Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu

[ditch_gospel]

This anime series is so good. The characters, the relationships, the story, the art, the music, the voice acting, the sound. Everything is so well put together.

And I can't help but think that Kikuhiko and Sukeroku (screenshots behind the cut) remind me of Hakkai and Gojyo. It doesn't hurt that they're voiced by Ishida Akira and Yamadera Kouichi. (And I can see why Hirata Hiroaki was chosen to replace Yamadera for the role of Gojyo, as they do sound quite similar at times.)

Comments

[helliongoddess]

Yes! I've not quite finished the entire series yet : since it was SO good, and only ten episodes, I've resisted my usual impulse to binge-watch any new series I enjoy this much, because I clearly know already ten episodes is going to leave me wishing for many, many more.

I wasn't aware of Rakugo as an art form and tradition, so that's made it doubly intriguing for me, as it's a window into an aspect of Japanese culture that's completely new to me. And even though I'm sure there's probably some subtleties - especially speaking so little Japanese & watching it subbed - I still feel like I've learned a lot about Rakugo. But even leaving all that aside, like you said, everything else about it it is just so well-done, it's simply a real joy to watch. I hope it ends up getting extended into further episodes, but even if it doesn't , I'm sure I'll rewatch this series a couple of times.

I've really come to treasure the rare series like this that is of the "slice of life" genre, with a somewhat more mature viewpoint and subject matter. Being nearly *coff* 60 *coff*, it's a pleasure to watch or read a series occasionally where the characters aren't all in high school uniforms, and the main plot of each episode can't be reduced to "who's fighting whom this week?" Don't get me wrong- I still read/watch my share of that genre, for pure escapism if nothing else, but finding the occasional one like Shouwa Rakugo is a real treat! Thanks for mentioning it! It deserves the good press, and I'm sure anyone who watches it due to your rec will thank you!

[kirathaune]

Sounds neat! It's on crunchyroll, so I'll have to check it out!