Descending Stories
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| Fuck that revelation. |
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| That bastard Bon banged Konastu now you have done you fox, Shinnoske was just way to cute to look like Gang Boss. Yotaro sure put on some weight but still glad to see him cheerful as ever. Anyway enough of that, I think it was a good show storywise it was 9/10 for me charcters were pretty good as well. Konatsu is probably the least favorite character for me and her daughter gave of same vibes she was so cute and cheerful before the accident feels bad man :| Overall 9/10 is well deserved. |
| As soon as Sensei starting talking about Shinnosuke birth father, I was like YES YES YES GIMME DAT SWEET REVEAL. I had been waiting on it for so long and I was afraid they were never going to provide. The scene between Kiku and the Yakuza boss a few episodes back was so cryptic and weird, there HAD to be more. The reveal of Kiku being the father shocked me. I can't believe how many bombshells this anime dropped this season. I'm fucking loving it. This was a great last episode. I loved the timeskip and how it showed how rakugo has gone through some much needed change. Very progressive and I like it. 9/10 for this season, while the first is on an 8/10. I can't give this a 10/10 score because I felt ambivalent towards the supernatural route this season took in the latter half, but I can forgive it. This was such a great watch and it's definitely one of my favorite anime TV shows. |
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| Dat father implication ruined for me everything honestly. I wish I just have stopped at S1 i even couldn't look at how Shin's sister clung to him. god knows what could have been IMPLIED there and Yota looks too bad, 16 years is not that much |
SorvarinMar 14, 2019 6:28 AM
| see you, space cowperson . . . |
| Rakugo will never die! |
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| There were so many great moments from not only this episode but from the entire series, so this will likely turn into an essay as I break this episode down and give my final thoughts of not only the second season but of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu as a whole. I may not write reviews, but I can sure as hell waste just as much time writing this. Shinichi Omata is a brilliant director. He not only directed Kaguya-sama, one of my favorite shows from this year, but he directed both season one and two of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, and I believe this second season to potentially be his magnum opus. On a direction level, this series was completely brilliant, and I think his talent as a director is completely encapsulated in this final episode. The episode once again begins without an OP, which is significant in establishing the lighter tone of the episode. We begin by seeing, for the first time, a 16-year-old Koyuki greeting the now 23-year-old Shinnosuke, who looks eerily similar to Yakumo. The two characters are just as good as every other character in this series, having great back and forth chemistry. Shinnosuke calling Koyuki the "cutest ever" is funny and adorable, and his fear for his mother was just as amusing. We get to see the much older Higuchi and Konatsu, who after exchanging a few words with the siblings sends them off. A few more words are exchanged, and Higuchi makes an observation/guess that Shinnosuke is actually Yakumo's son and not the gang boss' child, implying he truly is a genius of rakugo, having the blood of Yakumo and Sukeroku and being the student of Yotaro. Skipping ahead a bit, as you just watched the episode so a full recap obviously isn't necessary, we see Yotaro get declared the 9th Generation Yakumo (something I never actually thought I would see happen). We then get to see Shinnosuke deliver an incredibly amusing Hatsutenjin. As the new Yakumo was addressing the crowd, the only thing I wished for was for him to perform Shinigami, and he did. His Shinigami was incredible, perfectly meshing his style with the previous Yakumo's. In his exhaustion, he even temporarily sees his former master and ends his performance with a non-traditional joke to lighten the mood. The series, at long last, concludes with some highlights of the best performances from the series. Given how much I have written about this show, I believe it is very obvious I hold Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu in high esteem. While I wouldn't necessarily describe it as a masterpiece (although it is very, very close) I do believe it to be an exceptional and remarkable piece of animation that anyone and everyone should see. I give Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futabi-hen a very high 9/10. |
GytanzoJun 29, 2019 8:04 PM
| The first thing I thought when I saw grown up Shinnosuke was "why does he look so much like Yakumo and not Sukeroku?" and for this to be the truth? it ruined his fatherly figure for me |
If you are going to disagree with me, don't bother talking to me. I will seriously hurt you! |
| This was an absolutely brilliant show. |
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| Me in episode 3: Low-key thought that the baby's father was Yakumo. Thank god it isn't. Me in the last episode: Ahahahahahahahhahaa....ha... Now that I actually had time to swallow that piece of information, it isn’t as disturbing as I thought 9 episodes ago (though still Disturbing). I also find it weird that Konatsu said she had Shinnosuke for Yakumo’s and Sukeroku’s sake and to have the former keep doing Rakugo. Like that’s what Shinnosuke was born for? Reminds me of Naruto’s and Sasuke’s kids. They’re probably going to end up with each other with their child being the Avatar just so the kid can have all the powers. But I guess that’s not entirely the reason why Shinnosuke was conceived. Konatsu said she was overwhelmed with a lot of feelings back then. What about Yakumo? Maybe he saw her as his former lover? Maybe he got drunk one time? Maybe he thought he was going to Hell anyways and decided to do it at the spur of the moment? Maybe his fondness for her turned into a fondness for something else? Not trying to justify their relationship; I’m trying to figure out what the author intends with the characters’ intentions, besides just “daddy issues”. I love this show so much, that I can easily put this revelation past me. After all, Shinnosuke was and is so cute and he is a beautiful product of something that once died. He is classic Rakugo reborn into the modern era. Why I thought Shinnosuke was the former Yakumo’s son: - He damn looks like him - When the “whodunnit” question appears, it’s likely to be a character who we are familiar with, not someone we barely know. *rules out boss* - Konatsu wanted to take the name of the father with her to the grave. While it would seem controversial for the Boss to be the father, it would even be crazier if Yakumo was actually the father. - The boy is VERY interested in Rakugo. Even though he was raised with that background, he seems more passionate about it than his sister. - Like Konatsu, who was drawn to her father’s Rakugo, you can say that the older Shinnosuke feels the same way. - In the afterlife, Shinnosuke appears when Yakumo is brought on-stage. - Shinnosuke seems to be the vessel of a fusion of classical and modern Rakugo. He is basically the revived version Yakumo. - He damn looks like him. I love that the current Yakumo stayed true to himself and dedicated himself to making Rakugo accessible to everyone, for the sake of Rakugo. He did this after his master passed away, when he was still holding on to the old and restrictive tradition of Rakugo. I think what he did for his master was noble and loyal of him. His actions make it almost unbelievable that he was in part of a gang. And the icing on the cake goes to Yakumo’s performance of Shinigami. One would expect him to do a comedic Rakugo, but instead he chose to do a tribute to his late master. Just like we expected the 8th generation to do a serious Rakugo when he was in the afterlife, he did a light-hearted one instead. What a twist of events! The way Yotaro (to spare the confusion of names) holds Yakumo in high esteem, yet blazes his own path of Rakugo storytelling is heartwarming and beautiful to see. He is confident in his own style while also appreciating a different set of Rakugo. They compliment each other as master and student well. Amazing that Matsuda lived with 3 generations of Rakugo masters; he truly is the MVP of this anime. |
MistyBlueJul 11, 2019 10:33 PM
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| I fucken knew it. I predicted that kiku is the real father. Seems like my prediction was right. Score: 6/10 |
| Hah, I kinda figured that the mafia boss wasn't Shinnosukes father, they kept things way too ambigous in that episode and obviously for a reason. And wow, I dunno how to feel right now. I'm really incredidbly gratified with the last couple of episodes and this finale. The theatre was rebuilt and rakugo shines as bright or even brighther as during the previous generations. But on the other hand, it really sucks that it's already over. It was a series with characters so endearing that you didn't want it to end. It also exceeded in other areas such as sound and directing too. Also never would've guessed that I would enjoy the rakugo performances to such an extent as I did. Overall a masterpiece of a coming-of-age story, really deserved 10/10 from me. |
One Piece episode 914 & 915 & 1027 were a mistake and 957 brought the salvation - FMmatron |
| Good for you if you think the father was someone else, but theres no other reason to put that in the show, right at the end imo. Either I can view their relationship through a realistic lens and view it as abusive and depressing, which youre obviously not intended to do and ruins the series. Or I can view it as I'm apparently intended to, as a healthy, consensual sexual relationship between a young woman and a man 30 years her senior who raised her by himself since she was like 5. Which brings the believability of their relationship down to like bad soap opera levels. I guess this is just a weird josei trope, but in a show this believable and emotionally involving it was definitely a let down. |
ChromephoneFeb 4, 2020 5:16 PM
Hansen_ said: This show is beautiful and like a love letter to the art of story telling. To preserve my sanity and appreciation for such a deep and compelling story and set of characters, I believe that Konatsu is yanking Eisuke's chain. Eisuke is such an obsessed fanatic of Bon, to the point where he has harassed Bon throughout his life over details and minutia which appeal to his fantasy--primarily because of his obsessive unrequited love of Miyokichi. By allowing him to believe his arrogant head canon as reality she pulls the wool over his eyes and the karmic retribution talked about throughout the series is served. That's how I'm, going to leave off on this anime. I really loved every aspect of this series and that was just a downer. What's makes it so bad is that I actually believe it. After all these years, there was no reason for Konastu to keep her child's father a secret, unless there really was a reason. She could have simply said no, even if it was bullsh**. Therefore, I'm going to disillusion myself and create an image to maintain my appreciation for the series. |
| Honestly, it would have been fine with me if the anime ended at the last episode. I still feel like Bon not waiting for Sukeroku was dumb (because he could have done it and it doesn't make sense why he went alone) but yea. Apparently, when doing Shinigami (whis is probably my favorite if not top 3 best stories) the one who appeared in Bon and Yotaro's vision was not Miyo/Sukeroku and Bon.It must have been the Shinigami wanting to claim their life, but as Sukeroku said, shinigami could do that if he has a "body" so that's why I think.But damn,that's scary as hell. Overall I think I'll give this 8-9/10. It had the potential for a 9/10 or maybe 10/10 but there were things that didn't make sense.And I love how Matsuda is still living.He doesn't die. But yea, I would recommend this in the proper context. |
Alex_TheForestJun 22, 2020 10:05 AM
Come on man,where is that Noragami season 3 masterpiece.We want it, Bones! |
| Oh God... This is EXACTLY why I never feel 100% comfortable with father-figure/surrogate daughter shows. After this and Usagi Drop, I don't think I'll watch one again. You spend a whole series mentally building this bond between characters only for it to be tarnished. People are trying to rationalize the relationship to help themselves enjoy the show, but I'm not lying to myself. Yakumo being Shin's dad is weird and gross, and if the scenario happened in real life, Yakumo would be considered a predator and a pervert. Makes me regret crying so hard at his death. As good as this show is, and it was, wish I had never watched. Please, give me that time back so I can actually go back and watch something decent. |
| I really don't see why this season is rated higher than the previous one. |
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| Sorry but they ruined the show with Shinnosuke being Yakumo son |
| A masterful coming-of-age story. Many touching moments. Better than season 1. 10/10 |
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| Great episode and conclusion overall to what's been a slightly disappointing but still good season of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu. Nice to see Yotaro become the new Yakumo, Konatsu become the first female rakugo storyteller and even their kid Shinnosuke become a rakugo performer too (with their daughter Koyuki while not performing, cheering them in the background regardless). I love how they focused on rakugo here and advancing it once the 8th generation Yakumo passed on with new stories, new boundaries being broken and new goals to continue the art of rakugo for generations to come rather than taking away rakugo with the old Yakumo and the previous generation. I wish they built up to this particular aspect better but still, handled well here. Nice to see Yotaro and Konatsu have a long happy marriage with loving kids and both being able to do what they love to do, perform rakugo with a good audience surrounding them. Even seeing Matsuda here was nice too, glad to see him alive and hearty at 95 years old and nice also seeing Eisuke's stories being used now, advancing the rakugo generation from beyond the classics from previous generations. I'll give this season a 7/10. It's a season of great moments and masterful directing/voice acting but the story doesn't flow as cohesively as the first season and there were some little parts where I was either bored, uninterested or wish wasn't a part of the anime since it felt a bit too out of place with the tone and themes of the show. Yakumo's character arc was a mixed bag for me too, but at least Konatsu and Yotarou's characters stole the season for me by quite some distance to still make it a good season regardless. Overall anime I'd rate an 8. |
| A satisfying conclusion, although the second season as a whole wasn't as good as the first. It's hard to say exactly why but in comparison to the first season the difference is clearer. One obvious flaw I saw while watching was that some of the rakugo stories were repeated too often, particularly some that were already introduced in the first season. I get that they did it to show how different characters tell the stories differently, but it killed the pace at times. Also, in the first season the stories usually reflected what was going on in the plot. This season it happened more towards the end, but early on I couldn't make any connection, probably because the plot at the beginning was all over the place. A more serious flaw was the plot and character development. In the first season the plot revolved around the difference between the main characters and the complex feelings it induced, the competition and affection, at times dislike. This drama let us know a great deal about the characters, even if their essence stayed pretty much the same from childhood to adulthood. Here instead of such drama we had the emergence of the new generations and the gradual decline of Kikuhiko. And maybe also the development of Konatsu from an angry young woman to a respected storyteller. But she was the only character in the entire series to be affected by events; my view on the series is that all the other characters were more affected by the passage of time rather than what happened onscreen. Kikuhiko may have been affected by the deaths in the previous season, but this development happened between seasons. While this adds a degree of realism, it also takes away tension. And while conflict isn't absolutely necessary to make a satisfying series (I watch a lot of slice of life), it is a good storytelling tool to make us know more about the characters. Unlike the first season, I feel that at the end of the second one I don't know much more about the characters than I did at the beginning. And that is what made the second season more stale. I still give this season a generous 8/10. I rarely give scores above 7, so I do consider it one of the best series of last years despite these flaws. |
| Beautiful story from start to finish, amazing ending. |
| Wow, what a series, simply magnificent. Having also read the extra chapter linked to the last volume seems to me quite obvious that Shinnosuke's father is neither Yakumo nor the Boss and is also confirmed by the fact that Bon's only love is Shin, but I would not want to deepen the discussion here. The only thing that disappointed me is the mystery that continues to exist in the death of Shin and Miyokichi, I don't understand where fiction ends and reality begins, before or after Shin's "Shibahama"? And what does Miyokochi really feel for Shin? I am also happy that Bon has found serenity and has left the remorse behind him also thanks to the meeting with Shin and Miyokichi, but above all thanks to the feelings expressed by Konatsu, he really didn't deserve all the hatred that she has always said to feel. For the rest I am glad that Konatsu found a man who loves her (which her mother desperately wanted) and Yota became the Ninth. |
LevaisMar 4, 2021 6:09 PM
| Such a lovely show. The first half of this season originally left me feeling lesser of it than the first season as Yotarou lacked much of the depth Sukeroku had along with the connection he had with Yakumo. Even with that considered, the second half of this season really kicked into overdrive in terms of impact on the viewer which really helped distract from any distaste for Yotarou as a character. As for Konatsu, she started her life with trauma early on, leaving her with many conflicting emotions that carried long into her life which makes such a reveal make sense. Whether it's morally right or wrong is something I could care less about and doesn't change how I perceive the show and it's impact on me. This is a story to be told, not a fulfillment for the viewer to project on. Easy 9/10 for this one with an 8/10 for the first season |
Celest__Mar 20, 2021 7:06 AM
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| wow what a beautiful series. It's true what can be gone one day, someone else can revive it. The story of their rakugo was full of pain and trauma and beauty and joy. I really enjoyed all the characters, their flaws and passions felt so real compared to most anime. I'm really glad to see Matsuda alive and through the 3 generations of Yakumo. He really helped fill in the pieces of the story that needed clarity. The pacing felt perfect and the ending left me with a bittersweet taste, and I know I'll have nostalgia later on in my life about this anime. |
| desu desu binches |
| Damn.. turns out I was right about Yakumo being the father. Amazing show through and through. I'm glad I finally picked it up. |
Mich666 said: Hydra0411 said: That father revelation at the end put me off quite considerably. For all the people who are confused about this revelation they actually forshadowed it well, and even though they didn't go as far as to tell it, they made it pretty much obvious as early as this scene in episode 2:  So just rewatch that part to get the hint. What a ridiculous "hint". That scene literally begins by making an analogy of how Sukeroku made Konatsu sleep by telling the stories of him with Yakumo doing the same. Or what is the same, that scene explicitly tells you that Yakumo is her father figure. And that's what this "plot twist" spoils. The problem with the plot twist isn't that it's just disgusting, it's that it doesn't make sense with the personalities of both characters. Yakumo really wanted Rakugo to die with him and Konatsu hated Yakumo for years, those are two of the biggest points of this season. All the supposed clues that some of you are citing in this thread are ambiguous. The only scene in the series that makes you think something else is happening is when Yakumo thanks the Yakuza boss, but that's about it. Personally, I enjoyed this season and I think it's a good anime. But that twist did not let me enjoy the ending and for me it spoiled all the construction of these two characters that had been done throughout these two seasons. |
KenelOct 9, 2021 5:42 PM
| So my doubts were confirmed! I saw it coming from long ago! The scene at the graveyard in the last episode of S1, where Kiku asks Sukeroku if he would forgive him for what he did to his daughter.. In the end it was Yakumo all the time, he is the real father of Shinnouske. |
---- Life is nothing but goodbyes ---- |
musashi9087 said: Reading through the comments in this discussion makes me really sad. Reminds me of how westerners apply their own judgement on other cultures like is the only way to go in the whole world... Also how much are they missing of the story and what the author wants to tell with it. Not a Japanese thing at all. This happens all over the world, older men hooking up with younger women. And no one gives two fucks unless it happens in a show. It's just the good old hypocrisy that haunts every ounce of the internet, but I swear that MAL, just like Twitter, is a catalyst of the worst takes you ever lay eyes on. |
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| First the studio deen has done excellent job in the adaptation, it really feels like a passion project. There are so many moments in the anime that made me say its a masterpiece but that father revel at the end was kind of mehh,I don't know what to say but it clearly doesn't feel right to me and I didn't like Konantsu's character at all.. I wonder why people like this kind of stuff in this anime and they hate it in usagi drop, to me these two have done the same thing no matter how someone interpreted it. |
| Yukie has to be one of the biggest b!tch of anime/manga. 8/10 to both seasons mainly because some of the rakugo parts were just boring to me. |
 .Go watch Gintama boyo/grill My discord server for gaming and anime/manga: https://discord.com/invite/4mqXfNEJ9A |
| Myokichi was a bitch and konatsu become slave to her blood huh, I've said it before and I'm going to say it again, everything about this anime was great until that pregnancy part. And now that it literally confirming that kikuhiko/yakumo is shinnosuke's father, all those character built up fell off for me but once again it just josei show with their daddy complex and fcked up relationships goals so....... I enjoyed this season less than the previous one. IMO it didn't live up to my hype the way some people praise it, so 8/10 at its best (・＿・) |
| This was a perfect episode, besides the theory about Yakumo being Shinnosuke's real father. Just no. I want the relationship between Yakumo and Konatsu to be a father-daughter one, not... this. I hope it's not true, but I guess we'll never know. But the way it was presented makes it really seem like that was the implied true theory here. Shinnosuke really outgrew his cheerfulness, huh? He's like young Yakumo with how reserved and shy he is, but he doesn't have young Yakumo's sharp tongue lol and he's quite the doting older brother huh? Glad to see that even to the present day he believes Yotarou to be his dad. Because he really is. Koyuki's really cute! She's very cheerful and straightforward, got that last bit from the Sukeroku blood in her definitely. Really great to see that Konatsu became a rakugo storyteller after all. With Yotarou's mentioning that she was Yakumo's second best student, that got me real confused because Yakumo died before he could properly train her. Or maybe because she had been with him for so long that she was basically considered a student of his? I put my bet more on her actually learning the last bits she needed from Yotarou. Yotarou hasn't really changed much even in his old age ^^ I went from not really caring for his character when we were first introduced to him to really loving him in this second season! Glad his tattoo has become a part of his identity, not something he has to be ashamed of. He has changed a bit I think. He's not as boisterous as he once was, but that's what you get as you get older! So glad that Matsuda-san didn't pass away the same day Yakumo did! Glad to see that he was able to see the Ninth Generation Yakumo, Konatsu becoming a rakugo storyteller, the rebuilt theatre, Yotarou's and Konatsu's kids growing up. I was surprised that he was once an apprentice :o but it seems he found his calling in life. At an age of a whopping 95 too, he's seen everything he needs to see. I think he can rest in peace now. Great show. Greater than I anticipated. I didn't get why S2 had a higher score than S1 on MAL, but now I do. 9/10. Easy. This won't leave me for a while. |
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| Even puting aside the Shin's father subject (That is still F*ked up and unnecesary) To me season 1 was a lot better. In this season there are a lot of time skips, they pushed to the side the matter of konatsu becoming a storyteller, and the new rakugo stories also. These 2 subjects only come to a very rushed closure in the last episode, and even in that episode, where all the new masters and performers gathered, konatsu had 0 time on the scene and was totally skipped WTF. The rakugo scenes are great for showing off the VA's voice range and interpretation and we could only hear her performance 1 time with the kids. Such a waste. |
JulianRDec 5, 2023 9:54 PM
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