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Apr 1, 2016
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
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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.
Reviewer’s Rating: 10
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Jan 30, 2016
rarely do shorts catch my attention, but I had heard in passing about a heartwarming show about a married couple with a total otaku and a more down to earth wife. After seeing that each episode was only 3 minutes long I decided,"what the heck? I'm just going to watch it." and so I did. And what I got was well.... a heartwarming show with some very nice relatable characters.
story:
I liked the story. It was simple, and it felt like a realistic situation for the most part. Even though each episode was only 3 minutes long, I felt like each episode had a worthwhile
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lesson or gave me some good laughs. Speaking of laughs, this show was really pretty funny. I wasn't expecting it to be particularly funny actually, but I found myself laughing at the husbands otaku loner life, and the wife's random odd moments. Sometimes when I watch shows, it feels like the comedy is trying to be forced in, but in this show, it felt very relaxed and free which I enjoyed. It was truly heartwarming to see the little surprises in their lives that made their relationship better, or their little sweet moments.
Basically, the story is simple (this is slice of life) but enjoyable, and the comedy was good.
characters: For me, the characters is where this show really shined. They were some of the most relatable characters I have ever come across in anime. A lot of the MAL community probably has at least some minor inner otaku in them, so its easy to imagine and empathize with the husband. The wife is a hard working woman, who just gets thrown off by her husband and life in general sometimes. And her situations also seem very realistic. A few of the side characters will a little weird and almost confusing in a few situations, but they were pretty funny, so it's ok.
Sound: nothing stood out about the sound in particular
Art/animation: While the art and animation was not the most beautiful that I have ever seen, I didn't mind because the simplicity and style of it fit the show, and I actually rather enjoyed it.
enjoyment: I really did enjoy it a lot. It was funny, it was sweet, it was relatable. enough said.
Overall: I really did enjoy the show. Really. Which might make you wonder "why is it only rated a 7?" and the answer is because well... it was short, and while I enjoyed it, I for some reason, could not bring myself to rate in any higher than a 7. It definitely is no worse than a 7. It is on the higher end of the 7 ratings. But at the end of the day, it just wasn't knock your socks off amazing. However that is not to say you shouldn't watch it. I highly recommend watching it. It takes about 40 minutes, and it is worth it for sure.
Reviewer’s Rating: 7
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Dec 20, 2015
I don't normally write reviews, but I couldn't resist doing one after watching comet lucifer. lets get into it.
Story: Honestly, I barely even know what the story is. Here is my attempt at explaining it: his boy, Sogo, finds this girl named Felia(and its never really thoroughly explained how... she just kinda comes out of this gem) and takes her in. For some reason (also never really explained) the government wants to capture Felia. Sogo goes on adventures trying to protect Felia and help Felia adjust to this new world.
i have quite a few problems with the story of this show. First of all,
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I didn't even know WHY all these people were trying to capture this girl until the 10th or 11th episode, and even that didn't really explain why people were trying to capture her earlier. all i can assume is it was because of Felia's magical powers. But then again, I couldn't even really figure out her powers, because those were never really explained either. so basically, it was a bunch of fighting, and I had no idea what the point of it was.
Secondly, I felt like the story kept trying to switch genres, and I felt like none of them were done well. For the first 5 episodes, it felt like it was trying to be a slice of life for the first 10 minutes of the episode. But it wasn't good slice of life. Later there was some romance (very cliche romance). there was even a hint of ecchi in one of the episodes. it was all over the place.
characters: honestly, i disliked most of them.
Sogo: the generic "i must save everyone" guy. He didn't have much of a personality outside of being self-righteous. Not a horrendous character, but just boring.
Felia: annoying. She was the clueless character who has magical powers but never seems to use them for anything very important. Her voice was also super high pitched which was super duper annoying.
Kaon: the girl who realizes she likes the MC after the MC is chasing someone else. she didn't didn't even really have a personality.
Other characters: the creepy pedophile dude whos name I can't remember, Do Mon who was the guy who turned into a badass later but he was too much of a side character, the final bad guy who was there at the end for like and episode and a half, and who wasn't very interesting, and some other generic, lame people.
Also, there was little to no character development.
Sound: there were a few good soundtracks. The opening wasn't too bad either.
Art and animation: it was generally pretty bright. I thought some of the character designs were nice, while others were sorta lame (thinking of you Sogo). Animation was decent. better than the other parts of the show.
Final thoughts: it was bad. I had to force myself through it and nothing was well explained. Characters were pretty bad. I forgot to mention Moura who would randomly yell JAMON!!!! every 3 seconds which was annoying as hell. I only kept watching it because it was laughably bad, and i wanted to say I had lived through it. You probably shouldn't waste your time with this show.
Reviewer’s Rating: 4
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