1:56 PM
ANIME REVIEW: Barakamon
1:56 PMSynopsis: As a punishment for punching a famous calligrapher, young handsome calligrapher Handa Seishu is exiled to a small island....
Synopsis: As a punishment for punching a famous calligrapher, young handsome calligrapher Handa Seishu is exiled to a small island. As someone who has never lived outside of a city, Handa has to adapt to his new wacky neighbors, like people traveling on a tractor, unwanted visitors who never use the front door, annoying kids using his home as a playground, etc. Can this city guy handle all the crazy hardships?
Note: This is not a recent review.
My Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars
Title: Barakamon
Episodes: 12
Genre(s): Comedy, Slice of Life
Air Date: July 6, 2014—September 28, 2014
Producers: VAP, FUNimation Entertainment, Kinema Citrus, Nippon Television Network Corporation
• • •
So, Barakamon was one of those shows I started during summer to get back into watching anime. And let me tell you, it was a great choice! It definitely had the summery anime feel, and it was a good relaxing show to watch. The comedy was wonderful and the plot was interesting. I've never seen a show like it, honestly. I loved how much I could laugh in one episode. It was one of those chill, relaxing shows that you don't have to get too involved in. But there were still plenty of feels between the relationships and character development.
Now, I know I only have given it a 9 out of 10, but that was mostly because of the repetitiveness of the show. Yeah, my intentions going into the show were to watch something mindlessly: and Barakamon fulfilled that. However, toward the end of the anime, the repetitiveness seen in every single episode just started to become tiring. That's why it's missing half a rating or even a full rating to make it perfect. In every episode, the storyline for that specific episode was the same as the previous episode. Every episode was unique in its own way, yes, but there were still the tell-tale signs from the last episode, and the episode before, in the current episode of which was being watched.
Of course, even with the mindless repetitiveness, the show still gets a great rating. For one, it's a different plot line. The story revolves around a calligrapher, Seishuu Handa, who's trying to find his own unique "style" of calligraphy after having been told his work was too cookie-cutter, perfect to professional books. His father sends him to a remote island, and there he meets a troublesome 6 year old named Naru who ends up giving him inspiration for his work - along with all her island friends and family. It's a really touching story, and definitely a unique story, at that.
To me, there wasn't anything interesting about the art style, but I loved the scenery. The sunsets, stars, and other important moments in the show that revolved around nature or the scenery in general was breathtaking. Almost like it was real. And, like most of the modern anime it did have those unique angels that a lot of producers and artists seem to be experimenting with.
The characters were, honestly, something else. Naru and Seishuu's mother were extremely energetic, and made the show unique. Seishuu's mother only appears in the last two episodes, but damn...she is one woman you don't want to mess with! Naru is Seishuu's second hand man, the six year old who hangs around him too much and pulls him into way too many troublesome situations - but even in her young age and clueless ways, she's got a maturity all her own. She teaches Seishuu a lot, and while she's got a lot of growing up to do, Seishuu learns a lot from her and others on the island - sometimes without even realizing it. You don't see too much character development from him in the end, but you do see him grow in subtle ways.
Honestly, there's nothing special about the comedy. It's funny - but it's also, at times, just really stupid and corny. Still, the comedy is so simple, so childish in its antics revolving around the kids on the island, that it just makes you laugh.
I do recommend this anime. It's a simple anime, with simple comedy, and an interesting plotline. It's an easy anime to watch without much requirements. In fact, it was extremely relaxing for me to watch. I enjoyed it, even in its repetitiveness.
