Reviews

Have we ever made a promise to ourselves? It certainly happened to everyone. Promises that may relate to both what we would like to do in a certain future but also secrets that have led us to hide some of what we do not want to show to any of ourselves. In the work called Kakushigoto, this theme of "promise" predominates, which turns out to be the generating fulcrum of the whole story. Based on the manga by Koji Kumeta, the story (set in a Tokyo neighborhood called Nakameguro) tells the story of his father and his little girl after they lost their mother in an accident. In their relationship, however, there is a rather unusual fact: the father, in order not to reveal his profession as a mangaka, lies every day to his daughter masquerading as a "perfect father", so that she can grow up in a healthy environment. This is because the protagonist draws manga of a "certain caliber" that talk about uncomfortable and erotic situations, a genre that could basically highly upset a little girl.

Overall it is a work that contrasts comedy with seriousness, trying to make less monotonous those events that resume the life of the protagonist, acting to carry out his usual duties as father and artist. A gimmick that initially does not start well, due to a presence, too coarse, of excessively comical scenes, which however then tend to balance with dramatic and mysterious elements, as the series thicks. The protagonist is in the end a person like all the others, with his flaws, which are highlighted especially in those events that show off his work and the dialogue he has with his colleagues. The relationship with these is quite different; in fact, she doesn't need to hide those feelings she hides whenever she tries to keep her secret in front of her daughter. In the various scenes, therefore, the comedy is smoothed by a certain sense of fatigue and worries that the protagonist will face, in order not to be crushed by it.

The style is certainly not canonical and also reflects the light-heartedness of that normal life that we do every day. Minimalist and essential, the design is not very detailed in the faces and environments, with a fairly minimal presence of breathtaking scenes that make the places represented unforgettable. Nevertheless, color has an important action, that is to communicate to us the essence of the work, presenting itself, almost never, neither too bright nor very off. Color also wants us to enter a common, calm world, with an unusual hint of nostalgia.

Moreover, the games of shadows and lights also make a lot of use in this series, representing in a few moments what we can call "the mask of the individual". Dealing with the pain of a loss and at the same time raise a daughter without missing anything both love and necessity, is a difficult task for one person. The contrast between desire and necessity is inevitably another fundamental theme that can be found by seeing the soul.

I also appreciate the music that fits the context, sufficiently. Above all, in its musicality and words, the opening of Flumpool "Chiisana Hibi" which speaks of the fact that we must always look for a way to achieve our desires, despite the problems related to our choices implemented in the past.

As a final consideration, I can say that Kakushioto is an anime that effectively manages to leave a trace in our hearts of the topics covered. Could we have done better? Perhaps, but at least the memory of having lived, in some way, with the "real" problems of these protagonists, which can resemble those with which we ourselves live in our world.

Desires, indissoluble loves, hopes for a better future, happiness in being alive. This is what we will find in Kakushigoto.