Barakamon Simulwatch and Calligraphy learning.

Lordhippos said:
Episode 2

I'm really sorry this is kind of late in the day, I got sidetracked and only sat down to watch the episode an hour or so ago!

Starting to learn their names, the kid is Naru, the MC is Sensei. Wait that's probably not right, but for now that will do. Always takes me 2-3 eps to get the names going properly in my head, which isn't great when the whole thing is only 12 episodes long.

Some funny twists in the story which I liked. For instance the guy (again name escapes me) was adamant that was the last meal he'd bring him, and left vowing to bring him another that evening. Naru jokingly said she was Sensei's commuting wife I think it was (a bit too close to the conversation yesterday about Usagi Drop @João Gomes @Vincentdante @Neil.T.

The overarching lesson here does seem to be about talent and working hard, and I guess how working hard alone does not make you talented, but talent does not mean you don't need to work hard. In any case, work, work, work until you drop. I feel this is a big cultural thing where overworking yourself into hospital is more common somehow than we see here.

I knew the very second that old man showed up that he was a ghost!
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I'm generally really bad with names also so it's fine lol. Just to put you at ease you don't need to worry about any "yesterday's conversational plot twists" happening as this show doesn't go that way lol.
 
Episode 2 - Overworking is bad. You need to rest. Another Great episode, I was laughing from the first gag, with the mum and village chief talking to their average son and the mum's obsession with Sensei. I liked how most of the character were stepping on Sensei at first but as soon as he's in hospital, they tell him to take it easy.

The one thing I'm angry about is not watching this series sooner. It's only 12 episodes and after watching 2 episodes, I just want to binge the rest. But I will restrain myself for the sake of the simulwatch.
 
Episode 3

The moral and central focus of this episode is clearly that we need Shonen to be done in the style of Junji Ito.

There might have been a small bit about finding opportunity in the least likely places and don't be afraid of losing but that is of minor relevance compared to the above.

As an aside that Funimation Now ad on the blu-ray is really grating. At least you can skip it but never fast enough.
 
Episode 3

So we have the emphasis that Naru is wise beyond her years at the start of the episode. I'm not going to lie, I often find child characters a little grating, especially as they are so often just shown to be as moe as possible, but in this I think Naru treads the line well between serious and cute. She always finds a way to drag Sensei out of his dispair.

Sensei learning that there is always someone younger and better than you at something, you can only do your best.

Writing manga is serious business, and especially for a closet BL manga fan.

Gonna try and hit episode 3 earlier tomorrow, no work so should be possible! 🥳
 
Episodes 1-3 Doing a bit of catch up on this but I’ve enjoyed rewatching the series to far (I think this is my third time overall).

Once again I find myself enjoying characters and their interactions - similarly to @Lordhippos I also usually find little kid characters a bit grating if they’re not written well but here I think Naru is presented as a nice foil to Handa.
 
Episode 3 - Writing a shounen manga is tough, especially if it's a horror. I think i'm gonna sound like a broken record for this simulwatch, another great episode.

The beginning gag is great with Naru being wise and all knowing then her confidence is shattered and her face slides back to normal. I laughed as soon as I saw her 'mature' face.

Also learned today that 'Handa-kun', a series that a friend likes, is a prequel to this. The more you know.
 
Episode 4

I wonder if kids today would get confused by using a landline phone, let alone an old rotary phone. It seems very sillly though lol.

Naru once again snapping Handa out of his stoop by literally putting a hand print on a ship was quite funny. As was the messages Handa practiced with on the planks of wood. Appreciate the translators put in the effort to add some signs on the blu-ray.
 
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Lordhippos said:
I'm not gonna always do this, but I will do this episode in a series of pics of my fav moments in this episode :)

This is just the setup episode so I'm getting to learn that people on the Island are crazy nosy and locking your door is no guarantee that people can't get in. #IslandLife.

How to Live on an Island:

Step 1:

Punch old critic who can't walk without a cane

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Step 2:

Arrive on an island with very little going on. Fook U airport!

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What is this thing? I hope there aren't more of them?

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The scenery is really nice

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I'm beginning to see how she got back in, there was 3 of her all along.

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Need some aloe vera for that sick burn :D

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Time to cool off I reckon

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It's a metaphorical wall, just climbing it won't actually fix your calligraphy

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Someone needs to put this kind on a watchlist

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Maybe it was the butt poke that fired him up?

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All in all quite an enjoyable intro ep, I like the artwork, and the general theme seems to be one of positivity, which is sometimes quite nice as a break between heavier shows.
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Loving the photo favourites compilation! Very nicely done indeed dude.

Finally caught up on the first three episodes. The comedy is spot on and I love it that much more when comedy isn't just in a vacuum but rather nicely coupled with other insights, in this case into adult value & work psychology, not a common subject broached in anime in my experience.

Barakamon starts with one of my now favourite opening scenes, with a pompous git getting socked (okay, okay I'm not condoning violence towards us geriatrics but being old and using a cane is no excuse for being a dick: it is not that difficult to give constructive criticism...), and then the shoe after (Ittaayy!) was a great touch heheh.

Naru is a very loveable rascal and I do agree that her character steers clear of the irritating, saccharine child trope ("your writing is just like the textbooks" heheheh). Though this strikes a bit close to home, as I usually watch anime to get away from the overly-excitable, attention-seeking, lovable little human in my life heh (also randomly reminded me of Rei-6 from Eva going "why have you shrunk this human??).

The closet BL lover "artist" (not some lowly doujinshi she'll have you know!) is absolutely hilarious. Fitting very much with "still waters running deep" and all, but it does make me a bit more fearful of what Naru's friend Hina may be capable of (though I guess she has given us crying on an athletic level so far...). Some nice soul-searching in the series throughout so far, but I really liked how it was incorporated within the comedy of the manga artist girl (I'm terrible with names too) with her lack of esteem, despite her obvious passion, not just in herself but in her chosen hobby/profession. I'm sure quite a few of us have had to explain to non-anime/manga fans about the utility of these media (though I don't really bother anymore these days) and it also reminded me of all the fallacy and schtick sci-fi gets within literature for not being highbrow compared to other genres, like fantasy for example (a nice article from the guardian I read on this previously for anyone interested: 'It drives writers mad': why are authors still sniffy about sci-fi?).

Right diversion over and now to look for where I can buy this series from as, just on the basis of the first quarter, it's definitely going in my collection!
 
RadFemHedonist said:
@Geriatric hedgehog CEX have it for £22 + £1.95 postage secondhand (4 in stock atm) :)

CeX

uk.webuy.com

Also I really enjoyed your post it was great one of your best :)
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Good stuff, thanks guys! Gotta love CEX for the possibility offered of getting out of stock collections. And I'm glad you could actually manage to read my ramble, with my flight of ideas they look painful to read even when I look back on them heheh.
 
Episode 4

Are we meant to believe he's never touched a cat before? and if it was due to his allergies, are we meant to believe he didn't know he was alergic to cats? Besides that suspension of disbelief, I liked the cat bit was obvious he was gonna get mauled by the feral one! 🤣

I'm with Sensei, rotary phones, just how old is that thing? I'm no spring chicken but don't think I've ever seen one in real life, only in films.

First of all you knock over some seaweed, then you have to write the name on the boat, then you get given the seaweed, then you lose the seaweed whilst running away scared. I liked the boat naming scene, it lays out something I think all of us are probably familiar with, you can be nervous about things, but once you start doing something, the nerves often vanish and confidence kicks in.

Another good episode :)
 
I have vague memories of a rotary phone but I was probably like 3 years old lol, but yeah they disapeared when the 90's kicked in.

Good point with the cat scene, it's hard to believe he didn't know he had allergies until then. My thoughts watching that was "I'm more of a dog person".
 
Episode 4
The rotary phone scene was funny, I'm old enough to remember using them. Handa is 23 and this came out in '14 so I guess they were going out of fashion around the time he was born.

Naru was there to save the day again to get Handa over his jitters of "dirtying" the white ship.

The cat was a little odd. In the flashback it seems his dad knew he was allergic because of the warning, but I don't know how he never got close to a cat in all that time between, or indeed if his dad did know why he didn't tell his son properly.

Probably not as funny or profound an episode as the first 3 but still enjoyable.
 
Episode 4 - I had to pause it because I laughed too hard and much at Sensei's reaction/scream to the 'Yakuza' Dad realising who sensei was. If this series stays at this quality of episodes then it will easily make it into the top ten, or even five.

I remember playing with a rotary phone when I was younger, I think it was my grandparents. We should go back to using those, it will teach kids/teens today on how to hold a phone probably, instead of having it on speaker and switching between holding it to their mouth to speak and then placing it next to their ear to listen. Just hold it normally you stupid kids. rant over.
 
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