(L+CR) Uchouten Kazoku (The Eccentric Family)

[GDiddy]

A couple of things:

1. I have the feeling the Uncle is DEFINITELY involved with Sou's death/cooking...

2. I have a feeling that something nasty will happen to either Yaichiro or the little tanuki. Yasa's too smart to allow himself to get caught up. Unless Benten's involved.

3. Kaisei is pretty cute.

[NoemiChan]

^I just don't want another tanuki be eaten unless they're from the other clan....eg the twins.

[Puu]

Originally Posted by GenjiChan

^I just don't want another tanuki be eaten unless they're from the other clan....eg the twins.

I share this sentiment. The Ebisugawas are just terrible. And each episode I see them, I hope something terrible happens to them at the end of the show.

Every episode though, I also think that may not happen at all because this show seems to favor gutpunching Yasaburo's family every darn time.

Speaking of Episode 9

Spoiler for Spoilers & Speculation:

If it turns out the Ebisugawas plan to offer up Yaichiro or any other tanuki from Yasaburo's family for hotpot, I will just... lose all respect for their clan. They use their minions to ruin the other family, underhanded tactics, and are just terrible individuals but have never really let a fellow tanuki die yet... but if they do I hope something terrible happens to them.

[Used Can]

Man, Kaisei was so bloody cute. Her design was much cuter than what I expected it to be.
Benten is officially old and busted to me. Well, I still love her character, but Kaisei is almost perfect (I say "almost" because it seems she's keeping some secret from Yasaburou, and it seems it might be a bad thing).

Originally Posted by Tenzen12

I am bit disappointed with Kansei being loli

She isn't a loli. She's just short and flat.

Spoiler for Kaisei Character Design:

Anyhow, despite the whole preamble since the previous episode about why she was named "Kaisei" or why Soichirou wanted her and Yasaburou to get married, neither got an answer or even a hint during this episode. I was just a bit disappointed about that.

[Tenzen12]

And I always though being short and flet is good decription of Loli But Kansei for win!

It might be probably wrong, but maybe it was Yasaburo due her personal choice.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by LKK

I don't think it's Yaichirou who's destined for the feast pot. I think it's Yashiro who's destined for the pot if Yaichirou doesn't drop out of the race. Sweet little Yashiro, the one who was captured in the opening scene while at the great stone's shrine.

It had occurred to me that Yashirou might be the one captured for the pot too, because it makes sense for the overall plot, especially that he hasn't found his essential role in it yet. But if you meant this episode, the one that was captured was the child Yasaburou. I don't think Yashirou as the type of little boy to pull that sort of prank. Or are you referring to a scene in the first episode that I've forgotten?

[Xiyon]

Jailbait-Kaisei is too cute. Finally, a face to put to a voice!

Did the Friday Fellows Prof just let slip that, if he can't find a tanuki as the one in charge of bringing one to the feast, he will get kicked out of the group?

The Ebisugawa's are despicable towards the Shimogamos, but somehow I don't think they're all that bad-- especially since someone like Kaisei can still call them family. We've only seen the Ebisugawas when a Shimogamo is present; I wonder what they're like normally.

Lastly, dat cliffhanger! Not for the first time did I wish there were spoilers for this! Seriously, what actually happened to Souichiro? And where is this show going? Will there really be a tanuki hoptpot to close this series and, if so, who? Or will Benten or Yasaburo or even the Prof find a way out of this?

[Guardian Enzo]

Benten remains conspicuously - some might say ominously - absent from the narrative, even as her role as a lynchpin in Souichirou's death becomes more and more strongly suggested. Does she cry at Yajirou's well because she was used as part of the plan to capture Souichirou - to keep him from transforming so he couldn't escape? I couldn't help but note that Mother very pointedly said "only Souichirou, Akadama-sensei and Benten knew" about the effect Benten had on her husband - but what if, somehow, Souun knew as well? This feels like a warm trail to me, but it leads to a very obvious question - what would motivate Benten to allow herself to be used in such a fashion?

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

It had occurred to me that Yashirou might be the one captured for the pot too, because it makes sense for the overall plot, especially that he hasn't found his essential role in it yet. But if you meant this episode, the one that was captured was the child Yasaburou. I don't think Yashirou as the type of little boy to pull that sort of prank. Or are you referring to a scene in the first episode that I've forgotten?

I was talking about this episode. Although it looks like I misunderstood the scene. I didn't realize it was child Yasaburou in a flashback scene of him smoking the great stone that he mentioned later. That makes me feel much better. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I still worry that Yashirou might be in danger though. He's probably the easiest family member to capture given his overall inexperience.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by LKK

I was talking about this episode. Although it looks like I misunderstood the scene. I didn't realize it was child Yasaburou in a flashback scene of him smoking the great stone that he mentioned later. That makes me feel much better. Thanks for clearing that up for me. I still worry that Yashirou might be in danger though. He's probably the easiest family member to capture given his overall inexperience.

Yashirou - sweet, kind Yashirou who "inherited nothing but the innocence" of Souichirou, is the only sibling whose load-bearing role in the story hasn't been established yet, and my (and Yasaburou's) ominous feeling about this ep extends more strongly to him than anyone else at the moment. Uchouten Kazoku is, IMHO, more than anything a story about love - and most of all, the love than binds the Shimogamo family together. And I can think of nothing that would prove a greater test of that love than if Yashirou is taken for the hotpot, and nothing that would more surely force Yasaburou to abandon his amiable acceptance of life's twists and turns and become a man in the mold of his father.

[hyperborealis]

The Friday Fellows are personifications of the Seven Gods of Luck, who at the turn of the New Year distribute luck and prosperity for the coming year.

Here's a good reference to learn more.

So the annual dinner has a ritualistic aspect. The tanuki in the hot pot may be a payment or a guarantee for the good fortune and life everyone expects the Seven Gods to provide. This sad fate may be unavoidable, even a duty, of self-sacrifice for the common good.

The Ebisugawas share a name with Ebisu, one of the seven gods--I wonder if that is significant. The person responsible for providing the tanuki is Hotei, as befits a god of abundance. The hotpot reminds us that abundance has to come from somewhere, has to be paid for. Benten's melancholy, Kaisei's regrets--perhaps these are authentic expressions of life's tragic aspects?

[frodonk]

a drunk soichiro is seen by benten somewhere along the way, was captured, and can't transform back since it was revealed that he can't maintain his form around benten. makes sense to me, she's still crying over it from what I can see, and that changed her, as the 3rd child is always pointing out.

as for "sea star", it is obvious that she has feelings for the 3rd child, and she hates benten because the 3rd likes her more than kaisei.

but, as already mentioned, soichiro's naming of kaisei and her "non-appearance" is still a mystery.

why do I get the feeling that yet another shimogamo is going to be eaten?

[Used Can]

Originally Posted by frodonk

as for "sea star", it is obvious that she has feelings for the 3rd child, and she hates benten because the 3rd likes her more than kaisei.

I thought the same at first, but her apology makes me think there might be some other reason why she hates Benten.

[Hiro Hayase]

I feel like Yajirō Shimogamo is the one who's going to be kidnapped by the Ebisugawa brothers. The thunder, the ship, the well it seems like they're metaphorical in a sense. Plus he can't run anywhere in that frog state of his filled with regret. And he's usually alone.

Yashirou can at least runaway or stay close to his brothers or mother at all times unlike the 2nd son.

Hold on... so Soichirou, the father, loses his transformation abilities in front Benten's presence as do alot of other Tanuki in the story, except Yasaburo?

[LKK]

Originally Posted by Hiro Hayase

Hold on... so Soichirou, the father, loses his transformation abilities in front Benten's presence as do alot of other Tanuki in the story, except Yasaburo?

What other tanuki lose their ability to transfrom when they're Benten's presence?

[Used Can]

I think he was talking about Yashirou, but he's a child so him getting really scared and being unable to hold his transformation at first is understandable.

[jpwong]

Originally Posted by LKK

What other tanuki lose their ability to transfrom when they're Benten's presence?

Only other one I can think of offhand is the bartender, but I have a feeling it's mostly just how terrified he is of her.

[Shadow5YA]

Kaisei was able to keep her cover when Benten found Yasaburo.

[whitecloud]

My feeling is kaisei maybe is the one destined to be in the pot...but old man sou save her in the last moment, thats why she is so guilty and say sorry in the bath, and also unable to show her face to yasaburou while still helping him whatever she can....the ebisugawa might or might not know of this...

[MeoTwister5]

I'm... detecting Kaisei death flags.