The sense of curiosity and amazement is truly an amazing thing.
The blissful ignorance of not knowing something, yet at the same time wanting to know more is one of life’s pure pleasures. The Eccentric Family is an anime that manages to bring this into it’s very core along with family, social bonds and endearment into a delightful 13 episode anime, that is captivating as much as it’s enjoyable.
It’s really difficult on where to start with this anime, simply because it’s like a vivid tapestry, packed with details, themes and story,all coming together and meshing into a fantastic tale full of magic, charm and wonder.
Lets begin.
The story takes place in modern day Kyoto where beings such as shape shifting racoons (Tanuki) and supernatural, flying, human like beings (Tengu) and humans (your average regular human, nothing special to see here folks) coexist in a somewhat hierarchical society with Tanuki living on earth, humans in the city and Tengu controlling the skies. The Shimogamo family is a family of Tanukis, coping with the untimely demise of their father, Souchirou Shimogamo, who was perhaps the greatest Tanuki in recent memory. The eldest son, Yaichirou has decided to follow his father’s footsteps and take up the mantle as leader of Tanuki society, Yajirou has imposed a self exile due to his regrets and turned himself into a well dwelling frog, while Yasaburou, who admires Tengu and enjoys imitating humans, loves seeing the great “wheel” known as the city of Kyoto spin, lives a carefree lifestyle, enjoying and observing the gears spinning between these 3 species, however his observances, lead him deeper to uncovering the dark secrets surrounding his father’s mysterious death and its deep rooted effects of his family.
One thing that really stood out to me in this show is the characters. The characters are so uniquely crafted with their distinct personalities and almost all of the interactions between them have a purpose. The writers have done an amazing job in using opportunity for character development. A simple conversation between the characters, offers insight and continuously builds upon their depth and not just on the surface, many of these characters are multi layered and even simple gestures or expressions between them can reveal a lot, these little subtleties really add to the main plot of the show. The first half is full of these subtleties and the show has a blast introducing you to the characters such as the members of the family, the cankerous Tengu Sensei Akadama, and the ever alluring yet dangerous Benten – more on her later. Manages to flesh them all out in a charming, almost daring you to wonder more and become engrossed with them, while in the second half, it uses all the characters and crescendos into a thrilling murder and betrayal climax. You really understand and appreciate the time that was took to explore the characters, and especially to see how the Shimogamo brothers adapt and grow throughout the series in the light of their father’s death is enjoyable within itself. This is multi dimensional characterization at it’s finest,which leads us to one of the most alluring characters in this show…Benten
Benten is quite possibly one of the most alluring characters I have come across. Not Tanuki or Tengu, yet feared and infamous within both. Don’t let her beauty fool you, every Tanuki fears her; she has even surpassed her Tengu master and no one is able to stop her , even Yasaborou who intrigues her to no end, has a certain level of fear of her to the extent that when he loses an item valuable to her, he becomes a fugitive looking to avoid her, yet Benten views this merely as a genuinely enjoying game of cat and mouse. It is implied through backstory that she used to be a kind, fun loving girl, similar in essence to Yasaburou’s character and at times her actions don’t really seem to make sense, but deep down she craves excitement, change, and will side with with whoever or whatever can give her that. She serves as a perfect foil and at the same time a complement to Yasaburou’s carefree and vagabond nature, she is able to manage the femme fatale role and at times she can exhibit pure childlike bliss. She really piques your interest and just adds to the many layers of The Eccentric Family.
The animation of this show is simply fantastic, the use of pastels, give it a soft, yet vibrant look to the scenery, and the use of Kyoto, the setting itself, is almost as if it is a living, breathing character. Whether it is on a rooftop autumn garden, or in the lively hustle and bustle of the daily grind, Kyoto seems to come alive with it’s blooming cherry blossom trees and lush forests to its tiled marketplaces and panoramic skyline, The Eccentric Family’s unique animation style highlights these throughout and uses it’s setting to complement and enhance the story. The soundtrack as well with a diverse range of synths to classical strings and piano. Even the opening theme comes very close to capturing the essence of Yasauburou (close, but not exactly, c’mon now, you can’t manage to capture his carefree nature completely, can you?) . The ending theme is very enjoyable, and pretty damn addicting.
Along with many of the things that The Eccentric Family manages to do right, It never loses its sense of curiosity and wonderment. To me, that’s priceless. The sense of whimsy and fantasy that can only be matched by works of Ghibli such as Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. That same charm, storytelling and enjoyment factor is consistent throughout The Eccentric Family. From Yasaburou’s shape shifting escapades, to exploring every nook and cranny of Kyoto, there’s wonders at every turn.
I wish I could express how enjoyable The Eccentric Family is and on so many levels at that. Simply put, The Eccentric Family is a gem. It manages to weave a fantastic story through little vignettes and adventures throughout and does everything with a purpose. From it’s fully realized and well thought out characters, to the soft watercolor pastels and vibrant backdrops all while juggling an extremely enjoyable plot, The Eccentric Family never loses itself despite it’s myriad of characters and like the name states, it understands the warmth and compassion of a family with tender, genuine moments between characters, as it it takes us through a mystical journey in Kyoto.
Verdict: 9/10
Definitely a must watch, or it could just be a reflection of my idiot blood..
The Anime Sheikh 