Man, this is a show. Let's start with the art, shall we? Kyoto lives and breathes in Uchouten Kazoku, with every background watercolored and alive and telling us a little more about the world the show has unceremoniously dumped us into. The show rarely tells you anything outright, but everything is revealed like the unfolding of a flower in the little moments of character and sometimes even setting.
Uchouten Kazoku is about the Shimogamo family, specifically the third son, Yasaburou, but it is also about the people they've taken into their family, and the people who are family but rarely accepted as close to them in anything more than blood. It is also about the legacy of the father, Soichiro, whose death has left a hole in this family, which is slowly drifting apart. Uchouten Kazoku meanders quietly through the twisting paths of their lives, leaving them in a better place than before, but not perfect, because people never are. There are no neatly tied ends or full explanations in this show, but that is because there are none of those things in real life. A fantasy world this may be, but we are grounded in the reality that while life may not be perfect, it can certainly be wonderful, and it is definitely interesting, as Yasaburou would say.
I'm sorry to admit that I never pay much attention to sound in a show, but there are some almost perfect moments of music that matches so well with the scenes. Honestly, I could go on and on about the direction in Uchouten Kazoku. I could go on and on about everything in Uchouten Kazoku.
This show is what slice of life should be, in my mind. The narrative is full of nuance and implications and twists and turns taking you by the hand and leading you through the maze that is Yasaburou's life, or at least a little snippet of it. Be prepared to be amazed.
