When I went into this anime- I honestly thought it was going to be boring. But, I realized that wasn’t going to be the case at all after being done with the first two episodes. This anime is actually does not really focus much on rakugo- rather mainly on the characters. Yes, this anime is honestly nothing without the characters.
The characters of this anime are not meant to be likeable or entertaining- if anything they are meant to be portrayed as actual real people. I have noticed that all of these characters have both negative and positive qualities- making them as realistic and as human as possible. For, example let’s take a look at our main male protagonist Bon also known as Kikuhiko.He is such a layered character and honestly there are so many things I can discuss about him. But, I will keep it brief in this review.
Bon has had it rough all his life, especially since enduring an injury that prevented him from dancing ever again. He was abandoned by his folks and was taken as an apprentice to practice Rakugo. However, no matter how hard he tried he could never live up to expectations. He was constantly overshadowed by his friend Shin. He was miserable cause he felt like he didn’t have a purpose in life. He felt completely useless and so practiced long and hard to be the best in rakugo. Unlike Shin, he didn’t do it because he loved it- but simply because he wanted to gain something that would add some value to his dull life. However, with time he does grow to really love it.
In order to do so, he was willing to give up anything or anyone for that matter- making him seem very cold and distant on the outside. But, that’s only because of belief that he needed rakugo more than anything else to make his existence relevant. That’s why he always pleased the elders unlike Shin- and worked to the bone- while even trying to reinvent himself. He also fears being abandoned ever again- and this thing constantly haunts him. It’s also sad to see how this thing comes to back to bite him later on the show. The detailed exploration of Bon’s character was one of this anime’s major highlights.
Shin or Sukeroku, might seem like a loveable goof who always drinks and can effortlessly do rakugo- but honestly there is more to him than that. That is also given major focus later on. He was one of the main reasons which helped Bon become so hard working in trying to perfect his own rakugo. I would have liked that they would have explored Shin’s character as much Bon’s, but that’s honestly a nitpick on my part.
I also particularly enjoyed the bond these two individuals had in this anime as well. It didn’t ooze with bromance, as their relationship had problems like any other. They were envious of each other for different reasons- but yet they still always had each other’s backs no matter. Because of their complex friendship- no wonder everyone and their mothers shipped them like crazy in this anime!
As for the story , I liked how it was a bit different from your average drama anime. This anime educated me a lot on rakugo- which I honestly wasn’t aware of prior to this anime. What I liked, but might irk others is that they didn’t straight up explain what the hell rakugo is to the modern audience. But, with each passing episode we got to learn more about it and how this thing works. Instead of telling, they actually showed us rakugo and how it can make people both happy and sad. That and how it is an art whose popularity has been dying down.
This anime does take place in the early the twentieth century at the beginning of episode 2. Despite, all the time skips- the show was really well-paced and nothing felt rushed at all. I found that impressive since they did try to pack a story that takes place over the course of several decades within about thirteen episodes. I would however admit, that some of the rakugo they did tell was boring and I felt like dragged on, but only during the first half of the anime. Even when Shin, a person skilled at telling funny rakugo would perform- I would just wait for it to be over cause I wanted them to get along with the story. But, during the second half I loved all the rakugo they told. That is actually the only gripe I have with the story. That could be due to the fact that some of them get lost in translation or such stories are not entertaining to people nowadays. I wonder, if the rest feel the same or not.
Also, there is another underlying theme of how rakugo’s importance was going to disappear with time. And I kind of predicted they were going to go in that direction. Like, how television and movies will kind of take over. But, they touched on the subject just once- and didn’t bother with it ever again. I do hope they will further explore this in the upcoming sequel.
The animation was done by Studio Deen, whom I could never ever hate unlike others- because they made Fruits Basket and Higurashi ( two anime I love to death). And now this anime is another reason why I will continue to look forward to Studio Deen’s future projects. In fact, 2016 just might be Studio Deen’s year cause they are coming out with so many great things (Super Lovers excluded though). The animation was really good and I liked how the look was kind of dull- and not anything bright, colourful or sparkly. The character designs like its characters were also realistic. Bon however looks incredibly like Ebisu from Noragami Aragoto though! Am I the only one who thinks so?
So, I am hoping Deen will make more shows like Rakugo, cause if they do so- then they will automatically make my list of favourite anime studios. No one hardly looks forward to Deen’s anime (then again I can’t blame people cause they do a lot of yaoi)- but that might change thanks to this anime.
Overall, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu had great drama that is impactful and emotional moments that will make you sad. It’s a very simple but yet interesting story that had me hooked episode after episode. It excels thanks to its characters and the development given to them. This is surely a strong contender for anime of the year hands down.
So, I will award this anime with a score of 9 out of 10 and that it is a MUST WATCH. I would like more people to check out this anime- but I wouldn’t want people to hype the shit out it. Cause after seeing what happened to Erased, I realized hyping anime or anything for that matter isn’t a good thing.
