The second season starts with a recap told in the form of a rakugo tale--this was an absolutely perfect, and perfectly logical, choice. You're immediately transported back into the space of the rakugo theater, and anticipating the next chapter of the big story ahead. This time, we're completely in the present day (or at least as much as is possible, as history and memory always informs the present for the characters in this drama), and instead of learning about rakugo's past, we get to see how it's faring in contemporary Japan. We also learn how, or whether, the main characters can move forward with their own lives.
The real joy of this show is to see how Yakumo (the perpetually stubborn, dissatisfied, depressed, and yet extraordinarily charismatic rakugo master), Konatsu (now a mother, and thankfully just as stubborn, prickly, passionate, and intelligent as always), and Yotarou (a newly-minted rakugo star, always playing the fool but clearly much smarter than he likes to appear) interact. There's absolutely no reason in the world for these three to be connected. From decades-long resentments to daily irritations, the only way to explain it is that they're a (very unconventional) family, and sometimes you don't get to choose those deep connections that bind you far more powerfully than you may ever realize.
In a very real way this is a terribly moving romance, one that ties three disparate personalities together in their love of rakugo and their fundamental love for one another. Yotarou’s centrality in this dynamic becomes a major theme over time, but the magic is in observing the intricate dance of recrimination, guilt, and reconciliation that defines Yakumo and Konatsu’s roles in this drama. If you aren’t reduced to tears when watching the final scenes of episode ten, then you’re far stronger than I am. It’s one of the most powerful and genuine moments in any creative form that I have ever experienced.
This show is written and directed exquisitely, giving time for characters to develop slowly, allowing conversations to unfold naturally, and always making room for silent spaces that are more overwhelming than traditional dramatic crescendos in almost all other series. One of the most beautiful and memorable moments is a very small scene in which Konatsu’s infant son interrupts Yakumo while he’s playing the shamisen, and in that encounter we learn much more about who Yakumo really is than most shows convey about a character in an entire episode of “big” revelations. Gestures, glances, and the smallest alteration of an expression are powerful in this drama, and the animation takes full advantage of the ways in which visual elements can encompass nuances that words cannot. As the episodes progress, keep close watch upon how Yakumo is drawn. The level of care given to his face and body is eloquent. The animators tell stories in every line.
The second season of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu may just be better than the first. After living with this story and its protagonists for a while, it's easy to appreciate the nuances of personality and dialogue that imbue almost every scene of this show with subtle emotional resonance. After the enormous revelations and emotional impact of season one, even small developments now take on new dimensions. Plus, this season is about the future. It's exciting to see what happens next. After falling in love with this story and its characters, I never wanted it to just remain in the past. I'm glad that we can look forward as well, even with the full awareness that progression through time, while it carries hope, also entails self-doubt, continued pain over past losses, and uncertainty as to whether what’s to come will necessarily result in happiness.
This show is a masterpiece of storytelling, as it should be. It knows that life doesn't often proceed by giant dramas and great occurrences. Life is the incremental accumulation of moments, and these sedimentary layers, overlapping across lived time, comprise each of our pasts. As every new memory, experience, or choice is added to that slowly forming bedrock, the character of the whole is forever changed. While we are a product of our past, the present continually shapes us into something new. It's captivating to see these layers form in Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, and it's joyful to see how life is always surprising, intoxicating, and forever a source of beautiful, shimmering stories.
