Before I get into my thoughts on the series as a whole, I should explain more about rakugo. Rakugo is a performance where a storyteller sits on stage to tell a long and complicated funny or sentimental story. Each storyteller has their own different style of storytelling they would present in their performances that can be theatrical, sentimental, musical, or telling a ghost story. Around the time of the post-World War II era that part of this series is set in, rakugo was in a period of transition as the performance struggled to connect with audiences as they sought out other forms of entertainment with the coming of new technologies like television.
Moving onto my thoughts on Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu, the series does a great job with getting into the heads of Sukeroku and Yakumo within rakugo. Both men have had their different upbringings in life and both enter the world of rakugo for different reasons that shape their approaches to their performances. As a former felon, Sukeroku sought to become a rakugo performer to clean up his life and goes for a more casual approach for a rakugo style compared to the more traditional style employed by those within the rakugo association he's part of, this leading him to become more aware of how the traditional style is turning away audiences with the changing times. As a former dancer, Yakumo was injured in his former profession and finds that he has no choice but to take part in rakugo to still have a profession to follow. However, his disinterest in it is apparent from his performances being too focused on execution over emotion until Sukeroku's presence gives him inspiration to develop his own unique style. Both men also find themselves following different paths with rakugo that lead the series to take a more dramatic direction as episodes progress.
The series also believably depicts rakugo with its performances and traditions. Each of the rakugo storytellers have their own unique styles for wordplay and performances they play out in the depiction of their stories and these nuances are believably depicted. It also believably portrays the struggles of the profession during and following World War II as performances become censored by the military and start to attract less audiences, struggling to stay relevant when more options of entertainment have become available to the Japanese populace. The younger generation of performers also start clashing with their older predecessors over changing with the times so rakugo does not totally die out as a form of entertainment.
Issues with Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu are mostly minor. The animation for the series is a bit underwhelming with a decent number of shortcuts employed with minimal movement and still shots often employed. The series is left open-ended as it still continues on to its later second season focusing on Yakumo training a new student in old age. Also due to its very Japanese and historical themes, the series may not be for everyone due to its heavy Japanese themes.
Still if you have a love for elements of Japan's history or wish to know more about the country's culture, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu does a great job focusing on how the tradition of rakugo is viewed by Sukeroku and Yakumo as they become more involved within its performances and traditions.
