Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

Shouwa Rakugo is a story about life. It is a story about the art of Rakugo, of Japan's history during the Shouwa era, of friendship and family, and of sacrificing everything to reach one's potential, but particularly it is a story about life— the lives of two talented, troubled and yet ordinary men. Shouwa Rakugo may only be thirteen episodes long, but it covers a period of years and decades, a turbulent series of ups and downs, much as life is itself. It depicts the rise, fall and redemption of Yakumo and Sukeroku, and many of those around them. The tearful reunion as Sukeroku returns from the war in Manchuria is powerful— powerful enough that I also felt myself choking up a bit— and yet it occurs just a few short episodes into the story. This is due in part to the excellent characterisation of the two and their (oftentimes strained) friendship, but it is also a result of the story's nimble pacing. One might expect an anime covering such a large span of time in so few episodes to end up feeling rushed, but this is not the case. Shouwa Rakugo makes a careful balance between the smaller and the more important events in the characters' lives. It will transition from a hospital scene to a funeral within seconds, and yet it will feel entirely natural, as if no time has actually passed. Many times I found these transitions to hold more punch than the scenes themselves. If stories like Touch and Sakura no Uta have taught me anything, it is that a quick jump to the future can carry far more emotional weight than the events preceding it. It can be hard to put into words what makes Shouwa Rakugo so special, as so much of its appeal is in what it leaves unsaid. It finds greater comfort in showing its story rather than telling it. The feelings of the characters— their frustrations, their struggles— are often left implied and seldom stated outright. A character will walk along at dusk, mumbling to themselves a rakugo scene depicting the difficulties of departing from one's lover, and it will be very clear what is going on in their mind. It takes a very special anime to pull something like that off, to develop the characters such that the audience can empathize with them without dialogue or gestures. The story is primarily set during the post-war period in Japan, but it thankfully does not waste time lecturing the audience about the war's effects on Japan, how Japan fought the good fight and lost, and everything we have already heard countless times before in other anime. What Shouwa Rakugo does convey about the war, it conveys through the absence of dialogue: nobody ever says "I'm sorry" when they listen to another person's story, because they've all been there before. From the first two episodes, it becomes very clear which direction the story is headed in and how it will end. Every major event is foreshadowed in some way, from the dialogue ("The next time I meet you it will be in hell") all the way to the very title of the series (心中). This effectively eliminates any sense of shock that the viewer might experience, but knowing what is ahead does not make the moments and the journey any less heart-wrenching. It actually makes it hurt more. Shouwa Rakugo deserves special mention for depicting sexual, adult relationships. The heroine is not a cute, bubbly high school girl, but a geisha who makes her living by flirting with men. She is in many ways a despicable human being, and that is just fine. People often do not pick the most respectable or desirable person to be with; they come together and couple for a myriad of reasons, even if it may in the end be to their own harm. Even if you have no knowledge of what rakugo is— and I suspect this is the case for most people, as it was for myself— Shouwa Rakugo makes it very easy to follow by animating a wide variety of rakugo performances, rather than bombard the viewer with explanations and unfamiliar terminology. While rakugo might not be especially entertaining to the world of 2016, through watching the many performances within Shouwa Rakugo it is easy to gain an appreciation for the talent and effort that is often poured into the art. The styles of Yakumi's and Sukeroku's rakugo are so different from one another that it almost feels as though they are performing completely different forms of art, despite rakugo very much being an art defined by tradition. The lengthy, 10-minute Rakugo performance in the first episode— one of many amazing moments in the show— reminded me of the ending sequence in Whiplash (one of the best films I have seen), it feeling itself like a musical performance, starting slow and clumsy and gradually building into a thunderous crescendo by the end, Yotarou's sweat visibly running down his face all the while. While he may not be beating his instrument to the point of blood flying across the stage, rakugo is an inherently quieter, more subtle form of performance than concert, requiring nothing more than a person sitting and telling a story in front of a small audience, and so bloody theatrics are not necessary. Its performances are already plenty exciting. At times joyful, and ever more so devastating, Shouwa Rakugo is a truly sincere and human story. It speaks a simple, raw tale of flawed existence. It does not fluff itself with philosophy, symbolism and other obscure subject matter. It speaks to the individual: it wants you to listen, and it wants you to consider the moments in life where you truly felt beating, breathing and alive. It is in that short moment that it has meaning.

Under the dimly-lit canvas of a rustic theatre, surrounded by the sounds of slowly-plucked shamisen, waits an audience for a performance of great tradition. Gradually, a man wrapped in an dignified air approaches the center of the stage, sits elegantly on his knees, takes a slight bow to welcome his gazers, and proceeds. Thus begins a performance commonly known as Rakugo or the Japanese art of oral story-telling. Rakugo involves the storyteller to orate a comical account designated between two or more characters, generally playing all roles, distinguished only by slight nuances in behavior, tone, and gestures. Rakugo has been a classical trait of Japanese art and culture since the Genroku period (of the Edo era), but has dwindled in popularity and appreciation in more contemporary times. Though, grief can be spared because with this winter’s wind came a show that revitalized this once-felt obscure art-form and turned it into the driving point of undoubtedly the season’s best show, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu – a charming character-driven series with tightly-knit interactions and exploration, a marvelous setting, and a bond between subject and its characters that’s entirely commendable. Set some time after WWII - during the rapidly changing social landscape of Japan - the series follows a freshly-released prisoner who desires to learn the ways of Rakugo and gets taken under the wing of a national master named Yuurakutei Yakumo. The story changes focus from the present tale of the apprentice to a narrative of the past, concerning the master and his deceased friend Sukeroku, along with the slowly-withering art of Rakugo. Now while the premise may seem a little daunting and even a bit boring; nothing is farther from the truth. Of course, the series is an entirely character-focused, unhurried drama, so this does imply a lack of flashy fights, gratuitous panty-shots, and overpowered heroes championing the world, but in its stead what it does offer is a compelling, evocative experience that really has a handle on its ambitions. The setting, subject matter, and characters are integrated so atomically well that the entire ride is just consistently smooth. The pacing is well-balanced due to everything being finely focused and progressed with clear direction that it leaves no room for wasted effort or filler messes. The combination of these elements along with the tact and grace with which they are implemented, makes this show a worthy title. First, there’s the setting. The show creates its foundation through a comparative/contrasting lens; a great structural move that tells the story, through story-telling – literally. It is absolutely marvelous to see just how well it is able to integrate its backdrop/setting into its forefront, just like a good theatrical performance would; giving it the feel of a truly refined work with each frame adding something to its overall quality. The setting is heightened by the show’s ability to capture the atmosphere and sentiments of Japanese society at the time, especially in relation to both the character situations and their Rakugo. Even though very subtly depicted, the show bases its portrayal of Rakugo from the perspective of slow decay. After the wave of post-war reality hits, it causes a serious sense of disenfranchisement amongst the culture and people. This allows western senses and modernism to penetrate with a force much greater than it did in the past which augments the gradual but steady disintegration of various cultural arts; Rakugo being one of them. This backdrop plays to almost every nuance crafted whether it is the evolution of characters merely depicted by their change in attire (from traditional Japanese yukatas to fashionable western suits) or the erosion of public attendance in Rakugo houses relative to other more western venues. These subtleties may go unnoticed individually, but are definitely materialized when evaluated holistically and especially when examining characterization. In addition to the impeccable setting, comes the strongest point of the series: characters. The character dynamics, exploration, and evolution are sublime. The entire series revolves around self-actualization in a way, through one’s art, and everything else revolving around it. The two protagonists, the now-master-Yakumo-then-Bon-chan or “Kiku” and his boisterous friend Sukeroku are a delight to watch, as they tumble through various struggles and events, trying to perfect their Rakugo while trying to find their reasons for doing so. Both characters are perfect complements of each other and really play off one another to add dimension to overall characterization, and each other. The artist’s journey and the character’s journey intertwine like a destined love affair, growing together through both pain and pleasure. This is why characterization in this show can be looked at on two-fold: from the art, and the individual dynamics. The former really lays the foundation because it not only introduces the world of rakugo in context, but integrates in a manner which complements the “act”. The performances are not just intricate illustrations of the art form, but also essential in tracing the metamorphosis of the characters involved, specifically Kiku. Therefore, the way Rakugo is treated isn’t necessarily just a detached device, but embedded in the heart and motivations of the characters, while also delivering with full force and depth the nature of Japanese story-telling, and the skill that it requires. Then, there’s the stellar dynamics between the characters themselves. Even though Kiku is the star of the stage, almost every other character feels multi-dimensional, with their flaws, motivations, and importance properly conveyed and explored, individually, and in relation to the bigger picture. Almost every “struggle” is important and is referenced in some form of development, whether it is for Kiku or the others, giving these characters a sense of realness, complexity, and palpability that isn’t easy to accomplish. For example, alongside the two main characters is another side character named Miyokichi (Yurie) –a geisha initially carrying the romantic tide of the series - who acts as sort of the fodder for the emotional evolution of both characters, while also adorning her own individuality as an important element of the show. Her role on paper is solely of a foil but she (and others) end up becoming actualized entities of their own; proving how well done the palette of characters are. The strength of the characters produces a resounding effect for the overall series that helps give it a strong sense of focus, result, and even thematic resonance. The sheer admiration and dedication that is reflected from the characters exudes the essence of “living for the dream”. Sacrifice, brotherhood, kinship, relationships, family, and most importantly, love, is so wonderfully crafted through the fibers of Rakugo and those in this story that weave it, ultimately into a beautiful tapestry. And love here doesn’t necessarily denote romance, but the kind of love that drives one’s passions forwards and gives meaning to lives. It is a love that transcends beyond description and can only be felt through creation, art, or in this case, Rakugo. And this work does an excellent job embodying and expressing that love. To bring the series its final touches of splendor is the animation and sound. The animation flows smoothly, with soft, bright colors that play to the vibrant tone of the show. Backgrounds are very nicely done as they bring out the juxtapositioned nature of the setting. The old but stifling feel of fading tradition is contrasted with lively modernized elements that consistently coalesce and enhance the narrative. Furthermore, the music is oddly fitting as it combines instances of jazz or blues against the classic tunes of Japanese strings and compositions. Surprisingly, never once does any of this clash inappropriately, rather w…

When I sat down to write this review I had a hard time condensing my feelings towards it into written format. This wasn't to say the story was complex; on the contrary, it was rather straightforward on paper. But when I tried to articulate my thoughts to virtual ink, nothing came to fruition. Then after I sat back and let everything that had transpired sink in, it just hit me, a simple word, yet one that was able to properly express the feelings that I had wadded up inside for this title. Simply put, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu was poetic. From the way it delicately crafted its narrative, to the organic transition in which its characters found their placement in it, everything Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu did flowed like a poetic stream of unfiltered consciousness. This anime exuded an aura of refinement and class that you don't come across often. It's a caliber quite deserving of the praise directed at it. In place of the spastic eccentricity and bubblegum characters commonly found in the world of anime, we're given a tranquil environment and genuine human emotion. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is a title that unveils a compelling story about flawed characters and their pursuit for true acceptance. If I could get just one other person to experience and spread the word of this gem, then my writing this was more than worth it. Delving into the world of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, or Shouwa, as I'll refer to it going forward, we're introduced to Yotarou, a dimwitted bushy-tailed man who's fresh out of prison. Having a deep yearning to practice and perform Rakugo, a Japanese form of verbal entertainment that's essentially stage storytelling, he seeks out an apprenticeship under the guidance of Yakumo Yuurakutei, a man well renowned for his performing prowess in the field of Rakugo. Despite what this initial premise would have you believe, the story isn't about Yotarou's journey under apprenticeship; in actuality, it chronicles his master Yotarou's life, along with his friend Sukeroku, as it showed how they dealt with the demanding requirements of the Rakugo industry, as well as the growing pressures that come with adulthood. Taking us back to his childhood, Yakumo "Kikuhiko" Yuurakutei places us at a time just before the boys met. And from then on the story blossoms on its own before coming to an inevitable stop due to an incident that's discussed during the initial episodes. While both boys found themselves in the world of Rakugo under similar circumstances, their relationship with the performing art itself differed vastly. Their relationship dynamic has been seen before: the polar opposites who don't see eye to eye. Yakumo's ying to Sukeroku's yang. The fundamentals of the story itself aren't what are impressive, but rather the manner in which it goes about executing it. Instead of simply following the standardized method established for this kind of narrative, we're instead thrust into a more introspective realm, with Yakumo's reminiscing in the form of a Rakugo itself. It's essentially a story within a story, which, on paper, sounds like a muddled mess, but oddly enough felt like the most organic method of absorbing the characters and viewer into the head-space of the tale. The Rakugo art form isn't only exemplified, but it's also utilized on a grand scale to encompass everything surrounding it. It's a form of immersion rarely experienced, basically the Inception of anime storytelling (And here we are, a review about a story, about a story, that contains stories... let's just leave that mindfuck alone). Everything that shapes the life of the zen-like Yakumo that we met in the first episode, to the reserved boy we meet in the past, all revolves around the influence of Rakugo, both on and off stage. We're given a detailed insight as to how this traditional Japanese storytelling works, as well as the lasting impact it left on the two boys that grew up to master it. What made this anime so engaging was in the way it went about layering these characters. Nothing is ever explicitly stated outright. Everything from the small mannerisms they display, to the introspective moments that draw no attention to themselves, as well as the way in which they interacted with each other, all helps to add layers to the characters on screen. It's "show don't tell" at its finest. And as their upbringing and personality shape the type of Rakugo they performed, it also shaped what kind of person they ultimately became. In a way, it could be said that an individual's style of Rakugo indirectly reveals the kind of person they secretly are. It's a window into their soul; as saccharine as that statement may sound, there's no better way to describe it. With Sukeroku, what was outwardly presented in his performances was the common tongue of the people. With a brash and often schmaltzy performance, he didn't care for the social constructs that the world of Rakugo wanted to build. He did it to make the people happy. And just like his style would outwardly portray, his Rakugo revealed what was truly lying dormant within him. The same also applied to Yakumo, a man who always tried upholding himself to a high standard, following the guideline of Rakugo to the letter. He too was exposed by his style of Rakugo. Rakugo provided the duality that neither would dare reveal out in the open. Like I said, it's simply poetry, a dance between what is shown and what is truly meant to be seen, or rather what is meant to be uncovered. These characters are deeply flawed but made all the more realistic because of that. They're selfish, pigheaded, condescending, but also broken, affectionate and just looking for a place they belong. There's no antagonist here, just entangled personalities trying to find their way. Outside of the two male characters, another character worth mentioning was Yurie, who is without question the biggest catalyst who drives the actions taken by the two male leads involved during the show's more personal moments. She's a character whose environment and past experiences did far more than mold her; they broke her. Like the others involved in the story, she masquerades herself as someone who's in control. And it's her need for co-dependence that creates a rift that ripples throughout all crucial events in the story. Seeing that her involvement is integral to many of the major events throughout the narrative, I won't say anything more about her involvement. Just know that without her, many of Shouwa's more poignant moments wouldn't have exfoliated into the scenes that we were gifted with. Like the art of performing Rakugo itself, the story also manages to perform and balance a vast array of tonal shifts throughout the narrative without feeling forcefully steered in directions. This, as a result, allowed for comedic scenes to transition seamlessly into sobering reveals without causing any tonal whiplashes. And in a story that revolves around the delicate balance between stage performances and real life drama, that balance was greatly needed. The project was handled by studio Deen, which by anyone's account, is a scary thing, given their track record, but with Shouwa they actually stepped their game up. The movements and gestures of the characters showed great range and fluidity, which is a vital thing for a show that's revolved around the mannerisms of stage performers. No noticeable shortcuts were taken, and the finished product looked quite pleasing. The opening and ending themes were excellent, with the intro song "Usurai Shinjuu " by Megumi Hayashibara, carrying a sort of sultry/smoky jazz appeal to it. The ending theme also held up on its side with a soothing soft trumpet piece that gently set things off on a tranquil note. In many ways Shouwa acts out like a Shakespearean play, in that regardless of time period or societal upbringing, the messages it explores are primal and very much a part of what it means to be human, may that be the yearning fo…

I really don't understand why this anime get's such good reviews, it's average at best hence my rating of 5. There are some nice elements that make it watchable, but ultimately the anime is boring. SOUND: About what you would expect. It's average, good enough, but not good enough to overlook the drastically detracting qualities of this anime. CHARACTERS: The characters and character development is good. Their back stories and origins are good. It's nothing special, new, or particularly enthralling, but definitely better than your average Shounen character development by a longshot. In fact, this is the best part of the anime. If you like slice of life, or anime's that focus on characters, their interaction, their development, and their relationships, then you may really enjoy this anime. PLOT: Interesting enough. Without going into spoilers you can see above under characters what to expect here. Character relations and interactions are the main focus. However, the plot is also not good enough to overlook the drastically detracting qualities of this anime. ANIMATION and DIRECTION: I combine these two elements together because they are both easily the biggest issues that this anime has and are related to each other. THE BIGGEST PROBLEM WITH THIS ANIME is that it is boring. Specifically the Rakugo is boring. Other reviewers have discussed this as well and it's just bad. I took the advice of another reviewer and searched up Rakugo on an "unspecified video hosting site" (you know the one I just don't know if I'm aloud to advertise it on MAL), and saw a Rakugo performance of the Shinigami, which is one that is discussed and performed in the anime. The one on the video hosting site was 1000x better performed, voiced, and acted than anything in Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. The characters are not animated (speaking figuratively here as they are obviously 'animated') when performing, the voice actors are boring and just speak faster. It is literally just the characters sitting there, talking fast in Japanese, with a laugh track over it. A real Rakugo performer takes on different postures, voices, and characteristics for the characters they portray. A real Rakugo performer will whisk you away to a different world and build imagery in your mind of the story they are telling. A real Rakugo performer is not even close to what is portrayed in this anime. There was so much that the director and animators could have done to really make this a fantastic anime. So, animation and direction get an F. THINGS THAT NEEDED TO HAPPEN TO MAKE THIS ANIME JUSTIFY IT'S 8 ON MAL: First, it needed to have better voice actors, or rather, voice actors should know how to portray different voiced characters... Really no excuse for the voice actors on this one. I know they are not Rakugo performers but they are VOICE ACTORS! Voicing different characters in a Rakugo performance should be no problem for them. Second, the Rakugo performances would have benefited from some serious sakuga (for the characters characterizations during the performance) or just other animations. They play around with this in one Rakugo performance where we do cut to a black background and see some other images from the story being told, but it's sparce and underperforms. Three, I understand that they need to tell the Rakugo stories fast because there is only 23 minutes per episode (except the first one) and that a real Rakugo performance can easily be 30 minutes. So, if the director cut the stories down to the most essential parts, directed the voice actors to use different voices for characters in the Rakugo performance, and directed the animators to visually animate the world of the story being told, then this anime would justify it's 8 or even a 9. I know that Rakugo is not a visual medium, but anime is, so animation should have been a key factor in this show but instead, it's just garbage. Overall: 5 Average. The only reason that I scored this as a 5 instead of a 4 is because 4 is "Bad" and this anime is not bad, it's just deeply flawed, had some very bad choices made by the director, and is just plane boring. If I had to sum up this anime in one sentence it would be "A missed opportunity for greatness."

It is truly fascinating of what people are capable of doing to survive in society, especially when you are basically abandoned by your relatives. A young boy who once aspired to be a dancer has no choice but to learn the art of Rakugo, a form of Japanese verbal entertainment in which the storyteller sits on stage while performing a complicated comedical story. Audiences may have had the impression that it solely focuses on the profession, yet this is not the case. At first it seems that it simply served as means of survival, but it becomes apparent that the journey throughout his life was more than just Rakugo: it is a tale of a flourishing and wonderful friendship, conflict and realization of oneself. The story of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, or "Showa and Genroku Era Lover's Suicide Through Rakugo" in its english title, is focused around Rakugo and with that, the characters and their interactions. Instead of consisting of a simple story about the ascension of two performers, which it is to a degree, it is a character driven story that ties the lives of the various individuals implicated: Yakumo, Sukeroku and Yurie. The profession is merely used as means to develop and unfold the storyline, whilst portraying the art of Rakugo itself. It must be mentioned that the synopsis of the anime is as a matter of fact a bit misleading; it is focused upon the afore-mentioned trio, albeit showcasing Yotaro's interactions with his master. This however will probably developed in the second season. Another aspect that is prevalent in the anime is drama: it was depicted in a subtle manner, without exaggerating it, making it much easier to digest and enjoy. The pacing of this work is splendidly done, and very befitting, although it may seem at first sluggish and uninteresting to some. However, it becomes apparent that it is actually a necessary buildup to portray the characters relationship in a very satisfying manner. It is a journey that spans from their childhood to their puberty, culminating in their adulthood. It is a narrative ridden with little details, such as portraying subtly the daily interactions between the protagonists and the cast, or its setting, the 70's and 80's of Japan. Naturally, Rakugo is depicted as well in a satisfactory way: it shows viewers the difficulties of the profession, besides of the great stories contained within: it is simply delightful to listen to. In addition, it quickly becomes clear that world the protagonists live in is strongly favoured by those with status, rather than cunning. This reflects the society of that time rather well with the outdated mentality. Naturally, audiences may find the performing parts tedious, yet these are arguably rather amusing. The cast of characters in Shouwa is rather small, consisting of a handful of characters, yet it is certainly sufficient to portray the whole scope of this tale. As mentioned earlier, Shouwa is a very character driven story, and it excels in this department greatly. because of the gradual buildup that spans various decades, the characters were slowly fleshed out and developed accordingly to the changes these experienced - this was done through subtle interactions with their peers. The two main protagonists are Yakumo and Sukeroku, who have quite diverse personalities, which enhances the narrative. By the end of the show, audiences may have a total different view of some of the characters. Yakumo could be described a silent, cunning and self-containing character, yet from the inside insecure and delicate: it is marvelous to see his character develop through the various stages of his life, which includes the realization of himself. On the other side there is Sukeroku, a very charming and enthusiastic man, with a great talent and love for Rakugo, with no relatives. Character development and fleshing out of him is no exception either. The relationship between these two is very well-developed and presented to audiences, it is truly a tale of friendship. Another crucial character in the anime is Yurie: she is the gear that triggers the wavering interactions between the cast and the main protagonists - in fact, romance is another theme that is present in the anime. As character she may seem rather underdeveloped, yet through various scenes and interactions with her peers, it quickly becomes clear that she is not as shallow as she appears to be. Her life, profession and unrequited love are thing that drove this character forth. The romance can be rather lacking, as it came pretty abruptly and was not really well-developed, alongside the reason on why she fell in love. However, love is not often a rational reaction, so it may be excused in a manner; regardless, some more expansion on it could have been welcome. The studio behind Shouwa is DEEN, and the animation quality was well done, with very fluid motions. The character's movements when showcasing the performances were subtle and very detailed presented, conveying the art of Rakugo and how these are crucial for a good play. Facial expressions, sweat and similar traits managed to portray the various states of the cast. As for the art style itself, it has a slightly different take than the usual character designs which was enticing; the backgrounds were detailed, despite being composed mainly of internal locations. In some cases some inconsistencies could be found in the background characters, but this was negligible. Concerning the soundtrack of Shouwa it was befitting, albeit a bit startling at first with various jazz tunes, as it didn't seem to fit the narrative: nevertheless, it quickly becomes apparent that this used to its advantage to upheave the pacing and importance of each scene when required. Piano or violin compositions are used as well, depending on the atmosphere. The voice actors did a splendid job, the various personalities matching with the characters, as well as wonderfully portraying the different intonations required for the various situations, be it the emotional states or the Rakugo performances itself. As for the opening and endings, these consisted of jazz, and blues, while having a great representation of what Rakugo is. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu was overall a fantastic anime with a great story and characters, enhanced their interactions and the Rakugo. I was very surprised by the lack of attention this anime got - or rather, it is criminal. I throughly enjoyed this anime, in addition to the plays presented, which were quite intriguing at a personal level. Naturally, this may have been the main factor that have had viewers discontinue the anime, as it can be boring. Regardless, this is a necessary buildup for a great conclusion of the series. I want to mention the fact that viewers who expected a story focused on the difficulties after being jailed, will be let down, as this was not the case; however, audiences are rewarded with a great narrative. Moreover, a second season was announced which in turn may delve into said subject. I highly recommend people who like drama, or character driven stories to try this piece out. Thank you for reading.

*Despite both the title, and the first episode spoiling the show in heavy detail, there is so much here to unwind, that I cannot bear not giving you the classic SPOILER warning. Please, watch the show if you haven't; I implore you to do so. For those who have (or those who don't care about spoilers), let's move on* Art is a powerful thing. It has the ability to captivate an audience, entrance them in a new idea they never thought of, enamor them into a sight that marvels them. There are so many types of art: paintings, drawings, stories, videos, games, and even music. All of these things can enamor us now, but back before even the late 20th century, we didn't have videos or games (aside from maybe betting games and sports). Nowadays, not only do we have all of these things, but we can literally combine all of these. Animation is the ultimate tool for doing so, with the only thing surpassing it being interactive visual novels that can actually be played in the sense of more than just a story we control: like say, a fighting game with a visual novel story (like Blazblue). Nonetheless, we're getting horrendously off track. Earlier, I mentioned stories. There are so many kinds of stories to tell, especially in anime... You can tell an epically expansive and complex narrative like Legend of the Galactic Heroes. You can tell a charismatic, absurd, and dramatic thrill ride with twists and turns around every corner, like Code Geass. You can tell an exciting and inspirational story to get our blood pumping, like Gurren Lagann. You can create a work that heavily celebrates a franchise, like Carnival Phantasm. You can tell a grippingly dark and tragic tale to remind the audience that not all good stories have to have happy endings, like Fate/Zero and its second season. You can tell a charming and lovable story mixing many ideas you'd never have seen working, like Macross. You can even tell a down to Earth, realistic story that celebrates a concept we love, like Shirobako. Or, you can be like today's anime, Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, and tell a charming, gripping, down to Earth, and realistic story that celebrates the concept of art -a concept we love- that happens to be a dramatic and sort-of inspirational thrill-ride that has a complex narrative (well, more so than many of us think). It's the best of all worlds, really. Episode 1 shows us a reformed criminal (Yotarou, his new stage name) inspired by Rakugo so much that he tries to find the master who showed it to him, with hopes that maybe said master will take him in. We follow his escapades of being introduced into the world of Rakugo at its truest, while being fed crucial information about the residents (namely, a girl named Konatsu, who hates the old man) and their lives so that Yotarou doesn't accidentally strike a horrible nerve. His former boss shows up and tries to encourage him to take up crime again, but to no avail, especially after seeing Yotarou's performance, After almost being expelled (well, more like he was expelled and reinstated), the master tells him and Konatsu about his past which led to where we are today, in a realistic and down to Earth story that unfolds as he narrates. Hell, we get to spend the rest of the series joining the fun. The old man, who is now the 8th generation Yakumo, was originally known as Bon (so, for the duration of the review, I will address him as such). After a fateful meeting with Shinn (soon to be known as Sukeroku, and I will call him as such for now), they get taken up by the 7th generation Yakumo during boyhood, and we follow the dramatic and eventually tragic tale of these two men and their journey through their Rakugo careers. Bon had to say goodbye to a girl he was dating, and Sukeroku started drinking. Their careers have shown them to have notably different styles, and while Sukeroku has his perfected, Bon still doesn't know how to take advantage of his. Soon, Sukeroku and 7th Yakumo are forced to leave for the army; World War II has started. He, his master's house attendant, Matsuda, and the master's wife, are forced to wait patiently, without much hope. Soon, he meets a beautiful (and I mean BEAUTIFUL) girl named Miyokichi, and it seems like things are going smoothly again. Then, the two men arrive back, and now both Bon's and Sukeroku's careers can truly take off. Inspired by how much of a "tightwad" Bon is, Sukeroku's latest Rakugo piece is a story about a tightwad's dream. There is soon tension not only between the two boys, or even between them (especially Sukeroku) and the Rakugo Association, but between Bon and Miyokichi. The middle of the series is about how all of these tensions truly spiral out of control, causing Sukeroku to be expelled after being denied the rank of Shin'uchi, Bon to break up with Miyokichi, and the two boys to make one last promise and then split up on unhappy final terms (part of those terms being Sukeroku and Miyokichi leaving together); it's a dramatic turn for everyone's lives. Soon, after the 7th Generation Yakumo has a heart attack, he reveals an underlying reason why he would never pass down the Yakumo name to Sukeroku: he was the second generation of the Sukeroku who was his rival back in his youth. Dying with that one regret, Bon is forced to take up the name Yakumo. His friend, Matsuda, soon loses his wife, and Bon goes to find Sukeroku, only to discover that Sukeroku has a child named Konatsu (Are those signals flaring yet?). He soon reunites with Sukeroku only to discover that he has lost his drive for Rakugo thanks to his wife Miyokichi, who has recently ditched him and their child, probably out of resentment for their love of Rakugo and Sukeroku's refusal to move on to a new career. After some time, they prepare one big Rakugo performance (which happens to be rather inspirational to Sukeroku despite him being the one to perform it) despite Rakugo heavily declining in popularity after the war. Hell, news of this got Miyokichi to show up, now that Yakumo has cone back. In a truly tragic and impeccably told scene, Sukeroku and Miyokichi hang off a cliff after some heartfelt words by all of them spiral into their emotional climaxes, with Bon trying desperately to save them. Knowing that Bon will only die with them if he tries to save them, he falls with his wife, resulting in Shinjuu, meaning lovers' double suicide. Now, Konatsu is all alone, thinking that Bon is responsible for all of this...and he kind of is; he knows it to be true. After all, he let Miyokichi's parasitic desire for love spiral out of control when he chose his career over her, and he couldn't stop his friend from leaving with her, and he sure as hell wasn't capable of saving them after everything. Still, it's not all his fault, especially since it was Miyokichi that caused all of this to happen, especially with what happened to her and Sukeroku in the end. Bon was the one that caused her to really go haywire, but she basically took care of the rest, resulting in this tragedy. We head back to the present, or rather, a few years after we last know the present. Yotarou has become a shin'uchi, Bon continues his life as the 8th Yakumo, Konatsu is now a single soon-to-be mother (with Yotarou volunteering to become the husband to take care of the child), and we are treated to Bon visiting Sukeroku's grave, in which the ghost appears in front of him, as if to tell him something. Yotarou goes to him and requests to take up the name of Sukeroku, and now he and we get what that ghost scene meant. Thus, the story ends for now, with Yotarou closing us out and teasing us about an eventual season 2. The story is impressively written, without any leaps in logic or holes, and with one impressive prequel narrative. On its own, it would be a 9 for being great but not reaching extraordinary high. Then, we take the Rakugo stories into account. With one exception, every single Rakugo performance that is played from beginning to end has some meaning to …

Overview: Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū is the first Josei demographic anime I’ve reviewed on this site. It was getting such rave reviews though that I decided to give it a try. This is a rather unique anime and certainly worth watching if you haven’t seen it yet! Background: So what on Earth is Rakugo? Rakugo is a traditional Japanese form of storytelling that is sort of like a combination between a 1 man play, standup comedy, and beat poetry. Rakugo can trace back at least as far as the 1200s AD in written form and perhaps as early as 900AD in oral form. The period of Rakugo that this story covers is right in the title, the Showa era. The Showa era was the reign of Emperor Hirohito from 1926 to 1989. Specifically, most of the story takes place before, during, and just after WW2. Plot and characters: The story begins with a petty convict named Yotaro being released from prison. Yotaro was able to survive and reform in prison due in part to the amazing stories and performances of his favorite Rakugo actor who went by the name Yakumo the 8th. Once released, Yotaro decided to find the elderly Rakugo master and beg to become his apprentice. It turns out that Yakumo, whose actual name is Bon, really isn’t a social person and had no interest in new apprentices. However, Yotaro’s youthful energy and enthusiasm reminds Bon of an old friend and Bon finally begins to warm up to him. The majority of the story takes place in a flashback showing the lives of Bon and his childhood friend Shin, who eventually takes the title Sukeroku the 2nd. Bon and Shin are quickly shown to be polar opposites, but nevertheless forge a strong friendship. Bon is an introverted traditionalist while Shin is a wildly energetic extrovert who wishes to take the art of Rakugo in new directions. However, Shin’s unorthodox style causes friction with the deeply conservative Rakugo guild. In order for Rakugo performers to get the best venues and good audiences, they need to suck up to the guild and get their approval. The guild will blacklist any bar or performance hall that allows a performer they don’t approve of. This tension between traditionalists and the need for art to expand into new territory is one of the key conflicts of the series. I don’t want to repeat the whole plot and spoil this series, so just trust me that the human relations, psychological drama, romance, and tension are all very well executed. This series doesn’t rely on any cheap tricks like shock factor or fanservice. It doesn’t suddenly pull a tragic death out of nowhere to cheaply jerk some tears. The only major deaths are forecast from a mile away and STILL manage to hit your feels like a truck! The concept of old vs. young, tradition vs. new ideas, constantly clashing and causing tension is always effective in storytelling because it applies to any age and society. It was effective in Turgenev’s novel Fathers and Sons for 1860s Russia, it applies to 1950s Japan, and it would apply to 2016 America. This series should also be praised for its complex and realistic characters. You the viewer get to feel like you know these characters and watching them interact is always a pleasure. Art and Soundtrack: The art by studio Deen of Higurashi fame and is pretty top notch. It also helps that this is a low action series, so not much is moving at any one time. This allows the artists to really focus on character art and backgrounds. The background music is often beautiful and the opening and closings are as strong as you could ask for in an anime that doesn’t have a massive budget. I have nothing to complain about here, so moving on! Flaws if any: To a Japanese audience this series is pretty flawless. Maybe it could be accused of being a tad slow for some, but that isn’t really an issue. What IS an issue for non-Japanese speakers is that roughly half the runtime of this series is listening to beat poetry that you won’t properly understand or appreciate. All of the subtle wordplay, puns, and nuance is completely lost in translation. The character drama and themes are wonderful when they are onscreen, but the Rakugo sections (which are PLENTIFUL) will quickly have you scrambling for the fast forward on your remote! Overall: This is a strong drama series that is one of the few “must watch” series of 2016 despite the fact the lengthy Rakugo recitals will likely scare away all but the most hardened of anime veterans. Reflection on the state of the anime industry and community: Just as Rakugo needed to adapt or face irrelevancy in the 1950s, the anime industry is in a tough spot right now. Sales are down, audiences are shrinking and dissatisfied, and studios are conservatively leaning on clichéd fighting Shonen and echii to carry the industry. However, the anime industry would also be in danger if they completely conceded to the will of a small but vocal group of online elitists. Believe it or not the n00b bashing, condescending elitist crowd can destroy a fandom as easily as stagnation. If anime studios simply churned out series like Showa Rakugo, a small group of online fans would be happy, but the anime industry would be doomed to financial collapse. I'm trying to say that of course you can enjoy unusual gems like this, but please don’t try shove them down the throats of your casual buddies offline. Experienced anime fans would be better off to champion a series like Berserk that can appeal to both longtime fans and newcomers alike. Showa is a great series, but I would feel irresponsible if I hyped this series without warning it isn’t for everyone.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu has been hyped to me as the best anime of this year. Mature historical drama with amazing voice acting and editing. First lets tackle the voice acting which is truly spectacular. Especially during Rakugo scenes where voice actors shine at almost mindblowing levels. It really shows how great Japanese voice acting is. I am not japanese speaker so I can't really appreciate or criticize the rakugo perfomances but I can hear how the voice actors can jump between characters during the performance and it's pretty fantastic. With that also comes the editing which smartly uses cuts and camera angles to enhance the rakugo scenes and I absolutely loved it. Really great stuff The drama is good and not so good. I appreciate the maturity of the series and how it tackled themes of obsession loneliness and devotion, but the story itself is hardly original and at certain points it becomes kinda stupid. I am talking about the episode 12 in particular. The stuff that is happening here feels like forced end of the plotline because author wasn’t sure how to end it. It was just dumb. The rest of production is okay. The music is great mix of traditional Japanese music and jazz. The animation is inconsistent. Especially when it comes to scenes with audiences. You have this beautifully drawn main characters and then the camera cuts to the audience and you see blobs with eyes. I know these characters are completely irrelevant but the difference of quality is truly striking. Only truly interesting character to me was Kikuhiko who was greatly complex. Some people might say that Sukeroku was the best character, but to me he was just straight up Gary Sue. Sure he’s drunk and filthy and lazy but that’s about all that’s bad about him. He still performs godlike rakugo at the end of the day and everybody still loves him. He only has 2 interesting moments in the entire series, one comes out of nowhere but I enjoyed it, the other came way too late for me to care. Overall the cast is not bad per se and it obviously mainly focuses on the dynamic between the two main characters but there’s nothing notable. I am glad this anime was created because it taught me about the great art of rakugo but outside of its setting the story is hardly original. Far from bad, and not so far from amazing but still far enough.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. I have to admit, this show took me by storm. A series about rakugo isn’t something that we see often in the anime industry these days in particular dealing with performances on stage. As such, this series is what I like to describe as a dark horse. And for a lot of reasons, it deserves quite a lot of praise for what is. Coming into the series, I had little knowledge about rakugo. It’s a form of Japanese art performed on stage using creative dialogues, expressions, and body language. Quite frankly, it’s very entertaining once you get the feel of it despite the performer being stationary. Most of the time, the performances involves a comical act that goes along with a story. Sometimes, the performer brings in drama and bittersweet emotions but the bottom line is that it’s described to entertain. That’s what this show has done: bringing entertainment in a rarity form. The story takes place around the 1970s. However, the show does a lot more background storytelling than what most viewers may be accustomed to. Thankfully, the series knows how to transit into the past to bring the story into the present. From the beginning, we meet Koji, a guy who got out of prison but later follows a goal to make himself into a professional rakugo performer. This sets up his encounter with Yakumo Yurakutei, a man who he looks up to and wants to learn from. After many exchanges and work, he does earn himself a spot as Yakumo’s student. This is where transition comes in and we take a look at the past. In essence the storytelling brings in a lot of relationship dynamics and characterization. The relationship between Yakumo and Sukeroku is a prominent example of this as we see their connection. Furthermore, the show makes us realize how different they are after examining their personalities. Yakumo is the stoic type with a cyclical personality and little intense of the opposite sex. Meanwhile, Sukeroku is just the opposite who often seeks girls in his life while maintain his hyperactive personality. Despite this, the two seems to get along as good friends and strives to become rakugo artists. There’s quite a difference in their performance skills though as we can easily see how much Sukeroku is better than Yakumo. Throughout the series, Yakumo struggles at first to make a name for himself but does manage to pick up the pace once he realizes it. At some point in the show, we should realize that Yakumo really strives to become an artist. This is evidenced by his lack of interest in Miyokichi, a beautiful geisha who seems to have quite an affection for him. However, they do connect in some ways. While romance isn’t a prominent part of the show, it does play a role as we can easily see some budding romance between the two. Furthermore, there’s also Sukeroku who seems to be smitten by Miyokichi. Get the picture? What this brings is how complex the trio’s relationship can be. Yakumo and Sukeroku has become close to the point that they almost seems like brothers. When Miyokichi enters the story, it almost feels like she’s a wall between the two. Meanwhile, Yakumo seems to only be in love with rakugo and strives to be better, something that he actually succeeds later on in the series. To say the least, love in this series is beyond dramatic and even has a tone of tragedy to it. I also find it amusing that the show mixes in some gender bender at one point to spice up the sexuality vibes. However, it’s mostly played down as a form of art to get viewers comfortable with the style of the show; in that being artistic with its storytelling. What I find very capitalizing about the show is the personalities of the characters. Yakumo seems to have a dual personality, one that’s stoic with his reserved behavior while other times behaves like a gentlemen to entertain the audience. On the other hand, Sukeroku is more like the guy who seems casual all the time and easy to make friends with. Miyokichi has perhaps the most complicated personality as she seems to want certain people like Yakumo but her motivations aren’t truly clear. Is she manipulative? Maybe. Is she fragile? In some ways, yes. Is she a bit too hopeless to be romantic? Who knows really. However, it should be noticeable that she realizes about Yakumo’s personal feelings and unfortunately, she isn’t really part of what he has in mind for. The show capitalizes on this emotional drama and later really makes a climax out of it, something that is very memorable. Later on, we’ll also see how other characters enters the show because of their tragic relationship. Despite the insightful storytelling and characterization, the rakugo performances are also quite entertaining. The first episode (being double length) gives good insight about what rakugo really is like with the style, body language, dialogues, and storytelling of the performer. Despite the performer being stationary, it’s fairly interesting to see how they act out each play. The stories themselves each contain a theme but always prominent characters that switches between tone and mannerism according to the story. While Yakumo and Sukeroku does differ a bit between their performances, it can easily be observed that the two strives to be the best at what they do. And that’s something really inspiring. DEEN actually puts on quite a decent effort into the artwork for this series. I’m honestly surprised but the visual quality is stellar. It’s also realistic to portray the 1970s with the backgrounds and simple structures. Furthermore, characters are dressed in the way that is believable. Between character designs, the rakugo performances is also an art in itself and the choreography for the show is really well delivered with clever camera angles. This is even enhanced by the creative body languages. Character expression is important and this show nailed the coffin in that not just on stage but also between character interactions in real life. From Miyokichi’s emotional breakdowns to Sukeroku’s joyful acting, it’s quite something to look at. Soundtrack has more of a Japanese feudal tone to it, like something from the past. It’s able to capture the feel of a performance with the character voice mannerisms. In addition, the show isn’t shy to deliver dynamic dialogues especially with characters like Miyokichi. The OP and ED songs also has an unique feel that adds more to the show. Ah how I wish this show could have lasted longer. But from what it’s worth, the series really attempted t do something refreshing and unique. It capitalized on every theme and way a story should be told and it damn well delivered. Characterization remains strong while we get realistic human emotions that is easily recognizable. From the clever delivery of the dialogues to powerful chemistry between characters, it’s a show that I would recommend to just about anyone.

(This is a spoiler-free review adapted for this site) [Synopsis]: After his release from prison Yotarou (Seki, Tomokazu) seeks an apprenticeship in Rakugo from Yuurakutei Yakumo (Ishida, Akira), a renowned master of the art who was known as Kikuhiko in his earlier years. After some coercing the elderly master accepts him as his first pupil and through Yotarou’s personality and the style of his developing Rakugo, Kikuhiko is reminded of somebody from his past. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is the story of Kikuhiko’s upbringing alongside his friend and fellow apprentice Sukeroku (Yamadera, Kouichi) and how their relationship with Rakugo and each other shaped their lives. [Characters]: Where better a place to start discussing Shouwa Genroku than with its phenomenal main characters alongside their almost equally incredible supporting cast. Due to the overall strength of the show it is hard to say whether or not its characters are its greatest accomplishment however I think it is fair to say they are its most integral element. The show hosts a great many carefully developed personalities even among its less important cast members and the way it weaves complicated sentiments and emotions together is not only believable but genius. What at first manifests as something as simple as animosity quickly transforms into a mixture of respect and admiration all the while mingling with biting jealousy – the way in which Shouwa Genroku’s characters behave is intricate and conflicting and subsequently are the characters themselves. The protagonist of the show, though he does not truly appear until the second episode, is Kikuhiko who is a wonderfully compelling character. While at first he dislikes Rakugo because his tutelage under the 7th-generation Yakumo master represented the end of his previous desire to be a dancer, he steadily grows to enjoy performing it over time. He attempts to find his own voice within the medium, competes for recognition and improvement against his friend Sukeroku, and at times feels like he is wasting his time entirely in Rakugo yet proceeds none the less in a manner than can only be described as extraordinary organic. Kikuhiko, along with the rest of the cast, is fantastically authentic as a character and watching them all play off one another is both immersive and entertaining. It is also worth noting that, while Ishida Akira is a voice acting legend by this point, I believe his performance in this role to be his best work by far. The subject matter of the show and its many Rakugo presentations require a very artful and diverse approach and he delivers an absolutely stunning performance. Sukeroku is a similarly outstanding character who’s characterization further emphasizes the complexities at play within Shouwa Genroku’s cast. Kikuhiko is introverted, self-conscious, and unsure of himself while Sukeroku appeares effortlessly talented yet wild and carefree almost to the point of his behavior becoming hazardous. The two men couldn’t be more different yet they find common ground time and time again not only through their shared love of Rakugo but in other aspects of their lives as well – their relationship is the dramatic meat of the show and it measures up to the emphasis placed upon it by the show in excess. In the end, practically every notable character in Shouwa Genroku is memorable. Roles that may have been left undeveloped in other shows are explored excellently through the subtext of the show’s character interactions and dialogue rendering the entirety of the show’s cast meaningful and interesting rather than solely its powerhouse main characters. People are rarely black and white, they are conflicted and volatile – susceptible to changing in each mood and meeting and Shouwa Genroku illustrates this perfectly. [Art/Animation]: The name ‘Studio Deen’ over the years has effectively become synonymous with art and animation issues due to frequent quality drops and problematic adaptations throughout their history. That being said, I almost find their past missteps entirely forgivable in the face of Shouwa Genroku’s incredible visual delivery. Not only is the art style crisp and consistent but it is particularly interesting because of its imaginative use of colors, expressions, and character motion. The aesthetic of the show is highly reminiscent of shows like Aoi Bungaku which is wonderful for establishing a very authentic-feeling setting. At premise the idea of Rakugo presents more of a problem than anything else – the orator is practically immobile when telling their story and the length of many of the classic Rakugo narratives means that the situation will be prolonged for quite a while. How then do you make Rakugo visually compelling to watch beyond merely the character’s performance? Deen answers this question brilliantly in a number of ways, many of which showcasing the strength of the medium in regards to exhibiting these performances. The expression work for one fits very well with the idea of a single character portraying multiple roles within Rakugo – the shift in character expression is one of many telltale signs that the orator is switching between characters and the show’s diverse selection of expressions makes these portrayals all the more impressive. The imagery of the show surrounding its Rakugo elevates its visuals to the next level. Using shot reverse shot of a singular character further illustrates their swapping of roles however this technique is used sparingly enough as not to become one-dimensional or corny. The close-up shots of the character’s expressions during the performance strike a great balance between the slew of differently personalities being performed and the actual mood of the performer. Seeing Kikuhiko and Sukeroku bleed through in their performances without dropping character is brilliantly balanced. Lastly, the show makes use of fictional imagery to accentuate the legitimacy of the performance. Light can be shone through a non-existant window when the character opens a door or peers outside and the environment surrounding the orator may change to different locations yet the performance remains cohesive. Shouwa Genroku goes beyond providing incredible visuals and tells the story in a way that could have only been done within the medium at hand. [Story]: The narrative of Shouwa Genroku is just as impressive as its characters and visuals and plays to its strengths by emphasizing its character drama. The pacing is slow yet never unexciting allowing for it to play out almost full Rakugo performances which are one of the show’s primary means of exhibiting character growth and change. The show itself is quite dramatic however the lighthearted subject matter and punchlines within Rakugo provide the show with excellent flexibility between the two moods. Alongside presenting highly compelling character chemistry and development Shouwa Genroku asks provocative questions through its narrative. Is an art form something lofty and objective or is it something that should cater to the pleasure of the audience? Do you protect tradition or do you venture something new and perhaps save the very art form you practice? Must you practice something in its original form even until it dies away or should you break its conventions and bring to it new life? These queries and themes are explored at length through the interactions and ideologies the show’s characters providing offering an additional intellectual element to the show’s already ingenious design. [Music]: Initially I felt that the music of the show was merely a backdrop for the fantastic setting and scenes transpiring however as Shouwa Genroku progressed its importance and effectiveness became more evident. While at first unassuming, the soundtrack drums up the pace of each scene. The atmosphere, the mood, the character’s internal thoughts – everything. The relaxed, jazzy influence of the music fits well with the pacing of the show, quickening and …

Rakugo. Essentially, the art of storytelling. But through the course of these 13 episodes, we discover there is so much more to this ancient Japanese art-form. There is great attention to technique, pacing, the teller's voice, the genre of story and so on. What SGRS does is transport us to a time when this beautiful yet under appreciated art-form is stagnant and slowly dying, due to other emerging entertainments such as television. Yet also the stubbornness and pride of the elder Rakugo masters to stick to old traditions and their disdain for anything new and different. I wont go too much into the story as one of the joys is its slowly unravelling nature. But it is fairly simple on paper: it shows the friendship of two young men, both up and coming Rakugo students, and how they approach the art of storytelling (and indeed life itself) very differently. Both have boundless passion for this art, which maintains their strong lifelong bond. This bond of brotherhood is the core of the show, and it so powerful. The characters on SGRS are some of the most wonderfully complex and engaging ive ever come across in Anime. In fact just thinking about them now gets me quite emotional. This is the power of the show. Not to mention the side characters, who each have their own fleshed out and engaging stories, some very sad, but also as powerful. On top of amazing characters and a quietly devastating, profound, and sometimes very sad tale, we have some breathtaking art and sound. The opening and closing credits contain beautiful melancholy jazz tunes (oh man that ending credits song just destroyed me EVERY time). The art is gorgeous in its attention to detail, the period details from the pre and post war Japan are spot on. Its obvious so much love went into this adaptation. I honestly could write thousands of words about this show. It has a quiet power that devastated me by its conclusion. It is so different from any other anime ive ever seen. Its not only one of the best anime of 2016, it is one of the best anime ive ever watched. A masterpiece.

A diamond in the rough, that’s for sure. Who could have thought that a show dedicated to the art of sitting down and telling a story could be so engaging? Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu has blown me away with its ability to create a thoroughly fleshed-out cast, packed to the brim with personality. I hung on to every word that was said, and in a show revolving heavily around dialogue, that would be critical to helping the anime hit the mark. The performances are always entertaining but always serve that dual purpose of opening up a window into our characters’ lives and their troubles. This is a character drama at its sumptuous best. Coupled with some beautiful character design, charming music and expressive animation, Studio DEEN have created the criminally under watched darling of the Winter 2016 season. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is a delightful tale, mostly made as wonderful it is by the excellent, dynamic relationship forged between lead characters. The way that the timid and tidy Bon Kikuhiko is at odds with the loud and carefree Shin Hatsutaro helps drive much of the story forward. Their conflicts go a long way to developing their distinct personalities and makes for viewing ranging from side-splittingly funny to tear-jerking. At its simplest explanation, we follow the story of these two men aiming to perfect their Rakugo – the centuries-old art of delivering a story from seated (‘seiza’) position. What makes the anime something memorable however is that it’s not only about Bon and Shin trying to master their craft, but using it to help overcome their own fears and push aside the elements of their life they refuse to face. The beauty of the story is that it accomplishes so much with ease. It even goes out of its way to give commentary on the role that Rakugo has in people’s lives and the gradual decline of the Rakugo industry. These ideas are all woven seamlessly into a wonderful story that wouldn’t feel out of place as a Rakugo piece of its own. I can’t remember the last time I was so invested in a character relationship as I was between Bon and Shin. Their disgust at the way the other one approaches the world of Rakugo is at odds with an admiration they have for parts of the other person’s personality they feel like they are missing from their own lives. Shin has a natural talent for Rakugo though his methods go against the style that’s popular with the institution. Bon struggles to make a presence on stage and though he maintains a prim and proper approach, he can’t help but feel he’s being left behind. This relationship is packed with a tonne of grey areas and feels like it could break apart or bond closer at any moment. It’s gripping. When romance eventually weaves its way into their lives then the strain takes the story to a whole new level. If you’re a lover of multi-dimensional characters, then our lead two performers will leave you wanting more. A big thumbs up to Bon (Akira Ishida) and Shin’s (Kouichi Yamadera) VA’s who were superb. Everything Studio DEEN have done in the animation and character design department has been superb. An earthly colour tone makes it feel somewhat like a period piece. Everything has this feeling of being subdued and grounded. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu actually feels like an artwork. Characters have a distinct smirk you’ll quickly come to love or a pained look that you can’t help but empathise with. Animation goes a long way to making Bon and Shin’s performances so entertaining. Very little is lost in translation because their faces manage to convey so much. DEEN aren’t even afraid to put animation towards larger crowds and busy scenes every now. It all feels like a labour of love. This is a true redemption moment for a studio that has become the butt of many jokes over the years, particularly in the animation department. Smooth jazz, melancholic strings and tender piano songs are never at odds with one another in a beautiful audio package here. They work in harmony to help drive home the comedy or chip away at your heart, but it’s never overwrought. Memorable melodies are to be found everywhere. A massive thank you to composer Kana Shibue for making a stunning debut in the anime industry with a score that manages to play a crucial role in making Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu as memorable as it is. The less you know about Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu the better the experience will be. A tale of two men fighting to rise to the top in a dying art is enthralling and magical. It’s a complete package from the art to the voice acting to the music and of course a top-notch story.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu was definitely not an extremely popular show when it aired. And yet, after a few different sources said that this show was different, but definitely worth watching, I tried it out. And the result was an amazing, sorely underrated show that is incomparable to anything else. Story: There are two sides to the story of Shouwa Genroku. There is the basic rakugo side of the story, and then there is the story of the characters, and their lives. Before this show, I had never really heard of rakugo. However, I did a quick google search, and then watched the show, and I must say, the show did a fantastic job with this element. In the first episode, the show has a character do a full rakugo segment. And it is fascinating. I was enthralled in the actual rakugo presented, and how well the show executed said rakugo. Even if there had been no plot outside of the rakugo, I could have watched the show just for the rakugo. The other big element of the story is the lives and journeys of the characters. Interestingly enough, the majority of this show is actually made up of backstory. But it was some of the most interesting backstory I have ever seen. It explores the upbringing and life of Yuurakutei, Yakumo (or known as kikuhiko). It starts with him as a young boy and his introduction to rakugo and the world that comes with it. Kikuhiko moves into a house with a rakugo master, and he meets another boy who is also an apprentice named Sukeroku. And we see these two boys grow up, and bond, and find themselves. And it is beautiful. I do not use that term lightly. But I couldn't find a better way to describe it. The story is beautiful because it is raw, and heartfelt, and interesting, and there are ups and downs, and almost anything and everything. But really, it's just so real. The show does not try to do too many things, or force things in for the audience's benefit, but instead, it tells a simple and yet very complex story of a man. Another very interesting thing about this, is that because this is backstory, we know the general outcome of what happens to all the main characters. And yet it still managed to have me so extremely interested, because the characters and their interactions were so engaging. Characters: Let us start with Kikuhiko. Kikuhiko is a generally steely-eyed serious man. He has a rather down to earth personality and is seemingly no nonsense. He has a very interesting type of charm. He is handsome, yes, but he is also extremely hard working and caring. And although on the outside, it would seem like he does not have a large amount of emotions, the show executes his character in a way that we can feel all of his emotions. And he has a lot of them. And he is also not a perfect man. The show does not try to make him perfect. One of the best things about this show is that they embrace each characters flaws. Kikuhiko can be brutal. But it makes his character that much more interesting. Sukeroku is the opposite of Kikuhiko. Which is possibly why they mesh together so well. Sukeroku is extremely loud, outgoing and brash. As he grows older he likes to go out and drink a lot. We get to see Sukeroku as he tries to navigate the world of rakugo which is very proper and traditional with his loud and flamboyant personality and versions of rakugo. He was a great character too. I'm actually not going to talk about any more characters because this review would go on forever, but there is no character that I disliked. Every single one was intriguing and had their flaws and there good parts. And they all interacted so well. Art: I'm just going to comment on the character designs. The designs were really fantastic because they reflected the personality of the character. Kikuhiko's design was very serious and curt looking whereas Sukeroku had a very wild looking design. I really admired that element. Sound: surprisingly nice too. Overall: I cannot say enough about this anime. Very rarely do I rate shows with a 10/10, but this show deserved it. And there is a season 2! The story was amazing, and very real and interesting, both in the past and the present. This show does not have enough recognition, and although it may not be for everyone, if you can appreciate a more subtle beauty in a show, then go watch this. You may just find an unforgettable experience.

The anime itself is about story telling and this anime has one of the best stories I have ever seen! So this is the second time I have ever really written a review and it doesn't help the fact that I'm a little half awake right now. But I wanted to write this while the series was fresh in my mind. It is safe to assume that this is by far one of the most under rated anime series of this season. I first read about this anime during the beginning of the fall seasons. I thought it sounded a bit interesting so I saved it to my "plan to watch folder." with the fall season ending and the winter season about to begin I found myself re-looking through the shows I planed to watch. When I re read the plot of Shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu I honestly thought it sounded a bit boring. I really thought I would probably end up dropping this anime since it is the complete opposite of what I look in a show. Like most people I came into the winter season excitedly waiting for Erased (which was pretty good but that's a different story.) I saw the first episode of shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu come up on the site I normally go to watch anime. I thought what the heck it's probably going to be kind of boring but I will watch it since I have nothing better to do. The first episode is 45 minutes and from the very beginning to the ending of that first episode I found myself completely submerged in to the story. I was actually disappointed when I found out the rest of the episodes were only 23 mins. After watching the first episode I found myself already wanting to write a review for the series just to get the name out there! This show is exactly why you shouldn't judge a book by it's cover. In the end this show ended up being one of my favorite anime of all time. Sorry for the super long ass introduction but now to get to the actual review :p. As I mentioned earlier when reading the synopsis of the series it may not sound that entertaining but don't let it full you! The show itself is about Rakugo.. A very old form of story telling in Japan. I honestly had never heard of Rakugo until watching this show. The story itself revolves around 3 men (Two who were like brothers yet rivals and one who is an ex convict who was captivated by the story telling of Rakugo.) and how Rakugo has impacted their lives. The first series (yes there will be a second season super excited!) dives more into the depth of Yakumo and Sukeroko, and how rakugo became a part of their lives. Shouwa genroku rakugo shinjuu has the best character development I have honestly really seen in an anime. For me you know a show is good when you see yourself there with the character, either laughing, crying, being angry, etc with them. Watching SGRS I found myself drawn not only to the main characters but the supporting characters as well. Another thing as well is this show has quite a few veteran VAs playing the characters which is amazing! Two of the VAs played in Cowboy Bebop so you knows it's already awesome. SGRS is one of the most emotional shows I have watched. From episode one you already know what to expect before you are even fully introduced to the story. You know you are about to take a one way trip on the feels train. You think you know your final destination, you think you can emotionally handle it but trust me by the last two episodes you will be up for the feels. The Rakugo can get a little boring sometimes. Rakugo is a dying business and watching the characters struggle in the world of a dying art and trying to change with the times really gets to you. Rakugo has several different effects on each character, some love it, some hate it but at the end Rakugo changes them to better or worse. SGRS is also a story about finding yourself. You can at least find one character in the show you can relate to. Each character struggles with trying to find themselves and a lot has to do with either the Era they were born in, the family they were born in or even their own gender. I also am probably a little bias to SGRS because I do tend to like shows or movies that represent a certain time period and SGRS represents some of my favorite time periods the 40s and the 60s. The art as well is very good. To others it may seem a bit different and you may even get a bit "annoyed" with the random swirl on one of the character's nose. However where some may not like the character design most can agree the background animation is great. The music is also great as well. Music to me plays a big part in film and animation. Music itself can easily influence your emotions by the tone of the music. SGRS has some of the best music I have ever heard. Well I better end this before it turns into a novel and I start typing random stuff on here that makes no sense due to me being half asleep . So as a conclusion please give SGRS a chance I promise you by the first episode you won't regret it. I even forced my boyfriend to watch a few of the episodes and he kept going on about how it sounds boring and terrible and blah blah blah and by the end of the second episode he was asking me to show him more episodes. I guess that isn't a good reason if you don't really know my bf but trust me it means something since the dude can be an anime snob. Anyways take your seat on the one way trip to the feels where you will laugh, be pissed, cry etc. Trust me when I say by the time you finish this show you will love it.... I honestly think I may even like it a little more than erased D:... Well I hope this helped a lot!

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is a historical Josei manga written by Kumota Haruko that began in 2010. Just this year, an anime adaptation aired, being brought to us by Studio Deen. You may recall them as the studio behind Read or Die, Gravitation, The law of Ueki, & Sakura Trick. Just to name some of their series I've looked at. How does this historical drama compare? Let's take a look and see. Story: We open our tale with a young man getting released from prison. He makes his way to the theatre and begs the Rakugo master, Yakumo, to make him his apprentice. Yakumo reluctantly accepts and take Yotarou with him. At Yakumo's home, Yotarou meets Konatsu, a young woman who was raised by him. After committing a massive faux pas during one of Yakumo's Rakugo performances, Yotarou begs for forgiveness. Yakumo sits him and Konatsu down and tells them the story of how he and Konatsu's father began their lives as Rakugo storytellers. The bulk of the series follows the flashback, showing how things reached the state that they're in at the opening of the series. Let's examine the series' faults first. There are some fairly minor ones. The most noticeable is that Yakumo's story includes scenes that he wasn't present for and these are pretty specific scenes where there's no real reason that someone would have told him exactly what happened in detail. Is he just guessing at what happened for the sake of embellishment? It's also a bit jarring when Yakumo's story ends and we abruptly skip ahead to events that take place quite a long time after. How did Yotarou & Konatsu respond to his story? What events led them to the point where they were at the end? Bugger if I know. Maybe when they get a second series they'll spend most of it on a flashback to show us that missing time. But, as things stand, there's really not much point to Yakumo telling his story to Konatsu & Yotarou since we see neither a reaction from them nor any evidence of character growth because of it. That being said, there are a lot of positive aspects to the series. The series excels at illustrating realistic situations with all of the joys and sorrows that can stem from them. It does so in a very compelling and nuanced way. The way it handles its foreshadowed character death reminds me of A Prayer for Owen Meany. Both works involve a character reminiscing about a lost friend and both proceed to show you who this character was, faults and strengths, while demonstrating why they mattered to the reminiscing character and make a strong case for why they should matter to us too. See, Divergence Eve? It is possible to show a character's death in advance and still get the audience invested. In addition to telling the tragic story of Yakumo's old friend, the series also contains a coming of age story. Telling how he came into his own as a performer and showing his growth from child to man. The two tales are heavily intertwined and they're both superb. Characters: Any strong slice of life narrative requires strong characters. Otherwise you just have a bunch of gits doing mundane things. Fortunately, that's an arena where this series absolutely excels. We see a lot of progression for both Yakumo and Sukeroku. The way they react to one another, the way they respond to others and the way they influence one another all change over the course of the series in a very natural way. The character progression never feels contrived or forced. It's also interesting to see how their personalities get reflected in the way they perform rakugo and how that changes as they start to develop their own styles instead of trying to copy their instructors. That isn't a simple feat nor is it something that could have been done without complex characters. The cast in general just has a great deal of verisimilitude and is really well fleshed out. Art: The animation in this is really good. There's a lot of detail put into the snippets of rakugo performances that we see. Studio Deen clearly put a great deal of effort into making them look realistic. They actually are very impressive. The backgrounds are nicely detailed and the character designs are well done. Sound: The vocal cast in this is stellar. Our three major characters, Yakumo, Sukeroku & Miyokichi are portrayed by Ishida Akira, Yamadera Kouichi & Hayshibara Megumi. Three spectacular actors and all of them are brilliant in this. The more secondary characters are well acted as well. Seki Tomokazu & Kobayashi Yuu voice our present day characters, Yotarou & Konatsu and they do really well. The music has a very classical feel, complementing the old-fashioned story telling tradition quite nicely. Ho-yay: There really isn't any. Final Thoughts: Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, is a pretty impressive series. It has a strong narrative, superb characters and acting and really good art and animation. If you're interested in historical dramas at all, I do recommend trying it. For myself, I give it an enthusiastic 9/10. Next week, I'm looking at Yuri Kuma Arashi. It's actually not a request. I kind of stumbled upon the basic premise randomly and I'm very morbidly curious. I'll get back to doing requests on the 25th.. This one just sounds so bizarre that I have to try it.

To be excellent, an anime doesn't always need to be endowed with great ideas. It doesn't always have to explore overwhelming themes. It doesn't need to have deeper meaning. Sometimes, subtlety and proper execution of everything it does is sufficient to make a masterful series. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is such an anime. Shouwa starts off in the modern day Japan but shifts to the past soon after. This time shift is handled with profound care and in quite an interesting way. The transition is written very well and doesn't feel a least bit disturbing. In such manner, we're presented with a wonderful story of friendship, brotherhood and life. One that will curve a deep feeling in your heart and make you only crave for more. The defining aspect of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is the atmosphere, which is relayed in a bit peculiar yet strong way. Instead of the environmental design and background musics, what creates its atmosphere is the characters' voice acting, body language and interaction. Being an anime about rakugo, a classic medium of Japanese entertainment which is basically a rakugo performer performing a comedic play, its majority of execution is centered around these plays and characters who performs them. These performance is so brilliantly presented that without making it blatant, the anime makes the viewers understand when a performance is lacking despite a lot of efforts being put into it, or when a performance really reaches the heart easily. Basically, this anime perfectly executes how a performance has been executed; and seamlessly so. One needn't to hold great knowledge about rakugo or its system to enjoy this brilliant show. I had absolutely no idea about what rakugo is when I started this series, but it didn't at all hold me back from understanding what's happening. Due to the subtle presentation, I was immensely captivated and instantly pulled into its fluid storytelling. No other anime pulled me in its atmosphere as Shouwa did and its all thanks to its magnificent execution. As a purely character driven drama, Shouwa's main aspect is its characters. Similar to everything else in it, this anime presents its characters powerfully. The characters are introduced perfectly. We see their relations forming subtly as the story progresses and the character interaction really grows on us. The characters feel dear to us and this anime successfully makes us care for them. The development of the characters and their interactions is consistent; and coherent with the main plot. We see them developing due to circumstances and their relations change accordingly. This is all handled in a plausible and realistic manner. Yuurakutei Yakumo or Bon is one of my top 10 favorite anime characters. While the writing of the characters is a masterful job, their design and facial expressions are worthy of remark. Not just the characters, but also their attires, surroundings and atmosphere, all was perfectly designed. The mesmerizing and smooth animation does an excellent job in giving the series life. It was an absolute piece of art to behold. To be fairly honest, I didn't notice much of a background music in Shouwa Genroku. It did have them (I rechecked), but the seamless presentation coated them so well that they support the execution superbly without preaching their existence. It doesn't fill every moment shoving music, but rather uses them where they truly belong. This invites a serene atmosphere that allows the anime to deliver as much as possible. The OP is amazing with great visual exposition, the ending is wonderful as well. The most important part of its sound system is the voice acting as the anime is about vocal performance. The voice actors literally have to perform vocal rakugo for this anime. I'm not very knowledgeable in seiyuu, but Shouwa's voice actors did it perfectly. From rakugo performance to dialogues between the characters to the characters talking to themselves, this anime's voice acting flourishes. I see no way for this to be done any better. The writing of the story is one of the most consistent in anime. I personally liked the story a lot. This is touching, this is enchanting. I enjoyed it all through. But if I have to voice a complaint, I'd say it was slightly weak around the end of the past story. I had expected a bit more from it. It was quite out of the blue. And I found it to be quite difficult to believe because it was slightly over the top. But it was still very well directed and successfully made my eyes wet. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is an experience. It beholds a fine drama with great character emphasis. Truly a brilliant series through and through. Therefore, I bestow upon it a score of 8 out of 10, for it is worth every bit of it. A majestic series that redefines the drama genre. A rare piece of excellence of these day's anime most capable candidate for Anime of The Year 2016.

It is no exaggeration to say this show is a masterpiece, a perfectly paced story with unbelievably realistic character development. A viewer need not be a diehard fan of historical shows or even rakugo to enjoy this one. As one can infer from the title, this show is a tragedy, and that is made clear in the first episode. It's easy to pull off tragedy if you simply throw in a lot of death flags, but this show manages to tell a tragic story without using a single one. There is no "incurable disease," or even "star-crossed lovers." There's nothing wrong with using those types of themes, but if that's all there is to it, it's difficult to make any real emotional impact; death is obviously tragic, but there are more ways a person's story can be tragic than simply death. That is what Rakugo does extremely well: it is able to make you feel truly sorry for the characters, because sometimes tragedy is inevitable, but other times it could have been easily prevented. But what does that really mean? Inevitable tragedy is a result of circumstances: the characters are unable to escape their doomed fate, but what characterizes preventable tragedy? The answer is personality. If only they had been more compassionate, more careful, more diligent, then maybe the situation would have been different. It is this type of story that really hits home, and that's what this show is about, a story of tragic personalities. To say this show is a masterpiece then, is to say its characters are masterpieces, and they are. The main characters are exceedingly complex, for their motives are shrouded, their anger sometimes misplaced, their compassion ephemeral. Such is the relationship when two men who call each other brothers have clashing personalities, never seeming to fit with each other just right, and yet somehow always compromising. This show portrays this complexity brilliantly, using both symbolic cinematography and actual rakugo. Overall, this show is truly excellent, and I urge everyone, regardless of whether they enjoy historical anime or not, to watch it. Thanks for reading my review, and any feedback is appreciated!

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is a series that speaks in a very interesting manner about life as a whole, ambition, dedication to one’s work and hobbies and a bunch of other subjects. Even though the story first is presented as a story about Yotarou, an ex-gang member, wanting to become a rakugo storyteller (Rakugo is an artform from Japan where a story teller sits alone on a stage recounting one of many stories, with only a paper-fan, a piece of cloth and the person itself to use.), it quickly turns into the story of how Yakumo(alt. Kikuhiko), the master Yotarou became an apprentice to, climbed through the ranks of Rakugo with his “friend”(it’s complicated) Sukeroku, an immensely talented Rakugo Storyteller. One aspect I found very interesting is the very grounded and real story it tells through the characters, how Yakumo feels like a very nuanced and flawed person and how he himself changed somewhat during his time as a key-person in the Rakugo world. I felt as if I was looking at a documentary of sorts of his life, it wasn’t necessarily trying to make me see him in a particular light, but instead just presented me with the information of his life and the lives of those involved and made me create thoughts from what I saw and perceive it in the way I chose. I found that very interesting. There was also the fact that, after seeing the whole season, I felt as if I understood a part of Japanese culture and that time period. Even though I obviously don’t understand everything, I feel like the series has given me a look into how Japan was during the early to mid 1900s as it went into war and was later occupied by USA, and then the economic boom it experienced later into the 20th century. Especially the Rakugo/(kind of) the entertainment scene, that was one aspect that felt very interesting. I love how it managed to show the impact of events in the real world, like the second world war forcing Sukeroku and the 7th Generation to perform for soldiers, how the occupation impacted Japan culturally, and later on how the rise of new entertainment, like TV and other music stuff, made entertainment much easier and broader for people to experience, and led to a decline in other arts such as Rakugo. When it comes to the Rakugo scene specifically, it felt like I also got an understanding of how back-door politics in the Rakugo Association put stop to true talent being shown and developed, in the tragedy of Sukeroku (Although that wasn’t the only cause why it went like it went). Another important thing in the series is the relationship between Sukeroku and Yakumo, which is similar to a little brother big brother type thing, but they’re both fighting for the big brother title. It is in a sense the cornerstone of the series, although that could be argued to be Yakumo’s character, but it is often through their actions both together and not that shape the highs and lows in their lives, the times when they soar and the times that turn out to tragedy. The very complex character of Miyukichi added into the mix really put a twist into both their relationship but their lives in general, as it feels like almost all three of them sinned in some way in relation to each other. You could try and put the blame on Miyukichi, but I feel like both Sukeroku and especially Yakumo did things to make it turn out like it did. But I won’t go into specifics here, as there are multiple things that could be argued in this specific regard. When it comes to series as a whole, there wasn’t really a moment where I was bored and was constantly interested and intrigued by it. But it doesn’t have the dramatic pizzazz other dramas like Beastars has, it is a lot more mellow and calm in general. That depends a lot on personal preference, I don’t really mind either way. Another thing very frequent that’ll depend on personal preference is the amount of Rakugo performances told in the series. There are quite a lot, and they’re usually pretty long (one is around 10 minutes long), and enjoyability there kind of depends on the story and whether you find the artform interesting. For me, I personally found some stories better than others but in general there was a lot of enjoyment in just watching them be performed with the energy and demeanour the characters had. (Huge respect to the VAs for doing an incredible job with the voice acting) My favourite one was probably the Shibahama story with the purse, that Sukeroku told. Not only because it was quite a nice story in itself that warmed my heart and made me smile, but also because it carried narrative weight that made it even more intriguing. As a whole, this series, like other dramas with melancholic motifs such as 3-gatsu no lion, managed to make me consider things about life and provided me with a really thoughtful perspective. Even though I, at one point, almost got depressed in the series, it’s kind of like an “artificial” depression (i.e a “safe” depression that enables you to feel certain emotions and think about certain stuff, because it stems from a very safe exploration of feelings and not real-life reasons), and the fact that the series made me feel such stuff is truly amazing to me. Therefore, I could probably give this series a 10/10. Maybe that’s just because it’s fresh in my mind, as I saw it recently, but that is how I feel right now regarding it. We’ll see, I guess.

I watched both seasons of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu (henceforth referred to as simply Rakugo). Here are my thoughts: As someone who likes any kind of theater as well as traditional Japanese culture, and often enjoys josei works, I expected that I would enjoy Rakugo. The show takes place during a transformative time (mid-20th century) in the history of Japanese media. Older, more-traditional forms of entertainment have been overtaken by television and radio. For those who don't know, rakugo is basically a style of traditional Japanese stage performance which involves verbal storytelling. The main focus of the anime is the practice of rakugo, hence the title. Somebody with greater knowledge of rakugo might appreciate the nuances of the show more than I did. The story of the anime is complex and intelligent. There are many well-developed characters, each of whom has their own motivations and feelings. The dynamics of these characters are woven together to create a rich character-driven story. Sounds good, right? Unfortunately, the writing suffers from a serious flaw, in my opinion. Although the characters are complex, they are still boring and very often unlikable. I didn't empathize with any of the characters, nor did I enjoy any of their personalities. In fact I detested some of the most important characters. This is an admittedly subjective but nevertheless serious problem for a highly character-focused show such as this. My distaste for the cast seriously impaired my enjoyment of this anime. There is a buffet of hateable characters in this show to pick from. There were multiple characters for whom I came to loathe their appearance on-screen. This is true for both seasons of the anime. Another thing worth mentioning is that a lot of the plot mechanisms through which drama is derived are cheesy soap-opera material. This isn't an objectively bad thing (I'm fine with cheesy drama), but it does clash starkly with the show's sophisticated reputation. Much like the practice of rakugo itself, the delivery of a story is as important as its content. At its core, this show has an okay story (regardless of the character issues). However, I think it could have been executed much better. I am fine with slow pacing in anime, as long as the screentime is used in some way that delivers value to the viewer. For example, if I really like a cast of characters then I'm completely fine with the show having zero plot. In fact I usually prefer slow pacing and little plot because it means that the screentime is used for something that I appreciate more. In this anime the pacing is slow, but there's little corresponding upside to this. The show is often very dull and boring. The screentime isn't used effectively. Episodes are often completely mundane but without any of the usual positive characteristics of, for example, a typical SoL show. There is no humour, very little romance, generally unremarkable visuals, etcetera; there's often just nothing of entertainment value. This anime sometimes feels like watching paint dry. Visually, the show is kind of dull. It's not poorly animated, but it is fairly 'no frills' and doesn't have much discernable artistic flavour. Sometimes there are some nice backgrounds, but these frames are infrequent. To put it another way, the show is visually adequate but certainly there is room for improvement. Occasionally the cinematography is nice, but again this is not the norm. I think there was a general trend of the outdoor scenes appearing higher effort and visually richer, as compared to the duller indoor scenes where most of the show takes place. Also, I didn't like the character designs at first but eventually they grew on me. Another subtle aspect here was character animation. During more-emotive scenes the character animation can be very smooth and detailed (for example, facial expressions during rakugo performances). Given the importance of oration in the show, I'm thankful that the voice acting is pretty great. In fact, the voice acting was a significant source of enjoyment for me. Most of the main characters have very distinctive and refined voices that match both the time period as well as their own style of stage performance. The script is also sometimes quite thoughtful, as one might expect from a rakugo-focused show. As for the OST, it is nice overall, and the frequent sound of traditional Japanese instruments suits the theme of the anime. There is also a lot of 50s-ish-era music, which frankly I'm not a fan of but it is appropriate for the time period. The actual rakugo scenes themselves are kind of boring to watch. They are often long and without any accompanying visual flair at all. Watching a character recite a simple short story (that you've often already heard!) for many minutes is not particularly exciting. I'm usually quite patient with this sort of thing. I think more could have been done to make the rakugo scenes entertaining. For contrast, take for example the shogi scenes in Sangatsu no Lion. I quite enjoyed these scenes because I could strongly feel the emotions of the characters, in addition to the creative visuals provided by Shaft. Rakugo could learn some lessons from these shogi scenes. Of course on the other hand, having absolutely no visuals at all is a more authentic depiction of rakugo. I suppose how one feels about the rakugo scenes will depend on how they prefer to balance cultural authenticity and entertainment value. Is Rakugo a complex and intelligent show? Yes. Did I enjoy watching it? Only somewhat. My overall rating: 5/10 There are elements of the show worth appreciating, but this doesn't fully compensate for all its other negative attributes. Lastly, and I only bring this up because I know that some readers will have this on their minds, I'm completely indifferent to the paternity controversy. It did not change my view of the anime and I think that a lot of people overreacted to that aspect of the story. As far as criticisms of the writing go, there is plenty of fruit that hangs lower. I would even say that the paternity subplot was kind of clever, although its execution in the anime was poor. In any case, I wish people would stop obsessing over this and instead discuss the rest of the anime's substance. There is plenty of fertile discussion material.

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is an incredibly sophisticated show about creating art and the consequences of growing up with it. A story that takes place through not one, not two, but three generations of a rather obscure in the west form of art that is rakugo, best described as Japanese traditional stand up, focused on either comedic or horror-oriented storytelling performed by one person that only uses different voice tones during dialogues and slight gestures, with the only prop being a fan, to convey one of the previously written stories. It can be done in front of a live audience, where it showcases its true beauty, or recorded to pass on for the future generations. As you may notice, that description doesn't sound promising. A historical show about people performing such a boring activity looks boring. The thing is: it's not. The plot starts off in the future, as a recently released convict and an ex gang member tries to become an apprentice of the legendary rakugo artist: Yakumo, also known as the eighth generation. He somehow gets accepted, and studies different forms of it in his master's house, which he shares with a girl that he raised - Konatsu - and sometimes his employee Matsuda. The convict receives the name of Yotarou and begins his rocky journey. It turns out, that Konatsu's father was another great rakugo artist - Sukeroku, a very talented and great in delivery artist who passed away ten years prior to the events of the first episode. She blames Yakumo for his death and harbors great resentment towards him. After a few events, the concerned Yakumo decides to tell both her and Yotarou who is searching for inspiration about his past, how he met Sukeroku, how they tried their best to be the best they can at their profession and how it all tragically fell apart, all because of something way more simple than art. This show's way of storytelling can be described in one word: refined. There is no part of it that is unnecessary, every scene holds meaning and can be traced backwards or forwards to other scenes to see character development and change in the world of this show. It starts off with children: Bon and Shin, or as we later know them as: Yakumo and Sukeroku, becoming apprentices of "the seventh generation" rakugo master Yakumo Yuurakutei. The difference between them is that Bon wanted to be a dancer, but due to his leg getting severely hurt he was forced to do rakugo by his mother. Sukeroku was always passionate, from the very first scene we can see his love and infatuation with it. The plot takes us throughout their careers as rakugo performers and lives as normal people. Yakumo grows up to be a stoic figure that struggles to find his own rakugo, while Sukeroku quickly becomes comfortable in the environment, however pushes it too far and defies orders given to by his more experienced colleagues. Their development is consistent and in each episode the viewer can receive a powerful, emotional punch in the guts as the atmosphere and, well, the entire first episode spoils the show. Sukeroku will die and leave behind a child for Yakumo to take care of. I don't particularly like the usage of in media res in anything, but Rakugo pulls it off. It's so important that it starts this way, because it throws away the possibility of screwing up the big reveal and instead focuses on telling a story of how it got to that point, which this show is all about anyway. It's told through Yakumo's perspective, his past experiences and the information he gathered about the events he describes, which makes the viewer understand his character especially very well. You know what makes him tick at all times and what his thoughts are about any given topic the show tackles, but at the same time you are left with the mysteries of Sukeroku's mind. It creates a great dynamic and strengthens the feeling of real connection between the two, as Yakumo is always interested in his friend, which makes the viewer feel the same way as we see those events through his perception of the situation. The story itself is crafted masterfully. It always knew what it was doing and didn't squander a single minute of its runtime to do something unrelated to its themes and ideas. A simple casual banter between the two main characters always eventually ends up on the topic of rakugo, as it's the only thing they can really think about, it's their job and they both really want to be good at it. However, the beginning and the ending of each of those talks make it feel like a real conversation, and a solid piece of writing with good build up and conclusion. The romantic storyline that comes into play later also has exactly that, however, just like anything else besides Yakumo's and Sukeroku's conversation, those story threads have a much wider exposition of ideas and topics. Rakugo is dying, and it's apparent that it's nearing its end by the time the events of the first episode occur. Both Yakumo and Sukeroku have their own ideas about how they want to go about reviving it, but one's clearly more passionate about it than the other from the beginning. It almost makes it feel like a rivalry, when it's really not, but it does make the show this much more interesting, knowing that the world is alive and changing. The most impressive thing to me about Rakugo is that it has the confidence to built a story that will be boring to many. Not only is it slow paced, but throughout the 13 episode run time it presents numerous, fully animated, fully voice acted, actual rakugo performances by several cast members. Not only that, but they make them a key element of the show's thematic presentation, and it pays off. Those performances are simply astonishing, not only is the directing during those segments absolutely on point, but so is the usage of music and some of the best voice acting in modern anime. I have never seen a better example of something, that could only be created in this one medium that is anime. Those camera shots, focusing on specific parts of the characters or the audiences, following them in a way that no real camera could, is what makes Rakugo this much better than its competition. It feels realistic and fluid, but if you think about it, it's all anime magic, which is just great. If there's something that I would complain about, it's that some scenes are made to be overly long. Not like they don't add to the topic, but I feel like the way the characters talk could be shortened while still maintaining the mostly consistent characterization and flow of the series. There were moments where I thought that they should just stop talking, but they add a remark that somehow makes the last one feel less important in the process, creating a rather confusing exchange. They always get out of those tight spots though, finding ways to really make it through unscathed, so it's not a huge deal. Just a writing issue, every show has those. The interactions between the cast are the most endearing, charming yet tragic moments that Rakugo has to offer. The thought that nothing will go their way should constantly be in your head, because even during the happy moments, where something goes the way someone wanted it to, there's always the reminder that their life is actually a never ending, spinning circle of pain and suffering for higher causes. Sometimes it's art, sometimes it's friendship and sometimes it's actually not as important as anything like that, but nonetheless, they go through everything for a reason. That reason is always clear too. There's not a point where someone's motivations are particularly unclear, but that doesn't mean they aren't convoluted. The two main characters are best described by their Rakugo performances and the stories they decide to do. Yakumo finds himself to be more confident with some racy, or even erotic stories. He is good at creating a believable and fun women during the time he's given. Sukeroku on the other hand is simply a genius, one that isn't under…