Keep it wrapped up, folks.
Mistress Kanan Is Devilishly Easy Ep. 1
I think this show’s supposed to be funny. You might think the jokes are going over my head, but no, no, I get them. They ain’t making me laugh but I get them. To set the stage, Kanan is a top-heavy devil who has grown tired of fine-dining. Don’t mistake her for a succubus even though she looks like one. No, no, she doesn’t want to devour that. She just wants your soul instead. As a result, she has set up shop at a high school. Yoji, apparently, has the most tasty-looking morsel of them all. Unfortunately, Kanan yaps a lot before she eats her food, so he thinks she’s talking about sex. This horny boy is ready to get down. This instantly disarms Kanan, because she’s one of those pure pure devils who is clueless about the dirty deed. Instead of just eating her food, Kanan becomes attracted to her steak and potatoes. She thus allows Yoji talk his way into becoming her boyfriend. Soon after, the couple settle into a groove of oh-so-hilarious miscommunication and various forms of sexually-coded hijinks. Whenever he’s not talking about sex, she thinks he is. And whenever she isn’t talking about sex, he thinks she is. You’re supposed to find the irony funny, I think. But I just sat through this 24-minute episode wearing a single flat expression on my face. This is certainly a show to ever show. It also feels weird, because Aoi Koga voices Kanan and she isn’t doing much with the character. If I close my eyes, I just hear Kaguya in one of her freak out moments.
Akane-banashi Ep. 1
I don’t know anything about rakugo, and after watching this episode, I have so many questions. I don’t know why Akane’s father and the rest of the students bombed their test, but I can hazard a guess. In the middle of his performance, the judges started criticizing him for making wholesale changes to the story. Even though he still entertained the audience in the end, I can see how a traditionalist — a complete stick-in-the-mud — might be offended. But enough to expel everyone? Why not just fail them and make them correct themselves in the future? Well, even a show about rakugo needs a hate sink, I suppose, and this old man is more than happy to be one.
So Tohru failed the test and got expelled. His career in rakugo ended that day. But why? If I hire a plumber, you can be sure that I want someone who is certified, licensed, or what have you. I want someone who knows what they’re doing, ’cause if they screw up, they can do some real damage. A certification at least tells me this man or woman knows what they’re doing. But why would we hold entertainers to the same standard? I don’t check to see if a comedian has graduated from the top stand-up school or whatever. They just go onstage and perform. If they entertain me, awesome. If they don’t, they get booed offstage. Who gives a shit if they’ve passed a test or not? So why can’t Tohru do the same? If people are enjoying his performances, does it matter if he isn’t a “shin’uchi?” But again, I know nothing about rakugo so this might be my ignorance speaking. Maybe folks would kick Tohru off the stage if they do a background check and find out he got expelled. I just think it’s such a shame to give up something you’re passionate about just because a cranky, old man disapproves of you. What is he going to do now? Get an office job after all those years of training? Bruh.
But that’s the thing, right? Was Tohru even good at rakugo? His daughter seems to think he was, but your kids are not impartial. You don’t have to be great at something in order to pursue it as a passion. But you do need to have a backup plan in case it doesn’t work out. You can’t put your eggs all into one basket. Why couldn’t he do part-time work while also pursuing his hobby? Does he deserve disrespect for being a “kept man?” No, of course not. Every couple is a team, and if they agreed to play certain roles in the relationship, then so be it. But I dunno if Tohru was truly a hard worker.
Maybe I’m just biased, because Tohru certainly didn’t give me a good first impression. I really, really think he should’ve defended his daughter. It’s not about her being too young to protect his feelings. Yes, she defended him because she loves him. But she also defended him because it just plain sucks to hear other people disparage your family. In other words, she was also defending herself. So in turn, he should’ve defended her. Yes, it would’ve caused more drama with the other parent, but sometimes, you gotta show a little backbone. And in my eyes, Tohru didn’t. He failed more than one test this episode.
Anyway, Akane grows up and decides to “avenge” her father by becoming a top-tier rakugo performer herself. Ideally, she’ll succeed where her father couldn’t: convince the sticks-in-the-mud that maybe the art of rakugo can evolve and not adhere so strictly to tradition. But will I be there to see her moment of glory? Well, about that…
I actually looked up a performance on Youtube. It has subtitles and everything. I sat there and watched the whole video. I wanted to experience the real thing for myself without anime’s penchant for unnecessary side commentary. There’s a certain level of buy-in you need to have as a member of the audience. You need to be feel the distinctive characters emerge from the performer’s storytelling. Unfortunately, I can’t get over that mental hurdle. In other words, this isn’t a show for me. My brain isn’t wired to appreciate it.
Mao Ep. 1
A girl was supposed to have died in a car accident with the rest of her immediate family, but she somehow survived. Or did she? Mao, an onmyoji from the past, keeps referring to Nanoka as an ayakashi. Normal girls usually can’t lose a hand, then sew it back on. On the other hand, if Nanoka can go about her daily life, i.e. attending school, hanging out with her friends, etc, then what does it matter who or what she truly is? Just keep chugging that “smoothie” and enjoy your carefree existence. Nevertheless, it seems like both Mao and Nanoka have been afflicted with the same curse. If she wants to understand more about her nature, then she’ll have to keep time-traveling to the past to hang out with Mao. And that’s pretty much the gist of the first episode.
A girl pairing up with a cool guy to fight evil spirits and curses? I can’t name a show off the top of my head, but it feels like this has been done before. Maybe not this specific scenario, but onmyojis and yokais aren’t exactly unexplored territories in anime. You can’t spice it up either by throwing a schoolgirl into the mix. Plus, the monster designs leave something to be desired. I want something a little more fearsome than a giant, black praying mantis. Or some bear thing. My point is, this isn’t the most exciting show this season. I’ll keep my eye on it, but so far, nothing is hooking me. Nothing screams “must-watch.”
