Opening Songs
OP 1 - Uchoten Jinsei (Milktub)
Ending Songs
ED 1 - Que Sera, Sera (Ahana)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Episodes: 13
I've watched some pretty oddball anime, believe it or not, though sometimes, something even weirder than weird shows up...takes me by surprise every time. "Uchouten Kazoku" belongs in that category, because it definitely is weird, weirder than most anime I have seen, in so many ways. Its plot is unique, the setting is unique, the animation style is weird and I questioned myself how I discovered this anime, more times than you'd think. However though, no matter how weird I thought "Uchouten Kazoku" was, it was a good kind of weird, and it showed me how something as silly as a plot about talking raccoons can actually be touching towards the end. While it may not have the most fantastic storyline, nor the most emotional moments, it does good enough for viewers such as myself to warden a round of applause or two during the end. You'd just have to be open minded to embrace "Uchouten Kazoku". It means "The Eccentric Family", after all.
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| Well for those of you interested, this is a very "Guy-ish" anime, with very little girls. |
I'll be honest that its been awhile since I've heard a new Milktub song, ever since the "Baka Test" era, so the opening song took me by surprise quite a bit. "Uchoten Jinsei" is EXACTLY what you'd expect as a song from Milktub. To put it simply in words, its loud, its energetic, it has shouting, and the tempo is very upbeat. If you listen to it for long, it generally feels uplifting. If you like any of their songs, "Uchoten Jinsei" fits right in. The ending is "Que Sera, Sera" by Ahana, which is a completely weird song name if you ask me, though the song itself isn't too bad. It doesn't give off the generic anime ending theme feel, which is good, and if you like stuff by Nirgilis or Choucho, "Que Sera, Sera" may actually be a good one.
Rating: 7.5/10
A good show is a good show, no matter how different it is. It was slightly better than I thought it would be, which was good enough, honestly. I expected a drop dead comedic experience walking into "Uchoten Kazoku", and while the entire anime itself was decently funny, its nowhere near some of the gold comedic experiences that I've had in my entire anime lifetime (nothing still beats "Baka Test" or "MM!", the only one that comes close is "Hataraku Maou sama"). "Uchouten Kazoku" has a cast of diverse characters to its credit. The main character is quirky and adventurous, whilst being very crafty at the same time. His brothers have very different personalities, ranging between a unmotivated frog in a pond and a cowardly kid. There is a dangerous, seductive woman that can be kind at times, and even a girl that refuses to show herself, you can only hear her tsundere voice for half the entire anime. The first half of the anime is pretty much used for starting up, and it ramps up towards the end, for those who are wondering.
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| You should never disobey your mother, that applies in real life too. |
The story talks about a young tanuki by the name of Yasaburo. Tanuki are legendary shape shifting raccoons that wander around the world of humans, taking their form to blend into society, and Yasaburo is just one of the many of them. However, different tanukis use their powers differently, and Yasaburo likes to use his for being mischievous. Often taking the form of young female women, he likes to go around causing trouble for him and his family, though he always manages to get himself out of harm's way through crafty thinking. Yasaburo visits his master Tengu daily, to relieve his loneliness. As a tanuki, he could not leave the master alone, as the master's previous student, Benten, has strayed from her path and became someone feared by Tanukis and Tengus alike. Yasaburo broke his back before, so he feels responsible, and is now looking after is master.
A story about talking raccoons might not be everyone's cup of tea, but those who don't mind stepping out of their comfort zone for something new might find a pleasant experience overall. The tale of four brothers can get rather emotional towards the end, and it was during the very end when I didn't regret pouring my time into "Uchoten Kazoku". For those looking for a weird new experience....you've found your dose of weird here. Good weird, mind you.
Peace.
