Kakushigoto

Wow, it was an amazing short ride! This show is playing with my sensitive feelings for sure. I was really looking forward to watch “Kakushigoto” because I’ve been listening to its opening song for a few months already (Thank you YouTube Recommendation). When I get to watch the OP episode by episode, it did hit me differently and I always ended up getting teary-eyed. I am not just moved, but I also get to appreciate the inclusion of symbolism about time and life challenges which is relevant to the story. The ED is also worth mentioning because they aren’t just a bunch of stills and the song’s “Freddie Mercury” vibe is so cool. The art style is new to me. Every frame is filled with vibrant colors and rough textures. It’s kind of hard to recognize negative spaces in each frame. It is very pleasing to look at but at the same time it’s overwhelming (at first). The texture also helps in giving off a manga-ish look and I really like that well-thought addition. The show’s scenario writing is simply beautiful and effective. The first eleven episodes were focused on a setting where Hime was still ten. But at the start or the end of those episodes, there’s a tiny glimpse of the future where Hime, as an 18-year-old daughter, slowly unfolds the secrets of his father. At first glance, those episodes were just following a slice of life formula where you’ll get to laugh with Gotou-sensei’s daily challenges as a father and as a manga artist. At the same time, the tiny glimpses of the future provokes uneasiness and that easily flips the table of emotions. In the end, it made me realize that the funny scenarios in those eleven episodes tries to imply that those were the memorable moments of Gotou-sensei before the tragic events which was revealed in the last episode. Like other shows, the ending of “Kakushigoto” was also a bit rushed, and the introduction of a new character also complicate things. But other than that, it’s a good overall ending. There were moments that I really wanted to cry for both Hime and Gotou-sensei but suddenly a dumb character talks and I ended up laughing, and that’s actually one of the strong points of this show. Before ending my review, there’s one thing that moved me the most. It’s the thought that Gotou-sensei’s black and white sketches in manga complimented with himself who wears a mask as a gag-manga artist, and the only precious thing that gave his life full of colors is his daughter, Hime. Ja Matane!

Title: Kakushigoto (Hidden Things) Overall Score: Personal 8.6/10 (rounded 9/10), Objective 7.5/10 (rounded 8/10) The first paragraph is spoiler free, the rest I must put a HEAVY SPOILER WARNING. Quick Review: Upon first reading the synopsis, I thought this story would be filled to the brim with innuendos and dirty jokes much like Seitokai Yakuindomo. And maybe there would be a few touching moments sprinkled around here and there. However the story of Gotou Kakushi and his daughter Hime turned out to be surprisingly wholesome and even made me tear up a bit, especially with the endings of each episode. The last episode was admittedly rushed, and there were several story elements that didn’t really need to be explained that were dumped onto us, but overall Kakushigoto turned out to be well worth the watch. In-depth review: Story: Personal 8.5/10, Objective 7/10 As stated above, the dynamic between father and daughter in this series is one that is adorable and more or less realistic. Kakushi hides his true occupation (mangaka) from Hime partly in fear that she may look down on him, and partly for her not to be tainted by the dirty contents of his stories. Ever the doting parent, Kakushi’s initial actions to protect his daughter in the first few episodes bordered on obsession, which admittedly did hurt my impression of him. But as the series continues he does mellow out significantly and we start to learn more about his motives. As Kakushi’s wife presumably passed away when Hime was very young, he struggles with maintaining his distance for the sake of his secret job and trying to make up for the love Hime could no longer get from her mother. Hime simply wants to spend time with her father and never questions (very much) his strange actions or tries to pry into his private life. This ironically is one of the things she regrets later down the line. At the end of each episode we are brought to the future where Hime is a young adult, alone and only now realizing the secret her father kept from her all these years. This is later flipped on its head and we realize that it these are not flash forwards, but rather the whole series is a flash back to when Kakushi was at his happiest, spending time with Hime without any truly stressful life issues getting in the way. I won’t go into the whole familial issues that Kakushi had with both his parents and his wife’s parents, because the majority of it was exposition dumped onto us in the last episode. It made the whole thing seem rushed and took up half of the last episode, which could’ve been better spent showing Kakushi’s future interactions with his grown up daughter while he was suffering from amnesia. Now of course, the ending was cliche. The series even admits it. But it was a cliche handled very well and even put a humorous spin on an otherwise serious situation. Art/Animation: Personal 7/10, Objective 7/10 Nothing special here. If you didn’t like the art from Sayonara Zetsubou sensei then you won’t like it here cause it is basically the same. The animation felt smooth and it did it’s job, but I can’t say it stood out as amazing to me. The symbolism on the other hand… Symbolism/Wordplay/etc: Personal 9.5/10, Objective 8/10 As many of you probably already know, Kakushi’s name when read in the western was (given name first) is Kakushi Gotou, which is a pun on Kakushigoto (something hidden, a secret job, etc). However another lesser known pun is his daughter’s name, Himegoto, which means more or less the same thing (something that you don’t want others to find out). I find it pleasantly ironic that despite all the effort Kakushi puts into hiding his manga, Hime grows up to hide the fact that she likes drawing manga from him as well. It really drives the point that no matter what his job was, Hime would’ve still accepted him for who he is. Another aspect I thought was done well was the boxes that Kakushi (and his wife) create for Hime to open up, one for each year of her life until her adulthood. Not only does it show the love and care both parents have for their daughter, it also symbolizes what they wanted their ideal life with Hime to be. This also ties into the storage house, which was actually the original house her family was supposed to live in. The house she actually lived in as a child was a replica of this, something her father insisted on doing in an attempt to preserve his ideal happy family. Sound: Personal 9/10, Objective 8/10 I loved both the OP and ED, which is quite rare. In terms of the actual sound effects during the story, I’d say they fulfilled their purpose well enough, much like the art, but nothing truly exceptional here. Character (Main): Personal 9.99/10, Objective 9/10 I’ve already mentioned above how Kakushi and Hime’s interactions throughout the series are wholesome and adorable, so I’ll focus on the future scenes when they are older. In the final moments of the series, Hime mentions how happy Kakushi must be to have what he wants most which is drawing manga (he does not recognize that Hime is his daughter as he believes he she is still a child due to his amnesia). However Kakushi disagrees and says the thing that he wants most is to see his daughter grow up to be happy and healthy. This is the emotional trigger that makes Hime want to carry out her plan to make Kakushi regain his memories. To me it was the strongest point in the entire episode and is probably one of the best climaxes of any series I’ve seen. Kakushigoto is one of the best depictions of unconditional love I’ve seen in any form of media (where no one dies). Kakushi’s selflessness and (unknowing) push for Hime to be selfish for her own wellbeing’s sake turned this family’s potentially tragic end into a happy one. Character (Supporting): Personal 7/10, Objective 6/10 Arguably the weakest point of the story in my opinion (aside from the final episode’s exposition dump). Most of the side characters like Kakushi’s assistants didn’t really have much going on with them and were very one dimensional. They were usually used as part of a punchline. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoyed their interactions, but they were mainly made interesting because of their interactions with Kakushi. The same goes for Hime’s friends, although to a lesser extent. I did like how the girl Hime saves becomes a longtime friend and how she wanted to return the favour by helping Hime regain her father’s memories. The three or four women obsessed with Kakushi were good for a laugh or two, but they didn’t have enough screen time for me to really care about them (except for Hime’s teacher, the last episode saved her character for me). Enjoyment/Humour: Personal 9/10. Objective 7.5/10 If you’re a fan of bubbly slice of life, you’ll love this one. But be warned as it will bait you into crying heavily at the end of each episode. The “it was all a flashback” trope has been used lots before but I’d have to say this is one of the better uses of it. The ending scenes of each episode left me wanting more, which kept me coming back each week to find out what happened next. I suppose that’s a good thing for the producers. Some of the jokes are hit or miss, but the series never failed to make me laugh at least once per episode. Honestly speaking my least favourite episode would’ve been the last had it not saved itself at the very end. I think more hints about the Gotou family should’ve been spread throughout the story while keeping the balance between humour and drama. Many shows have done it successfully, and Kakushigoto nearly pulled it off. But I assumed that if it wasn’t gonna be spread out in the show then it would’ve been kept a mystery. Revealing everything at the end would’ve worked if it was a whole episode (still not that great but better than what we got) but here it was too rushed. I would’ve preferred if Kakushi’s past was kept a mystery. Especially Hime’s half cousin, which literally only existed to give the exposition dump…

Spoiler free article: A short description that's just a bit longer than normal synopsis to give you rough idea what to expect from this anime. Conclusion for TL;DR at the end of the articles. Reading time: 2 minutes read Review: The story are deceptively simple, there's a lot of wordplay around the title that can give you several meanings and hints depending on the way you read it. At first it's just like a simple slice of life with some comedy in there, but then at the end of each episode there will be this short scenes where viewers will be hinted that it's not all laugh and there's something serious will happen at the end. Oh how I love this teasing so much, the comedy itself already hooked me to this anime, but then there's this cliffhanger at the end of each episode, well, that's a truly genius move. Decently paced for most of the time, albeit the ending for me feels rushed, and I feel it wasted all the amazing build up so far. Plot holes? Nope, with the amount of intrinsic details that giving here and there, Kumeta Kouji poured an amazing amount of concentration to make sure there's no such thing. A heartwarming story that you can watch with the whole family to have a laugh together. The visuals are just like the story itself, it looks simple, but then there's this hidden charm that give a special feel to this anime. Although it have a constant artstyle for the whole time, the choice of the color palette able to change the atmosphere to change drastically. The animation are inconsistent though, sometimes there's this very smooth animation, but most of the time it's standard, not so choppy, but not so smooth either, which is understandable since it doesn't need to. The details to the city, the background and many objects in the world are just wow, they sure put a lot of love to that, not a single frame lack this meticulous level of detailing! A simple anime with a surprising amount of big name of voice actors, and they performed as expected of their name, a solid superb performance. From the very first episode and the characters are already alive in my mind. The theme songs of the anime are just amazing, the opening are amazing on it's own, but the ending are also great, it gave this bittersweet feels (it even have an amazing story behind the song production). The sound effects are so bland, it's there, but it's never have the right amount, sometimes it's too excessive, sometimes it's too insignificant like it's not there... Conclusion: Reasons to watch: -A decent storyline with enough comedy to keep it light -Dazzling cast of voice actors Reasons NOT to watch: -You don't want an anime that's half comedy half serious drama

A nice slice of life with some spicy plot. Perfect cuz it ended with father's day around the corner. If ur looking for the wholesome anime of the 2020 spring season, this is it, folks. Summarize Dad that has to hide his profession from his kawaii daughter (VA Rie Takahashi) but his secret was later on revealed. You enjoy that nice slice of life feel and laugh with its comedy aspect. The art style represents the ever-evolving progress of Japanese artstyle. Its visually soothing and colourful. Not much to say about the music but other than that, its a work of art dedicated to comfort the viewers with some wholesome family bonding in the show.

Kakushigoto is a light-hearted comedy that vividly covers the relationship of a mangaka and his daughter as he desperately, and quite wholesomely, attempts to keep his profession hidden from the then ten-year-old Hime. It easily captures the feelings of single-parent doing everything to raise their child or, conversely, a child being raised by a doting single parent. The comedic aspects are mostly derived at the expense of Kakushi Gotou, who’s expansive imagination usually leads to him arriving at the worst possible outcomes of any given scenario relating to his daughter. His anxiety-induced parental escapades are consistently humorous and, in hindsight, walking the fine line between sanity and absurdity. Nevertheless, the secretive mangaka’s feelings are adeptly portrayed and his almost neurotic tendencies lighten the entire mood of the plot and character interactions. Moreover, there is a consistent presence of puns and almost cynical commentary on the manga industry and society; Which also adds a different level of comedy if they are noticed fully. The story is told beautifully and is delivered in a manner that leaves little-to-no no room for complaints to be made. The plot, as it is introduced in the first episode, is framed as a flashback and the viewers are simply reliving the events from that peaceful period in their lives. To end each episode, the time-line cuts back to the present, where the viewers slowly, learn a little bit more of the Gotou family’s current lifestyle and the many things the loving father did for his daughter over the years. It creates a great sense of foreshadowing and leaves viewers wanting to know more about the little family of two; Three, if you include the family dog, Roku. To say the very least, Kouji Kumeta’s masterful writing carried the anime to the prestige it has rightfully earned. Speaking of Kouji Kumeta, his cutesy, pop-art manga style translated well into the anime, which fully-added to the storytelling, character designs, and overall distinguishability of the show and the original manga. Putting it flatly, the colorful art snuggly fit into the genre and the heartwarming storytelling. The accompanying sound was also enjoyable and mixed the many aspects of the work together. The opening and endings fall into a more indie, pop-rock style, and they, in my opinion, can be frequently listened to without succumbing to discontent. That being said, the soundtrack was good, but nothing especially stood out. Diverging from the music quality, the voice acting was directed and produced spectacularly and it shows. Some of the characters portrayed in Kakushigoto aren’t necessarily deep, but they are interesting to watch. Their identifiable by a cornerstone of their personality, which amusedly plays into some of the shows comedic aspects, but serves as a means to deflect most of the viewer’s attention towards the father-daughter duo. Essentially, the supporting cast does a masterful job at being the supporting cast; Nothing more, nothing less. As a result, the eccentric, doting Kakushi and the ever empathetic Hime are definitely a brilliant choice as main characters and stand out more because of the supporting cast. As far as the enjoyment factor goes, I was fully taken in by the charming characters, attractive plot, and, of course, the vibrant father-daughter relationship. Kakushigoto withholds the splendid presence of a fairly straightforward plot, a good mix of supporting characters, and a magnificent display of the interpersonal workings of a father that wants nothing more than his daughter’s wellbeing and a daughter that is self-aware enough to pick up on her father’s struggles. Overall, Kakushigoto is a lovable story following the comedic, but sometimes serious, workings of an idiosyncratic single-father and his young daughter. The comedy is generally entertaining and absurd, but the true selling point is the heartwarming interactions and just splendidly produced slice of life story. Without a doubt, I highly recommend Kakushigoto to any anime fan, even more so if you thrive on family-themed stories.

Story 8/10 A heart warming story this does a great job of telling interesting and sometimes humorous little stories in each episode with the main character Kakushi Gotou desperately trying to keep his daughter Hime from learning that he is dirty manga artist. The last few episodes in particular are excellent taking a more serious tone while maintaining the same overall vibe and it has a brilliant ending which brings out a wide range of emotions. Art 8/10 Not the flashiest animation but has a great charm to it and looks good for what it is. Sound 7/10 Charming music and sound with good voice acting. Characters 8/10 Kakushi is an excellent character he gets into a lot of trouble trying to protect his secret but you can see how much he cares for Hime and how hard he tries to make her happy, Hime plays a great role to she has so much love and trust for her father which probably stops her from finding out what her father does for work she is also so understanding of the difficulties her father faces trying to raise her on his own being very responsible and unselfish. The support characters also play their parts well assisting the story throughout sometimes helping Kakushi keep his secret sometime getting him into trouble. Enjoyment 8/10 A little slow to get going but I really loved the final episodes this had a lot of fun moments and some good humor and is just so heart warming. Overall 8/10

I loved this anime so much. The reason I started watching this was because Kamiya Hiroshi stars in it. But I stayed for the story and how much I enjoyed it. I have been following this anime since week one and I loved waiting every Friday for it. It's such a funny and enjoyable anime that leaves you sad in the end. The characters are very funny and they all have their own personalities. All the episode are entertaining and I never found any episode boring to watch. The art style of the anime is very cute and the colors are very pleasant. The OP and ED are very lovely and I never skip them. The ending was quite satisfying and unexpected and I loved it. I recommend this for everyone to watch.

Kakushigoto is a comedic slice of life anime that has an wholesome setting. The spotlight is the interaction of the characters, which debuts the father and daughter duo, Kakushi Gotou and Hime Gotou. When first seeing the cover's artstyle, I immediately thought of Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei, both of which have that similarly distinct style. So you can imagine that I was looking forward for this one. Of course, Shaft didn't make this anime so.. Anyway, next the comedy. The comedy was not forced, it was put nicely. THANKFULLY (for the love of sausage) it wasn't extreme, as much as it has 'slice of life' written on it, it would probably scared me that the comedy would stray far from the plot and normalcy itself. The characters, they all have their respective roles that add comedic value. like for example, the teacher and the main character. The plot is good, kind of generic, but it's alright the foreshadowing did the plot justice, it was intended so I can see they were serious about it lol. Overall, I like this anime not only for its wholesomeness, but also for its usage of comedy and interaction of characters in a specific setting. 8/10.

Spoilers Ahead! I'm writing this a day after having finished the last episode. It took me a clear day to fully tame and comprehend the mixture of emotions that bubbled up in me from this entire series. This series is based on the foundation of love. Particularly a father's love for his daughter. From the moment Hime was born his whole world revolved around her. So much so that he tries to protect her any way he can. Even if that means its from himself as well. A manga artist that writes dirty jokes? Great for teenagers and young adults to enjoy! Not so much for an elementary student. He wants to do the best for her and if that means lying about being a salesman keeps her away from the ridicule she could endure should anyone (or herself) know that HE'S that famous manga artist....well, its for the best. Most of the series is slice of life with the last 2-3 minutes being portrayed 10 years later in the daughter's perspective. Each of those segments is much darker than the rest of the series and pieces together a significant moment that has changed her and her father's lives horribly recently. The mystery in it all was what kept me very invested in this show but it also made me humanize the characters more so than if it was just a slice of life. The creator pulling that on its audience...just incredible! One aspect of the show that I really enjoyed was the father in law's and husband's relationship. We never see it on screen really, but they have this hatred for each other. The father in law thinks his daughter is too good to marry some manga artist, and the husband just wants his family to be happy....and away from him. But then she dies in an untimely way. Leaving these two bitter men broken and lost. The father in law is pushed even further into the background despite him trying to help provide for Hime in small ways. And although the gifts are never exactly welcomed, they aren't thrown aside either. In some miniscule way I would call that growth. But by the end of the series we can truly tell that the father in law truly does love Hime, and like her father would do anything to keep her happy. Even if that means keeping the bastard's finances in check. XD My heart still hurts from finishing this series. It was just supposed to be a fun slice of life but it grew into something enormous and left a lasting affect on me. Any form of love can move my heart, but this beautiful portrayal of a father's unyielding love for his daughter has left me at such a loss. I'm in awe at the performance and disappointed that their story is closed. But god was it fun <3

Ummm this is my first review so please don't be harsh on me, this anime stroke me as very reviewable so I couldn't just leave it to be unnoticed. Story 8/10 : Kakushigoto is a story about a father who lives with his daughter and works as a manga artist but he hides the truth of his job as a mangaka and tells his daughter that he works as a salaryman and that is because he draws ''shimoneta'' in his manga which is dirty jokes. It's a fun story with a lot of wholesome sides to it, the father is overprotective for his daughter and he tries so hard to hide his job which creates the comedy parts of this anime alongside the interesting events that happen every time, It's really a light hearted slice of life that makes you smile...most of the times (because every story has its dramatic and shocking turnaround but I won't spoil that for you). Art 7/10 : It speaks for its story : The art is kinda managakish with characters drawn a bit sketchy, but it does go along with the vibe of this anime being a light hearted comedy slice of life, and that in my opinion is very suitable and nice for it. Sound 8/10 : The background music plays very well for every situation whether it was comedy or drama or just your everyday normal conversation, and it's very nice and comfy to hear while watching in my opinion. Character 9/10 : And here we get to the part that made me love this anime. The characters are just too well made from the mc to the least observable one, everyone has his own trait and everyone makes you either wanna love them, laugh at them, hug them, or punch them lol, and you don't even feel the generic sense of ''yeah it's this kind of character'' at all, even with one of the mcs being the typical ''caring loving cute daughter'' when you see her and hear her you don't feel like it's cliché at all and that's very well done in my opinion, I gotta applaud the voice actors of this show for that they really brought the life out of their appointed characters. Enjoyment 8/10 : Thursday these last 3 months was ''kakushigoto'' for me, I'd always get nice and comfy after my day ends and watch that episode to its fullest, I laughed, I got sad, and I enjoyed a lot while watching Kakushigoto. Overall 8/10 : If you like father daughter type of anime you should definitely get to watch this show because it's probably one of the best in this genre and it deserves your time. thank you so much for reading and i hope you find this interview helpful for you

Man, being a dad seems nice. This series is the kind of story that doesn't just warm the heart. It's a compelling narrative that, just as the name suggests, holds a secret for the audience. It creates a space that shows both sides of a coin: the fun, energetic tone of the past, and the sad, reflective side of the future. Both shine a lot more, because of the existence of the other. While it's a father and daughter story at its core, I enjoyed the comedy a lot, because of the strange realism. There's a grounded nature about the story, discussions of money, services, how much you need to live, who you gotta trust, and the way a loving father acts. It doesn't try to give you a bleak outlook, just how a nice life has a cost, and how much a good father can do for a good daughter. Including job related antics, conversations about a series, about drawing. It's a work, and family narrative, as well as the balance between those. I loved the dynamic, the dialogue, the wholesome. It's just a relaxing series that still contains the interest towards the ending. Something the genre tends to fumble is the road towards the end. Not many times does one question direction on the genre. Stories like to give an idea of continuing on forever, they will be friends forever, the father, and daughter will be happy forever; never straying from the original path, and I hate that. Here, they have constant flashes forward, giving us that snack of anticipation, and it worked really well. Not for a second was I disinterested in seeing what was coming, even if it was probably gonna be simple (it wasn't). The voice acting was something a bit exaggerated at times, but I'd be lying if I said it didn't make me laugh. It sold the comedy really well, and I hate gag manga, but here every character has a sort of gag that spins around with care for the audience not to get bored. The cast was great. I have no problems with it, but those come with the last aspects. The animation is pretty simple, and not to a fault, it simply works how it's intended, but sometimes the way faces look towards the camera and the nose disappears felt jarring. It clearly used the budget for the flashes forward, which have so much more detail, fluidity, and can work as an artistic choice to differentiate them. The ending, though, we gotta talk about that. Rushed, instantaneous, extremely cliché'd. I don't have a problem with an interesting direction taken at the last minute if you can wrap it all in a tight bow. However, it didn't work all that well here. Out of nowhere, exposition about the things happening, everything goes wrong, but then, extremely fast, everything goes right, and one of the characters screams about how this is so cliché. Self awareness doesn't save you from the fact. It all happened in the span of one episode. If only they cut way more from some of the other eleven episodes and allocated the ending to two chapters. Giving it space would've created one of the greats in the slice of life genre. 7.5/10, it sits near greatness, but it gets held back by a typical, last-minute conflict that resolves itself too fast. I still recommend it; really heartwarming.

"Kakushigoto" really is a hidden gem among numerous slice-of-life shows out there. This show got me hooked after watching one episode. the story follows a manga artist who is known for his lewd stories. Because of that, he has to hide his job from his daughter. Art/animation: I have to say, the animation is great in its own way. colorful templates were used to make a beautiful, cute, wholesome slice-of-life scene. The art is cute and unique. Hence the viewers feel very relaxed when watching the show. Music/ sound effects: The opening and the ending were pretty decent and fit the tone of the show. The sound effects were alright. I really have nothing to complain about the sound effects and music from this show. Plots: As I said above, I really got hooked on this show. "Kakushigoto" starts with a lower-tone color scene, which is usually made for mystery scenes from detective movies and shows. This scene got my attention immediately. This is a very brilliant way to get viewers' attention. A little bit of mystery in a slice-of-life show really is a weird concept, but it works and works effectively. The story was very well written. Jokes were not too "graceless" or too funny that make you laugh out loud. they were just cute and wholesome enough to put a smile on my face, feel happy and relaxed inside. With heart-warmed scenes throughout the show, how much love the mangaka gives to his daughter, and how close-knit the mangaka is to his assistants and his editor, viewers feel pleased and relaxed at its fullest. To sum up everything that has been stated so far, "Kakushigoto" is a great show for slice-of-life lovers or anime lovers in general. I personally think that "Kakushigoto" is one of the most wholesome slice-of-life shows I have ever seen.

tl;dr: An anime with decent slice of life that doesn’t successfully build up to it’s deeper, more serious aspects. Kakushigoto is an anime that has a lot of interconnected parts where it isn’t really clear what they’re all leading up to, but in the end they do manage to come together, kind of. The majority of the anime is centered around a father, Goto, who is a manga artist and single father taking care of his ten year old or so daughter, Hime, though he’s somewhat embarrassed by the fact that the manga he draws is perverted and thus he goes to extreme and absurd lengths to hide the fact that he’s a mangaka from her. The story itself for the most part is just the two of them living their lives in such a manner, but in the process the script delves into two very distinct themes, Goto’s love for manga and his love for his daughter. Though the number that ultimately get adapted into anime is somewhat small, manga about manga are incredibly common as one would expect considering that it’s something any mangaka will have experience. But what makes this story unique in this regard is how it’s cynical regarding the manga industry, but it’s not serious about it, and thus it ends up coming across as dark comedy more than anything, but dark comedy about manga itself that avoids being directly critical is a pretty strange in a meta sort of way. Anime about single fathers raising children are also not all that rare, though the bizarre dynamic of Goto trying to keep his job a secret certainly does make it quite a bit different from any I’ve seen, and often quite a bit more hilarious. These two separate themes also open up having a good amount of variety from a pretty large cast of side characters that come from pretty much completely different worlds, such as in that Goto’s assistant and editor are completely different from Hime’s school friends and teacher. The writing manages to use all this in regards to both themes pretty well in terms of comedy, though it should be noted that a very large amount of it is centered around puns and misunderstandings that don’t translate all that well into English. The more serious parts are where I think the anime doesn’t really hold up all that well. The anime begins with an in media res that begins long after the ‘present’ when most of the anime takes place, and more tidbits of this future period are thrown in throughout. These as well as tidbits in the present period that provide hints though no clear explanation about major events that happened long before the beginning of the present period result in there being a pretty strong sense of intrigue. However, ultimately I think the pay off for all of this was incredibly weak and the finale was also pretty underwhelming. The plot itself felt incredibly rushed, wherein it just kind of drops a whole bunch of revelations on really important events really quickly without letting them sink in. The anime throughout touches on a lot of heavy themes, such as how it’s not necessarily fair to project an artist on their work or vice versa, but at the same time how it can be impossible not to subconsciously do so, or how the relationship between parents and children is a lot more complicated than the parents simply raising the child. And of course most importantly would be the titular element, secrets, why they’re kept, why they’re needed, and the circumstances surrounding that. But in the end it in hindsight it doesn’t feel like they were fleshed out well enough, and in the end they just kind of fizzled out. Finally, and most importantly, what are supposed to be the heavy hitting emotional beats just don’t hit hard enough. They rely heavily on the viewer being heavily invested in Goto’s love for Hime and his love for manga, but in the end I don’t think the anime built up enough of either. Building up heavy investment in characters, their lives, and their relationships without dramatic plot events is certainly possible, but it’s something that needs to be done slowly and steadily. I think that although difficult this is something that can be done in a single cour, though it would require being laser focused with every event that occurs without much distraction. This anime on the other hand was too chaotic with far too many tangents that didn’t really contribute to the ending, and thus wasn’t able to pull it off. Thus, while I don’t have any problems with the ending itself per se and appreciate what it was trying to accomplish, I have problems with how we got to it, and thus I was only half satisfied with it. The art and animation are decent. The style in general is pretty distinct and though usually pretty simple compared to most anime I think it holds up pretty well in and of itself. It doesn’t feel the narrative really did anything that used the style well though, which combined with designs being pretty basic results in an anime that while clean and reasonably well made, feels somewhat dull to look at. The OP and ED I think were exceptions that in that they worked pretty well from a visual point of view and had pretty decent songs. The soundtrack I didn’t find all that remarkable.

My highest praise for Kakushigoto has to be in the animation and visuals. The "loose" animation style combines with it's distinct characters designs to create countless beautiful keyframes. Gotou and Ami are two examples of whenever they're on screen it really stands out how well they're drawn. Story wise - what stands out to me has to be its use of tones. Each episode -towards its conclusion- will u-turn into a much darker, cold-toned future. This future the story is hinting at should drag you down in thoughts and worries of what's to come, yet every time it has an ability to grab ya back and you get lost in the light, cozy, slice-of-life portions of the show. There's only one negative that stood out to me. This show is a Slice-of-Life, episodes focus on the characters and it's world, the driving story comes second. This only becomes a problem at the end of the show. They had too much to conclude and its ending ultimately felt rushed and monologue-y. Overall, pretty darn good, you should give it a try. This show will stand out in comparison to most seasonal anime.

Spoiler free review regarding the plot. Kakushigoto is one of those anime that have you waiting for the punchline. Even from the first episodes, it has you believing that the ending whether good or bad is gonna make your eyes turn into waterfalls. While I have to admit that in some cases it came close, it did not succeed. The premise of the anime itself (minor spoiler ahead), dealing with two different timelines, allows the series abrupt changes which in fact form its core. Neither the humor nor the plot are its strong points. The heartwarming scenes are sometimes a treat but on their own could not have kept me invested. It was the mystery it created that hooked me and got me to finish it. So, did the mystery deliver? No, not really. I expected something different, something better, something more interested and original, which in retrospect was my own mistake. What got me hooked was never the anime's selling point. The anime wants you to laugh and feel happy while watching an adorable stupid father raise his adorable daughter and try to protect his biggest secret. If that interests you, you should definitely watch Kakushigoto. If not, but still found yourselves getting hooked for different reasons, by all means continue watching. Kakushigoto will surely not be a waste of your time but may leave you with a bittersweet aftertaste, as if you had been waiting for something else in the end, while not exactly knowing what that was yourself. TLDR: * 8/10 based on what it selling point was - 6/10 based on my personal taste * Watch for heartwarming moments and a few good laughs

One of the most heartwarming anime I have ever seen. A beautiful story of how a father raises his child alone. Some comedy in between of a heartwarming story. And don't just watch this anime randomly. if you have got depression by watching animes like Attack on Titan, Tokyo Revengers, and Tokyo ghoul you must watch this. it has a really beautiful story and the characters are also pretty good. you will enjoy watching it, but don't watch it with your family. this anime will suck your depression away. it's like this anime was made for the sole purpose of killing the depression inside of people.

A beautiful anime in every way possible. From the art to characters to the stories. One can't help but to become emotional while watching it. The art was a bit different from a lot of animes, which made it stand out in a positive way. All of the characters had amazing designs. The colors and how they where used was great. The best part of the story was the characters. The majority of them where loveable and well made. Yes, a lot of them had a lot of tropes in them. But it's not bad. The story made it's own touch to them. Which made them memorable. The plot was sweet and rather touching. A father caring for his young daughter while keeping his work a secret in order for her not to feel embarrassed. For the majority of the time it was between a 7 or 8 points review. However, the ending sealed the deal. It was so touching, beautiful and funny at the same time. In the end, a great anime and would recommend to give it a chance.

First of, I know that this isn't "the masterpiece", but since I enjoy slice of life genre, as a whole and also appreciate a good story with a well rounded ending, I can't really do anything else, but give it a 10/10. I like how the story unveils itself little by little and basically drags you into binge watching. It makes me a little bit sad that it has only 12 episodes, but if I take everything in consideration, anything more would be a drag and the impact of the story and character development wouldn't be as good as it is now. I can say that it ends on a good note, which is something that I like and appreciate and the ending kinda hits home. I would definitely recommend watching this anime, especially if you like slice of life with a good story. I honestly started this anime because I loved Bakuman and Eromanga Sensei and I usually enjoy that kind of anime series. I will definitely read manga, even though it has lower score than anime, but at the same time I feel like it would be a good read. All in all, watch this anime, because it is a damn great slice of life serial.

Incredible, fantastic. Beyond my expectations, this anime has a very interesting storyline and has a happy and perfect ending in my opinion. Although the comedy in this anime is a bit lacking, the mystery at the end of each episode is finally solved in ep 12. Starting from What's wrong with Hime's father? Why did Hime's father stop drawing manga? This anime is very good and means a lot to me who has lost my father. My expectation is that this anime has a standard storyline and a light comedy that really refers to the slice of life. However, Sya was very surprised that this anime had a unique plot, the drama was quite heavy, and as expected, the comedy lacked taste. 10/10

I was scrolling through Funimation, trying to find an anime to watch when Kakushigoto appeared in-front of me with a "only on Funimation" banner... so of course I had to start watching it. Let's get right into the anime basics. Story; A young girl, Hime Gotou, receives a key to Pandora's box from an unknown address. Without thinking about it twice, she heads to the location to discover her fathers biggest secret; he makes dirty manga for a living. Go back into the past to discover the father and daughter live alone, a happy and normal life from the outside. But little do people know that Kakushi Sensei is a mangaka for a "dirty series" that's known for adult humour. Not a lot of people know because he hides it for the sake of his beloved daughter and never wants her to find out. Will he be able to keep the secret, keep up with the work load a mangaka receives and will we ever learn about the mysterious Gotou family? Art; Besides the anime "Izetta: The Last Witch", I've never seen any other work from the Studio Ajia-Do. I'm not the least bit disappointed, and can't wait to see other beautiful work from this Studio! Sound; One of the reasons I wanted to start watching this show was because of the opening "Chiisana Hibi" by flumpool... how can you not sing to it and wonder what the back story is with this family? The ending song is also SUPER CUTE!!! I had to download both to my playlist. Characters; The team that helps out Kakushi, all of Hime's friends and even all the girls that fall in love with a single father... they were all important to building Kakushi and Hime's character. Overall, I thought the story was interesting and that it was a good pass until the last two episodes... maybe just the last episode and a half to be honest. I loved the whole father-daughter relationship, that fact that he hurt every time he lied to his daughter about his "regular office job" and everything that balanced in-between. I know they probably had to rush the end because they only had twelve episodes, but the fact that they **** SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS **** crammed in him quitting his job as a mangaka, having to sell the house because he wasn't making enough money, the wife disappearing on a boat crash and Kakushi paying a guy to search for her in secret, him getting hurt at a typical labour job and getting into a comma, Hime finding out his secret that he's from a well known artist family of "Japanese Actors/Artist", that he might be half related to his missing wife and Hime at some point thought that Kakushi WASN'T her real father? **** SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS SPOILERS **** Maybe if there was just ONE MORE episode more or if they could've spread the information out juuussst a bit more I wouldn't have thought the ending was rushed or abrupt. Besides that, I enjoyed it. Maybe one day I'll pick up the manga to see if the ending was any different. For now I'm going to watch the "theatrical movie" with bonus scenes and OVA.