Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: The Eccentric Family 2
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Agent355
 Posts: 5113 Location: Crackberry in hand, thumbs at the ready... |
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I just saw the episode of NHK World's Imagine-Nation documentary series featuring The Eccentric Family 2. They discussed lots of small details that I want to share. I don't really consider them spoilers, so I'm not going to tag them:
--They referred to Nidaime ("The Second") as Akadama's "best disciple and heir, and considered his son."... (emphasis mine). They didn't say outright that he was adopted, but that was the implication. --The second season is based on the second novel in a planned trilogy. At the time of the interview, the third novel wasn't out yet, but the director really wants to adapt the third novel, too, so the studio feels a lot of pressure that it do well enough to warrant another season --They're trying to be as accurate to the novel as possible, but they did add some things, such as Kinkubo's (Akadama's friend) greater involvement. --the theme of this season is "consideration towards others" If anyone else has seen the episode (or read interviews, or even read the novels--why aren't they. Out in English yet?), and noticed details I left out, please share! Thanks! |
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One-Eye
 Posts: 2261 |
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Ep. 5
I agree with the review the episode was a little uneven, but ended strongly. I still had a terrific time. I like that Gyokuran can be a tough cookie when she wants to be. She adds another flavor to the family dynamic. I'm enjoying the expansion of Akadama and Benten's characters. There was something about seeing them both together supportive of one another that was a nice change from Akadama's first season old pervert routine.
BTW this show doesn't get enough love. |
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Merida
 Posts: 1945 |
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^Well, if what Agent355 wrote is canon, Benten isn't really "the first student and heir", so before we find out what caused the fight between Akadama and Nidaime, it's hard to tell who's more in the wrong here (plus, my knowledge of tengu customs is admittedly limited
 )
But yeah, this show definitely deserves more love! |
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One-Eye
Posts: 2261 |
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I'm guessing, but I believe Nidaime is a title. Yasaburo refers to him as "The Nidaime". Akadama tells Yasaburo in the beginning of the episode that he isn't his son and he's not a Tengu and he isn't the Nidaime. Akadama goes on to state that Benten will inherit the legacy of Nyoigatake Yakushibo. So the Nidaime is the former 1st student (1st student can mean 1st among others, not that he was the first student ever) and Benten became then 1st student ahead of Yasaburo who would probably be second student in the same group (1st student, second student, third student etc, can be considered ranks). Nidaime as "The second" a title can refer to him as second to Akadama. Based on this, I'm guessing again but it seems based on the show Akadama considers Benten his current first student/apprentice and heir. Now how that works with Tengu customs? Can Akadama easily take away the title of Nidaime or is the old Tengu being his usual stubborn self? Would other Tengu accept Benten as heir? I have no clue. Now I could be completely wrong, which is fine and I'm really eager to find out how this all works. Plus the whole previous meeting in London? When did that occur? During Benten's vacation or even before that? The Nidaime has hated her since then, why is that? As far as who was wrong I'm not sure its reduced to who was wrong first in the past. There's plenty of wrong going around  and everyone has a ton of pride that makes communication difficult.
What was interesting was how Yasaburo was trying to be very diplomatic and respectful to everyone. He refers to the Nidaime by his title. When Benten asks who he likes more, which is kind of a charged question, he responds by calling her Benten-sama. He tries very hard to diffuse the situation. He is really fulfilling the role of arbitrator something his older brothers cannot do. I also thought that it was interesting that you have a family gathering going on inside the train and Benten is outside separated from them. I think it could reinforce the idea of isolation. She obviously wants to share that chaise with someone, but its hard for most to approach. Anyways, not trying to be argumentative, just enjoying the guesswork about the show.
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Merida
Posts: 1945 |
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No worries, i'm enjoying it, too. 
It's interesting that you're calling Yasaburo Akadama's student. Has Akadama ever referred to him as such? It always appeared to me that he considers him to be more of a pretty competent gopher than a student (though technically there might be just a thin line between the two... ), but i don't really remember the first season well enough to be sure...whatever's the case, it seems pretty likely that Yasaburo will play an important part in resolving this "tengu war".
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11334 |
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In the first episode he tells Yasaburo, "You were always such a troublesome student," and Yasaburo says something about the more troublesome the student the more the teacher likes them. I think in the flashback scene where Benten is first able to fly among the cherry blossoms, Yasaburo is there to introduce himself at his father's behest, i.e., to become his student then (and fall in love at first sight with Benten.
). Wikipedia says all the brothers were his students, but I don't think the anime ever confirmed that.
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Blood-
 Bargain Hunter Posts: 23749 |
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I'm finally caught up with this show. I had seen the first episode when it came out and then for a variety of reasons fell behind on this and a bunch of other titles. Anyhoo, I was a huge fan of the first season and this second season has not given me any reason to change my opinion. The father-son relationship is obviously a big deal again. The first season was about four brothers coming to terms with the loss of their father and this season is about a father and son who are estranged.
I think Benten is in love with Nidaime. I think she is trying to make sure he and his father reconcile before Akadama dies. Naturally, her methods will be inscrutable to us until near the end when they will suddenly make sense. I'm guessing her trip's purpose was to find Nidaime and ensure he returned to Kyoto from his adopted English home. I wonder if the great sadness that Yasaburo felt when he saw Benten fall was from seeing her defeated or because he realized she's in love with Nidaime or perhaps a bit of both. |
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MarshalBanana
 Posts: 5311 |
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The background art for hell was aamazing
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meiam
Posts: 3442 |
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Mixed feeling about this episode, on one hand it was great, with good art and interesting adventure. On the other hand it's bringing back the Friday club into focus, and that's the part that I've found the most disappointing about S1. You have a group of people, most of which are just old guy, who literally kill a tanuki every years, and the tanuki don't do anything about it, they just consider it part of life. It's just makes it so hard to take any of the drama that comes from it seriously. Doubly so since now the uncle is back in the equation, apparently murder in tanuki world translate into banishment... except nobody even make sure the person actually left so now he's just around.
Worse the episode actually demonstrate an easy way the tanuki could take care of the Friday club, fake testimony or event. The tanuki could just take on the appearance of member of the club, commit a big crime (say rob a bank) at a time that the person wouldn't have an alibi and let the cop take care of the rest. But nope, let just leave these mass murder roaming free... 
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Merida
Posts: 1945 |
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Nick wrote:
I don't think he actually considers her a friend. She's somebody he equal parts admires and fears (and probably desires...), but friendship demands a more even balance of power. She could quite literally eat him alive after all and not in the sexy kind of way...
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Spike Terra
Subscriber Posts: 358 Location: Maryland |
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To add to your statement, I don't think Yasaburo will ever see Benten in friendly light, no matter how much her character develops (if she ever does develop as a character). I say that because Benten played a major role in killing and eating his dad as well being totally cool with eating his older brother or his mother. So no matter how many times Benten bails Yasaburo out of dangerous situations, he will always end both admiring and fearing her as an aloof demigod. I loved the Hell painting segments and I kinda wished that female Oni would come back in future episodes. While I'm glad to see the return of Soun, I hope that the Friday club arc doesn't last too long as I want to see more stuff with Nidaime |
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Gina Szanboti
Posts: 11334 |
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While we don't know who the actual owner of the painting is, it almost certainly is not Gyokuran. She's not been connected to it in any way yet, unless I've forgotten a major revelation? When the elderly painter said he was asked to paint in the Buddha (which interestingly has a tanuki-like eye-mask) by a priest (who might well have been Gyokuran's brother), Yasaburo thought of Tenmaya saying he incurred Jyurojin's wrath, so I think the latter seems like a good bet for the time being. It does raise the question of why her brother would commission the addition, or who asked him to do so on their behalf. Was it Soun? Hmm, that might point to the priest in question being his eldest son, Kureichirou.
Wasn't it? It went by in a blur so I went back and took at look at the frames and found an astonishing amount of detail and an even more astonishing restraint in the use of cut and paste repetition. There's some, but I don't think any of the souls are repeated more than 4 or 5 times over about 10 seconds of animation (which I think step-frame-wise is at least 120 frames). Given how fast it zipped by, I would have expected maybe 5 groupings of souls per pov, pasted all over the place with perhaps some variations in coloring. It must've taken someone a week to draw them all. I enjoyed seeing Yasaburo's oni form again, and it's always amusing when he reverts to his own wide, round eyes. The hellscape was really eerie, suggesting what tanuki would find particularly hellish (with an industrial pollution emphasis). I too hope the female oni somehow makes another appearance. And Kaisei was her usual amazing self. Does she impersonate these items or just make herself small enough to fit into them (how in the hell is she moving between the post boxes like that!)? I guess if she were impersonating them, sugar couldn't have fallen from the bowl. I noticed that Yasaburo refers to the twins as GinKinkaku. They're not even worth the time it takes to say both their names.
Yeah, Soun, cannibalism is a bit far, even for you. |
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vonPeterhof
Posts: 729 |
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A series that takes place almost entirely in Kyoto, and the only characters speaking the Kyoto dialect are oni in a literal industrial hell? Okaaay, not even sure if I want to consider the possible implications of that...
Okay, pet peeves* aside, a very good episode. Not sure if I'm liking Souun's descent even further into moustache-twirling territory, but the scene of his re-introduction was very effective, and the design of the hellscape was amazing. And I loved both Kaisei's and Benten's bits in this one; good thing I don't tend to get invested in ships, because I'd be really torn here.. *Seriously, as much as I love the Sound! Euphonium anime when compared to the novels I still haven't totally forgiven Ishihara and Hanada for erasing the dialect in the adaptation  Sigh, at least I'll always have Inari Kon Kon...
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Blood-
Bargain Hunter Posts: 23749 |
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Benten is somebody who Yasaburo "admires and fears"? Sure that's true as far as it goes, but are Kaisei and I the only ones who realize he loves her? I didn't think it was a particularly hidden point, but from comments I'm reading I get the sense it's not as understood as I assumed. Fortunately, Kaisei and Yasaburo will eventually end up together.
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Merida
Posts: 1945 |
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I think most people realize that? But it appears to be more like the love for an unreachable goddess (thus the "fear and admiration") than anything else. |
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