Barakamon – 07
Special Guest Star Eren Jaeger! Will he defeat the Well Dressed Titan?!
Welcome back to the Gotou Islands! Though I am certain the show takes place on Fukue-shiima, the archipelago does have an island called Naru…
——————————————————————————————————————————————
The Return of the Myna Birds
Taste is relative. As are opinions. So what denotes anything that is high grade? Well, demand is as good an indicator as any, but then, dial back to where the demand began, and you may see how tastes shape fashion. This is all very well and good, but how does this even get close to Naru tackling three grown men into the ocean? It doesn’t. But it does lead us back to the themes explored in the first two episodes, that of imitation. Fashion is one person’s whim and many other’s imitation. Long story short; I love snapper sashimi, and prefer my mackerel grilled. There really isn’t such a thing as the Fashion Police, but we do rather go on is if there is a very real station down the way, filled with finely coiffed gentlemen with tape measures, assessing the length of our trousers, and the cut of our shirts. As if there is a standard that is somehow enforced by natural law, like a pencil always falling to ground when dropped instead of floating.
Eren Jaeger, master of the shoal!
Like many other Kaji Yuki’s callow youth characters, it does take a bit to get accustomed to Kousuke. But rather than the one that knows he’s way behind the curve and whines to catch up, it’s much more fun and interesting to see a kid think he is tops in everything and whine while being pulled back down to earth. I love how that exchange between him and Miwa basically devolved to his histrionics fully caught in rocks. Meanwhile, the act of scattering bait to attract bottom feeders in shallow water, and using hooks to catch the school during feeding frenzy had quite a bit to say about how we attract attention to our other works. Art being the work in question here. Become popular, and many that have no knowledge of you will assume you are popular just by association and word of mouth. Prizes can be pitfalls…
Yes, sensei, you used mackerel to spell snapper. No points, dude…..
To me the fullness of this story only hits it’s true depths by the end. With our islanderss bidding goodbye to the city dwellers, we are told full stop by the Mayor that this visit did a great deal to stir up the kids. Hiroshii is looking at the horizon, with Miwa looking at him. Naru of course brings him back to earth with a well place orange drink spill. Kousuke is willing to come back and visit after having seen just how Handa-sensei is fully enraptured by a new perspective on the island. His hand twitches to create. Art happens no matter what. We are hard wired for it. And for the selling of it, it seems….
Fish Hooks
“Most of us only find our own voices after sounding like a lot of other people” – Neil Gaiman from the above link. We saw a chain happening in this episode. From Handa-sensei to Kousuke, but only with that link really starting with Handa’s father, as way said by Kawafuji; and it could be implied that even Handa-san is linked to one in his past. Now the chain could keep going, adding link upon link in it’s time, or the chain could be broken. Traditional, that has one prizes, or the unconventional, that commands attention.You could be convinced to split the difference and have many chains linked in a little dance. But you can have too many hooks on the line, watching the hisan-iwo get away, if I may glide around on metaphors on a quiet breeze. What did you folks think?
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Don’t make fun of Naru or you could end up swimming.
So what if Handa-sensei used mackerel to spell snapper. He still used inked fish to spell the name of a fish. He’s breaking away from traditional calligraphy to something different and innovative. The question is does he continue walking down this path to find his own, unique style? It may not win prizes, but I bet it’d sell. I think his snapper/mackerel piece would. Screw the starving for his art meme. An artist should be able to make a decent living.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I was joking around with the mackerel/snapper bit.
I’ve never been a fan of the starving artist syndrome. Give me coin, you get my goodies.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Handa-sensei is all grown up! I feel like a mother being proud of her progeny in a weird way. This was a good episode for showcasing his growth and I’m happy to see get over half of his blubbering. Also, love the support cast. Everyone of them.
Kawafuji Suave and Eren screaming Kaji were a good bonus too.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
would that make you and OC dueling mothers? Me, the father? This is an interesting family….
I place high favorites on Miwa and Hiroshii as supporting cast. They riff off the mains well.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I support shipping Miwa x Hiroshii.
Maybe that’d put a crack in Tama’s yaoi goggles concerning Handa-sensei x Hiroshii. Or are her yaoi goggles too strong to crack?
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…she’s in early days for yaoi, perhaps there is hope!
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
I enjoy her yaoi goggles so I hope the pretenses keep up. Seeing her squirm is too much fun! Though, I do worry about her blood loss too.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
The Yaoi(tm) is strong in her…
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Haha I miss Tama! seems she getting less time… but she’ll be around I’m sure. And your Yaoi goggles are strong indeed, its fun to watch her misunderstand lol.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Tama seems to have become a really one-note character, which is a little disappointing. I thought that Miwa and Tama made a good pair to provide that middle ground between Naru and Hina’s little kid annoyances and Hiroshii’s wanna-be grown up attitude.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
OMG, rather than dueling mothers, we can always share the goodness! 😉
Btw, Hiroshii is fine with any of the adults really. He’s too good for this small town. xD
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Aw, c’mon, Death Perception vs. Karate-chop. Find a mangaka, make it happen.
POWUH: Meta Team and Ringleader Extraordinaire~ with 6433 comments
Haven’t you played Met’Amour? Karate-chop is boss lady’s hidden assassin. 😉
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…assassin’s can turn….
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
yes Indeed Miwa is a high favorite supporting character for me, she a fun character that’s for sure, Hiroshii isn’t so bad either hehe
POWUH: Lovely-pyon~ with 386 comments
Anther fun episode, Though I feel nothing much really happened, though the chain bit was pretty nice, thanks for that. Oh fishing what a fun and relaxing time, and watching Naru take the fish off for Handa seem kinda funny, it should be the other way around but you know lol.
Yeah I last bit of this episode would be my highlight really, seeing how they act in the airport was too fun to watch, not worried about why they where really there at first, but looking at all the cool things hehe. The metal detector was great, seeing them all laugh at them as they walked though and get buzzed haha good fun humor. But ya in the end they actually had fun with the new city folks so this was a fun enjoyable relaxing episode, thanks for sharing Skylion!~
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I’m always looking for when “nothing happens”; as it seems like a great deal actually does happen.
Well, Naru has the experience, and Handa is smart to avial himself to that.
I wonder how much anime tourism is going to be centered on that metal detector? You know people will visit…
POWUH: 800-899 and Flying Sage with 856 comments
I like the fact that Handa-sensei isn’t stressing about his role in the community. They do a good job of showing his chemistry with the various islanders. It is very convincing that he truly enjoys his time there, and that they enjoy hanging out with him, too.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…chalk that up to the frank nature of the islanders…and perhaps that is something that Handa has been looking for, given how socially awkward he was made out to be…
POWUH: and Yaoi Fangirl~ with 2320 comments
I was really impressed with Handa’s reaction for the past 2 episodes. He is really different from how he was in the beginning of episode 1. It amazes me how he can change in such a short amount of time.
I should live in the village
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I put a wikipedia link in the first sentence of my intro. Shall we meet up with the wharf roaches? I’ll play Naru and you can play Hina! LOL>