Barakamon / First Impressions

「東京にいます / よせおっ」 (Tokyo Ni Imasu / Yoseo)
“I Am In Tokyo”

I’m not sure if this week’s episode was supposed to emotional but I’ll tell you all about that after I find some tissues.

Handa’s Home life

After spending the entirety of the show in the countryside, it was a little odd seeing Handa back in the bustling subways of Tokyo. Full of people who care about you as much as they do about some garbage rolling around on the street, everything in the city had a very unwelcoming attitude about it. That said, if there was one positive thing about Handa suddenly running back home, it would be watching him demonstrate to everyone just how much he’s grown. From humbling himself in-front of the very man who he got so infuriated with he punched right in the face to openly expressing his gratitude to others for thinking about him, the stark contrast between what Handa is now compared to where he was only a few months ago is crazy! All I know for sure is that I’ll never get sick of seeing people act surprised when Handa shows them some genuine emotions.

While I’ll go on a huge tangent next week about how amazing the people who surround him are, I have to give major props to the Art Director for being such an upbeat gentleman. He doesn’t seem like the kind of person to give someone a free lunch so you you have to love how he originally intended to lecture some humility into Handa had he not surprised him with such a sincere apology. At the same time, you have to give him some props for playing off whatever anger he had after Handa for dowsed him in tea!

The Feels, Takaii Edition

I don’t know about you but I was on the verge of tears the moment I heard Naru’s voice squeak over Kawafuji’s phone. While the scene itself had a really upbeat feel to it, something about knowing Handa wasn’t with everyone in the village felt awfully bittersweet. Listening to each person take turns to give their words of encouragement didn’t help but when Naru finally got her chance to talk I couldn’t stop the tears any longer. I mean, how could you!? The odd part though is that with such a big disconnect between how I felt and how I thought the episode wanted me to feel, I can’t figure out if I’m just being overly emotional or something. Someone, help pls.

Looking Forward

GOD DAMNIT WHAT A CLIFFHANGER. Teasing us with a fade to black just as Handa reveals his masterpiece “Stone Wall”, I have to compliment the director of the anime for instilling a rage within me I didn’t think was possible. All jokes aside, it looks like next week’s episode is going to be a doozy. With a crucial turning point in Handa’s life about to occur as well as his lack of an answer when Miwa asked him about returning to the village earlier in the episode, I can’t help but feel next week is going to rob me of all my tears. See you then! ><

29 Comments

  6. YOU’RE NOT ALONE TAKAII!
    Watching this episode made me so emotional even when it was so silly in the parts in between (BONDAGE!).
    Especially on the part with the phone call from the village. Everytime a new person would get on the phone it was like the memories and longing to be on the island as well as the emotional wave of support coming from his friends was transfered from Handa to myself and I just couldn’t help but get teary eyed.

    Poor Handa spilling tea on a Grand Prize winning calligraphy :[

    I cannot wait for the next episode!

    Blood_X
    Reply

  7. It was so quick for me to fall in love with this show and its cast. I don’t know how I’ll handle seeing the last episode!
    The moment the call started, I knew Naru was going to say something at one point that will just make my heart ache and then she said those simple words…

    emxn
    Reply

  8. There’s still gobs of stuff I wanna do with you.

    Naru nails it with that. Very nicely put.

    Showing his dysfunctional parents really puts perspective on why he is the way he is.
    All in all, one of the most enjoyable Anime this season, IMHO.

    But you know he’s going to return, and I’m looking to a very heartfelt reunion ahead!

    mac65
    Reply

  9. I seriously have no doubts in saying this is the best anime of 2014.
    Just…ugh, I cannot even put it into words how much I love this anime.
    And this episode, when Handa went back to Tokyo. It really hit me how, even surrounded by people, how utterly alone a person can be. Like you mentioned, Takaii, it’s almost the same here where I live. Where people just pass you by and couldn’t give a damn who you are and what you’re doing with your life. But on that island, how everyone was so close and so caring. Such a community is where I want to live one day.
    And the whole episode I’m waiting for the emotions to hit. They brimmed a bit when Handa was helping the director sit down and noticed he had a bad back and how he was thinking what a horrible person he was. God, he’s matured so much. And then the episode turned me on my head and made me laugh out loud when Handa splashed the tea all over his painting and the director.
    And then the phone call. ;_; Naru telling him to come back soon and everyone yelling out in unison at the end…omg, I haven’t cried such happy tears of joy in such a long time.
    If this is any indicator of whats to come, this next episode is just gonna crush my soul into a mushy puddle of feels.

    Kendra
    Reply

  15. Yeah, definitely not just you Takaii. Just as I felt that the phone call was wasting the potential for feels Naru came on and the tearducts went into overdrive… (Which is why I’ll be saving Akame ga Kill for tomorrow -gotta hold on to this cleansed feeling for as long as possible)

    tutiluren
    Reply

  20. This anime is fabulous. I was back and forth emotionally, too, from teary to cracking up. Lots of feelz.

    I tuned in to this anime from the start because I had read what scanlations were available and LOVED the manga. and I love the anime even more. The voices are excellent: Who ever cast Naru is a fricken genius. I want to live on that island. Sigh.

    Mirtika
    Reply

  21. Watched this a bit late but I just want to point out that the way he apologized to the director in this episode is almost the same way Naru apologized to him on episode 1. Rewatch it and see the magic work 😀

    Sora
    Reply

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