Barakamon Simulwatch and Calligraphy learning.

[Professor Irony]

Hadn’t seen anyone else bring it up, so random trivia, I thought it might be worth mentioning that Naru’s mature face is borrowed from iconic assassin for hire, Golgo 13.



Not quite sure if there’s any particular significance to the joke - perhaps it’s just that Golgo is a well known symbol of stoicism and seriousness.

 

[Geriatric hedgehog]

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.

This is seaweed abuse, call the authorities! I think I remember reading about how some locals in Japan are incredibly protective of their seaweed, even admonishing any outsiders trying to pick any from their beaches! Or something along those lines anyway.

I think my favourite bit was when Sensei was on the phone and everyone ripped into him for talking about seeing the light and being in the darkness!

That was hilarious! Nothing more irritating than a little twerp taking the mickey when one feels they are being truly profound heheh. That and the sailor-dad's discovery of the Yakuza boat signs were the comedydy highlights for me heheh.

And the rotary phone was a fantastic bit of time-travelling (ah the wonderful remote villages that hold on to historical tech). I too remember them from my childhood, and having not had a landline for well over a decade, I am now inspired to get one just to be able to justify plonking down a rotary phone to confuse all the youff! And I too am more of a dog person (formerly a cat person in another lifetime) as they will be as happy to see you regardless of whether they want you to get them dinner or not...

 

[Vincentdante]

Episode 5.

Mmm why was I getting flashbacks to our Usagi drop conversation from episode 1? Well whatever caused that at least it's all innocent here anyway. Also I find myself hungry for home made pickles for similarliy unkown reasons.

Well we see Handa cares about the kids and vice versa, and between concussions he just wanted to make sure they were safe at the beach. The gag where he falls over with every step was hilarious when you realise that it really does happen every single time he moves.

Now I leave you with this question. Does anyone skip the end credits? Or do you sit through to the post credits scene each episode has?

 

[Neil.T]

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.

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

Damn.
My gran had one of those back in the early Nineties, so I remember them well.

I'm keeping pace with the simulwatch but haven't posted anything about the show yet. I'm working on it, though.

 

[Neil.T]

Now I leave you with this question. Does anyone skip the end credits?

Hell, no! I like the ending song too much to do that. They're credited as NoisyCell, and given that the credits also mention songwriter Ryo, I'm guessing they're a continuation of the group Supercell, who have done music for anime such as Black Rock Shooter and Guilty Crown, to name a couple:

Supercell (band) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

And I still haven't finished writing my post yet.

 

[Geriatric hedgehog]

Supercell, who have done music for anime such as Black Rock Shooter and Guilty Crown

And not forgetting this corker for all Monogatari fans:

 

[Lordhippos]

Episode 5

So it's a Sunday, time for more pics. It's the obligatory beach ecchi episode. Ikuzo!

Tired of writing? I know that feeling.

Time for snooping!

Too much Usagi Drop for my liking.

Rocky beach is where it's at!

Frollick O'clock!

Old and wise Naru.

Naru, daijobu?

Chilling in the shade.

This will become a familiar scene

Sea slug is so bad they had to censor it haha

Sensie cheering Naru on

Everyone gets the bonk.

Everyone likes Sensei!

Chilling after a hard day

 

[D1tchd1gger]

Episode 5
Beach episode!
No girls in bikinis for this show though, although with 2 elementary schoolers and 2 middle schoolers (their designs maybe look a little older) that's probably for the best (although that hasn't stopped other shows!)

Handa hitting his head everytime is a bit like the Sideshow Bob rake gag, just repetitive enough to be funny without being too repetitive.

Too much Usagi Drop for my liking.

The Funimation subs went with "Plunder" for this scene.

Does anyone skip the end credits?

I almost never skip unless I'm binging and I know there's either only a next episode preview (I mean I'm going to watch the next episode straight away anyway) or nothing post-credits. Most of the time I use them as a quick forum reading time or writing my episode 1 liner unless the visuals are interesting, but most EDs are pretty chill visually.

 

[Geriatric hedgehog]

KONOMON Episode 5

The limitless temptation of the irresistible snack is hilariously captured here! Many a Doritos pack & Häagen-Dazs tub (all large of course!) have suffered the same fate in my hands, much to my wife's chagrin. Therefore, in honour of Konomon, forgive me @Lordhippos for feeling obligated to add a supplementary to your otherwise excellent photo collage:

Spoiler: Konomon

So the salacious beach episode is here! Oh wait, surely not with this cast ha..ha...huh, wait what are you doing with that sea cucumber? Oh dear...my poor eyes... And am I missing something or do they start sex-ed well early in Japan, enough for the poor prepubescent boy to comprehend the joke:

Sea slug is so bad they had to censor it haha

Alright, moving on from sea cucumber crassness (come on Barakamon, you're better than this! ** shivers from usagi drop bad route PTSD **) to my favourite non-fujoshi eyeglasses girl! Every scene with her & her reactions is hilarious, from the switchover to snooper mode when hearing of Kifujumi (or whatever Handa's best bud's name is) being a dude, to interrogating Handa at the beach in between his concussions heh.

Oh and a bit on the calligraphy itself - seeing the kids' practice sheets reminded me of how beautiful Eastern calligraphy can be. Been enjoying glimpses of that and look forward to seeing more as we go along. Interesting insight into Handa's mindset as well, including on his competitiveness with his great comment along the lines of "you'll see why I'm obsessed with winning after you've tasted victory yourself". His example also served as a reminder of what it really takes to be a good teacher and be able to teach at the level required for the level and motivations of your subject, and to not try and convince a hobbyist to work themselves to the bone to win a national competition they don't give two hoots about!

 

[Birdie Num Num]

I watched episode 5 of konomon earlier today, not konomon.. everyone has pretty much said what needs to be said.. tomorrow is the half point, which makes me a little sad because after that only 6 episodes remain..

 

[Lordhippos]

Now I leave you with this question. Does anyone skip the end credits? Or do you sit through to the post credits scene each episode has?

In answer to this I will often skip the end credits. Sometimes there is something to see afterwards which means I can miss something, but I prefer not to watch previews of the next episode, as I am generally intending to watch the next episode anyway without long gaps

Therefore, in honour of Konomon, forgive me @Lordhippos for feeling obligated to add a supplementary to your otherwise excellent photo collage:

I don't have a monopoly on pictures, you are all very welcome to put some up too!

Oh and a bit on the calligraphy itself - seeing the kids' practice sheets reminded me of how beautiful Eastern calligraphy can be

Definitely agree with you. I actually wondered just how big of a career Calligrapher is, it seems the people on the island generally respect him, and it also seems to pay well enough to be an actual career, but we don't really have an equivalent job here I think. Signage is very digital in the west.

The limitless temptation of the irresistible snack is hilariously captured here!

What actually is konomon? I haven't heard of it. Apparently you can never have too much. I'm off to bed in a min but I shall check replies in the konomon. I mean morning.

 

[RadFemHedonist]

Sorry that in the end I haven't really joined in with this simulwatch, everyone! But I'm enjoying seeing what others have written (and ofc the hilarious screenshots!)

Definitely agree with you. I actually wondered just how big of a career Calligrapher is, it seems the people on the island generally respect him, and it also seems to pay well enough to be an actual career, but we don't really have an equivalent job here I think. Signage is very digital in the west.

I've tried my hand at fancy lettering quite a few times (western style though) - I love stuff like that but my distractible ADHD struggling to follow through on things makes it hard. It is something I'd like to try at again and I do have some very cool pens for it like big sets of Kuretake ZIG stuff

 

[Vincentdante]

In answer to this I will often skip the end credits. Sometimes there is something to see afterwards which means I can miss something, but I prefer not to watch previews of the next episode, as I am generally intending to watch the next episode anyway without long gaps

Just FYI, I mentioned it because there isn't a next episode preview but an an extra on going gag at the end to every episode.

 

[Neil.T]

Sea slug is so bad they had to censor it

sea cucumber crassness

Yeah... Sea cucumber.
That was a bit disturbing.

Trying to move on from that, I wanted to say how good the voice cast are in this series. We've got some real anime stalwarts here:

Our main man Handa is voiced by the excellent Daisuke Ono. I first heard him as the elegant and mysterious Koizumi in The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. He's also the reluctantly violent Shizuo Heiwajima in Durarara!!.

Then there's another star performer in Fumihiko Tachiki, who plays the head teacher. You may be familiar with him as Gendō in Evangelion, of all things! I guess he was deliberately cast against type in Eva, because (based on the anime he's in that I've seen anyway) he typically plays pretty jovial characters, just as he's doing here.

We've got Junichi Suwabe here as well, who you may know as the title character in Space Dandy, and also Kōki Uchiyama, who's playing the role of Hiroshi, the village leader's son. I mentioned him in a recent simulwatch post of mine because he plays male lead Takumi in Anthem of the Heart.

Konomon.

https://otaku-recipes.tumblr.com%2Fpost%2F158258303617

 

[Vincentdante]

Episode 6

A rivaru appears!? I liked the gag where Miwa and Hiroshi were frantically trying to keep the rivals from leaking to Sensei which also resulted in Naru using a Pokeball with her bug types yet despite all that Handa knew all along and was pretty cool with it. It was funny but it showed he has grown at this point.

I guess this is the point of the story where Handa get's challeneged on his decisions up to this point but he is easily pursuded that he is and will keep going. Still more growing to do but certainly making good progress. This episode was mostly to serve as a tipping point for Handa's character arc but also marks the halfway point for the show.

Only 6 episodes left.

If I get the chance I will try Neil.T's recipe up there lol.

 

[D1tchd1gger]

Episode 6
So Handa's friend thinks he needs a rival, so brings someone along who could fit the bill and by the end Handa is fired up to continue finding his style.

 

[Neil.T]

If I get the chance I will try Neil.T's recipe up there lol.

Alas, I can't take any credit for the recipe itself, only for finding it via a Google search and dropping it in here.

After all, you know what they say:

Spoiler

Konomon where konomon's due.

 

[Birdie Num Num]

Episode 6 - With the appearance of his rival, it shows that Sensei has really grown from when he first arrived on the island. My friend forever..
Also I remember seeing the fujoshi girl at the door when everyone was freaking out about the bugs, and I'm glad the gag after the end credits showed what happened with her.

 

[Lordhippos]

Episode 6

Man I feel listless today, this weather has me melting. Tomorrow about the same levels of joy according to the forecast. It's almost midnight and my upstairs is now down to a cool 24 degrees C.

I'm not going to write much today but it was another good episode as usual, it's interesting that Sensei trying to find his way is perceived as a backwards step in his work.

I liked how the random quirks of the #IslandLife constantly appear, for instance Naru having never seen a credit card before, and knowing the tricks to catching shield bugs using a bottle.

Naru eating snails raw, ewww You're not French Naru, don't act like it!

 

[HWR]

Episodes 4-6 Doing some more catch-up here but enjoying the series just as much as I did before. Something I discovered about the Japanese cast is that (according to MAL) both Naru and Hina have VAs who at the time of release were around nine years old. Their performances really lend an authenticity to the energy of their characters.