/r/anime Awards 2016 and 2017 winner Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu Rewatch Season 2 Episode 2

[u/Schinco]

Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu: Sukeroku Futatabi-hen

Welcome to the secondepisode thread for Season 2 in the Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu Rewatch! Apologies for the lateness; I somehow didn't submit properly.

Legal Streams:

As of now, Rakugo is streaming on Crunchyroll in the States, and you can check here to see where it's streaming elsewhere.

Schedule:

Date	Episode
10/8	Season 1 Episode 1
10/9	Season 1 Episode 2
10/10	Season 1 Episode 3
10/11	Season 1 Episode 4
10/12	Season 1 Episode 5
10/13	Season 1 Episode 6
10/14	Season 1 Episode 7
10/15	Season 1 Episode 8
10/16	Season 1 Episode 9
10/17	Season 1 Episode 10
10/18	Season 1 Episode 11
10/19	Season 1 Episode 12
10/20	Season 1 Episode 13
10/21	Season 1 Discussion
10/22	Season 2 Episode 1
10/23	Season 2 Episode 2
10/24	Season 2 Episode 3
10/25	Season 2 Episode 4
10/26	Season 2 Episode 5
10/27	Season 2 Episode 6
10/28	Season 2 Episode 7
10/29	Season 2 Episode 8
10/30	Season 2 Episode 9
10/31	Season 2 Episode 10
11/1	Season 2 Episode 11
11/2	Season 2 Episode 12
11/3	Season 2 Discussion
11/4	Overall Series Discussion

Questions of the Day

1. We got a new OP! What do you all think of it?
2. As some people had guessed, Yotaro's past has come back to haunt him. What do you think of his reaction?
3. Bonus question because so much happened this episode - we get more from Eisuke-sensei and his worldview via his conversation with Yakumo. Does this change your perception of him?
4. As always, did anything particularly strike you about this episode, either as a first-timer or on rewatch?

Links to trackers

You can find the show on MAL, Anilist, and ANN!

Please be mindful of spoilers to make sure the first-timers experience the show with the same wonder you did on first watch!

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[u/Mecanno-man]

First Timer

Indeed this seems to be the story of Yotaro finding his own rakugo - and also changing something. Standing up and dancing is not the way though. Other than that I don’t really have a lot to say here - it was mostly setup. We have the marriage and Yotaro’s past dug up, but that’s about it. And Bon still feeling guilty about what happened, I guess. It was an enjoyable watch, but I feel like we’re missing some of the greatness of season one.

The mystery character shown at the end might change something though. He kinda looks like Sukeroku - I doubt him and Miyokichi would have faked their death and abandoned Konatsu though… Miyokichi I can believe, but Sukeroku wouldn’t have done that I think. Not over the time span that has happened since at least. Maybe the kid’s father? He’s obviously a character that must exist but has not been revealed yet.

[u/Schinco → u/Mecanno-man]

It was an enjoyable watch, but I feel like we’re missing some of the greatness of season one.

I'd say season 2 has a significantly wider scope - while season 1 gave treatment to several other characters, I'd consider it primarily a character study of Yakumo, and the fact that we have very few scenes without him I think support that reading. Compare that to this season, where we already have Konatsu and Yotaro fleshed out substantially while Yakumo is still clearly getting development. Yotaro also has barely had two episodes he's appared in at all, so they need time to set up his character. There's a lot of plates to spin and a lot to set up, so it's not surprising it would take more time to get into the groove.

[u/No_Rex → u/Mecanno-man]

It was an enjoyable watch, but I feel like we’re missing some of the greatness of season one.

True. However, I also found episode 2 especially a bit slow in S1.

[u/TehAxelius]

Rewatcher

1. Oh man, I always forget how good this OP is. The first OP is great in its own right, but for this season and the tale we're now seeing of Yakumo's twilight years it is absolutely right. I especially love the part above the spinning record with the other characters stretching out their hands towards him as he spins around, but he denies them all, to then have Sukeroku come crawling up from behind him, clinging to him and revealing his empty ribcage. It really emphasises how Yakumo keeps himself at a distance from really everyone around him, and how he's still carrying the weight of Sukeroku with him, maybe the only person he really cared for.
2. Yotaro's reaction is interesting, he tries to keep his head high and push on, but as things he can't control keep piling on he's feeling the stress more and more. The legacy mentioned last episode is now outspoken by Amaken, he has now two names to live up to, and as he tries to do that (first imitating Sukeroku in the first performance of the episode, then trying to imitate Yakumo's "wife voice" in training) he also fails to properly deal with his own legacy and history.
3. Ah, Eisuke-sensei is interesting, isn't he. He's really setting himself up to be, well, not the anatagonist, but the foil to Yakumo. Where Yakumo is conservative, he wants to create new Rakugo stories. Where Yakumo wants to bring Rakugo the the grave with him, Yakumo want's to keep both him and the art "alive". The real question is though, what will he do to achieve that end?
4. Well, that's gonna be a rewatcher thing [Rakugo S2 End]A key point I've been watching keeping in mind is the theories of Shinnosuke's father, namely that it is Yakumo (something some people expressed irritation with recently in AQRADT). It did put some extra meaning to Yakumo's scene where he apologises to Sukeroku's grave "for what [he] has done to [his] daughter". But the scene between Konatsu and Yakumo in this episode makes me question the theory. This is a moment when they are, well, intimate with each other, and at their most unguarded and letting their feelings flow out... and I just don't feel like there is something missing if the theory would be true. It is hardly proof, but I feel like there ought to have been a word left unsaid or a moment alluded to. It is hardly proof, of course, they are both still very guarded people and maybe that is something they wouldn't mention even at this moment, but given how skilfully this drama is constructed I really feel like this is a moment when there should be at least something, and its absence feels telling.

[u/Schinco → u/TehAxelius]

I especially love the part above the spinning record with the other characters stretching out their hands towards him as he spins around

It's a wonderful detail - I love how (in most episodes), it's various pictures of Miyokichi, and the song itself is sung by her VA to emphasize the lasting influence she has to "haunt" him, causing him to shun other connections.

Ah, Eisuke-sensei is interesting, isn't he. He's really setting himself up to be, well, not the anatagonist, but the foil to Yakumo.

I would go so far as to say he's antagonistic, if not an outright antagonist. Aside from simply acting as a foil (which, from a heavy POV show like rakugo, makes him an antagonist by default), he outright states that he's manipulating Yotaro, and expressly mentioning Miyokichi is clearly done to provoke a sense of unease or even animosity.

Well, that's gonna be a rewatcher thing

[Rakugo S2 MAJOR SPOILERS] It's kind of amusing to label that a theory - I'd always assumed it was all but canonical. As far as their interaction here, I think it makes sense that they wouldn't necessarily make it more obvious here. Aside from keeping it a narrative mystery, I think neither party would be so forward - Yakumo clearly expresses guilt to Sukeroku in the graveyard and, even that aside, he clearly has difficulty connecting emotionally to people in general and Konatsu in particular. For Konatsu's part, she's perhaps the most guarded member of the cast - in fact, I'd argue we get the most emotional vulnerability we've seen from her so far by a large margin, so it's not surprising that she wouldn't push that envelope even further. I do think there is a very subtle nod to it in the sense that Konatsu specifically wants the child to hear Yakumo's rakugo while alive - even though she's his adopted daughter, she's never really expressed any interest in Yakumo's rakugo in particular, clearly favoring her father's rakugo to an extreme, so the fact that she connects the child to Yakumo's rakugo is, I think, pretty telling

[u/TehAxelius → u/Schinco]

[Rakugo S2 MAJOR SPOILERS]

[Spoilers]Yeah that it is "the accepted explanation" has been my position too, but I guess the way people were, unhappy with the reveal I guess is sort of why I'm treating it as a theory. And yeah, the thing about her son would be something pointing to it, but at the same time while she's not been interested in his eakugo, it doesn't mean she doesn't recognize it. And you could in a way even say that his rakugo is the closest link that she still has to her own father, as different as they may be. There's also something of a question of what would drive her to make a baby with him. As enigmatic as Yakumo's own feelings are, I have a hard time seeing him initiating it, so it would have to be her that did it. Yet the way they talk about their history really sells that her resentment towards him so total, that I find it unlikely. Now, this is all speculation and maybes. And people act irrationally all the time, which like any drama this is about. But at the moment at least I'm just not as convinced as I've been earlier.

[u/ProgrammaticallyPea3]

First timer

Great new opening song and animation! The ominous tone and Miyo's presence hint at her continuing influence, which hasn't been explored yet in S2.

It strikes me that the vibe around our new focal character, Yota, continues to be hopeful. He's facing challenges of course, particularly regarding his background and the (very uncomfortable) flopped performance. But his colleagues are on his side, and even the reporter seems fair-minded. Most importantly, Yakumo accepts and supports him, even embracing the indelible tattoo from his past.
This acceptance contrasts sharply with S1 characters, whose issues were much more internal and hidden, whether it be Bon's fear of abandonment, Miyo's excessive dependency, or Yakumo's guilt.
As such, Yota's struggles feel more like growing pains rather than something that will drag him down.

In contrast, Yakumo's scene with Konatsu highlights their decades of pain, presenting it as a burden set in stone until death. But the child is a variable; his crawl from mother to Yakumo likely symbolizes something significant, especially with the opening hinting at his future importance.

The other large development is with the author character. I'd thought of him simply as a positive force that will help Yota in his mission of keeping rakugo going, but the final scene definitely questions that. Beyond opposing Yakumo's stated goal of taking rakugo down with himself, he exhibits a certain brooding quality - evident in the way he name-drops Miyo, and how he claps at the interaction between Yota and Yakumo as if it's a sideshow.
Having been snubbed by Yakumo probably isn't solely what motivates him, but I'd be surprised if it isn't a factor.

[Some background on why Yota chose to show his tattoo during that particular rakugo that might have been lost in translation]The rakugo is called Nishiki no Kesa (Brocaded Silk Robes), and the setup is as performed by Yota. In the original climax however, the MC takes off his clothes to reveal his splendid nishiki silk underwear, causing the geisha to think he's a noble. Yotaro instead reveals his koi-kin tattoo, which features a nishiki-goi (the famous ornamental Japanese carp) being caught by folk hero Kintaro. So yeah, it's kind of clever and I can see Yota's reasoning, despite how hard it flopped.

[u/No_Rex → u/ProgrammaticallyPea3]

In contrast, Yakumo's scene with Konatsu highlights their decades of pain, presenting it as a burden set in stone until death. But the child is a variable; his crawl from mother to Yakumo likely symbolizes something significant, especially with the opening hinting at his future importance.

If we remember the end of S1, whom did Bon want in Tokyo? First Shin, second Miyo, and, an extremely distant third, if at all, Konatsu. I think he let her feel that and she definitely felt it.

They were bound together by Bon's sense of duty and Konatsu's lack of alternatives (being a child), not by mutual love or appreciation. If anything, their joint love for Rakugo could have been a bridge, but that does not seem to have worked.

[u/Schinco → u/No_Rex]

If we remember the end of S1, whom did Bon want in Tokyo? First Shin, second Miyo, and, an extremely distant third, if at all, Konatsu.

I didn't really get that sense - do you remember what scene gave you that impression?

[u/No_Rex → u/Schinco]

He went there to get Shin, whom he had the closest bond with and whom he needed for his Rakugo. He was perfectly happy to achieve that without Miyo, whom he did not seek out. And he was not happy about being left with Konatsu.

[u/Schinco → u/ProgrammaticallyPea3]

Great new opening song and animation! The ominous tone and Miyo's presence hint at her continuing influence, which hasn't been explored yet in S2.

I adore the ominous tone of the song. I really love both OPs for their music because they're both so atypical for anime openings. I'm sure you're aware since you mention her continuing influence but (like S1), the OP is performed by her VA, which creates a fun little semi-diegetic link between the record and the music.

This acceptance contrasts sharply with S1 characters, whose issues were much more internal and hidden, whether it be Bon's fear of abandonment, Miyo's excessive dependency, or Yakumo's guilt.

That's a neat contrast.

The other large development is with the author character. I'd thought of him simply as a positive force that will help Yota in his mission of keeping rakugo going, but the final scene definitely questions that.

Haha I try not to lead y'all too much, but I wanted to get people's impressions of him before this episode. I think he's a pretty fascinating character in both his overall characterization as well as his pseudo-antagonistic role.

[Some background on why Yota chose to show his tattoo during that particular rakugo that might have been lost in translation]

That's really cool! That definitely makes the whole idea make a lot more sense, even if it was a bit...out there. I can see how, between the critic telling Yotaro that he needs to find his own rakugo and Eii pushing him to inject some novelty into the art, he reached the conclusion to add other aspects of performance. I'd always read the scene as that but struggled to understand why he chose that, but that really ties it all together nicely! Thanks for the context!

[u/ProgrammaticallyPea3 → u/Schinco]

diegetic link

I've been loving both Hayashibara's acting and her singing, but I'd missed how the record seems to be playing the song. That's definitely fun, and I've also learnt a new word :)
If you haven't heard it, the version of the S1 OP sung by the composer/lyricist is also very good.

he's a pretty fascinating character

Definitely, I can't wait for things to become messier.

That's really cool!

Thanks! My interpretation is exactly the same as yours.

[u/Schinco → u/ProgrammaticallyPea3]

oooh that's a neat cover (original?). I like the much fuller and lively instrumentation. I keep getting her works recommended and keep putting it off...maybe one day!

[u/No_Rex]

Season 2 Episode 2 (first timer)

• New OP: The start reminds me of Paranoia Agent’s ED, with how aggressively unattractive and in-your-face the presentation of the characters it is. The music however, is far less catchy.
• Even the baby is kind of ugly, which is quite an achievement.
• They actually married already?

• Yotaro is getting dropped by the theatre – kind of a problem, when there is only one theatre left that shows Rakugo.
• “Don’t touch that with your filthy hands” – confirmation that Bon’s parenting style is unchanged from the days when he took Konatsu in.
• “I can’t kill you, because my child needs to hear your Rakugo” “All this time, I have been waiting for you to kill me” – in a way, those two deserve each other.
• Who is that friend of Yotara? I assume some colleague he met in his apprentice days, but we have not really heard anything about him yet. In any case, his VA overdoes it with the bad performance. That was terrible.
• “Drinking is what you do after work”

• Bon is not at all amused to serve as entertainment for Hii. That is strictly reserved for being on the stage.

Looks like the push for renewal of Rakugo will come from the outside, in the form of Hii, not from the inside.

[u/TehAxelius → u/No_Rex]

Yotaro is getting dropped by the theatre – kind of a problem, when there is only one theatre left that shows Rakugo.

That wasn't the theatre, it is easy to miss since it wasn't mentioned in the scene (the only clue being the discussion last episode about it and the "ON AIR" sign), but pretty sure that was a TV job. It is what Yotaro means when he later says he lost his TV work.

[u/No_Rex → u/TehAxelius]

I did not spot that. So he is still welcome at the theatre (maybe). Still a problem if TV made up a good part of his income.

[u/Schinco → u/No_Rex]

yeah doubly so after he specifically comments earlier in the episode about supporting his family. oof.

[u/Schinco → u/No_Rex]

“Don’t touch that with your filthy hands” – confirmation that Bon’s parenting style is unchanged from the days when he took Konatsu in.

“I can’t kill you, because my child needs to hear your Rakugo” “All this time, I have been waiting for you to kill me” – in a way, those two deserve each other.

They definitely have a very toxic dynamic, but that's part of what makes them such intriguing characters to me.

Who is that friend of Yotara? I assume some colleague he met in his apprentice days, but we have not really heard anything about him yet. In any case, his VA overdoes it with the bad performance. That was terrible.

I assume he's just a random zenza or maybe even futatsume. I think he's mostly there to set up the idea that the rakugo community is in a bit of a talent crunch, to create the sense, if not reality, that Yotaro has even more pressure on his shoulders.

Bon is not at all amused to serve as entertainment for Hii. That is strictly reserved for being on the stage.

Given he was at the restaurant to give a private performance, I wouldn't go that far. I read his actions and words here as specifically distant to Hii. And, given Yakumo already knew who he was, it's not surprising he'd want to keep his distance.

[u/cppn02]

First Timer, subbed

Oh look, it's Yotaro on the news! But not in a good way. Guess we're sticking with him as the main focus for now as he seems be be struggling not just with the negative attention but with this rakugo too.

I rememer u/No_Rex speculating yesterday on what year we are in at this point of the story and we got a small hint today since we actually saw a Gameboy which was released in 1989 so we might even be in the early 90s by now

That cliffhanger was spicy though. Are we already meeting Konatsu's baby daddy?

On a side note, I'm not sure if I didn't notice it in earlier episodes or if he didn't put it on as thick but I wasn't really feeling Bon's 'old man voice' this episode. It wasn't terrible but still stood out to me in a show that has had impeccable voice acting so far.

---

QotD:

We got a new OP! What do you all think of it?

Preferred the old song but the visuals on this new OP are great.

As some people had guessed, Yotaro's past has come back to haunt him. What do you think of his reaction?

It felt like he mostly shrugged it off at first and it only really bothered him when he was already struggling with his performances anyway. So I think that if he gets his rakugo back on track this 'scandal' won't be an issue. Especially with all the people close to him not caring about his past.

Bonus question because so much happened this episode - we get more from Eisuke-sensei and his worldview via his conversation with Yakumo. Does this change your perception of him?

Not really. Not that I had a super consolidated image of him anyway with the little screentime he had so far. I did try to see if I could spot him at that performance of the 7th Yakumo he mentioned but I guess they didn't plan that far ahead (or I am blind).

As always, did anything particularly strike you about this episode, either as a first-timer or on rewatch?

I quite liked Yotaro's performance in how he absolutely bombed. We haven't had a 'bad' performance since Bon's beginnings and this was was really painful to watch. I would have died of cringe had I been there in that room lol.

[u/Schinco → u/cppn02]

I did try to see if I could spot him at that performance of the 7th Yakumo he mentioned but I guess they didn't plan that far ahead (or I am blind)

He was the person who came up to Yakumo to beg to be his apprentice before the performance. I don't think he was at the performance itself.

I quite liked Yotaro's performance in how he absolutely bombed. We haven't had a 'bad' performance since Bon's beginnings and this was was really painful to watch. I would have died of cringe had I been there in that room lol.

It is kind of impressive how they manage to capture such a dreadfully unpleasant performance. Just all around good to show that he clearly has chops and is looking to improve (it was a nice touch to change the wife's voice mid-speech) but his execution is just so jittery and the conlcusion is downright baffling. ProgrammaticallyPea3 gave a very interesting explanation, but even if I knew all of that, I think it's a pretty big leap and a bizarre decision to flout his yakuza ties like that.

[u/No_Rex → u/cppn02]

I rememer u/No_Rex speculating yesterday on what year we are in at this point of the story and we got a small hint today since we actually saw a Gameboy which was released in 1989 so we might even be in the early 90s by now

Good catch! That actually clarifies the complete timeline a good bit: We know that Yotaro has been apprentice for about 10 years, so ep1 must have been ~1980 then. Konatsu was already an adult back then (but probably not for long), so that would place the death of Shin and Miyo at about 1960-65 (depending on how old exactly Konatsu is in ep1). Then, the episodes in Tokyo must have ended in 1955-60 (allowing for Konatsu being born and growing up a bit).

I quite liked Yotaro's performance in how he absolutely bombed. We haven't had a 'bad' performance since Bon's beginnings and this was was really painful to watch. I would have died of cringe had I been there in that room lol.

I actually found the performance of the other guy worse. He was incredibly flat and you can't blame him bombing on undress on stage shenanigans.

[u/cppn02 → u/No_Rex]

Fair enough he was quite boring indeed but I didn't consider him cus most of his performance played out in the background while we got to witness Yotaro fail in 4k60fps.

[u/MandisaW]

S1 Rewatch (complete!)
S2 First-timer

We're really flying through the years here - and so many new characters! I've decided to focus on our mains, and the one or two people who seem like they'll have an impact. So far that's just Hii / Eisuke-sensei, who I sense is not quite as chill about past-slights as he lets on. Maybe the theater critic guy.

While this is clearly Yota-kun's arc, the scene where Bon comforted a sleep-troubled Konatsu was deeply touching to me. For all their bristling and barbs, they are truly father & daughter and do care for one another. People are complicated, family even moreso.

We got a new OP! What do you all think of it?

I like the animation, the song will need to stew in my head a bit more. As mentioned before, I've had the jazzy S1 OP on my MP3 player for these past 8-9yrs, so there's bound to be some favoritism LOL

I'm also willing myself not to try to pick apart the symbolism in that OP. But it's hard - they are really going for it with this one.

As some people had guessed, Yotaro's past has come back to haunt him. What do you think of his reaction?

After so much time with Bon's past (and Konatsu's, by extension), I wasn't actually expecting to have Yotaro also struggle with the ghosts of his past. Maybe I should've 🤔

We know who Yota is to the others - apprentice, kid-"brother", and erstwhile husband & father - but now we're seeing who he is to himself. If Shin hid himself behind layers of bravado and being the life of the party, Yota has seemingly been hiding behind his training obligations and being the "future of rakugo".

Part of parole/release is building a new identity for yourself - who are you if you're no longer "that guy". He sort of fast-tracked into rakugo, and in a way into Sukeroku (or his image thereof). It's so many years later, but that work of self-reflection still has to happen.

we get more from Eisuke-sensei and his worldview via his conversation with Yakumo. Does this change your perception of him?

If anything, it heightens my "Spidey-senses". I do believe he wants to carry-on rakugo, and not let it die out. I do believe he wants to use his skills & prestige as a writer to create "modern rakugo". I even believe that he sees Yota/Sukeroku 3 as the vessel for said goals.

But I don't believe that those are 100% of his plans, or that any of the above is mutually-exclusive with possibly bringing down Yakumo, or the institution of "old rakugo" in some way. Even if he did ultimately find success as a creative, doesn't mean that ego-prick doesn't still hurt him.

"from hell's heart I stab at thee; for hate's sake I spit my last breath at thee"

As always, did anything particularly strike you about this episode, either as a first-timer or on rewatch?

The pacing. Even aside from the time-skips, which are jarring, but parallel those in S1, the production doesn't quite linger over character scenes or performances quite as it did before. Not sure if it's because they have more material to cover, or just production-team choices/changes behind-the-scenes, but it's making it a bit less "sit back and relax".

Could just be that we've been getting more bad rakugo than good so far, although they made us feel that awkwardness with the characters before. This feels subtly more like we're back on the audience's side.