Hyouge Mono

Hyouge Mono is an anime I do not recommend to anyone. Not because it is bad, but because it is completely on a different level. It is not a flower you can just buy and toss later. It is a fragile one, blooms in desolate lands, and you need a bit of effort to find it. It will never gather an army of fans screaming the best anime ever. It will never get the highest ratings. Most people will not even like it. They will quickly get bored and discard this gem. Then what makes Hyouge Mono great? Not its animation or sound quality. The ... reason is its characters, superb use of concepts, and avoiding a story of the usual struggle between good and bad, black and white. Hyouge Mono is a land of chaos, obsessed not with morality but beauty.

ANIMATION, SOUND AND THE END OF NARRATION

Hyouge Mono has nothing new or excellent to offer in animation and sound departments. Especially the animation has nothing to look forward to. The creators were not aiming to offer an eye candy rendering the story secondary. They had only the story, the rest was simply a medium. I don’t mean that the anime with good animation are bad, but regretfully, visuals tend to play a more important role in getting popularity and a lot of cash. As time passes animation is getting more stunning, and unfortunately past anime age faster than ever before. Perhaps the only way for anime to survive in the long run is not best ever fight scenes, but offering its core: story and characters.

In the sound department the work is solid. Characters are original and voice actors do a great job at fleshing them out.

STORY, PLOT, AND PHILOSOPHY

The main themes of many anime are simple and straightforward. Many shounen are about helping friends and getting all the best women. Evangelion TV series is about coping with existence, how to deal with life at its worst. On the other hand, Hyouge Mono is about beauty, aesthetics. But (this is a big but) it does not present a simple answer. It offers different interpretations, multiple perspectives. It does not bombard you with stand-alone ideas injected into poor characters. Ideas in this anime do not come from outside, but from within. Characters and story develop in such a way that we end up with something totally different. It is not Ergo Proxy giving reference to Derrida, Husserl or Sartre. It is Hyouge Mono that lets its viewers enter the world of aesthetics, ideas, philosophy by offering events, plot developments that lead you there. That is why Hyouge Mono, a historical samurai anime can compete with most sci-fi, post-apocalyptic works, with Ergo Proxy, with Ghost in the Shell.

CHARACTERS AND THE WORLD OF CHAOS

Anime takes place in the Azuchi-Momoyama period (1569-1603), the final phase of Sengoku (warring states). Japan is almost united, but who will be the single ruler of all is not established yet. You can still hear the breath of the past era. Rebellions, conspiracies, and assassinations occur frequently. Fortunes can rise and fall overnight; today’s fortunate are tomorrow’s betrayed victims and vice versa. This perfect situation helps the characters shine. Their decisions can lead to their demise. They have to be cautious at all times. Dialogues are not wasted on babbling. They are there for a solid reason and you can see consequences of what characters talk later. In short, they are not monologues disguised as dialogue. In many anime, especially those trying too hard to be deep, we see characters blabbering. What they say does not resonate well with their characters, or just can be said by anyone. In short, they are ideas masked as characters.

Hyouge Mono begs to differ. Its characters are not one-dimensional, not even two-dimensional. They have multiple sides about them. They sustain multiple relations with each other. For instance, Soueki Senno – a rather reticent old tea master with his own school of art – has to treat everyone differently. He does so many incongruous things that if disclosed to all he can lose everything. And more than all, I have never seen in any anime before of such an old person undergoing such a dramatic transformation.

Senno isn’t the only unique character. Furuta Sasuke – the main character and self-declared aesthetic – is not your usual reflecting on the meaning of life character (I’ve in mind most so-called deep anime). He has flesh: he is in search of self without even being aware of that. He does not change once in the series, but multiple times without losing the grasp of his initial personality. All characters, even the supporting ones that appear in a few episodes, do have few things to offer. They fit their place in the story perfectly. They can even show original development.

Hyouge Mono characters have more to offer other than being multidimensional and developing continuously. They also have intelligence. They are conscious of themselves, of their deeds, they can relate with others at an intellectual level. To put it differently, even characters do know themselves. That is radically different from other anime. Hyouge Mono is on a different level simply because it adds intelligence, self-awareness, not mere smartness to get the attention of viewers.

ENJOYMENT AND ORIGINALITY

Hyouge Mono has an original voice, so original that even if you dislike it you cannot deny its peculiarities. But does it guarantee enjoyment? No. I’m pretty sure that many will not like it. Preferring silence to action, speaking to fighting does not appeal to most. There are scenes in this anime where silence is the main plot device. Reticence has an aesthetic dimension here, holding oneself and not speaking out everything adds to the world of imperfection (school of imperfection is an aesthetic movement in Hyouge Mono). I recommend you to keep in mind that once someone tried to persuade you that Hyouge Mono is a gem so you can revisit it later. Its originality can be better understood if you have watched many anime and undergone different stages of being an anime fan (from calling everything the best anime ever to slowly getting bored, then rediscovering again, and so on). Originality can be better understood if you have already conquered lesser mountains.

Hey look! Some dumb asshole is trying to review Hyouge Mono! I have that on that on my Plan to Watch list! I think it's safe to say a LOT of us have the same experience with this anime. You've been on MAL for about a year. You get recommended the members of the sacred 3x3. You guys know what I'm talking about. Tatami, Mushishi, LotGH, etc. Now you've watched 9 anime that are highbrow and not on Netflix. You aren't the N00b anymore. What's next? Someone is going recommend Hyouge Mono. You think to yourself, "Oh WOW! A 40-episode anime about tea ceremony that ... also takes place during the reunification years of the Sengoku Era." That sounds tasteful. It will probably be pretty good. I'll just add that my watch list. There it sits for weeks, months, years, etc. This is the anime that everyone wants to watch, but nobody has actually fucking watched! It's December and nobody else has even written a review this year for Hyouge. As of the time I'm writing this, only 10 people have ever reviewed this series since it came out in 2011!

So now you've decided to watch Hyouge Mono. I'll just watch it on Crunchyroll...but it's not there. I'll just watch it on one of my other streaming services...but it's on none of them. I'll just go on Rightstuf and buy the DVDs. Oops! It's never actually been released in English. So how do you watch it? You go on a pirate site, and you watch the fansubs produced by some group called Huzzah. Let me tell you, these are some of the worst fan subs I've ever seen. I'm 33 years old and have seen a lot of anime. I mentioned in my review of Link Click that I remember the bad days of bootleg anime on VHS. However, this isn't a Chinese studio Google translating out of laziness. This is a group of college kids trying WAAAAY too hard to punch up the script and make it seem more elegant and refined than what they're actually saying. Since it takes place in the 1500s, they honest to God tried to make every line sound like Shakespeare or the King James Bible. However, even an untrained ear can pick up that the anime isn't using some archaic Keigo speech that modern Japanese couldn't understand. It's using basic ass Shonen anime speech! However, every "Hai" is translated to "Aye Milord". I may have been drunk, but I swear I recall a "Naruhodo" being translated as "indubitably". I normally don't rant about fansubs, but this is literally the only way in which I can watch the series besides raw Japanese. This is what you will experience watching this anime! The people who made up Huzzah subs, truly believed that the job of a translator is to make the work look way more artsy than it actually is. I want to watch the Huzzah subs of other anime. You're watching Elfen Lied and Lucy is finally confessing to Kouta in that climactic final scene and says, "I can never express the remorse that consumes my soul, but should you ever have need of my life, come take it." Your eyes tear up and you think "God DAMN this dialogue is good! Why is this anime rated like garbage?!"

Anyways, it's time to finally talk about the actual show. The main character is Furuta Sasuke and he's a minor retainer of Oda Nobunaga who is absolutely obsessed with pottery and tea ceremony. As in Furuta is obsessed in a very cartoonish, over the top way that's played for comedy. Furuta is loosely based on a real historical figure named Furuta Oribe, who was the apprentice of Nobunaga's beloved tea master Sen no Rikyu. I may as well mention this here, but if you don't know Japanese history you're going to be confused. This anime assumes that you're Japanese and you know who these people are. So, it's not ever going to slow down and explain anything. Why should it? You know who Sen no Rikyu is right? He's the tea dude! Yamanaka sensei taught you that shit in 9th grade! Let's say you know a little Japanese history already and with the help of Wikipedia, you familiarize yourself with all these figures and events. Well prepare to get trolled, because this series is as accurate as Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter! This is a historical anime where Nobunaga wasn't betrayed by Akechi and forced to commit seppuku while his loyal general Toyotomi was away fighting a battle. Sen the tea dude didn't like Nobunaga because of his shitty aesthetics, so he tempted Toyotomi into assassinating Nobunaga by walking up to him and literally cutting him in half with his katana. Then Nobunaga's torso insults him like the Black Knight from Monty Python because Nobunaga is that badass. Then Nobunaga pours some shitty blood from his intestines into a teacup and forces a horrified Toyotomi into drinking it so he can laugh at him before finally dying. This happens early in the series btw. If you sit through all 40 episodes, this one scene is what you're going to fucking remember. I really hate to reference TV Tropes, but I believe scenes such as this are referred to as "A Big Lipped Alligator Moment!"

The most spoken word in the entire series is "aesthetics". If you read about this anime, you're going to see that word again and again. This word is used every time Furuta freaks out over a new teacup or new vase. "LOOK AT THE AESTHETICS! MAGNIFICENT!" Furuta screams. To be honest, a more appropriate word would be craftsmanship. Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy that is never really touched on in this series. You can't watch this anime and learn the difference between Zen aesthetics, Confucian aesthetics, and Western aesthetics. It never actually explains shit about aesthetics. If you read a book like Tanizaki's "In Praise of Shadows", you'll learn that traditional Japanese aesthetics values old, wooden, and earthy over polished brass and bright lights that make the shiny new stuff go bling bling. That's because Japanese aesthetics is deeply tied to the concept that life is transitory. Nothing is going to last forever, so there's no reason to build flashy and dazzle people with your incredible wealth. Flashy is seen as unrefined and uncultured. Western aesthetics takes the opposite approach. The interior of most European palaces is just as flashy as any gangster rapper from the 1990s. If you've seen the interior of the Peter and Paul Fortress where the Tsars are buried, HOLY SHIT! The interior has so much gold I think it's worth more than the entire GDP of Ghana. The Tsars are buried down there with 50 kilograms of gold chains. On Judgment Day they will rise from their graves and shout "Where da East Coast At? Where da West coast at?!" Anyways, it would be interesting if this anime actually covered aesthetics. Instead, I would recommend reading "The Book of Tea" by Kakuzo.

Zen aesthetics is all about accepting flaws and imperfections because we're flawed creatures and live in a flawed world. Art is not great because it is complete and perfect, but rather because it leaves things unfinished and allows us to put a piece of ourselves into it. Imperfection certainly describes this anime and as a Zen aesthete I can't say I dislike it. However, it's asking the viewer a lot considering its runtime. Not to mention putting up with the awful fansubs and the mediocre art by Studio Beetrain. After finally watching this thing, I'm not honestly sure who I would recommend it to. I'm sure somebody will love it. It has positive qualities and some good episodes. I just hope this review sheds a little light on this acclaimed series that 200 people have actually watched. Maybe it convinced you to actually start it. Maybe it convinced you to finally take it off your watchlist. I just hope it helps do something.

I will give very high ratings for this anime, and I am sure as hell that a lot of people will disagree with me. But it all comes down to the argument about whether grass root popularity determines the quality of the show. I am aware that this anime is not for everyone. Average anime fan may only enjoy it to a moderate extent, but for those who are interested in the Sengoku Period, this is a must-watch. I for one am familiar with the history and I can safely say that this is THE most well done anime of the year, if not of ... all-time. Again, I am here to represent myself and not appeal to the people who are not interested, so take my ratings with a grain of salt.

The English subs are updated very slowly and most people are not up to date. At the time of this review I watched 22 episodes out of 39. So I will not give any spoilers. But after these 22 episodes, I think I have a pretty good grasp of the show in general, assuming there's not extreme decrease in quality in the last few episodes.

In my opinion, to FULLY enjoy this anime, you MUST know the history. However, this is not to say that it is impossible to enjoy it if you don’t. I have friends who recently got into it without knowing any of the history at all. But maximum enjoyment is still reserved for the sengoku fans. If you watched the first 4-5 episodes and decide that you don’t like it, DON’T waste your time. Pick something you could really enjoy.

In the following blocks of text I will talk about this anime’s relationship with real history, if may bore you to death of you are not a fan of it, so skip ahead if it makes you dizzy.

This anime does a great job and filling in the gaps of history. There are a lot of things that are obscured in the historical records. The author provides a hypothesis as to how those events have occurred. The main character, Furuta Sasuke, is a real historical figure. He was influential in art but was not as prominent as a samurai as the show suggests. The author's version of Furuta Sasuke provides alternative explanations to a lot of known facts of the other historical figures at the time. If you are familiar with the history, you would find it very amusing and satisfying. Not to mention that the author has a really bizarre sense of humor.

For example, as its first attempt at a major event, this anime takes a closer look at the Incident at Honnouji and the events that lead up to it. The author has an alternative explanation of what really occurred internally without changing the incident's appearance to a common bystander. You still get Akechi Mitsuhide's betrayal of Oda, but with a significantly more astounding flavor of conspiracy.

The anime walks you through the major events of Sengoku from the perspective of Furuta Sasuke, as insignificantly as he was actually involved in these events historically. It starts off with the siege of Shigisan, where Matsunaga Hisahide immortalized himself with his explosion with his Hiragumo. Later it moves on to Araki Murashige’s betrayal in Arioka, the building of Azuchi Castle, Oda’s campaign against Takeda Katsuyori, incident of Honnouji, Battle of Yamazaki, etc. Interestingly enough, the author perfectly fits the protagonist in these important events and creates original stories for him without altering the outcomes at all. Animes these days about sengoku really loves to bend the history to fit the plot, but this is not one of them. It does a much nuanced job at it and leaves the viewer satisfied. At the time of this review, Hideyoshi is engaged in the Kyushu campaign. And many clever interactions between Furuta and historically important figures are depicted.

It should also be noted that although this is a historical anime, it does have its focus on aesthetics and tea art. As much as you think this is just history channel, it isn’t. After Hideyoshi defeats Akechi Mitsuhide at Yamazaki, the anime skips the Kiyosu Conference, the battle of Shizugatake, the siege of Kitanosho, and lands right at the second half of the battle of Komaki-Nagakute(Fans of Hideyoshi battles may be disappointed, but oh well). It has a good balance of tea aesthetics and historical events. Sen no Rikyuu, obviously, will be the focus of many episodes. And the anime will provide a novel approach to the reasons behind his death in the upcoming episodes. I’m assuming fewer people are fans of tea than fans of sengoku, but it really broadens your horizon even if you just half-heartedly listen to their explanation of aesthetics. Personally, I think aesthetics is extremely subjective and is all bull, but knowing a bit of this arbitrary art may serves as a good conversation piece.

Many people either love or complain about the extreme facial expression of the protagonist. I, however, see this as the most fitting thing the author can come up with. I couldn’t find a better way to depict Sasuke’s obsession with his art and his dilemma of balancing art with the way of the samurai. At the end of every episode, you are reminded of this dilemma, and it really is a major conflict of the show. Every decision he makes regarding this has serious ramifications. From the way the show is going now, it may lead to very shocking outcomes toward the end of the series. I can certainly identify with him. In fact, I think the majority of the otaku would find it analogous. For me, it’s like this: Sasuke tries his hardest to be a successful samurai while keeping his passion for his hobby of tea art. I try my hardest to obtain a successful job position while maintaining my passion for my sick hobbies of anime figure collection, dakimakura and other niche otaku stuff. To succeed in this society, you always have to do what is proper to do. But your mind wants what it feels good to do. This internal conflict is present in all of us. This was the main reason I was drawn to the show when I started watching it.
I think the art and music of the anime is very appropriate. Not outstanding, but 100% adequate. I wouldn’t change a bit of it.

In summary, this is THE PERFECT ANIME for any hardcore fan of sengoku. I’m not sure if you NEED to know the history to grasp the sick sense of humor, but I sure did. It had been the anime I look forward to every week since it aired. I have been watching anime for a long time, and for the longest time, Evangelion had been my top anime of all time. It might be a temporal bias, but this anime recently dethroned Evangelion for me and became my top anime of all time. It may be an unfair assessment because the show is not over yet, but I’ll see what happens when the show is over.

Social upheaval, constant military conflict and political intrigue are the main characteristics of the Sengoku period; as a matter of fact, it could be described as a chaotic world, a clashing of individuals with vast ambitions. Admist the turmoil, the importance of Aesthetics, a philosophy of art, is not be forgotten, which influences that particular era significantly. Rather than focussing upon the various battles itself, Hyouge Mono showcases the importance of aesthetics, including fantastic characterization of its varied cast of characters. It comes together with a great narrative, along with fantastic and well placed comedy that serve to lighten the atmosphere at appropriate times.

~Story~

The story ... of Hyouge Mono is based upon true historical recordings, that takes place in the final stage of the Sengoku period, the Azuchi-Momoyama period from 1573 to 1603: it is at the peak of Oda Nobunaga's power. The anime is a very character driven story, focussing on multiple characters where Furuta Sasuke could be seen as the main protagonist. It is a very accurate historical representation of that time, using the obscured historical records to interpretate the gaps and whole scope of those decades, and very convincingly so. For viewers familiar and not with the setting, may find themselves pleasantly surprised in discovering all the finer details.

What stands out in Hyouge Mono is the fact that it focusses on the importance of ideologies, aesthetics, rather than the all the battles and common themes (the samurai, bushido, glory) audiences are so accustomed to see. It certainly glances over such battles, as it is necessary to understand all the different conflicts that takes place. Special attention is placed upon the tea ceremonies and art, in particular that of simplicity and imperfection, all fundamental to understanding the story and the authors interpretation. It replaces action with meaningful dialogues and silence: both are used to enhance and highlight certain scenes, be it to enforce an emotion or ideal. Consequently, this naturally affects the pacing of the anime: while it has a magnificent start, the "slow" pacing drags out occasionally, especially in the middle - but it is very befitting (and necessary). Luckily, it heightens its pace afterwards. Its focus is a fresh and delightful approach on the genre.

As mentioned earlier, Hyouge Mono is an interpretation of the events of the Azuchi-Momoyama period: some key points are unknown, thus it becomes arguably necessary to create a well structured narrative with convincing elements to support this, which was the case. Regarding the structure as a whole, the show may seem of simple nature at first glance, yet it quickly becomes apparent that both differing and mutual interests spiral into conflicts that either leave at the beginning some open ends, or converge into bigger ones, nicely weaving most of it until the end of the story. As mentioned earlier, comedy is another great aspect of the anime: it is unique on its own, having its main focus upon both the social standing of that period, together with our own. In addition it is used to emphasize on certain occurences, and is never overdone.

~Characters~

Hyouge Mono is compromised by a large cast of characters, who are complex and very well fleshed out, with its own flaws. Their interactions are meaningful and displayed in a very satisfying manner, while being very self aware.. The main character Furuta Sasuke is a warrior and self-proclaimed aesthete, who has a deep passion in the tea ceremonies and material possession - a naive and greedy man in search of himself. He undergoes significant character development throughout the stages of the story while failing multiple times as well as succeeding, making his development so much more satisfying to see. Another character of great importance is the current master of tea, Sen no Rikyu - a key element in the story. He is a mysterious, yet respectful and strong-willed man with no clear motives at the beginning. However, as the show progresses, his character gets fleshed out significantly, furthermore enhancing his personality. It is truly fascinating to see to which extent people are willing to go to achieve their ambitions/goals.

The secondary characters are not be left out either: the different warriors, the disciples of Rikyu, the aesthetes, or simply the family of the cast. These are imperfect, meaning they have their weaknesses and flaws that serve to create an immersive atmosphere. These play a crucial role in understanding the ideals, the perspectives, motives, and of course the characters, to convey a meaningful and satisfying interpretation of all the events. While it is true that characters come and go, it must be noted all have a role to play, and are not simply there to fill space: it arguably leaves a significant impression in audiences. It is simply fascinating to see how the different perspectives and ideologies, ambition and greed of the cast affect their world, as well as the respective consequences of said actions.

~Animation and sound~

The animation of Hyouge Mono is overall well done, although it is apparent that there where monetary constraints: occasionally basic character models are used, as well as plainly showing some sliding/still images. It also makes occasional use of CG, but this affects the different objects of importance mainly. What however stands out in the anime are the design in characters: it is varied and ridiculous (to some), but very befitting to enhance the different ideologies, as well the themes the anime has to offer. The facial expressions are another thing to take note of, as these emphasize the character's personality as well as their emotional state - exaggerated, but masterfully implemented, which is a rare occurrence.

Concerning the music score of the anime, it quite different from what viewers might be expecting from such a setting, making use of traditional instruments, as well as techno-like tracks. It also makes use of some jazzy themes, much to my surprise. Although it may seem a weird choice of music, I personally feel it is a great addition to the atmosphere it tries to create. However, there were times were the same track was used a tad to often. As for the voice actors, these performed their roles masterfully, truly conveying both personalities and emotions of the characters. The anime offered several openings, Bowl Man being a personal favourite, befitting of the anime.

~Enjoyment~

Needless to say, I throughly enjoyed Hyouge Mono in every single aspect, be it the setting and its narrative, the fantastic cast and characterization, or the art style of the series, making me several times blurt out in laughter. The interpretation of the end of the Sengoku period was very satisfying, using the obscured historical records to create a possible flow of events: this is because most of the character's motives behind their actions are unclear. Hyouge Mono, literally Jocular Fellow, is truly a fascinating and hilarious story, that describes the essence of beauty and its perceptions, and with that, interpretations. So do I recommend this anime? I certainly do, but only for those that have patience so as to fully appreciate this work. Personally certainly a worthy rewatch.

Thank you for reading.

About freakin' time I get a chance to complete and review this. I can't believe it took two years for fansubbers to complete all the episodes to it. But anyway, on with the review...

Hyouge Mono did quite a bit for me in sticking out from the mold of many recent anime offerings. The series offers a mix of comedy and drama in its focus on Furuta Sasuke's love of tea ceremonies and the complicated politics surrounding the war for territories in Japan's Sengoku era. The series is a historical title with emphasis on famous figures of the time period and its politics. With the large ... focus on Japan's history in the period, one should have enough knowledge of the era to get the most enjoyment out of this series, especially on the differing schools of Japanese aesthetics commonplace in the era. Plus with its rather unique storytelling and comical style, the series won't be for everyone.

The comedy element of the series comes from some of the exaggerated depictions shown of the characters, which was quite hilarious for me in many instances throughout the show's run. Examples of this include Furuta Sasuke's devotion to tea ceremonies and aesthetics bordering on fanaticism, Oda Nobunaga being quite over-the-top in showing off his wealth and Date Masamune acting out dramatics kabuki theater style. The show also shows off some of the most exaggerated facial designs I've seen from a recent anime title whenever something unexpected happens with the characters, adding more to Hyouge Mono's charm.

Aside from the comedy, Hyouge Mono still has its serious moments, though in a way different from how most historical Japanese titles depict older times. Rather than focus mostly on the battles occurring within the Sengoku era, Hyouge Mono is more focused on political banter and the large role aesthetics have on Japanese society at large. On the political end, Hyouge Mono shows the tensions and corruption of the period such as influential figures making grabs at power to expand their territory, negotiations between warring daimyo, planned assassinations of major figures and relations with other Eastern countries. While this aspect to the plot may seem dull, it does add more dimension to understanding life in the Sengoku era in a different way, beyond the glorifying of battles seen in samurai films.

The focus on Japanese aesthetics is a little more complicated for me to cover, based on both my limited understanding of it and the differing schools of thought with it. I do know aesthetics is a big thing for Japan's cultural identity, which Hyouge Mono shows in a big way by highlighting the clashing beliefs that several characters in the series have on what kind of aesthetics the country should have moving forward. This is especially prominent in later episodes of the series when a prominent character gains power and tries enforcing his beliefs on aesthetics, adding also to the show's political elements.

The series isn't all plot though, as it also explores how the various historical characters in the series are affected by the various changes occurring within the country. Loyalties get tested, personal beliefs are put into question, some put their status and lives at risk to challenge the present status quo, some feel the pain of being used or losing loved ones due to the era's politics. It's quite the engaging stuff, especially with Sasuke Furuta's character who gets major focus in observing how those influential to his way of life suffer thanks to the era's politics and this usually gets quite dramatic.

Visually, Hyouge Mono is pleasing on the eyes with clean details and vivid color used in designing the various settings and characters of the show. The character designs stick out quite prominently as characters are drawn to be more realistic with their details, having a diverse number of features present with characters and none of the typical beautiful, rainbow-color and big-eye drawing style employed with designs. The mentioned exaggerated facial designs look silly and do well at adding to the anime's comedy. While animation isn't the major highlight of the series, it does its part to depict character movement and showing the actions of characters in both serious and comical moments.

Overall, Hyouge Mono made for a rather unique watch for me as it mixed comedy and drama in exploring elements to Japan's Sengoku era that I've never seen focused on in past historical titles. The lack of action and its unique storytelling style won't be for everyone, but is a definite watch if you are looking for something that sticks out quite heavily from more recent anime offerings.

Hyouge Mono is a radical departure from the standard moe fare that you get these days. Instead of bishounen with super powers or high school girls acting cute, you have old balding people discussing old politics and fighting for territory. It's a very niche anime, but it does what it does well.

This series is just a TREASURE TROVE of facial expressions. It is a series that relies heavily on dialogue, to help convey what they say and make the show more intresting, some of the silliest or awesomest faces have been made. I mean, who couldn't love a face like this
http://www.japanator.com/elephant//ul/19207-/Clipboard14-620x.jpg
or this
http://www.japanator.com/elephant//ul/19207-/Clipboard19-620x.jpg

What really got me ... was the characters. You could feel their emotions through what they do and their actions and reactions are portrayed realistically. For example, Oda Nobunga is usually depicted as a superhuman warrior with an ominous aura around him, but here he is just a regular man with a penchant for western clothes trying to unite Japan.

If you know your Japanese history, this series is a great treat, as it follows Sasuke as he works under Oda Nobunga in his conquest and unification of Japan. You get to watch history unfold while also getting a nice story about Sasuke's love for Aesthetics.

A shame that at the time of this review only 5 episodes out of 13 released have been subbed, and there are 39 episodes.

Bee Train's most recent (and probably the last) Hyouge Mono is a historically inspired anime from the Japanese warring states period. Derived from the manga of the same name, it follows this turbulent period of Japanese history through the main protagonist Furuta Sasuke.

Furuta is a fantastic character that drives this anime forward. He is a major source of comedy in this light hearted show with rather serious themes. His desires, monologues and contradictions are exaggerated, contrasted and mocked for comedy as he encounters people of differing powers and personalities.

In these encounters is where I found Hyouge Mono truly excel. Themes and ideas are explored ... in the characters primarily through war and politics on one side and aesthetics and tea on the other and their inherent conflict. Artistic integrity vs fame, lust for wealth for status, the mechanics of political power, the nature of aesthetics in it's conflict between the minimalism of wabi and Senno to the extravegence of Nobunaga are some of the many things that come into the fore. If Bee Train's Girls with Guns trilogy was an exploration of the coming of age into young adulthood then Hyouge Mono is the coming of age into middle-ageness. Furuta is at the centre of all these themes as he ponders his path in this historical backdrop contrasted by the various approaches to life from different characters. Direction Mashimo does a great job in altering things to suit these purposes. However I note it's a very male-focus and dominated view of middle-ageness.

In terms of art, music and execution, the work was solid without ever being spectacular. The animation is limited but solid, the character drawings and backgrounds are well executed with decent 3D of the art treasures. Unfortunately the music never reached the highs of Bee Train's collaboration with Kajiura, Ali Project and Hijaru Nanase for me. The OP and ED went through a few iterations with the Cro-Magnon intro the most notable.

Overall I rate this anime a 9/10. I find Hyouge Mono, niche, quite enjoyable and very mature with it's arts and visuals solid. Hyouge Mono's themes quite mature and the offering is rather niche, so I recommend this anime to an older audience who like something different.

Hyouge Mono is not intended for entertainment. The animation is very basic, the characters hard to relate to, and exaggerated facial expressions and Dumbo ears certainly do not do the series any favors. But behind these flaws lies one of the more rewarding series in the history of anime. One appreciates Hyoughe Mono in the same way he appreciates a book on philosophy or a painting. It is the intellectual depth of this anime, rather that its flashiness, that leaves the viewer fulfilled. Each episode is littered with metaphors and fascinating insights that get us thinking about the way we conduct out lives. But above ... all, watching this series develops in the viewer a sensibility for simplicity and an appreciation for the depth of meaning in the most mundane of things. So much so that, by episode 16, one is likely to consider the speed at which tea is stirred a major plot point.
Hyoughe Mono is a difficult series to get into, but to the attentive and critical viewer who looks at anime as art rather than entertainment, it has much to offer.

I would recommend this series to an older public, or at least a very mature one. It may be necessary at times to revisit some episodes, and one should pay very close attention to the message of episode 14. Highly recommended.

I recently finished Angolmois: Genkou Kassenki, mainly on the assumption that it would be a historical piece. While I panned Angolmois for downplaying a lot of its historical aspects as set-dressing for action, Hyouge Mono is what results when history is put above all else. The results are marvelous, being the absolute best show about bowls and teapots you will ever watch.

Hyouge Mono takes place right at the end of the Sengoku Jidai, one of the most exciting eras of Japanese history. The show ostensibly follows Furuta Sasuke, a greedy art connoisseur and by-the-books honorable samurai all in one, though much of the show is ... around the power and cultural struggles as the warring states period gets wrestled into a unified, Japanese hegemony. I absolutely adored seeing all these big names in Japanese history clashing and Bee Train was able to make the intrigue between these characters seem weighty, juicy, and believable. This does mean there's more talking than fighting, which may disappoint some who picked it up thinking it was another Sengoku samurai slaughterfest, but there's a lot there that's exciting in a more cerebral sense.

Something I can't emphasize enough is it is a show about art, which is not to say its art is its number one focus as that appraising art and the thoughtfulness that goes into it is one of the primary themes of the show. A lot of these objects are rendered in 3d unfortunately, but at very least it helps make these artistic masterpieces pop from the rest of the show, which is primarily drawn. The facial expressions are the real gem here, with Furuta (and a notorious shrimp monger) being the face-acting equivalent of Stretch Armstrong.

Despite being a show about intrigue, art, and philosophy, Hyouge Mono manages to be a real knee-slapper. Watching Furuta switch from samurai stoicism to transparent greed in the presence of a treasure he craves, buy a castle's loyalty with a fake object of desire, or completely bungle an artistic display by obsessing over the texture of art without understanding its substance makes for hilarious scenes with great comedic setup and punch.

In retrospect, the show also offers a lot of really faithful attention to historic detail. The show does have some speculative or alternate history elements to it, but the history presented is actually so true it's absurd. Things like a trifecta of tea caddies whose ownership implies dominance over Japan to a mammothine African warrior fighting for the Oda clan to Furuta's existance as an aesthete daimyo are all cases where truth is stranger than fiction. The writers knew the era inside an out, down to the smallest incident, and we the viewer are given everything from the grandest battle to the smallest verbal slight at a dinner party.

Hyouge Mono might not be everyone's bowl of matcha, but I cannot recommend it highly enough to those willing to deal with a slower, more thoughtful show. Everything on display here is genuine, full of substance, and unique from anything else you will find in anime or most any other medium. Enjoy this tea show to the last drop. Kanpai!

Hyouge Mono is a rare and rather unique work of well informed historical fiction.
This huge undertaking - approached with great seriousness, in great detail and on elaborate scale - depicts (you could also say: documents) the emergence of what will later be called "Bohème".
It follows its main character for more than a decade in his struggle of emancipation. A man who cannot devote himself to his lord, his clan, his nation, his family and who is neither artisan, nor master.
What begins with a desire sparked by jealousy and fanned by naivete: to possess, even if just in secret, a masterpiece... quickly escalates ... into an obsession and, after defining all choices, joys and misgivings over years of his life, evolves into a lifestyle.
Hyouge Mono challenges the societal order of feudal japan by tracing the transitions in the value of the famed masterpieces.
As their value shifts from being objects representing power, the right to rule, the heavenly ordained status.. to objects of art whose value is determined by its comparative place amidst other objects of art.
The chase after them no longer establishes power over others, but where the objects hold power over those who seek or own them - and seeking them means seeking for beauty, for biographical fulfillment, for personal control over who is allowed to see them, hold them or who is not.
Most importantly: the value of those who chase, desire, possess, view them is no longer determined by birth and ancestry - but by acquired taste, sensibility and knowledge.
All this happens in-between countless wars, skirmishes and under the influence of a new cultural movement: "simplicity".

The main character is materialistic, opportunistic, hedonistic and as such is viewed generally harmless. His harmlessness and lack of ideology/allegiance keep him alive as his lords die, domains fall, his friends are exiled and his former enemies rise to power, as his teachers are killed.

It is an amazing work of art - brilliantly executed and as interesting as it is hilarious.
IF - well if - you happen to know and have an interest in its topic.
Hyouge Mono is not only not for everyone, but it expects a very specific mix of societal, (high) cultural and (art) historic knowledge from its viewers.
The more of these are present, the more enjoyable the show becomes.
vice versa: the more boring it can become.

Spanning a hefty 40 episodes (no fillers, no bullshit) makes it a series I only recommend to very few people and in very few situations.
But to those who can find enjoyment in this show.. it comes in a blend that they will likely never again and have never before found in an anime series.
There is nothing else like it.
Nothing that I know of. And I have watched a shitload of shows and movies.

The likeliness that any company ever in the history of television would fund 40 episodes of something like this should be close to nil. However: some company apparently has. I for one am extremely thankful for that.
It is a masterpiece - that has only gotten 9 starts from me solely because from an outside view.. it is too demanding and too specific. For me its a 10/10.

Story: 10, Art: 9, Sound: 9, Character: 10, Enjoyment: 9, Overall: 9.
(Subjectively: Enjoyment 10/ Overall 10)

Have you ever wanted to see a man get overly excited over tea? Or go to great lengths to obtain a piece of glazed pottery? If so then keep reading.

Hyouge Mono is a fictional account of the real life Japanese tea ceremony master Sasuke Furuta (Furuta Oribe) who served as a retainer to Oda Nobunaga and later Hideyoshi

The anime is a light seinen comedy but retains heavy historical elements of the Sengoku period and depicts several important events that occurred thoughout said period and shows several dramatic moments thoughout while retaining a sense of comedy never really becoming too serious.

The plot follows ... Furuta as he struggles to maintain his honor as a samurai warrior and his love of the Aesthetic. Often conflicted between the two, such as putting on bravado and a masculine appearance in the presence of enigmatic Japanese warlords but displaying a quaint and soft appearance to friends and those who are of similar nature to himself.

As a retainer of Oda Nobunaga, he lives a simple life as a messenger or scout for Oda's forces. He has a small estate and miserly stipend of 200 koku a year (about $73k) paid over 3 periods. (He was paid less then a low ranking samurai who got around 700 Koku).

All he dreams of is hosting the perfect tea ceremony with the most beautiful and ornate of equipment crafted by master artisans and living a simple life with his wife and child, but war makes that difficult for himself and his family, as well as his financial state. Thankfully the war provides opportunities to attain his goal (and by that I mean taking the spoils of war usually)

It's a very entertaining anime overall, how so? As a lover of Japanese history (Especially Sengoku Jidai) and culture it's interesting to see historical figures and their interactions with Furuta. It's funny watching him get overly excited over earthenware and tea brewing paraphernalia. Even getting excited over the iron remnants of a famous teakettle that just look like pieces of iron now.

There are moments where he or Oda engage in famous historical moments as mentioned such as Murashige Araki's rebellion or Honnji where Oda Nobunaga was assassined by Akechi Mitsuhide.

The sound quality is fine and since there is no English dub, the subtitles properly translated what was being said most of the time. (Minor complaints such as substituting positions for names)

The animation is pretty impressive with a realistic and rich art style properly depicting 1500s -1600s Japan. There's fine detail and heavy shading. Lots of movement and very fluid.

If you enjoy Japanese history and culture, by all means please check out Hyougo Mono.

I'm simply giving it a mixed review because it's not something everybody will find interest in. There's little action and you have to understand Japanese culture or history to really appreciate what is going on.

If you appreciate what was listed before, you'll find a true delight within this hidden gem rarely discussed.

Hyouge Mono is not a straightforward anime and doesn't seem all that accessible. However, if you enjoy traditional Japanese aesthetics or are fond of the tea ceremony, then Hyouge Mono is quite lovely. I am a ceramicist and love work from the late Momoyama (1573–1615) and early Edo periods (1615–1868). This show cultivates a fondness for the discovery of old ceramic ware and other beauties of those periods.

The dialogue can seem difficult. Names are rather important throughout this anime, so it is important to pay attention. There is little action, but when there is it is rewarding. It is a slow paced show, striving with ... message and intention.

Furuta Sasuke is a lovable, eccentric character. His reactions are priceless. It is a lovely take on Furuta Oribe, a figure crucial to Japanese ceramic ware.