(L+CR) Hozuki no Reitetsu

[LKK]

Sentai has licensed Hozuki no Reitetsu for digital outlets (Crunchyroll) and home release. [Source]

From Sentai's Facebook announcement:

Spoiler for plot overview:

There are hard jobs and jobs that seem outright impossible, but in the end, the most difficult job in all creation probably belongs to Hozuki, Deputy Chief to the Great King Enma. Because the Great King spends all his time sitting in judgment on the recently deceased, it’s up Hozuki to keep the dark half of the afterlife running smoothly, which would be hellishly complicated even if Hell wasn’t constantly short on good help. Fortunately, Hozuki’s not the typical bureaucratic hothead you’d expect to find heading a department of infernal affairs. Fiendishly clever and determined enough to dedicate multiple lifetimes to a task (though not necessarily his OWN lifetimes), he’ll get the job done even if it means breaking a few unbreakable rules and running rings around Hell’s normal operating procedures. As for patience… well, Hell hasn’t frozen over quite yet, so the verdict’s still out on that, but he doesn’t suffer fools lightly, let alone damned fools. After all, that Highway to Hell isn’t going to get paved with just good intentions, so if someone has to suffer for all eternity, Hozuki’s damned sure that it’s not going to be himself in HOZUKI NO REITETSU!

Director: Hiro Kaburaki
Character Design: Hirotaka Kato
Series Composition: Midori Goto
Animation Production: WIT Studio

13 episodes are planned according to Sentai's PR.

Crunchyroll will begin streaming Thursday starting on January 9 at 11:00 am Pacific Time for its premium members. Free users will be able to view this series one (1) week after initial broadcast. Hozuki no Reitetsu will be available to users in the following territories: U.S.A, Canada, Mexico, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Netherlands, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Iceland, Turkey, Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela, Europe, Middle East, and Arab League.

[Flower]

Geh! You beat me to it! I was just looking around to see if there was a thread on this one!

[LKK]

I was surprised that there wasn't a thread. The comments in the New Announcement thread were positive, so I was sure there had to be a thread somewhere. But there twern't.

[Libros]

Sounds fantastic and the synopsis is hilarious. Will watch.

[Cloudedmind]

That is like one of the best synopsis I've ever read. I'm looking forward to this.

[leokiko]

I'm torn between whether I keep watching this or not. On one hand, it was an enjoyable episode, well animated and written, but much of the jokes went over my head.

Oh, the opening was pretty awesome as well, caught me by surprise.

[Cloudedmind]

The only joke I didn't quite get was the one about the persimmon monkey. I had to look that one up. Apparently it's a Japanese folktale. The Crab and the Monkey

I have to say I rather liked it. It's a bit more low key then I thought it might be considering it's a show about hell, but still entertaining.

[Flower]

Okay, that was a bizarre episode I just watched - and to be honest it is kinda hard to wrap my mind around what they are trying to do here. Ultra subdued, dry humor filled to the gills with cultural references? Or something like that?

Hrm. I am curious now to know a little more about the series.... Will be giving the next few eps a try to try and get some better idea.

Edit: on a re-watch i found it more interesting and felt a little more of the humor connected. Gonna follow this one probably, but not commiting just yet. ^^

[Cloudedmind]

Originally Posted by Flower

Okay, that was a bizarre episode I just watched - and to be honest it is kinda hard to wrap my mind around what they are trying to do here. Ultra subdued, dry humor filled to the gills with cultural references? Or something like that?

Hrm. I am curious now to know a little more about the series.... Will be giving the next few eps a try to try and get some better idea.

Yeah, that sounds about right as far as many of the jokes go.

[Guardian Enzo]

Tone-wise it reminded me a bit of Shirokuma Cafe, believe it or not.

[Flower]

Reminded me a bit of a deadpan afterlife Joshiraku in a tiny way....

Definitely a series... Imo it makes Nobunaga the Fool fel like reams of logical mathmatical formulas -_-

[SuitUp]

That has to be the most interesting synopsis of a comedy this season, for those who already watched ep1, any warnings about it's humor? too cultural? too dry? too satirical? because it sure sounds like it.

[Guardian Enzo]

How much is "too"? It is cultural, it is deadpan, it is satirical - but if you like that, I think it's a winner. But I'd sure never suggest it's going to find a wide audience.

[DragoonKain3]

WTF?

Guess you need to be REAL familiar with Japanese culture and mythology to get this one. A passing knowledge isn't nearly enough to get the humour they were trying to convey.

Well either that, or you need like tons of headers/footnotes explaining everything that's going on. XD

[SuitUp]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

How much is "too"? It is cultural, it is deadpan, it is satirical - but if you like that, I think it's a winner. But I'd sure never suggest it's going to find a wide audience.

Well, a passing knowledge of japanese culture'll be enough for jokes do not fly over my head?
Too satirical it's when it stops being a satire, when it jumps the shark on the subject it's satirizing

Originally Posted by DragoonKain3

WTF?
Guess you need to be REAL familiar with Japanese culture and mythology to get this one. A passing knowledge isn't nearly enough to get the humour they were trying to convey.
Well either that, or you need like tons of headers/footnotes explaining everything that's going on. XD

Thank you for the answer.

[Flower]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

How much is "too"? It is cultural, it is deadpan, it is satirical - but if you like that, I think it's a winner. But I'd sure never suggest it's going to find a wide audience.

Hafta agree with enzo here. It is... definitely its own beast.

For me it is a sleeper hit. ^^

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by SuitUp

Well, a passing knowledge of japanese culture'll be enough for jokes do not fly over my head?
Too satirical it's when it stops being a satire, when it jumps the shark on the subject it's satirizing

Well, here's the thing - I don't know if there's a set definition for "passing knowledge". As an example, most of the gags in the first half are based on Momotarou, the "Peach Boy" fairy tale. It's eponymous in Japan, right up there with Kaguyahime and Orihime - but I don't know how many non-Japanese know about it. That's probably a good acid test - if you know Momotarou, I think you'll get a good chunk of the references overall.

[Flower]

Even not knowing the momotarou tale and not getting a lot of the first half should not interfere with the second half, tho. I found myself puzzled and chuckling when i first watched it, but the second watch was alot funnier for me....

[SuitUp]

Originally Posted by Guardian Enzo

Well, here's the thing - I don't know if there's a set definition for "passing knowledge". As an example, most of the gags in the first half are based on Momotarou, the "Peach Boy" fairy tale. It's eponymous in Japan, right up there with Kaguyahime and Orihime - but I don't know how many non-Japanese know about it. That's probably a good acid test - if you know Momotarou, I think you'll get a good chunk of the references overall.

Huh, so i did know the momotarou fable, guess i'll watch it after all, thanks for the answers.

[Guardian Enzo]

Originally Posted by Flower

Even not knowing the momotarou tale and not getting a lot of the first half should not interfere with the second half, tho. I found myself puzzled and chuckling when i first watched it, but the second watch was alot funnier for me....

I agree (though the Softbank joke was ROFL), but because Momotarou is a pretty well-known fable, it seems like a good level-setter to see if someone would be in on where many of the series' jokes might be headed.