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EP. REVIEW: Descending Stories: Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū


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Animechic420



Joined: 25 Sep 2012
Posts: 1724
Location: A Cave Filled With Riches
PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 3:24 pm Reply with quote
I'm ready for Konatsu to get off her "I can raise a child on my own, I don't need anybody else," attitude. She always has an angry look on her face, like she's pissed off at everything. Is she not happy with her choices?
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Parsifal24





PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:06 pm Reply with quote
Watching Yotaro's performances in this episode was down right painful seeing someone o is capable of so much more flail about helplessly as he is stuck in a rut is really sad. From how his performances are shot to the sped up or stammering and nervous delivery by Tomokazu Seki make for a fascinating look at some one stuck in a creative rut. It's impressive to see someone be so good at being able to portray someone performing so badly without it being too on the nose or obviously bad.
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SaitoHajime101



Joined: 31 Mar 2013
Posts: 280
PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 4:12 pm Reply with quote
Parsifal24 wrote:
Watching Yotaro's performances in this episode was down right painful seeing someone o is capable of so much more flail about helplessly as he is stuck in a rut is really sad. From how his performances are shot to the sped up or stammering and nervous delivery by Tomokazu Seki make for a fascinating look at some one stuck in a creative rut. It's impressive to see someone be so good at being able to portray someone performing so badly without it being too on the nose or obviously bad.


This was my favorite part of the episode. The production crew behind this series did such an awesome job portraying the awkwardness between Yotaro and the audience. They even went so far in that scene to show the audience warming up slightly only to go downright cold to Yotaro has they realized his act wasn't that funny.

The attention to detail in this series is amazing to me.
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Dop.L



Joined: 23 Mar 2007
Posts: 713
Location: London
PostPosted: Sat Jan 14, 2017 5:40 pm Reply with quote
Yeah. You really don't need to know anything about Rakugo to know that Yotaro is failing badly here. Not just that his career is being impugned by his Yakuza background, but the pressure of that is making him lose his nerve and lose his audience.
'Dying on stage' they call it, and it's depicted so well here.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 1:33 am Reply with quote
Heh, ANN apparently knows me too well. The rating was already in place for this episode before I clicked any stars. oO Seriously, did that happen to anyone else, because if it did, that's a problem.

So good to have this back and firing on all cylinders. That last performance was really painful, especially that he was feeling so much pressure on what appeared to be a makeshift stage at a retirement home. Ok, the hostile reviewer in the audience didn't help, but still.

Kiku and baby were hilarious together. Looking forward to more of them. And the OP is everything I could ask for. Yep, I'm primed for the drama and happy as a clam.
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CrowLia



Joined: 24 Feb 2012
Posts: 5500
Location: Mexico
PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 1:40 am Reply with quote
The scene between Kiku and Konatsu was so good it gave me chills. I almost cried when he started reciting the rakugo play Sukeroku used to calm her down when she was little. The portrayal of their love-hate relationship is fascinating and extremely painful to watch,and all I can hope is that we'll get to see them reconciliate before the real Shinigami comes for Kikuhiko
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vonPeterhof



Joined: 10 Nov 2014
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 3:00 pm Reply with quote
Gina Szanboti wrote:
Heh, ANN apparently knows me too well. The rating was already in place for this episode before I clicked any stars. oO Seriously, did that happen to anyone else, because if it did, that's a problem.
Yeah, I got that as well. First thought was that it was showing my rating for the previous episode by mistake, but then I realized it wasn't the same rating.

Anyway, that scene with Yakumo comforting Konatsu was both touching and striking. And yes, Yota's performance was very awkward to watch. Really looking forward to seeing what Higuchi has in mind for their creative partnership.
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 4:10 pm Reply with quote
^ That's not good. The last thing we need is new accusations of skewing the ratings for this series. Since I've seen some people say they read the reviews but don't rate, if that's happening a lot, there could be some false 5 stars out there.
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vonPeterhof



Joined: 10 Nov 2014
Posts: 729
PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 4:29 pm Reply with quote
^FWIW it was showing four stars when I first opened the review - I changed it to 4.5 afterwards. But yeah, even if it's a glitch that generates random grades it should probably be looked into.
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JacobC
ANN Contributor


Joined: 15 Jan 2008
Posts: 3728
Location: SoCal
PostPosted: Sun Jan 15, 2017 6:20 pm Reply with quote
vonPeterhof wrote:
^FWIW it was showing four stars when I first opened the review - I changed it to 4.5 afterwards. But yeah, even if it's a glitch that generates random grades it should probably be looked into.


Whoops. I think it's using the rating widget for season one. Shocked

Welp. Not sure what to do about that. It's been fixed to the proper series, so just re-input your votes, I guess?
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Gina Szanboti



Joined: 03 Aug 2008
Posts: 11306
PostPosted: Mon Jan 16, 2017 2:20 am Reply with quote
It didn't prevent changing the vote, it just defaulted to a vote, which some people might not have noticed. Yeah, dunno what could be done other than fix it going forward.

Oh wait, I just went to look and my rating was wiped, so yes, you do have to go back and rate it again.
____________________________

@ Animechic420: I think Konatsu has earned her "I can raise my kid myself" attitude, since she practically raised herself until Kiku came along. And I think it's less unhappy with her choices as unhappy that much of what she's dealing with she had no choice over. Like not being allowed to perform rakugo for example. And then there's her mutually exclusive desires to see Kiku dead already, and wanting her child to experience his rakugo. I think her resting bitch face is perfectly understandable. Smile

Btw, I'm extremely delighted that Toshihiko Seki has been added to the cast as Higuchi. Like everyone else in this, he's turning in a unique performance, certainly a far cry from Sanzo, Riki, or Senketsu. I didn't even recognize him in the first episode, but I think his voice made me like the character straight out of the box. Higuchi even looks a little like Seki, but with glasses. Very Happy
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AholePony



Joined: 04 Jun 2015
Posts: 330
Location: Arizona
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 8:04 pm Reply with quote
I'm not feeling this season of rakugo at all. Without the historical context and deep look into the art of rakugo that season one offered, this just feels like an anime soap opera. Let alone that I cannot AT ALL suspend my disbelief enough that a smart woman as headstrong as Konatsu would have any romantic feelings for a dumbass like Yotaro. It's all WAY too convenient that the random criminal that showed up in her life that she lived around just gets to be her husband because "reasons".

I'll keep watching because I'm invested now, but so far the story is seriously letting me down. The production values and direction are top notch, I'm just not a Days of Our Lives; anime edition fan Sad
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chaccide



Joined: 16 Aug 2016
Posts: 295
PostPosted: Mon Jan 23, 2017 10:35 pm Reply with quote
^I agree with this so much. Stupid soap opera. I hate every moment Yotaro is on screen. I hate him, I hate his rakugo, and cannot for the life of me see why Konatsu wants anything to do with him. There are no good performances any more and it's stuck in a story line I have little interest in aside from Yakumo who is wonderful.
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Tomchic420





PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 12:24 am Reply with quote
AholePony wrote:
Let alone that I cannot AT ALL suspend my disbelief enough that a smart woman as headstrong as Konatsu would have any romantic feelings for a dumbass like Yotaro. It's all WAY too convenient that the random criminal that showed up in her life that she lived around just gets to be her husband because "reasons".

Oh, yeah. Nothing says "smart" like a woman suddenly having a baby with no husband or boyfriend and then declaring she'd raise the baby by herself with no help. Yeah, smart.... Confused
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Merida



Joined: 21 Feb 2012
Posts: 1945
PostPosted: Tue Jan 24, 2017 1:46 am Reply with quote
Gabriella wrote:
Quote:
I also can't see Konatsu choosing to sleep with that older guy for any reason short of prostitution, which she both despises due to her mother and has no apparent financial need to participate in.


Or she might just be into older (powerful) men? She wouldn't be the first. Plus, she seemed to be determined to have a baby in order to continue the Sukeroku bloodline or whatever, so she probably wasn't picky...

But funny you should mention her mother because by having the kid Konatsu somehow put herself in a similar situation: she's also stuck in a weird "love/hate triangle" with Yakumo and Sukeroku now.

I am still enjoying this show a lot, though i have to agree that last season was more compelling, but i have faith that we will get a satisfactory conclusion to the story in the end.
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