Christophe
Completely Average High School Student
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/2015-11-11Cover.jpg">
<b>Review of The Eccentric Family by Christophe</b>
Based on its title alone, I expected <em>The Eccentric Family</em> to be a comedy about a dysfunctional family. You know, like <em>Modern Family</em> crossed with <em>The Simpsons</em>, maybe crossed with <em>Crayon Shin-chan</em>. Fortunately, this series is far more unique than that.<br>
<em>The Eccentric Family</em> is about a family living in Kyoto who can transform into racoons; seriously, Phil Dunphy has nothing on this type of eccentricity. To be more specific, this family are actually all tanuki, those cute little Japanese animals that also feature in Studio Ghibli’s <em>Pom Poko</em> (although fortunately their “pouches” don’t play such a major role here). In Japan’s old capital city of Kyoto, there are three races all vying for control: humans, tanuki, and tengu. Humans are the dominant species, and most of them are unaware even that tengu and tanuki continue to exist. Therefore, in order to maintain their relevance, the tanuki and tengu take on human forms to better integrate into the modern world. The series focuses on a tanuki called Yasaburo Shimogamo, who is particularly happy to live life as a human and eschew his responsibilities as a tanuki. His family become worried when Yasaburo seems to become infatuated with the powerful human woman Benten, who has just joined a secret society which eats tanuki – the very same society which ate Yasaburo’s father years before...<br>
A series with such a fantastical premise as this one requires solid characters to keep the story grounded and relatable. Fortunately, the Shimogamo family are all very well developed, and the majority of the supporting cast are just as complex and believable. Not all characters, however: the head of the related but rival tanuki family seems to be an outright villain, in existence just to provide an opponent for our protagonists to face off against, and unfortunately his motivations are never explored in any kind of meaningful way. The source material is a novel (that’s right, not a light novel, but an actual novel!), and perhaps it’s the adaptation of this medium into a 13 episode anime which has limited the story’s capacity to explore every character fully. For the most part though the characters are multifaceted and interesting, and it is likely that two people watching the series could have completely opposing ideas as to whether particular characters are good or evil.<br>
There are some effective plot twists which, although most viewers will be able to see them coming from miles off, still pack an emotional punch with their delivery. The humour of the series is largely understated, which is well-suited to the tone; there aren’t any characters screaming punchlines a la typical Shonen Jump fare here. One of Yasaburo’s stranger character traits is his preference for transforming into the form of a human schoolgirl, and the simultaneously disgusted and enticed responses of his fellow tanuki never fail to provide amusement.<br>
The art style is very bright and often very simplistic in its characters designs, and seems well-suited to the comedic elements of the series. Those familiar with <em>Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei</em> will recognise the original character designs as creations of Koji Kumeta, and will surely enjoy the ridiculous expressions of the background characters. Strangely though, the juxtaposition of the cartoony character designs with the darker elements of the series is also very effective, as it creates a sense of unease in how the childlike happy world of the characters is being encroached upon by evil. This sense of misgiving is very effective in making the journey of Yasaburo more relatable, himself being a teenager learning, through the course of the series, about the dark pasts of his friends and family.<br>
Takahiro Sakurai, Yasaburo’s voice actor, captures very well the feigned indifference but genuine sincerity of a teenager who cares deeply for his family, but is hesitant to always show it. The rest of the cast are similarly strong, and all seem perfect for their roles. My particular favourite is the casting of Kosuke Hatakeyama as Ginkaku Ebisugawa, the younger of two twin brothers who constantly undertake all kinds of hare-brained schemes to interfere with the lives of Yasaburou and his family. And Mamiko Noto is perfect as Benten, bringing the necessary mixture of sexiness and scariness to the character. There is no English dub provided for those who prefer that sort of thing, so it’s fortunate that the Japanese dub is so good.<br>
The opening song is by milktub, a wonderful band that has provided multiple anisongs, and is notable for its lead singer/songwriter being a famous producer of hentai games. It is a joyously upbeat pop-rock song, which also manages to incorporate classical Japanese elements to fit the series’ Kyoto setting. The soundtrack for the show itself is similarly a blend of the modern and the traditional, suiting the series’ tone.<br>
As much as I enjoyed <em>The Eccentric Family</em>, it certainly isn’t a show for everyone. Its very Japanese characters, who rigidly follow tradition to the point of putting themselves in completely unnecessary danger, can be frustrating for a western viewer to watch. There were several points where I was thinking, “just punch the guy!”, while on-screen the character is instead grovelling out of respect for his seniority. Perhaps this cultural disconnect between the more hierarchical and respect-focussed East and the brash and confident West will also make difficult viewing for other English viewers. The series is also not for those who like their drama gritty and real; while the characters mostly feel very genuine and human, the vast majority of them are mystical beings (transforming raccoon dogs, winged demons, or magic-users). If one struggles to immerse themselves in and care about the setting of <em>The Eccentric Family</em>, then the story which the setting plays host to will be difficult to appreciate.<br>
<em>The Eccentric Family</em> presents a fun and engaging, and occasionally challenging, story in an unusual setting. While some may not enjoy its somewhat slow pace and, in some cases, avoidable dramatic situations, most should appreciate the show for what it is: something that’s a bit unique and quirky, but which still has the solid foundation of a good story about the importance of family.<br>
The special edition Blu-ray set comes with a colourful slip case, as well as a 64 page artbook of designs, sketches and promotional artwork. The on-disc extras are the standard clean opening and ending, and the usual range of trailers. Also available is a standard DVD collection.<br>
<b>Final score: 8 out of 10</b>
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-11EF1.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-11EF2.png">
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<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-11EF5.png">
<b>Review of The Eccentric Family by Christophe</b>
Based on its title alone, I expected <em>The Eccentric Family</em> to be a comedy about a dysfunctional family. You know, like <em>Modern Family</em> crossed with <em>The Simpsons</em>, maybe crossed with <em>Crayon Shin-chan</em>. Fortunately, this series is far more unique than that.<br>
<em>The Eccentric Family</em> is about a family living in Kyoto who can transform into racoons; seriously, Phil Dunphy has nothing on this type of eccentricity. To be more specific, this family are actually all tanuki, those cute little Japanese animals that also feature in Studio Ghibli’s <em>Pom Poko</em> (although fortunately their “pouches” don’t play such a major role here). In Japan’s old capital city of Kyoto, there are three races all vying for control: humans, tanuki, and tengu. Humans are the dominant species, and most of them are unaware even that tengu and tanuki continue to exist. Therefore, in order to maintain their relevance, the tanuki and tengu take on human forms to better integrate into the modern world. The series focuses on a tanuki called Yasaburo Shimogamo, who is particularly happy to live life as a human and eschew his responsibilities as a tanuki. His family become worried when Yasaburo seems to become infatuated with the powerful human woman Benten, who has just joined a secret society which eats tanuki – the very same society which ate Yasaburo’s father years before...<br>
A series with such a fantastical premise as this one requires solid characters to keep the story grounded and relatable. Fortunately, the Shimogamo family are all very well developed, and the majority of the supporting cast are just as complex and believable. Not all characters, however: the head of the related but rival tanuki family seems to be an outright villain, in existence just to provide an opponent for our protagonists to face off against, and unfortunately his motivations are never explored in any kind of meaningful way. The source material is a novel (that’s right, not a light novel, but an actual novel!), and perhaps it’s the adaptation of this medium into a 13 episode anime which has limited the story’s capacity to explore every character fully. For the most part though the characters are multifaceted and interesting, and it is likely that two people watching the series could have completely opposing ideas as to whether particular characters are good or evil.<br>
There are some effective plot twists which, although most viewers will be able to see them coming from miles off, still pack an emotional punch with their delivery. The humour of the series is largely understated, which is well-suited to the tone; there aren’t any characters screaming punchlines a la typical Shonen Jump fare here. One of Yasaburo’s stranger character traits is his preference for transforming into the form of a human schoolgirl, and the simultaneously disgusted and enticed responses of his fellow tanuki never fail to provide amusement.<br>
The art style is very bright and often very simplistic in its characters designs, and seems well-suited to the comedic elements of the series. Those familiar with <em>Sayonara Zetsubou-Sensei</em> will recognise the original character designs as creations of Koji Kumeta, and will surely enjoy the ridiculous expressions of the background characters. Strangely though, the juxtaposition of the cartoony character designs with the darker elements of the series is also very effective, as it creates a sense of unease in how the childlike happy world of the characters is being encroached upon by evil. This sense of misgiving is very effective in making the journey of Yasaburo more relatable, himself being a teenager learning, through the course of the series, about the dark pasts of his friends and family.<br>
Takahiro Sakurai, Yasaburo’s voice actor, captures very well the feigned indifference but genuine sincerity of a teenager who cares deeply for his family, but is hesitant to always show it. The rest of the cast are similarly strong, and all seem perfect for their roles. My particular favourite is the casting of Kosuke Hatakeyama as Ginkaku Ebisugawa, the younger of two twin brothers who constantly undertake all kinds of hare-brained schemes to interfere with the lives of Yasaburou and his family. And Mamiko Noto is perfect as Benten, bringing the necessary mixture of sexiness and scariness to the character. There is no English dub provided for those who prefer that sort of thing, so it’s fortunate that the Japanese dub is so good.<br>
The opening song is by milktub, a wonderful band that has provided multiple anisongs, and is notable for its lead singer/songwriter being a famous producer of hentai games. It is a joyously upbeat pop-rock song, which also manages to incorporate classical Japanese elements to fit the series’ Kyoto setting. The soundtrack for the show itself is similarly a blend of the modern and the traditional, suiting the series’ tone.<br>
As much as I enjoyed <em>The Eccentric Family</em>, it certainly isn’t a show for everyone. Its very Japanese characters, who rigidly follow tradition to the point of putting themselves in completely unnecessary danger, can be frustrating for a western viewer to watch. There were several points where I was thinking, “just punch the guy!”, while on-screen the character is instead grovelling out of respect for his seniority. Perhaps this cultural disconnect between the more hierarchical and respect-focussed East and the brash and confident West will also make difficult viewing for other English viewers. The series is also not for those who like their drama gritty and real; while the characters mostly feel very genuine and human, the vast majority of them are mystical beings (transforming raccoon dogs, winged demons, or magic-users). If one struggles to immerse themselves in and care about the setting of <em>The Eccentric Family</em>, then the story which the setting plays host to will be difficult to appreciate.<br>
<em>The Eccentric Family</em> presents a fun and engaging, and occasionally challenging, story in an unusual setting. While some may not enjoy its somewhat slow pace and, in some cases, avoidable dramatic situations, most should appreciate the show for what it is: something that’s a bit unique and quirky, but which still has the solid foundation of a good story about the importance of family.<br>
The special edition Blu-ray set comes with a colourful slip case, as well as a 64 page artbook of designs, sketches and promotional artwork. The on-disc extras are the standard clean opening and ending, and the usual range of trailers. Also available is a standard DVD collection.<br>
<b>Final score: 8 out of 10</b>
<b>Additional screencaps</b>
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-11EF1.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-11EF2.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-11EF4.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-11EF3.png">
<img src="http://www.animeuknews.net/img/uploaded/screens/2015-11-11EF5.png">
