I've heard a little bit about Barakamon prior to the official release of the anime series. The original manga version is generally well-loved and considering my soft spot for slice of life anime series, I looked forward to watching Barakamon when it was announced to be a part of last year's summer anime offerings.
Despite his young age, Handa Seishu is a professional calligrapher, earning accolades and having his work displayed in an exhibit. It was during such an event when an elderly curator and calligraphy expert called his work unoriginal, prompting Seishu to punch the man. Because of the fallout of his actions, his father orders him to spend some time at Goto Island. Upon arriving, Handa-sensei, as the villagers would take to calling him, finds himself out of his depth. The island is not only devoid of the comforts of the city, but is chock-full of eccentric personalities. He also finds out that the house he's staying in is actually a local hangout of middle school students and the village scamp Kotoishi Naru.
Fish out of water scenarios usually make the best kind of slice of life storytelling, and Barakamon offers plenty for Handa to experience. Even as a city dweller, he's led a somewhat sheltered life, mainly focused on his calligraphy. So, the community mindset of the Goto Island dwellers would clash with his solitary personality (though he's not above depending on others for his comforts). And it doesn't help that every single person he encounters on the island seems to be a caricature that he can't quite keep up with. Handa's experiences on the island are usually comedic in nature and usually at his expense. Despite the fact that he's older than most of the villagers he spends time with, it seems that he ends up learning from them or find himself at a disadvantage at every new experience they expose him to. The storytelling of Barakamon, however, is also tempered with the occasional serious moments that rounds out one's viewing experience.
Given the series's fun premise and characters, partnered with lovely animation, it's hard to believe that Barakamon would fall short in any way. The series promised a funny and touching story, and it does well in that regard. The characters are varied and all are crazy in their individual ways without being grating on the nerves. Handa's overall experience throughout the series was immensely satisfying to watch and I looked forward to each episode every week that it was airing.
But I do have one qualm, albeit one that I'll only mention because the series is excellent if I didn't know about this particular tidbit. One of the reasons why readers were drawn to the series' original manga run is because of the unlikely friendship (but ultimately one that makes a lot of sense) between Handa and Naru. As much as all the other connections or relationships he makes on the island are essential in his journey of self-realizations and betterment, many comments in the forums I've visited were focused on this one particular partnership. And for some reason, I feel that while the anime adaptation gave it its due highlight, it still feels a little underbaked. I don't know if it's because of the series's short run or the storytelling choices made by the animators, but it didn't quite give me the same feels that I did for series like Usagi Drop (despite the weird second half that I read in the manga).
Although without the foreknowledge about the manga's strengths, I think I would never have felt like I missed out a little with the Barakamon anime adaptation. And this particular comment (I can't even say criticism, because despite my overlong paragraph, it really is just a tiny concern) shouldn't deter you from giving the series a try, because it really is a must-watch.
The series might focus on Handa's misadventures, but, truly, they are just catalysts for his self-realizations and, ultimately, helped him in discovering what his true 'voice' is with his calligraphy. And when the audience is interested in a character that grows positively with every experience, then you know you are watching the best kind of slice of life storytelling.
Happy viewing!!Labels: Adaptation, Anime, Barakamon, Comedy, Must-Watch, Slice of Life, TV
