Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū
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whiskeyii
 Posts: 2250 |
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Just wanted to touch on this a little bit; while I can totally understand your frustrations at Konatsu's impending status as a single mom being a "problem" that needs "fixing", if 70's Japan is anything at all like modern South Korea in this regard, single moms get a really raw deal, both legally and socially (not even the deadbeat dads get as much flak). From Yotaru's pov, he's probably more trying to help than trying to fix, but I'm sure the show won't shy away from mining that particular vein of drama gold. |
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Merida
 Posts: 1945 |
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This was one of those rare cases for me where i was almost as eagerly looking forward to the review (and the ensueing comments) than to the new episode every week. I'm really sad to see this show go, but fortunately it's not the end.
This episode was painful to watch in a lot of ways. Seeing Kiku cry for the second (and probably last) time before becoming Yakumo and effectively killing his old self by shutting himself off emotionally. That scene at the grave where he looks so incredibly frail and we get a glimpse at all the pain, guilt and despair that's hiding behind his Yakumo facade. His painful relationship with Konatsu which showed that even in parenting he became the exact opposite to Sukeroku: while all Sukeroku was able to ever give Konatsu was love, Kiku seems to have given her everything but love. 
Then there's Konatsu herself who's life, despite Kiku's claim to Sukeroku's "ghost" that she's not like either of you, seems to be very much defined by her late parent's wishes to get revenge on Kiku and to carry on the Sukeroku name. And finally we've got Yotaro, the literal outsider. Unlike everybody else, he isn't trapped in the past, to him a name isn't a burden but a chance for change and growth. In short, he's exactly what Kiku, Konatsu and the world of rakugo need! I'm not expecting (or even wanting) a fairytale-like happy ending, but i hope these characters i've been getting pretty attached to over this season will be able to find some kind of peace and the strength to finally leave the past behind and move on. Season 2 can't come soon enough! |
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Alexis.Anagram
 Posts: 278 Location: Mishopshno |
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I got a similar impression regarding the potential social consequences of being a single mom at the time (heck, most developed countries today including the U.S. are pretty terrible in this regard), that's why it was kind of exciting to even see it addressed in the show at all. I'm sure Yotaro had the best of intentions and I'm intrigued as to what Konatsu's reaction indicates: I read it as frustration that she knows accepting his offer is the better option, but doing so would only reinforce how diminished her agency is to the point where she has to consider marrying a man she doesn't even love (shades of her mother's life choices) in order to get by. However the show chooses to move forward with that dynamic, I trust it to do right by Konatsu's character arc. |
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HaruhiToy
 Posts: 4118 |
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I waited a week before posting anything but in that time I couldn't think of anything to say because Gabriella did such a great job with the reviews. So I came to say just that.
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Animechic420
 Posts: 1730 Location: A Cave Filled With Riches |
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I'm ready for Konatsu to get off her "I can raise a child on my own, I don't need anybody else," attitude.
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MarshalBanana
 Posts: 5368 |
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I wish they had stayed a bit longer on that time where Yotaro is taught by Kikuhiko, the part where the story starts but before the flashback. |
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