass, and Sakurasou no Pet na Kanojo.

Top 3:

3. Fate/Zero 2nd Season

2. Kokoro Connect

1. Zetsuen no Tempest

2013:

Honourable Mentions: Haganai: I don’t Have Many Friends NEXT, Hataraku Maou-sama, Suisei no Gargantia, and Tokyo Ravens.

Top 3:

3. The World God Only Knows: Goddesses Chapter

2. Monogatari Series: 2nd Season

1. Attack on Titan

2014:

Honourable Mentions: Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works, Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun, Grisaia no Kaijutsu, No Game No Life, Ookami Shoujo, Seitokai Yakuindomo 2nd Season, Knights of Sidonia, and Witch Craft Works.

Top 3:

3. Akame ga Kill

2. Your Lie in April

1. Parasyte -The Maxim-

2015:

Honourable Mentions: Grisaia no Rakuen, Monster Musume, One Punch Man, Owarimonogatari, Prison School, Shokugeki no Souma, and Knights of Sidonia 2nd Season.

Top 3:

3. Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works 2nd Season

2. Death Parade

1. Ore Monogatari

2016:

Honourable Mentions: Shokugeki no Souma 2nd Season, My Hero Academia and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu.

Top 3:

3. ReLIFE

2. Boku Dake/Erased

1. Re:Zero

2017:

Honourable Mentions: Inuyashiki, Tsuki ga Kirei, Re:Creators, Tsurezure Children, and Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen.

Top 3:

3. My Hero Academia 2nd Season

2. Made in Abyss

1. Attack on Titan Season 2

2018:

Honourable Mentions: Goblin Slayer, Grand Blue, Hinamatsuri, Miss Caretaker of Sunohara-sou, My Hero Academia 3rd Season, Rascal Does Not Dream of Bunny Girl Senpai, Sword Art Online: Alicization, Steins;Gate 0, Teasing Master Takagi-san, and Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku.

Top 3:

3.That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

2. Violet Evergarden

1. Attack on Titan Season 3

2019:

Another Disclaimer - 2019 was VERY difficult to choose a top 3, probably the hardest choice in the entire decade, so I bolded the other three shows that were this close to making the cut, but just missed out, because I wanted to make it clear that they were far above the other honourable mentions.

Honourable Mentions: Astra Lost in Space, Carole and Tuesday, Cautious Hero, Fruits Basket (2019), Fire Force, The Helpful Fox Senko-san, How Heavy Are the Dumbbells You Lift?, Kaguya-sama: Love is War, OreSuki: Are You The Only One Who Loves Me?, The Quintessential Quintuplets, The Rising of the Shield Hero,Teasing Master Takagi-san 2, and Vinland Saga.

Top 3:

3. Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba

2. The Promised Neverland

1. Attack on Titan Season 3 Part 2

And there you have it, my top 3 animes for each year of the last decade, with some honourable mentions. As you can probably already guess, I’m a huge Attack on Titan fan. It’s my favourite series of the last decade, and my 3rd favourite series overall, behind only Cowboy Bebop (2nd) and Code Geass (1st).

79 notes · View notes

juujinkan · 4 years

Text

KONO OTO TOMARE! AND THE BEAUTY OF JAPANESE TRADITION

(No spoilers, some hints in the attached videos.

This is just my personal vision of this series, and it has a lot of text. I wrote the original in Spanish, so my apologies in advance for the mistakes I may have committed translating it).

One of the series that caught my attention in 2019, mainly for having a musical topic, is Kono Oto Tomare! (or Stop this Sound!, hereinafter KOT), whose story was split into 2 seasons. 26 episodes of slice of life, drama, comedy and of course, traditional Japanese music.

Synopsis: a group of high school students form a koto club, with diverse personalities as well as diverse approaches to this instrument, and who struggle to get a quota to participate in Nationals. So far, it is your typical series of the genre.

However, KOT has a beautiful story, credible characters and conflicts, excellent music ... and genuine emotions. Perhaps, this is the reason why it has a high rating (for example) in MyAnimeList site, with an average of 8.47 in its 2nd season. (If you haven't watched it yet, please give it a chance!)

I won't extend into unnecessary details, so I will concentrate on episodes 10, 11 & 12 from 2nd season (or 23, 24 and 25 in general count), which belong to the competition for a place in the Nationals, focusing among the 3 most outstanding schools, each one with its own characteristics. I attached videos of each performance, which are explanatory in themselves and allows the viewer to know the characters' motivations or thoughts.

Series dedicate an episode to each school, to emphasize how important they are in the competition, how close they are as competitors, and deepening in the details that led them there.

# 1: Ep. 10 - Himesaka High School // Name of the piece: “3 Paraphrases”

Himesaka shines for a beastly teamwork. The piece requires to be played in perfect synchrony, with many notes and quick changes. Its sound is overwhelming, and the viewer notices it immediately, becoming increasingly complex and even dark.

https://vimeo.com/383800271

# 2: Ep 11 - Hakuto High School // Name of the piece: “Katakago”

Simple in appearance, but with greater depth by the performers, the piece privileges Mio's individual work over the group. And we'll understand why.

https://vimeo.com/383790987

# 3: Ep 12 - Tokise High School // Name of the piece: “Tenkyuu”

The most eclectic group of the three. A difficult piece, arranged in such a way that everyone stands out. Of a distinctive beauty, it shines by itself.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixVExga_DUs&t=2s

Each one of these pieces also reveals how the schools have been shown in the series. In Tokise's case, due to the fact they are the main protagonists, we see its growth and effort in a closer way. I have to mention how surprised I am for the dedication that students put into this type of clubs. I can't say if this is “true” in real life, but the responsibility they assume is worth admiring. A cultural matter, I imagine.

Another highlight is the animation. The staff really did a great job, because we can see in detail how characters play their instrument, not with simple shots away but showing their hands in full execution: the fingers sliding gracefully down the strings, the arms stretching, bridges moving. It is really illustrative for those who don't know at all the complexity of their execution (including myself). As well as how uncomfortable and heavy its transfer can be, and at the same time how delicate it is.

Perhaps the only point against it is the excess of dialogues in the performances, which “conditions” our perception of them and at the same time hinders their enjoyment, approaching what Nodame Cantabile series did time ago. In that sense, perhaps what Hibike! Euphonium 2 did at its beautiful final presentation of "Mikazuki no Mai" would be more succesful: no dialogues, no inserted memories (except Kumiko's, but it is short and doesn't have dialogues). The camera moves between the musicians, the director, their music stands; but it always takes place on stage, and at most it takes a slight look behind the scenes. Music is always the protagonist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cHQJX8a8CWc

Beyond this detail, the function is equally fulfilled: to thrill through music. The pieces themselves are a vehicle that leads us to remember, empathize and get carried away by what we see and hear.

Special mention to one of the comments from the judges in episode 13/26, that I consider very accurate, and explains the reason why the winner school was chosen:

“A truly wonderful performance can go beyond experts and reach those who don’t know much about koto. Its heart can reach even those who speak a different language and live in a different culture”

Is this a wink to Western viewers? Maybe, but he's still right. Anime itself, manga itself, are Eastern works that attracts the Western viewer, and enjoys beyond language and culture. In the particular case of koto, it shows us the Japanese musical tradition, how is executed in terms of forms and styles, and how it is perceived by these young generations in these competitions. And, as usually happens in every anime competition, the arduous path of practice and devotion its participants follow until the moment of truth comes.

Returning to tradition, there are a few anime series in recent years that have been responsible for showing to the Western world the cultural benefits from ancient times in Japan:

- Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (2016-2017) did it with rakugo,

- Kabuki-bu! (2017) with the kabuki theater,

- Kono Oto Tomare! (2019) with koto

(Yes, it should be noted that Shouwa is unmarked from the other two since the latter are at a school club level).

There are also series based on some sports such as the amazing Sangatsu no Lion (2016-2018), which deals with shogi or traditional Japanese chess (although as with Shouwa, it is not the main theme but rather part of the plot), Tsurune: Kazemai Koukou Kyuudoubu in 2018, which shows the Kyuudou or archery, and Hinomaruzumou in 2019, with sumo.

And I'm only talking about the last 3 years.

It's nice to see that within all the seemingly infinite fantasy that Japan may be able to create, it also takes time to make these series that deepen into their traditional arts, shading them with either slice of life or other genres. An entertaining way to meet them, both for the new generations of young Japanese people and for those who want to meet them from the other side of the world, understand them beyond language or culture, and, why not, make them part of their own too.

#kono oto tomare!#koto #music #anime #opinion #is a great series please watch it!

3 notes · View notes

latinozevran-archive · 4 years

Text

ok top discourse items if sgrs had become the massively popular 2016 anime that made people go insane as discussed by me & em:

miyokichi discourse that would tear the internet apart. there would be the gay minority who would defend her saying she is nuanced the straight people who would defend her as a way to say its part of ppl falsely insisting kikuhiko is gay the equally crazy people who would despise her for like getting in the way of love story of the century or whatever and like saying she is evil for existing and then the people who just hated her for being a bad mom and [redacted]..

kikuhiko discourse the people who decided he was evil and no one is listening to them and the ppl who just like blindly stan calling him a gay icon and going back and forth w/o any critical thinking skills

miles long posts about miyokichis crimes and evil with evidence followed by miles long rbs about how kikuhiko was just as bad

QUEERBAITING DISCOURSE KAJSHFKASJFDH semi-unrelated but the convo i saw on reddit once w a couple of straight ppl arguing abt whether or not shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu counted as queerbaiting was one of the most enjoyable reddit arguments ive ever witnessed and THAT was with people who had only heard the word once so i think if it made it to like large scale tumblr discourse the results would be staggering

discourse abt the author that would follow... genuinely very funny woman i will just say if u 3 ppl who have seen it did not know the manga was written by a BL author im glad to have made your day just now

just endless discourse about whether or not it was “good” gay representation or gay representation at all and whether or not it counted as burying your gays trope and then the discourse that would follow abt every aspect of kikuhikos relationship with sukeroku and i think a not insignificant amount of discourse also abt whether or not it was unrequited

no matter what opinions you held u would be called a homophobe . the posts by straight people abt gay people calling them the real homophobes for insisting kikuhiko is gay bc he sucks and hates women and thats a harmful stereotype why would you want that to be representation

in conclusion this is how i console myself abt no one ever talking about it like this would be a hellish thing to experience and i think we were all saved thank you yuri on ice for the sacrifices you made on behalf of the lgbtsgrs community

#o #shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu #this is how i win if i talk about it enough that anyone wants to know what thee hell i am talking abt :)#I AM NOT INCLUDING THE OBVIOUS ITEM WHICH IS GENUINELY SOMETHING EVIL ABOUT THE STORY THAT IS NOT FUNNY.#the internet as is is full of horrifying and brain dead takes on it #dont have to imagine that <3 #will admit the last one is just courtesy of my time spent w mdzs fans will never recover from the things fujos say abt gay mdzs fans aksjdh

24 notes · View notes

thethoughteater-blog · 7 years

Text

Dick Reviews Stuff: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

This post only covers the first season of the show. I’ll cover Sukeroku Futatabi-hen in it’s own post once all of it is out and I’ve seen it all.

Have you ever watched a show that’s filled with things you really like, but the show almost seems like it’s trying to keep you from enjoying them? This show is the most recent example of that for me.

It should be the perfect show for me. It’s a show about a young man who loves his craft and wants nothing more than to become great at it, despite his own belief that he’s not any good at it, all while he grows up around his best friend, who outstrips his ability in the craft in every way. Even if that wasn’t essentially a description of my life, stories about people who are truly passionate about something and dedicate themselves to it make up a sizable portion of my favorites. The narrative structure of this show keeps me from enjoying that as much as I should be able to.

The show begins with a double-length episode, where we’re introduced to an unnamed protagonist who has recently been released from prison, where he developed an infatuation with the storytelling art of Rakugo. He sets out to become the apprentice of the last remaining rakugo master, Yurakutei Yakumo. Yakumo doesn’t take him on at first, but he’s persistent, and Yakumo allows him to live in his house for a time. There, he meets Konatsu, a young woman who has been the ward of Yakumo since her father (another Rakugo performer, Sukeroku) died years ago. She shares his love for rakugo, performing it for the him and helping him to practice even though Yakumo won’t take him on. Eventually, in an impassioned plea, he convinces Yakumo to be his master, In that plea, however, he also says he thinks Konatsu wants to be an apprentice, too. This leads to a dramatic moment where Konatsu announces her hatred for Yakumo, and accuses him of having killed her father.

The show was off to a great start. There was an immediately relatable and likeable protagonist, and an interesting mystery- what happened with Yakumo and Konatsu’s father?

Then our hero (who has now been given the stage name of Yurakutei Yotaro)’s old boss shows up to Yakumo’s house. Yotaro wants nothing to do with crime anymore, he just wants to study rakugo. His boss ridicules him for this, thinking rakugo is a silly pursuit. He wants Yotaro to come back. Yakumo stands up for him, proving himself not merely the cold-hearted old man he me seem to be, and to prove the worth of rakugo, he invited the boss to watch Yotaro perform. He tries to refuse, but Yakumo pressures him into accepting.

Here we have a great scene. Yotaro performs a hilarious rakugo story about a bumbling thief. His boss starts out not reacting, but by the end he’s having a great time. He laughs, having seen Yotaro’s personality in the story, and shows himself as someone who legitimately cares about Yotaro, not just a one dimensional criminal. The show had sold me on every one of these characters, and maybe most importantly of all, it had sold me on rakugo.

Then we get to episode 2. We go back in time to when Yakumo was a child. I was interested, an episode or two of backstory to give the show more context seems like a cool idea. What it doesn't’ seem like, though, is the makings for the rest of a whole season. That’s what we got, though. We followed Yakumo as a child (Before taking that name, as rakugo performers pass on their names to apprentices, and the previous Yakumo is still alive at this point. He’s mostly called Bon at this point, but that’s not a name, it means “Young Master”). We see him become an apprentice to the current Yakumo, alongside another child (who would go on to be Sukeroku, Konatsu’s father). We see them grow up. They get their first stage names, becoming Kikuhiko and Hatsutaro, We follow both of them through the early parts of their careers.

Unlike Yotaro, Kikuhiko wasn’t immediately interesting to me as a protagonist. At first, he doesn’t even really have an interest in rakugo. The story of someone falling in love with a craft can be as great as the story of someone with a passion in a craft pursuing it’s perfection, and it was, here, but there was a lot of time between Kiku as a child being introduced and the moment he realizes he loves rakugo. It took until about there for my interest in the show to rekindle, after it snatched away the story I actually cared about.

Hatsutaro was a fun character, and his brotherly relationship with Kiku is endearing, but this area of the show is filled with annoying levels of repetition. There are only so many times you need to demonstrate to me that Hatsutaro is a lazy alcoholic and that Kiku doesn’t like that before I get it and you can just move on. There was an interesting aspect to their relationship, though. I touched on this at the beginning of the post. Kikuhiko idolizes Hatsutaro for his amazing Rakugo, even though he looks down on him for every other aspect of his personality, even though he thought so little of him when they first met for being a poor orphan. He idolizes it to the point his own rakugo suffers from his trying to emulate it instead of finding his own way of doing it. I can’t count the number of times I’ve heard the advice that you need to find your own voice (albeit it was in the context of writing, not rakugo), so seeing it used as a conflict in a narrative is pretty cool.

Another character is introduced, a geisha named Miyokichi. At first, I found little of interest in her, just thinking she was a love interest for Kiku, but later, when her desire to have a normal relationship starts to conflict with Kiku’s rakugo, she has a moment where she says something that gave me a lot to think about. Though it’s presented in kind of a bullshit patriarchal way, her goal to just sort of be a housewife is as legitimate a goal as becoming a master of rakugo, Had they parted on better terms, the two of them separating might have actually been a fairly healthy thing. As someone with creative goals, it can be really easy to think less of people who don’t- I’ve definitely done that before. It’s really not any different, though, It’s just trying doing the things that make you happy. That’s all there is to life,

So after they break up, Miyokichi rebounds with Hatsutaro and they move out to the country, while Kikuhiko continued with his rakugo career. At this point, Hatsutaro and Kikuhiko have pretty much ended their relationship as well. Time passes.

At this point in the show I wasn’t really feeling it anymore. Even though I managed to get attached to this new set of characters, I had to suffer through all of that repetition I mentioned. I was happy to see the plot moving forward at least. Then, in the preview for the next episode, I saw this face:

Finally I was going to see the story tie back in to what was going on in episode one, and it’s with Konatsu, who I’d say was the most interesting character from all the way back then. Even though I was starting to forget the details of what was even happening then at this point, I couldn’t help but be excited. It also helped that child Konatsu is adorable.

Kiku goes after Hatsutaro and Miyokichi and finding out she apparently stole money from the geisha house she worked at when they left. When looking for a rakugo theatre, he’s pointed toward a restaurant where rakugo is performed. There he enters in the middle of young Konatsu doing rakugo. Here, the show was finally great again- not only was it finally returning to the plot threads I was interested in, but the show was reminding me what’s so awesome about rakugo, what the point had been this whole time.

He talks to her, finding out that Miyokichi has left her and her father for someone else, and that Hatsutaro has no job, not even performing rakugo, with only Konatsu providing the money they need. She takes Kiku back to their house, and the reunion between Hatsutaro and him is actually heartwarming. Kiku hits him with his bag for being lazy, and he gets back up and hugs Kiku anyway. The strike was just proof nothing had really changed. It almost made up for the show beating their relationship into my head over and over again earlier on.

Kiku gets Hatsutaro to start doing rakugo again, and he starts doing it there as well, so they can save up money to all move back to tokyo together. Kikuhiko falls in love with performing in small theatres, all of the joy having been drained out of performing since breaking ties with Hatsutaro. At this point I was legitimately loving the show again.

Then Miyokichi comes back. She secretly watches one of Kiku’s performances, and comes to see him in his room at the inn they perform at that night. Hatsutaro sees them and walks over to the balcony in the room where they’re sitting, and there’s a dramatic moment, and then the balcony starts to break. That’s right, the answer to “what happened with Yakumo and Konatsu’s father?” is “Gravity”. Sorry, I’m being glib. It’s more like “They were idiots, and so was Miyokichi, and no one in this show can just talk to each other.” Afterward, Konatsu hates Yakumo thinking she killed her dad, and seemingly he never tries to just explain it to her. Then, when she says she wants to be a Rakugo performer, he says she can’t, because she’s a girl, and he’s just a dick, I guess. There’s a parallel to earlier when the geishas told him as a child he couldn’t be one, but the show never actually draws it itself, and at no point are we shown him thinking they were right to tell him that. I don’t know if it was just unrealistic to think a girl could become a rakugo performer in that time period, I’m not expert, but it wasn’t justified narratively. After that, they go back to tokyo.

At that point, I was just deflated- but wait! We’re going back to the present! However, we didn’t get to just go back to the present, the situation I was actually invested in, we had to skip forward a huge chunk of time. Konatsu is pregnant, Yotaro has been promoted and given Sukeroku name, and I had a third set of circumstances to get invested in. This show left me exhausted.

My hope for Sukeroku Futatabi-hen is essentially that unlike the first season, it decides to just be one show instead of 2, or 2 ½, or however I should put it. I’m excited to see Yotaro/Sukeroku again, but I have no idea where the show is going to go with Konatsu’s pregnancy or how that’s going to tie back in to rakugo.

I give this show a 7 out of 10. It’s got bits and pieces of good ideas, and I like every one of it’s characters to some degree, but it lacks focus, and it’s structure is too awkward for it to be great. I apologize if my writing came off as amateurish, this is my first review. I’m going to leave my ask box open for any and all feedback you have. Follow me if you want to see more reviews like this/ I’ll cover more anime in the future but I’ll review other media as well.

7 notes · View notes