Descending Stories
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| THIS IS AN ANIME ONLY DISCUSSION POST. DO NOT DISCUSS THE MANGA BEYOND THIS EPISODE. ---------------------------------------- That's pretty impressive. For Yakumo to perform rakugo on stage again with such talent after his recent health problem. I thought the rakugo had good amount of human emotions in it. A very emotional performance. Even Konatsu sheds tears ;_; The skeletal Shinigami could be a symbolism for the aspect of death. |
Stark700Mar 3, 2017 1:15 PM
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| The kid is now elementary student. Talking about yakuza and connecting with Rakugo. The kid is the most effective one to encourage Ishida-san's character to do Rakugo again. Rakugo performance to the criminals... interesting. It makes every shed tears. Yotarou's performance. Ishida-san's character only watched for a part and went to do a performance about the death with no one watching. Actually, shinigami in a form of previous Yotarou was watching. Current Yotarou to the rescue. 26:55 next. |
I ♥ Two Syaorans from Tsubasa RESERVoir CHRoNiCLE and TRC!!! |
| After that episode I feel like the guys in the prison. JESUS this is such a great show. I loved how there was the foreshadow with the opening (Sukeroku's eyes were red) and then the whole shinigami story I was in tears. |
Vacu0us said: Same here.....I'm a bit speechless atm, but I feel like there's gonna be a timeskip next ep After that episode I feel like the guys in the prison. JESUS this is such a great show. I loved how there was the foreshadow with the opening (Sukeroku's eyes were red) and then the whole shinigami story I was in tears. |
| From that first exchange between Yotaro and Yakumo I was filled with trepidation for the rest of the episode, like that instantly would have set off red flags if the OP didn't already. Now some people might say the reaction to Yakumo's performance at the prison was cheesy but I think it fit really well with the whole issue in prisons in the first place, these convicts are leaving behind so many people without even thinking of how they might feel so I really enjoyed the fact Yakumo chose to perform that story, it felt like it fit really well for the situation, and my god the moment you saw that red-eyed Sukeroku in the OP you knew he was going to make an appearance but I was surprised to see Miyokichi as well. But I think the most important aspect this episode was the inner workings of Yakumo's mind, you could tell from his voice when he saw Miyokichi that he really was speaking from his heart, and it hurts that muc wasn'th more when you realize what he was saying to her. How he's come to the realization of his selfish actions in the past towards her and the error in how he handled the break up even though he still had some feelings towards her. That he decided to punish himself and never take a wife for what he did to her. However by and large the biggest looming demon for him has to be Sukeroku, like he literally thought of Sukeroku as this god and so at the end he faced his 'god's' wrath for what he did to him. |
| First, thank goodness Yotaro in prison really was just a flashback. That whole setup of prison rakugo made me think of Johnny Cash at Folsom Prison. :D Yakumo's performance was pretty brutal, and the spurned lover committing suicide with the guilt and despair accompanying the living partner certainly drew parallels with his own treatment of and by Miyokichi. Speaking of this episode really seemed to be going into Yakumo's death march mode until the very end. Complete with one last Shinigami performance with the shinigami appearing as Sukeroku. I honestly expected Yakumo to die with all that setup/buildup. But, Yotaro stepped up big again. And while the rakugo hall is gone, Yakumo decided to cling to life for those he cares about. It's kinda sweet, in a sense, and everyone certainly looks pretty darn happy in that preview. So...with 3 episodes to go what's left? Anymore misdirection? Things left unresolved? Has Yakumo found peace? And what of the future of rakugo? |
| Powerful, powerful episode. I feel extremely sorry for Yakumo. He's consumed by the demons of his past and the inevitable decline of his body with age and just wants to leave this world. But those that love him will not let him go. |
| "Perhaps there is a universal, absolute truth. Perhaps it justifies every question. But that's beyond the reach of these small hands." Mamoru Oshii There is a cult of ignorance (...) nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that “my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.” Isaac Asimov |
| Master, you destroyed the whole theatre :((((( BAD BOY! |
| "The future is always blank. Only your willpower can leave footsteps there." "Ruling over death means ruling over life. Death is the climax of life. To have the best death, you must honor life." |
| It was freaking hard to hold the tears with the prison performance. Another great episode!! Yamadera (Sukeroku') "evil" voice performance gave me the shills. |
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| This episode was insanely good. The prison scene was really heartfelt especially Yakumo seeing Miyokichi. I thought we were going to have a repeat of what happened on that Grand Stage. Even Konatsu got teary eyed. Damn that ending was strong! With this Shinagmi performance and Sukeroku being the shinigami. Strong stuff. Looks like he's gonna be scared as well. |
| Listen to my podcast https://anchor.fm/waifusandweeaboos Follow my twitch. https://www.twitch.tv/sorasensei1 Fall 2024 Waifus on Profile "You can have multiple Waifus" -me |
| Holy fuck. Nothing more to say. |
| Woah, that was one hell of an episode.... Especially that ending. |
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| I haven't posted for quite some time. But I just came back to say how great this anime is. It saddens me that this show seems to not receive the appreciation it deserves (anime 'mainstream' seems to prefer other genres recently). It's truly a hidden gem. |
| Wow, another absolutely brilliant episode, with more bone chilling direction than I've ever seen. The OP had me in anticipation the whole time, setting up for that Shinigami, jesus christ. It shouldn't be a surprise at this point, the show just keeps finding ways to outdo itself. |
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| Oh wow the building actually went on fire. Great prison performance! |
| I can't explain this episode was in a way that would do it justice... Just the tie in of both the stories to his own mind, its relevance to his audience, and the way it was visually done was amazing. I'm speechless. |
| well that was a good episode but that ending was pretty dramatic...I guess everyone is scared to die in the end.... |
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| I honestly just.. wow... As soon as the episode ended and the ending theme started playing... I literally had trouble breathing. It was like everything leading up to the last couple minutes I just started holding my breath for what was to come... I was hoping in he didn't actually set the theater on fire but then he did and then all that happened... I'm so glad Yakumo has survived but... I just... especially after the prison performance... I need time to recover, honestly. This is definitely one of the best anime I have seen in many years. Truly a masterpiece. I wonder what will happen next, and how this will end. I will most likely end up buying the manga after this is over. It is just truly incredible how every episode has been able to outdo itself each week. |
| When you notice Sukeroku's red eyes during the opening sequence. That's a warning you shouldn't ignore. Now, cycles. This episode was all about cycles and repetition. The prison performance is meaningful for both Yotaro and Yakumo. Yotaro was saved from his gang life by Yakumo's rakugo with "Shinigami". That moment, being there as an inmate and listening to that absolutely beautiful performance was the point of no return for Yotaro, that's where everything started. And both of them returned there and a cycle was closed. The sense of circularity in that scene is magnificent. Yakumo's prison performance this time was so touching, not only for the inmates, but also for Konatsu and himself. Talking about the geisha's death brought onto the stage memories of Miyokichi, and Konatsu's voice only enhanced the feeling. When Miyo embraced Yakumo, it seemed as if she were there to close that cycle too. For Yakumo is extremely painful seeing her as a beautiful apparition, trying to hold her for a little bit longer. Then, Yakumo performing "Shinigami" for himself and for the theater was really symbolic. He drove Miyo away from him because of Rakugo. He tried to bring back Sukeroku because of his love for Sukeroku and his rakugo. Yotaro entered his life because of rakugo. And now, rakugo is slipping away from him, so he's decided to take rakugo down with him. Yakumo performed and, suddenly, Sukeroku was there. But I should have know something was wrong with him, for he was speaking and didn't behave like the Sukeroku which we have seen before, with a painful look on his face. It turned out this Sukeroku --with those red eyes-- was a shinigami himself, the God of Performances. What shocked me the most was that Sukeroku/shinigami called him "Bon" and, gosh, that was a low blow. And then, after "Shinigami" and the shinigami, Yotaro came and saved Yakumo. What the actual f*ck is this, dudes? I mean, look at this beauty of narrative: Yakumo saved Yotaro's life with "Shinigami", and in return, many, many years later, Yotaro returned the favor and saved Yakumo's life, after he performed "Shinigami" and encountered a shinigami that was about to take away his life. Whoa, what an amazing anime is this. Finally, if you add the scene in the bathroom at the beginning, with Yakumo, Yotaro, and Shin-chan, you have the three generations there; that was so melancholic, but hopeful at the same time. |
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| Fire, you don't get away after touching his face. |
| Holyyyy shiiiiiit, totally thought he was going to die there |
| Awesome episode. He first talked about dying while doing rakugo. When he gave the fan away I knew something was going to happen. He probably planned it ... sitting in the empty theater where no one could stop him. Some hallucinations where he knocked over the candle ... The only question was whether Yota would save him or not. He probably had a hunch that something was weird when he received the fan (which was very important to Yakumo). Good to see that he could save him. (And now it seems he doesn't want to die yet. He got a bit afraid at the end.) |
| Oh no, he set the theatre on fire? o.O Holy shit. And I thought he was gonna die there for sure, I'm so glad that Yota saved him. This anime is a freaking emotional rollercoaster. |
| I knew the episode would be outstanding the moment I see Sukeroku's red eyes in the opening. Wasn't disappointed. Got an intense episode. No matter how many times I see it, Kikuhiko's Shinigami give me chills every fucking time. The build up was lacking imo. Episode had the potential to be more impactful. |
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| As soon as I saw Sukeroku's red eyes in the OP, I knew something big was going to happen, and boy was I right. That performance in the prison was really powerful, even I was feeling a bit emotional once the inmates started crying. That last part of it though, with Konatsu singing while Miyokichi's ghost appeared, literally gave me chills. Amazing. And of course, the highlight of the episode was the end, when Bon performed Shinigami and then almost died when Sukeroku showed up as a Shinigami. I legitimately thought he was going to die, especially after some foreshadowing earlier in the episode, but luckily (or perhaps, unluckily, in Bon's perspective) he got saved in time. What an episode, fan-fucking-tastic. |
| People on MAL refuse to actually enjoy watching anime. Your taste in anime isn't a personality trait. MAL is literally just anime Twitter as its own website lol. |
| Red eyes, beware! Whenever Sukeroku's eyes are red in the beginning, Yakumo comes terrifyingly close to his doom. I wonder if Yakumo burned the theater down on purpose or if he was hallucinating. Or if, perhaps, he really IS being haunted by a shinigami and the spirits of the dead. So many things came full circle in the episode: Yakumo once again doing rakugo at the prison where he and Yotaro first encountered each other, this time with Yotaro at his side. Konatsu's singing bringing forth an image of her long dead mother so that Yakumo, through his rakugo, could apologize for the part he played in her emotional breakdown. The Sukeroku fan being passed on to the current Sukeroku. And finally what happened at the theater- the last great Shouwa master doing a final rakugo story alone for himself at the ancient theater before destroying it utterly. And upon finally encountering his "God of Performance" the old man learns that in spite of emotional weight in his heart he doesn't actually WANT to die yet. In the end his life- almost lost because of rakugo- is saved by the very man whose life Yakumo saved in the past... through HIS rakugo. Had it not been for Yakumo's prison show years ago Kyoji's existence could have been cut down by the yakuza or completely wasted by a life of crime or pressure from the gang to keep going back to jail for crimes he never committed. What an incredible episode. Pre-ordering the first volume of the manga, this series is amazing. |
| Jesus H. Christ! What an episode! Yakumo's performances this episode were great as usual but so many things happened right at the end that I have way too many feelings welling up inside me that I can't really process right now. That last act, with his shinigami performance, Sukeroku's appearance, the actual Shinigami and fire was so brilliantly executed. I'm speechless...such a great episode, next week can't come soon enough. |
 Anime was the catalyst of my life's downward spiral. Joining MAL was the nail in my coffin.  Every day I keep screaming into the void, but god just tells me to shut up. |
| Sukeroku, go back, go back to where you came from *grits teeth* Shinnosuke is a refreshing sight, as always. I was expecting that scene in the second half, but I still got the chills. |
| The world is the illusion of the real world. |
| Yakumo was about to die doing rakugo. Still, it seems he isn't quite willing to do so, he cannot sever his bonds, not yet. The fateful encounter in the theatre was sublime, as breathtaking as it was unnerving. Sukeroku fulfils the role of a shinigami exceedingly well. Now then, I need to pick up my jaw... |
| Really don't know what to say,i always get amazed by the quality of the production and direction of this show,i was thinking that this season they would focus on Yota and the creation of his own style in Rakugo,but the plot of Yakumo and his internal (and external) conflicts are just impressively good,this anime don't ever disappoint me. |
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| 10/10 this anime is unique, I don't have words to describe <3 |
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| I'm really glad we finally got closure regarding Yakumo's relationship with Miyokichi -- it was really heartbreaking to see him finally confess his love and remorse towards her spirit. When she made her second appearance, I thought that she'd be more malevolent, but that embrace she gave to him seemed more comforting and beautiful. As if she were saying to Yakumo that she can now rest in peace. It was really touching to see Konatsu cry, she probably got the message that Yakumo was telling more than just a story and was talking about his past as well. One thing that did really shock me was that Yakumo was referring to Sukeroku when he talked about "the god of performance" in previous episodes. Now his relationship with him is finally being put into perspective: he didn't just see him as a friend/brother, but he idolised him. That's why he couldn't process Sukeroku's desire to just up and quit rakugo and pay attention to his family after the final performance at the inn on that ill-fated night. That was ultimately toxic for both Yakumo's relationship with Sukeroku as well as Yakumo's development as a person and rakugo-ka. Can't wait for the next episode and hopefully more closure (especially regarding to Konatsu's and Yakumo's relationship). |
| imagine-Nation on NHK World will rebroadcast their report about the series on March 13, 2017 at 8:30pm EDT. edit @AnnaSartin : It might be made available on the show's official page (just "google" the channel and show's name) for a few days following the broadcast (not sure, since this is a rebroadcast). But anyone can watch it on TV: NHK World is a free japanese worldwide satellite channel. |
Rei_IIIMar 9, 2017 1:28 AM
Rei366 said: imagine-Nation on NHK World will rebroadcast their report about the series on March 13, 2017 at 8:30pm EDT. Report about the series? Is it online somewhere that we can watch it? |
| This is probably an unpopular opinion but I don't like the red eye in the opening, it's kinda a slight spoiler that shit is gonna go down. I'd rather be surprised perhaps they mean to set a pattern only to punk us later. |
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| This was a pretty spectacular episode, then again it was entirely focused on Yakumo instead of Konatsu and Yotaro. (Which are not bad characters, but really don't measure to the character work done on Bon) It was nice to get a resolution for his feelings for Miyochi and his admiration Sukeroku on screen and plain text. |
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| Yakumo's shinigami is flawless. It doesn't matter how many times I watch it, I always like his performance. The scene where he put fire in the theatre was well done. In the beginning I was not sure if it was reality or another ilusion. |
| Yakumo is always trying to die, it is so sad, we know he feel blame, but he deserve to live... |
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| The minute they showed Sukeroku sitting in the theater seat clapping, I got all choked up. This show is so good, but each episode kills me a little bit. I love and dread watching it. |
| This episode will be one of my favorite episodes in all anime, one of those you just want to re-watch again because it was too epic. I was crying so damn hard with Miyokichi coming out and it being so forgiving and gentle. I'm so freaking relieved yakumo has overcome that. I always thought he felt the most burden because of her but then realized it's been sukeroku this whole time with him being the shinigami. it's so hard to explain what this episode brought emotionally. extremely well done. especially just seeing yakumo in what could have been his last moments and his constant desire for death and others not letting him go. akisame__ said: Now his relationship with him is finally being put into perspective: he didn't just see him as a friend/brother, but he idolised him. That's why he couldn't process Sukeroku's desire to just up and quit rakugo and pay attention to his family after the final performance at the inn on that ill-fated night. That was ultimately toxic for both Yakumo's relationship with Sukeroku as well as Yakumo's development as a person and rakugo-ka. this is still screwing me up. Back in the days, it was obvious he really looked up to him, was even jealous at some times, but to idolized him omggg.... I still remember him being bothered by him leaving rakugo for his family and now it makes sense. It's still hard to think about how this could have internally messed him up. I love that so much, he's a very human character if that makes sense. |
| As always amazing rakugo Kinda sad episode :( So he did burn the theatre by himself then? |
"Signature removed"   |
| The Yakumo family in a public bathhouse together! Shinnosuke was so cute washing his teddy bear and getting excited when he heard Yakumo was going to perform rakugo again. I like that Yakumo performs in prison for the inmates. I wonder why some of the inmates were quivering or shaking and they looked a bit solemn during his performance but initially they looked angry. I was kind of nervous that they would riot but they were immersed in his performance, as expected of the legendary Yakumo. Towards the end of his rakugo, he said something along the lines of him never getting a wife. I know it's part of the story but did he apply it to himself in real life? Is that why he didn't get married after Miyokichi's death? Did he love Miyokichi or Sukeroku or both? I'm not trying to say he's romantically in love with him Sukeroku but he lost himself when he died. Yakumo desperately wanted to die to punish himself for losing everything. He blames himself for everything. I knew that image of Sukeroku wasn't real when he started to tempt Yakumo into killing himself. I think he fell and knocked over the candle or maybe tried to burn it himself by throwing that candle into the seats. Thank goodness Yotarou was there to help him. |
| 臭い- |
| This was a great episode, and the Shinigami story was incredible, and with this final arround flames...Wow!!!! |
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