Descending Stories: Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju

Warning, may contain minor spoilers.

Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju, I wasn't quite sure what this anime was about when I first heard about it, but I was curious since I have heard many others praising it. At first, I watched this anime in the hopes to learn more about Rakugo, however, what I got, in the end, was a lesson about life and death.

Story:

The plot, just like S1, is outstanding and it really grabs your attention and keeps you at the edge of your seat. Drama, comedy, romance, mystery, Rakugo has it all. It attracts you into the story through its unique storytelling and makes you feel like you are living in the Rakugo world. Rakugo takes storytelling to another level and I have never been so emotionally attached to an anime like this.

Characters:

In Rakugo S2, we see the present-day Yotaro and Yakumo, both working together to help Rakugo gain more popularity and acceptance. This season adds more depth and development to the characters, especially Yotaro and Konatsu. In addition, every character presents complex emotions, which makes them feel more real and relatable. Konatsu, for example, shows forgiveness towards Yakumo when she realizes how much he has done for her. Yotaro is first portrayed (even named) as a simpleton, but later on, we see that he is someone who takes initiative and confronts his challenges. I couldn't help but respect Yotaro for his determination to enjoy everything he does. Although each character has their problems and flaws – just like a real human – they are overall likable and relatable.

Art & Music:

The art in Rakugo is stunning and it helps to capture the little aspects well. Although not as impressive as some other anime in the medium, the animation is certainly unique and stands out. In addition, the OST is arguably one of the best in the medium. The use of the soundtracks during some moments chilled me to the bone and provides more emotional value.

My thoughts:

To me, Rakugo is an anime that exploits the complexity of human nature and human emotions. It accurately portrays the incomprehensible emotions that we humans experience every day, whether it would be love, hate, happiness, or sadness. Such incomprehensible emotions that we experience are what make us human. Rakugo has helped me realize several things and has made me question my own beliefs.

A big theme in Rakugo is humanity, humans desire intimacy, even if it means getting hurt because of it. Perhaps that is what it means to be a human: to make friends, to fall in love, to build a family, and to die. The relationships between each character in Rakugo help establish the idea of humans depending on each other to move forward, whether it's Sukeroku inspiring Yakumo to continue doing rakugo or Yotaro inspiring Yakumo to keep living. As the viewer, you get attached to the characters and their relationships and often will emphasize their ideals.

Rakugo also makes an emphasis on death: humans fear death, even the thought of dying makes us shudder. Rakugo presents death as a way of gaining freedom because that is when humans are truly free and atoned from their sins. Live is full of hardships and loneliness, but the relationships we build, the people we meet, the places we go, the things we do during that short life will all help make life much more enjoyable. Rakugo encourages the viewers to keep on living because, in the end, they will be rewarded.

Conclusion:

Rakugo is a story about finding and developing your own identity, building relationships, and facing others. It is a story of life, I have never felt the urge to cry this much after finishing an anime. I have learned many things from watching this anime and I hope that future viewers will also take away something. Most importantly, you should enjoy watching it.

Thanks for reading my review and have a nice day!