I needed a new slice of life anime to watch, and after doing some GAF searching, came across some earlier threads where many people were recommending Barakamon. The title put me off at first - it sounded like some kind of monster collecting show but a quick Google search hade me interested. For those of you who havent seen it yet, and would like to take a peek, Funimation has all 12 episodes up for free streaming, subbed.
is the story of Seishu Handa, a young, hotshot calligrapher from Tokyo who basically flips his basket when an art critic claims his work is ultimately derivative and uninspiring. Out of anger, he punches the elder man who walks with a cane, mind you and is ultimately sentenced to go to Gotou Island, off the western coast of Japan, by his father (also a famous calligrapher) in order to reflect on his behavior. Seishu takes it as an opportunity to focus on his calligraphy, with the critics words that he aims only for mediocrity haunting him as he lands.
Pretty soon, Seishu comes in contact with the local islanders, who are a happy-go-lucky, pleased-to-have-him set of country folk. Most important among them is Naru Kotoishi a spunky 6-year-old girl who cant seem to leave him alone. Seishu ends up bonding with the villagers, including the local teenagers and kids, and comes to appreciate his relationship with Naru, where the two of them evolve into having a foster-parent like relationship. Seishu also reflects on his prior behavior in Tokyo, realizing his limitations as a calligrapher, and finding a new interpretative way.
I know, I know. It reads really familiar and Ill be honest, the first few episodes exude the been there, done that kind of tropism that we see in slice of life anime all the time: big city kid comes to the country side and learns to appreciate the old way.
I think where Bakaruman works, though, and how it draws you in, is how quickly it abandons the conflict aspect of the scenario and is much more focused on showing Seishu as a man finding himself immersed in an element he is completely comfortable in. Seishu externally admonishes and berates the teenagers and villagers who bother him from day-to-day, but is almost immediately quick to let them stay at his place and ask him for calligraphy lessons, Naru especially. He never turns down invitations to visit the local festivities, and while he internally always notes that he has a strict time limit to submit new works to nation-wide calligraphy competitions, hes almost always letting himself be dragged off to live life. The focus of the series is not him adjusting to the rural necessities; rather, the superficial plot sees him actively seeking out these experiences to give him the motivation to enhance his brushwork.
As a main character, Seishus not a super-kind, almost perfect human being either, which is a common trap that these anime tends to fall into; the villagers are all aware of his strange quirks (at one point, its revealed his most precious treasure is a picture of a historical calligrapher), his intense self-judgment and evaluation of his work, and his city-slicker ways which earn him some admonishment from his elders. But his eagerness to hang out with the village kids, and the earnestness with which he approaches calligraphy, permits him to fit into the community almost instantly and they serve as an important source of support for him, with Miru, one of the high-schoolers, pointing out to him that [shes] always liked [his] calligraphy when Seishu finds himself doubting his latest masterpiece. It helps ground the show by giving Seishu growth, but not in some dramatic or contrived way; Seishu becomes more dependent, not less, but that dependency is both something he treasures and is shown to the audience as being something he uses to push further.
While I like the way that the season ends though there doesnt seem to be any news for a second season, and to be honest, it doesnt need one Onde (Buddhist chanting and dancing) is probably my favorite episode and the one that I think does a good job in concluding the arc. While its cliché, watching Sei come to learn why Naru is so attached to him as she is, is adorable, and Narus reflection that her decease grandmother must be happy that she has someone to play with is predictable but incredibly touching.
Needless to say, Im really thankful for this recommendation and hope that someone else who was thinking about this anime will click that Funimation link and give it a try.
As an overview, Barakamon (ばらかもん
is the story of Seishu Handa, a young, hotshot calligrapher from Tokyo who basically flips his basket when an art critic claims his work is ultimately derivative and uninspiring. Out of anger, he punches the elder man who walks with a cane, mind you and is ultimately sentenced to go to Gotou Island, off the western coast of Japan, by his father (also a famous calligrapher) in order to reflect on his behavior. Seishu takes it as an opportunity to focus on his calligraphy, with the critics words that he aims only for mediocrity haunting him as he lands. Pretty soon, Seishu comes in contact with the local islanders, who are a happy-go-lucky, pleased-to-have-him set of country folk. Most important among them is Naru Kotoishi a spunky 6-year-old girl who cant seem to leave him alone. Seishu ends up bonding with the villagers, including the local teenagers and kids, and comes to appreciate his relationship with Naru, where the two of them evolve into having a foster-parent like relationship. Seishu also reflects on his prior behavior in Tokyo, realizing his limitations as a calligrapher, and finding a new interpretative way.
I know, I know. It reads really familiar and Ill be honest, the first few episodes exude the been there, done that kind of tropism that we see in slice of life anime all the time: big city kid comes to the country side and learns to appreciate the old way.
I think where Bakaruman works, though, and how it draws you in, is how quickly it abandons the conflict aspect of the scenario and is much more focused on showing Seishu as a man finding himself immersed in an element he is completely comfortable in. Seishu externally admonishes and berates the teenagers and villagers who bother him from day-to-day, but is almost immediately quick to let them stay at his place and ask him for calligraphy lessons, Naru especially. He never turns down invitations to visit the local festivities, and while he internally always notes that he has a strict time limit to submit new works to nation-wide calligraphy competitions, hes almost always letting himself be dragged off to live life. The focus of the series is not him adjusting to the rural necessities; rather, the superficial plot sees him actively seeking out these experiences to give him the motivation to enhance his brushwork.
As a main character, Seishus not a super-kind, almost perfect human being either, which is a common trap that these anime tends to fall into; the villagers are all aware of his strange quirks (at one point, its revealed his most precious treasure is a picture of a historical calligrapher), his intense self-judgment and evaluation of his work, and his city-slicker ways which earn him some admonishment from his elders. But his eagerness to hang out with the village kids, and the earnestness with which he approaches calligraphy, permits him to fit into the community almost instantly and they serve as an important source of support for him, with Miru, one of the high-schoolers, pointing out to him that [shes] always liked [his] calligraphy when Seishu finds himself doubting his latest masterpiece. It helps ground the show by giving Seishu growth, but not in some dramatic or contrived way; Seishu becomes more dependent, not less, but that dependency is both something he treasures and is shown to the audience as being something he uses to push further.
While I like the way that the season ends though there doesnt seem to be any news for a second season, and to be honest, it doesnt need one Onde (Buddhist chanting and dancing) is probably my favorite episode and the one that I think does a good job in concluding the arc. While its cliché, watching Sei come to learn why Naru is so attached to him as she is, is adorable, and Narus reflection that her decease grandmother must be happy that she has someone to play with is predictable but incredibly touching.
Needless to say, Im really thankful for this recommendation and hope that someone else who was thinking about this anime will click that Funimation link and give it a try.
