Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju

riorangel21★ 10

This show hands down one of the godtier series in the history of anime. When it comes to drama, Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu as a whole is insanely topnotch / masterpiece. Not being biased here, I mean the show is just that good, flawless + with insane direction and editing by Studio Deen. Story 10/10 Simple and boring you might say but the narration of the series is topnotch, with thoughtful editing + with masterful direction, the show just climbed up the rankings easily, surpassing its 1st season. Overall flawless storyline. It is just that good and you might know the show had those insane plottwiston the 2nd half of the series :) Art 9/10 Nothing special when it comes to frame by frame animation but when it comes to cinematography the show just stands out. With good camera angles and with very realism type of editing, the show proved that animation is not only just the key to make a topnotch quality series. Sound 10/10 Hell yes, from the shounen type of opening from both seasons to the one of the emotional endings i've seen. The 2nd Ending just hits you so hard with its mellow type of sound and then partnered with a very stimulating visuals that helps both art and sound to be one of the selling point of the series. Characters 10/10 Oh boy, did just everybody got all their fokin character development? From Sukeroku to Yakumo upto Yotaro and Konatsu and even Shinnosuke. I mean every characters are well fleshed out with great interactions with the help of the great voice actors of the series. It is insanely overwhelming to watch. Enjoyment 10/10 Overall 10/10 One of masterpieces of modern anime. Studio Deen is just so good at making this one. Surpassing the 1st season and even the Manga. Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu is a flawless - godtier - topnotch - moving - stellar - " m a s t e r p i e c e " on drama genre. "Never" anything came closely to this series from all Anime of 2016 and Anime of Winter 2017

0207xander★ 10

When something moves you to tears, it's daunting to explain why. How can I possibly put into words how much of an emotional impact a single piece of media had on me? All I can do is try and hope that you decide to give it a chance. PS When Yotaro performed "Shibahama" in episode 8 that shit got my ass crying real hard. The best part of this show is the story. It’s complex without being confusing and is always interesting. I was never bored while watching. If you combine both seasons into one story, I think the structure of an introduction to the present, backstory,then jump back to present to continue the story and see how the events from the past have changed the present and continue to affect characters really made the show what it is. And then a beauty of this show is that the conclusion to this story is the conclusion to Yakumo’s story. Very satisfying and appropriate to how I think the show should’ve ended. The combination of all of these decisions that change the tone and flow of the story make it something to behold. (START SPOILERS) It wasn’t perfect though. One of the main problems I had with this series was that the story focused too much on the past. I think that while this focus on the past demonstrated Yakumo’s inability to move on well, there comes a point where it becomes frustrating to watch the same decisions being made for the same reasons over and over. We all know that Sukeroku and Miyokichi’s death affected Yakumo’s life forever after, but sometimes his obsession over it in the most trivial of situations seemed unrealistic and just overemphasized. I very much liked the scenes of hallucination that put Yakumo in the hospital both times, and his journey in the afterlife and reuniting with the two, but the day-to-day trauma he’s experiencing 20+ years after their death seems just a bit overdone. I had a sort of crisis while watching the show due to the nature of episode 7’s reveal that the ending Yakumo told to us in the first season was a lie and that Konatsu was partly responsible for her parents’ deaths. I was shook when I found this out due to the profound effect the original ending had on me. I was more than a bit disappointed initially, but after much reflection on how this changes Yakumo’s character and his relationship to Kontasu, I decided that I also think this was a great plot twist that adds to the story. I still like the original better because it was more tragic, but I think that’s the point and I just fell for a story trap. Oh well. (END SPOILERS) Another part of the first season I found to be refreshing and captivating was Yakumo and Miyokichi’s relationship. Usually in romance anime, relationships are either lovey-dovey or they’re both unbelievably awkward around each other. Rakugo makes their relationship compelling, mature, and quiet, yet ever-present. I loved the handling of this aspect of the show. This kind of continued with this season. The same dynamic was kept in place, but Yotaro was just a more loud character who wears his emotions on his sleeve, so it’s natural that it would be different, but I’d say of the 2, I prefer the former. This also brings me to my only other main complaint of the show. In the first season, I just liked the characters more. Not necessarily how they’re written, I love the aspects of them all, but my views are best demonstrated in the Rakugo they perform. Sukeroku’s was informal, fast, yet strong and clear, while Yakumo’s is dignified, deliberate, and refined. To me, Yotaro’s personality and his Rakugo seemed loud, a bit goofy, and sometimes unpleasant to listen to. This was only rarely, but I sometimes would just wish he would stop talking. That being said, Kontasu is one of my favorite characters in the show and I thought old Yakumo is just as good as young Yakumo. Also, the story of Yotaro’s past interfering with his career was a good conflict of the show. Rakugo is a show about art, so it’s only natural that its art direction be some of the best I’ve ever seen. Perfectly set the mood in every scene, managed to blend traditional traditions in a modern world in a clean, appealing way. My desktop background is even a screenshot I took from the show, that’s how impressed I was. On a similar note, I am continuously impressed with the OP and EDs in this show. They’re perfectly reflective of the show. I feel like the video itself for the OP in the second season reveals a lot about the plot, so if you’re trying to go in blind, consider skipping watching the OP. Overall, I can’t recommend this series enough. If you think you will like the show, I can guarantee that you will. I’m not here to tell you that this is a perfect show (it’s not), and I’m also not here to tell you that if you don’t enjoy it you have shit taste and there’s something wrong with you, but I can say this: In my opinion, Rakugo is the best series to come out in the last couple of years and it will be one of those “hidden classics” 5-10 years into the future, due to how under-the-radar it was, yet how profoundly excellent it is. Thank you for reading my review! Feel free to leave any kind of feedback on my profile if you feel the need to, I appreciate everything.