The center of this story is the idea of found family. The main focus is on a tanuki who doesn't have a place to go. Her father is dead and she dreams of carrying on his legacy of the traditional tanuki values of pranking others and having fun. But as times change those values have been lost and the world has moved past them so there isn’t a place for her to call home. And so that brings on the central idea of the show which is Mameda finding a place where she can fit in and thrive.
And she's able to find this in rakugo. The show does a great job of showcasing how someone who is weird and not like a normal human, because she's not one, is able to fit in with other performers who also have their own weird mannerisms and atypical ways of behaving. I like how they're all generally able to accept her despite some of the weirdness that she has. And I like how nice all the interactions end up being. Even if they don’t trust her at the start, or look down at her, those around her see her earnestness and can’t help but root for her.
Her relationship with Bunko is a highlight. Despite how closed off she is, she is able to relate to the position of Mameda because of the similarities that the two of them do share. They're able to create a connection and she's able to grow a bond with Mameda despite the differences in personality between the two of them. They're both able to let each other grow. Bunko is very competent and skilled, but she has issues of loneliness and closed offedness. These issues are able to be tackled with the inclusion of Mameda in her life. It's nice seeing her barriers slowly erode and seeing her get close to Mameda and seeing her take on a mentor role. The pair just have a lot of natural chemistry between the cynical and wise Bunko and the earnest, optimistic, but very foolish Mameda. Mameda is the perfect character to bring Bunko out of her shell because of her earnestness and her willingness to push for the things that she wants. It's a great example of how being positive and determined can have a positive effect on those around you. In the end, while Bunko certainly had reservations before taking on Mameda, it's easy to see that they're bond is beneficial to the both of them and how the two of them make a tight knit and valued family.
Mameda in general is a really good character and is the highlight of the show. Her personality is really cute and fun. I think they did a great job in giving her a simple but strong backstory so that we can empathize with her and really want to root for her, while also making her have a fun, charismatic personality that makes her a blast to watch. She has a wonderful combination of earnestness and optimistic foolishness. It's great seeing her get stuck in her foolish ideas of grandeur and see her get ahead of herself and her dreams to have only to have reality make itself heard where she really stands. It's also just wonderful to see the amount of excitement and passion that she has for her dreams. She is a very animated character with a lot of fun reactions no matter whether she succeeds or not. Whether we get to see her excitement when she succeeds, her disappointment when she fails, or her silly reactions when she gets ahead of herself it’s always a treat to watch. Regardless of what happens, she always has a fun response to it. Her determination and support for others is really fun to watch, her impulsivity combined with her optimistic and caring nature makes for a great combo where we get to see her try to help others and do her best despite the odds. Her silliness and earnestness just makes her a perfect main character that I loved watching.
The themes of the show are also really good. The show is able to use the idea of performing as a way for Mameda and Bunko to find a place for themselves. Despite them being non-human creatures they were able to find a place in human society and find the place that fits them even though one might not think that it would. It also brings home the power of fiction and what a work can do. The ideas that it ties to rakugo are not exclusive to rakugo and still work for other forms of fiction. Such as the idea of being able to lose yourself in fiction and find this whole new world. The idea of being able to take their pranks and use them to express themselves via fiction is a great one, as it allows them to be accepted for who they are, while still fitting in with society. Ultimately it works well, both as a heartwarming story but also as a good message that people can find a place somewhere. The idea that all these performers are a bit out there and all have their own circumstances is a good one. It helps with the idea that anyone can fit in. There's so many unique ways that one can approach art and showcase art, that for everyone who is a bit out there you can find yourself a place in art and in fiction to be able to express yourself and showcase your own craft. Ultimately, it is a very positive message and it can be seen in this show with a lot of different characters with different backgrounds that are all able to come together and put on great performances.
Art wise and sound wise, I think it works really well. I don't think the art stands out but it looks really nice and I think its cuteness works well for the general tone of the story. I think the sound was also good. The performance is really worked well. I am untrained and not very knowledgeable on rakugo but I thought that their craft seemed good.
Overall, it was a really strong show that has a lot to offer. It has great characters, great character interactions and a whole lot of meaning to it. The heartwarming ideas of found family are fantastic and Mameda’s spunky and silly character creates a wonderful viewing experience. I definitely recommend for others to check it out and to look past the rakugo focus if that is deterring them from picking it up. There's a whole lot that this work has to offer and ultimately is one of my favorite shows of the year.
