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Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū
Episode 3

by Gabriella Ekens,

How would you rate episode 3 of
Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū ?
Community score: 3.9

Following his disastrous debut, Yakumo has entered into a personal crisis. He's faced confirmation that he's a dreary performer, but somehow, despite his previous apathy towards the profession, he doesn't want to quit. Sukeroku's passion has lit a fire in the lesser apprentice's heart. After a brief stint trying to mimic Sukeroku's raucous style, Yakumo embarks on a period of creative reflection and self-discovery. He starts experimenting with different genres of rakugo (bawdy and erotic stories) and tries his hand at dating a woman. All this changes, however, when WWII intensifies. Audiences flee Tokyo, and even his girlfriend leaves the city. Wartime censors clamp down on Yakumo's preferred styles, stunting his creative development. Eventually, his master heads off to the front lines to entertain the troops. He takes Sukeroku with him, but not Yakumo, who remains behind with the master's wife. The master cites Yakumo's bad leg, but he takes it as a slight against his abilities. More than that, however, he's bothered by his temporary inability to practice rakugo – as well as his separation from Sukeroku. Working at a factory in the countryside, this is Yakumo's opportunity to abandon the profession. He entertains he possibility of marrying there and entering into a domestic life, but still feels himself drawn to rakugo. Reciting routines to himself becomes his only form of solace. When the war ends, he returns to Tokyo to await the master and Sukeroku's return. In the meantime, he continues to practice rakugo and makes money through small, private performances. Eventually, the day arrives, and they reunite gleefully. Rakugo sees a postwar resurgence in popularity, and our heroes are promoted from zenza (novices) to futatsume (journeymen). They now live on their own and are allowed to make money from performances. They move in together, and the future looks bright. But one day, a mysterious woman, Miyokichi, arrives at the master's home, demanding to see him…

Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū's mangaka, Haruko Kumota, mostly made BL before this series, and it's easy to tell. Yakumo and Sukeroku's relationship has overt romantic overtones, although it's still unclear how directly the show will address this aspect. There are a number of different ways this could go. Is this story going to be partially about Yakumo's same-sex attraction, or is this just a side implication to the main story about him discovering himself as an artist? Is it an intentional subject, or just a side effect of the author's fujoshi heritage? It's ambiguous at this point, although specific cues in the characters' body language, the framing, and the order of narrative events make me think that it's intentional. For example, the show draws a parallel between the reunion of a married couple and Yakumo/Sukeroku. The camera, which is associated with Yakumo's perspective, is also way more interested in Sukeroku's body than any of the women's. Yakumo seems to flinch every time Sukeroku touches him, and the editing keeps isolating moments of contact between the two. And do I even have to mention the pinky swear/rakugo lullaby scene? This feels like it's building towards a love story entwined with how a number of individuals relate to art. For this type of stuff, I say the more emotionally complex, the better, so by all means, please add forbidden romantic yearning to this story about creative inspiration and rivalry. I'm hoping that the introduction of a woman – likely Konatsu's mother – will interfere with their relationship. We know a lot about Yakumo's attachment to Sukeroku, but not much about Sukeroku's feelings for Yakumo. How will this all play into the tragic outcome implied by the 1970s timeline? Yakumo somehow goes from an uncertain young man and weak performer to commanding master of the art. Sukeroku is dead, and his daughter blames Yakumo for his death. What went down, and why is Yakumo a sinister figure in the (fantastic) opening sequence? What shinju (double suicide, typically between lovers) does the title refer to? Despite our extended separation from the 1970s timeline (which won't be abating next episode, by the looks of it) I'm only growing more and more curious about what will happen there.

I haven't touched on the sound design yet. This field isn't my forte, but I know enough to see that this aspect of the show is as masterful as the direction. Again, it's more indebted to live-action film than most anime. The performances are great, as they'd have to be for any of this to work. The voice actors – all industry veterans – essentially have to perform the vocal aspect of rakugo, and they succeed. Out of these, the standout is Akari Ishida, who plays Yakumo. The character requires a wide range of demeanors. In particular with Yakumo, Ishida faced the distinct challenge of playing a character who is, at one point, a bad actor. If anime had Oscars, the “bad rakugo” sequence from the second episode would be his winning clip. That scene had to give us the feel of a person trying their hardest but not making the cut, as well as the emotional trajectory of Yakumo's fear, panic, and eventually resignation. I can't wait to hear more of his mature rakugo. Despite the impression I've gleaned that this is a primarily comedic medium, the performances he gives in the first episode are wholly sinister, if entrancing. The music is also fantastic, underscoring the emotional beats as effectively as the direction. This episode in particular, scenes are accompanied by blaring tones that give the entire progression a sinister air. Despite the happy resolution (the lovers best friends are reunited!) it feels like this has all been building up to something terrible.

I'm a big fan of the pacing so far – the extended flashback structure allows me to enjoy the momentary story beats while also predicting how they could build up to the first episode. It doesn't feel like there's a wasted moment. Overall, Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū evokes an atmosphere of pleasurable tension not unlike Yakumo's rakugo. Three episodes in and it hasn't stopped being masterful for a second. It's not to everyone's taste, but anime like this don't come around very often, so I'll savor it like a rare, expensive meal. Bon appetit.

Grade: A

Shōwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjū is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

Gabriella Ekens studies film and literature at a US university. Follow her on twitter.


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