What happens when you create a story about storytellers?

Rakugo is a dying art form in the face of modern entertainment. This is a story about how it struggles through the ages. Most of the series takes place in the past as a backstory. In a drama that plays out like a novel, you watch the absolute worst and best come out of the characters. You cheer for them, you reject them, but ultimately there's a feeling of bitterness and despair that always follows them around, despite never being a "dark" show. Yota, Konatsu, Bon/Kikuhiko (later known as Yakumo), Hatsutaro (later known as Sukeroku), Miyokichi all of these are different people, maybe even living in different times. Yet they all have one constant in their lives, Rakugo. It's either passion, hate, or bitterness, but they are connected by it. They find meaning because of it, some have died because of it, some have been hurt by it, and others have found homes and families because of it.

Kikuhiko and Hatsutaro have the sweetest friendship. Their rivalry feels natural and palpable. A classic "hard work" vs "talented and lazy" where the show strikes the perfect balance in showcasing the limits on relying on just one of these traits for success. As the series progresses, they meet Miyokichi, a geisha and a former prostitute, who quickly becomes Kiku's love interest, but later on is dumped by Kiku because he wants to solely focus on his art. After being left behind so many times in the past, she was obviously devastated and heartbroken. She finds solace in Sukeroku's arms, who was facing his own rejection with his master, and has a child with him named Konatsu.

"People can't understand everything about each other. And yet people still live together. The love of sharing trivial, meaningless things with others is human nature. I suppose that's why humans can't stand to be alone."

Miyokichi finds herself fed up with Sukeroku because of his rakugo, probably because it reminded her of Bon, and leaves him and the child. When Bon sets out to find Sukeroku. Eventually Miyokichi comes back to meet Bon, clearly still in love, and tries to commit a lovers' suicide. Fortunately, Sukeroku manages to stop her in time. An emotional confession follows and Miyokichi begins to resent herself. As these characters reach their emotional climaxes, the wooden balcony collapses and Sukeroku, in a desperate attempt to save her, falls with her while Bon holds onto Sukeroku's hand. Sukeroku, in an attempt to prevent Bon from falling with them, releases Bon's hand and falls with his wife. Effectively leading to a lover's suicide. It's an emotional scene and quite perfect. While many consider Miyokichi to be the sole person in the wrong, that's anything but the truth. All three of them and their selfishness contributed to the culmination of this tragedy.

"I was so determined to live alone, and yet... Why must a person's nature be so foolish?"

The production is also charming. The opening, aside from being an absolute bop, is filled with foreshadowing both in visuals and lyrics. The animation is poetic; the colours are sublime and the atmosphere immaculate.

“All the good, all the bad… your rakugo has given me every emotion imaginable.”

The main thing, and I keep coming back to this, is how great rakugo is used to tell the story here. Foreshadowing in episode 12 for example or how the same story changes when it is narrated by a different storyteller. Every time someone comes up on stage I can't help but feel captivated.

"An entertainer is only worth something if they're seen. What do you have to hide?"

It's a tremendous and beautiful series. Deceptively simple, rich and layered. A phenomenal story that unfolds with the utmost delicacy. Showa Genroku Rakugo Shinju is a riveting tale of a dying art form. With visual poetry to match and a memorable score that feels earnest. It starts with one of the strongest pilots in anime, slows down in the middle as it navigates the lives of Yakumo and Sukeroku (both of them tend to change their names throughout the series) then picks right back up with so much emotion and warmth you don't know whether you should cry your heart out or smile ear to ear.

It's funny just how much I ended up admiring this even though I had zero knowledge about the existence of Rakugo. The more I watched, the more I fell in love with it. Just like Ping Pong the animation or even Haikyuu where you don't necessarily need to understand the sport to fall in love with it, Showa Genroku offers a similar experience where a completely unfamiliar concept is made familiar and intimate. The only difference is that instead of the thrill or rivalry of a sport on display, there's instead this lingering feeling of losing something beloved. Something that has a rich history and is dying out because of the lack of accessibility. Something that the everyday person doesn't find interest in anymore. Something that can be easily replaced.

The imminent "death" of an art form.

There's a lot more ideas to explore, an uncertain future to watch and maybe a blossoming romance? I do like Yota and Konatsu's pairing. I hope they actually become a thing.

Let's see how the next season fares in comparison.

NO IT'S NOT