Uchouten Kazoku – 10
Good luck, Yaichirou, you’re going to need it.
It’s finally the day of, well, everything in Uchouten Kazoku. The anniversary of Souichirou’s death, the day of the Friday Fellows year end party, the day of the Nise-emon election. And the day where all the plans go into action.
(as a side note, I’m not doing a Love Lab post this week, since it was mostly comedy skits this week, but it’ll be back next week).
Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap
More picking on Yashirou
The Ebisugawa are pretty low. Putting their big plan into action against the whole Shimogamo family, it starts with taking advantage of Yashiro at his humiliating job for the Kinkaku and Ginkaku. I was hoping he wouldn’t be so spineless as to give up his phone, but unfortunately he was, and you really can’t blame him too much.
Faked out
But getting Yashiro out of the way is only the first part. Yaichiro, on his way to show his continued candidacy for the position of Nise-emon, is induced into an accident throwing him out of his rickshaw by a tanuki doll, and someone has whipped up a storm with the Fuujin Raijin fan (last seen by Yasaburou when he blew the Ebisugawa out of the sky with it) to scare Mother. And the only one Yasaburou can find is Kaisei, who finds him and tells him of the plan against his family. But that’s not all she has to tell.
Like Father, Like Son
A smile full of guile
Once again, Uchouten Kazoku employs the extended storytelling to further complete the picture of the night. What happened after Yajirou and Souichirou parted ways that fateful night? Well, it turned out that Souichirou had another appointment even after that, with Soun. And Kaisei knows because she was brought along, presumably on purpose, by Soun.
Souichirou catches up fast
The level of deliberate betrayal on offer here is astounding, and there is no mistake that Soun so hates the Shimogamo family, and his own older brother, that he is willing to be complicit in their kidnap and murder. For that’s certainly what everyone knows will happen to a tanuki taken for the Friday Fellows year end party. And not only does he do it to his own brother, but he is planning to do the same to Yaichirou. For what? Being a Shimogamo? Having the temerity to oppose him in his goal of being Nise-emon, which was also the second of Soun’s losses to Souichirou, which further steel him to carry out this vile deed.
His journey to the dark side is now complete
But what was the first? Well, that seems to have been Souichirou winning the heart of a girl they both cared for. And to hear Soun tell it, they were married ‘in a flash’, certainly before Soun wanted. And he has held and nurtured this grudge for this long, decades, and let it fester into something that allows him to sell his own brother up the river. A brother who, for all outward appearances, holds very little open animosity towards Soun anymore, who he’s even gladly meeting to bury the hatchet and reconcile with. But that doesn’t matter to Soun. And Souichirou, sensing the fait accompli with Benten present and no hope of resistance, asks just to clarify that Soun knows exactly what is happening, and is answered in the affirmative (with a smug expression).
Kaisei weeps
Additional Images
We’re left with the seemingly terrible inevitability of Yasaburou’s capture, along with the rest of his family. But what will happen in the next episode? I’ve thought of some speculative pathways, but the show has done well to play its cards close to the vest, without really tipping its hand as to which way it will go. There could be important roles for Kaisei, Yajirou, Yashirou, even Benten or Yakushibou. As the preview asks, “What fate awaits our family?”
And while this episode didn’t leave one in tears like the previous ones about Souichirou’s death, there was a far grimmer reaction on my part. It’s not ‘shock’ at Soun’s betrayal. Nothing about what he’s done is particularly shocking to me, just far beyond what I thought one could do. The depths of his unscrupulousness haven’t been plumbed, and it’s hard to even say that he’s doing it for the election, because what election is worth murdering your nephew for? No, he’s doing it for his own smug self-satisfaction, his own ego. The election is merely picking the target as Yaichirou rather than Yasaburou.
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Villainy as petty as this often contains the seeds of it’s own destruction. Soun really isn’t used to earning anything is he, nor to setting his own goals. If we can see any path to the conclusion, it will have that in it.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
We’ve seen that to tanuki, the possibility of ending up as nabe is just a fact of life. Almost as if they don’t really consider it murder (and really, tanuki are in a weird spot, in that they don’t really claim sentience to the humans, but instead hide it, so it is hard for them to claim rights as sentient beings). So on that hand, the objective level of Soun’s crimes isn’t as bad to tanuki. Yet on a personal level it’s still conspiracy to kill another.
Soun is the guy who is always second fiddle, and he’s only second because he’s the guy who doesn’t recognize the superiority of the other guy and drop out, like everyone else does. Second of 2 is last place, not first loser.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I could certainly be wrong, but I’m still expecting Benten to aid the Shimogamos and Soun or his idiot sons ending in the hot pot. OTOH, I wouldn’t be surprised if its Kaisei in the hot pot (GOD I HOPE NOT!!!) and Soun is left devastated that it’s his scheming that led to that. And it is because of that that the two families begin to reconcile.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
There are quite a few people talking about Kaisei being sacrificed, but to me, that seems nigh unto impossible. Soun and the idiot brothers have all of them captured. They’re going to give one of the tanuki to Yodagawa (remember that he’s responsible for procuring the ingredients), so why would they give Kaisei to him? It would be a total mistake of epic proportions. What on earth would make them give up Kaisei? The only thing could be her transforming into a tanuki that looks like Yaichiro, and I don’t see her doing that for him (maybe Yajirou or Yasaburou, but that’s a huge long shot).
So really, the idea that Kaisei is in mortal danger is pretty far-fetched, I think.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Don’t forget the wild card Benten. If one or more of the Ebisugawa end up in the hot pot I’m sure it’ll be because of her. She might do it to Kaisei because she regards Yasaburou as hers. Sure, that’d probably kill any feelings he has for her, but Benten might not care if he likes her or not.
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
I felt disgusted for the most part of the episode because of its ugly revelations. Excluding the kind hearted Kaisei, the Ebisugawa family has sunk to a new low. It’s rather detestable that they don’t care who they hurt as long as they get what they want with no sign of remorse or regret. All what this is bringing Soun is retribution of the worst kind. Villains this despicable and vile are the architects of their own well deserved destruction.
POWUH: Metanorn Lover with 175 comments
oh my seeing recent drama on last few eps & now this all my it’s a was all a conspiracy Coup d’état event that was a total takeover in the making.
POWUH: 600-699 with 691 comments
go Yasaburou!
This episode sure was intense, the plot, the betrayal, the chicken!
The Ebisugawa family should suffer with shinji(Fate)
Man He betrayed his own brother, that’s low
I fell sorry for Kaisei, having a family like that must be shameful
POWUH: iLurker with 5 comments
Whoa!!! It seems trickery, scheming and bad blood can take a long time to surface. Sou’s not even satisfied that he got Souichirou, so he’s taken his time and is now going after the rest of the family. Well, in MY world, I’d have Souichirou seeing the same scenario, and knowing that his family would be next, faked his death with Benton’s help, and HE waited for the time when Sou would make his move, then nip it in the bud. Benten would be crying at the well now because she has to let all this happen without helping the family. In my world, anyway…