That’s because of my fool’s blood!

Uchouten Kazoku 2 Introduction and Story (Spoilers)

Uchouten Kazoku 2 (The Eccentric Family) is set in a setting where Tanuki and Tengu lived together alongside humans. It stars a peculiar Tanuki as the main character, Yasaburou Shimogamo. A humble, carefree tanuki that doesn’t really mind being labeled as a worthless being. It wasn’t always like that.

It all started to happen when Yasaburou’s father was killed and eaten by a mysterious group of humans called, Friday Fellows. His remaining sons were then considered as losers and a disgrace to his father’s legacy. Despite that, My Eccentric Family 2 gives us a perspective as to the struggles of the young Tanuki(s) in overcoming intriguing mysterious, as well as learning the truth behind the so called, “Friday Fellows”.

What We Liked About Uchouten Kazoku 2

If you fancy the artwork of Studio Ghibli, then you might actually take a liking with this anime. The overall plot is light, it gives off a really nice unique feel when you watch it. Somehow, it really reminded me as if I was watching another one of Studio Ghibli’s works.

The characters and the character development in this series is also something to be admired. Granted it isn’t exactly fast paced and straightforward, so this can go both sides, to some it can be boring, to others it adds a mysterious flair to the series. In my personal opinion, it’s the latter since you still need to see the original genre of this anime is Slice of Life and Drama. And if you would consider all the other aspects of this anime, it’s more than enough to qualify as a good one in both those 2 genres.

In terms of character development, take Yasaburou Shimogamo for example. Throughout the series, despite being regarded as a failure to his father’s legacy, Yasaburou is very humble towards whoever he may encounter. He is kind and very genuine in terms of wanting to help others. This personality is what led to a much satisfying character development in the end. With all that being said, it’s time to discuss it!

Discussion Time

Uchouten Kazoku 2 really delivered on that mysterious flair and a back in time vibe to the overall series. Being mainly as a Drama, Slice of Life genre anime, this anime has to be able to pull something out of a hat with each episode to keep anime fans watching. And I think this anime has successfully done so thanks to its intriguing characters, plots, and overall settings.

But just like other Drama, Slice of Life genre anime, the plot does progress at a much slower pace as it tells a new different story with each passing episode. Will this be a setback to this anime? Will there be a third season of this anime?

1. ‘Eccentric’ Characters

If you have watched the series then this will come as no surprise to you. Take Yasaburou as an example, being a Tanuki that disgraced his father’s legacy, he doesn’t really give a Popsicle about it. He just wants to lead a carefree and enjoyable life and it truly showed in the way that the carries himself and does things.

It’s a breath of fresh air to see how he perceives things, and how he treats others as well. Being a Tanuki, he is fully aware that Tengu(s) are far more superior to Tanuki(s) and he truly respects that relationship. You won’t expect Yasaburou to be the type to have that constant need to show dominance over others because he doesn’t really care.

There are more characters in the anime to be discussed but in hindsight, each and every character had an untold story which really gives off that mysterious vibe to it. Watching the characters appear in the series will make you think, “Hmm, there’s definitely more to that character than he/she looks.”

2. Good Character Development

A good character development is a very common reason that an anime is good as it is perceived. Uchouten Kazoku 2 is no different. You can see it in Yasaburou as he is bolder and smarter in dealing any issues that may arise. Essentially, Yasaburou was the one that was there for everyone when it truly mattered and it took a lot of guts and selflessness to do such a thing.

3. Artwork

This series is a definite eye-candy for me. It really reminded me of the style Studio Ghibli are so famous for. It gives off a traditional feel to the anime with a touch of modern. But not so much that it ruins the mood. Basically, this anime really takes you back in time which is one of the many strong points this anime has.

Background art and settings of each scene are very detailed, colour pallet was spot on as well. So for those who seek anime that brings you back in time, this would the first and foremost anime that I would recommend.

1. Storyline Closure

Although the series is considered to be over with the end of second season, it still bugs me a bit because the way I see it is that many characters in this anime seems promising and has potential to be explained and expanded in the story even more. So with only 24 episodes total (Season 1 & 2), the ending didn’t really gave me that closure for me. It just didn’t feel enough as there’s more to be revealed in the series.

For me, 24 episodes isn’t really enough to kind of tell the whole story of this anime. So let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope to see another season of this cool anime!

2. Plot Pace

I think almost every Slice of Life and Drama genre anime have this same problem in general. Plot pacing. Since its Drama and Slice of Life genre, you can’t actually rush the plot, it will destroy the anime and made it look like its complete thrash. Everything must be unfold one by one with each passing episode.

This brings out another problem in of it itself, you see if you were to pace to plot too slow, the readers or viewers that watch this anime will be bored and just drop the series altogether. So it’s kind of a double edge sword at this point. It all comes down to how the writers go about the series.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Uchouten Kazoku 2 is a light, heart-warming series with a LOT of interesting characters. Just like the title, ‘eccentric’ is probably the best way to describe the characters as with each new episode, you would be surprised with what was revealed. The artwork of this series is incredibly well made and reminds me of the artwork from Studio Ghibli. The plot settings and the artwork, combined, were able to bring you back through memory lane. Definitely a recommended Slice of Life and Drama anime!

Writer

Author: Winfrey Widjijanto

Hi! My name is Winfrey and I come from Indonesia. I’m currently residing in Jakarta to pursue my bachelor degree but I hope in the near future I get to travel to new places including Japan! Still in search of my passion though, but so far, music and writing seems to interest me the most. (Just starting out) Desperately trying to learn new things and striving to become a better person each passing day. Cheers from Jakarta!

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