As soon as
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu was announced I knew that it would be something special, and after two episodes Im bowled over and absolutely enamored by this wonderful show. First things first, the art is beautiful. Although some rough edges can be found here and there overall its a fantastic piece of art that works wonderfully to create this tangible world that feels both real and lived in. Backgrounds are soft and painterly which works wonderfully in creating this depth of field that keeps your eyes centered and focused on the characters, but dont let that stop you from drifting your eyes along the canvas, youll be rewarded for it with some pretty art and lush backgrounds, teeming with signs of life. Like I said, some parts do look a little rough but the shot composition does a fantastic job of hiding the flaws and keeping the viewers eyes on the characters and other points of interest. An abundance of close-up shots are utilized in this show and its usage is very important.
You see, atmosphere and getting it right is paramount to a show like this. Allowing for the viewers to become immersed in this world is essential and makes or breaks a work like this. I think that its fair to say that the animators did a phenomenal job here in creating a show with atmosphere and the types of camera angles utilized throughout the two episodes is imperative to its success. Everything in this show takes place in close quarters and so a comfy sentiment exudes from each and every scene and everything feels personal because of this. Of course, due to the fact that the viewer spends a lot of time close up in front of characters their facial expressions play a key role, and they dont disappoint. Animation affords creativity and so liberties are taken but overall the characters look grounded in reality and believable, and yet each one looks distinguished and unique. Most anime character designers rely on conjuring up designs that are far removed from reality as a means to make them memorable. Hair color that covers every gamut of the rainbow and apparel that looks as if it was pulled out at random is the norm for anime. Here, everything is grounded and real. Even the way in which the characters move feels highly researched and every nuance and mannerism has love and care crafted into it. Its a phenomenal display of detail, all of which further enriches this world and makes it feel genuine and tangible. Lots of the etiquette will fly over the heads of many but the fact that theyve been painstakingly animated is not only commendable but also pays dividends. Another aspect of this show that is executed with finesse is the audio and voice acting.
Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu explores the long lost art of
Rakugo, a verbal form of entertainment that is delivered by a lone storyteller known as the
Koza, who sits on stage in front of an audience with only a small cloth and a paper fan as props. Not allowed to stand-up the speaker uses everything at his disposal in order to entertain and stimulate the audience using mannerisms, tone and gestures. With this in mind its easy to see how important the audio and voice acting is within this show and I have to say the job done here is nothing short of astounding. You see, a vast majority of the time being spent by the viewer is in front of the
Koza, as if you were in attendance for the
Rakugo and like a real
Rakugo the show tells its story using only the mannerisms and gestures and voice acting and yet even with this limited array of tools the show is able to deliver a wide assortment of emotions. What the show does is legitimize the art of
Rakugo to the viewer by winning them over and by doing so you become that much more invested in the characters and their objectives. If you the viewer didnt care about
Rakugo the show would ultimately fall flat on its face and so this achievement, the fact that it introduces this new form of storytelling and makes you the viewer a believer is a testament to the show. It really demonstrates the creators belief in
Rakugo, the fact that they treat it with respect and again, legitimize it by actually utilizing it in the show with unwavering determination and not shying away from it is commendable. Having 10 minute, uninterrupted bouts of
Rakugo in the middle of the first episode, which again ultimately amounts to a character sitting on stage and vocally playing the part of multiple characters using only mannerisms and tone to distinguish from one character to another displays the level of confidence that the director has in this art and the fact that they nail the performance is the icing on the cake. The
Rakugo is both compelling and entertaining and legitimately funny.
When the music is jazzy it adds a feeling of prosperity to the whole affair and when the music is lot more traditional it adds cadence that works well in transporting you to this bygone era. The presentation from the visuals to the audio accentuate the personal aspect of this series and the fantastic shot composition goes a long way too. Everything feels close, connected and comfy. I cant praise the voice acting enough.
This really is a magical show, one which effortlessly transports you and spellbinds you, very much like a
Rakugo should.
Really can't wait to watch more, by the end of the 2nd episode I had a huge grin on my face and tears of happiness in my eyes, it was just incredible. Everyone's words of encouragement make me uncontrollably excited to watch more.
