Recap: The evening boils over as the tension Nise-Emon elections boil over into the Friday Fellows bash.

That was definitely the most hilarious way I could have seen them deal with this finale. While I wish Yaichiro had more forms to play with than just one, his tiger is pretty classic, and to see the Friday Fellows for the most part act like “Okay, there is now a tiger in our room.” was priceless. Props to Hotei as well, realizing that his former philosophy was utter nonsense and protecting the Tanuki he cared for despite tradition and despite what it would do to his status. I was wondering if he was playing dumb last week to help Yasaburo, and now I feel that idea is confirmed.

The best part is when every tanuki realizes what’s going on, breaks their facade and just freaks the fuck out. Watching tiny racoons scratch against a classic japanese walls as an old guy talks about eating them. Finally, Professor Akadama comes in to settle things down, or rather ramp things up so severely that everyone forgets the problems they already had. Yasaburo’s play on his drunkenness was great, and seeing another house just get utterly destroyed is the kind of surreal humor i can get into.

There is a bit of dissonance at this point here when you think about the fact that the Professor is flinging people to their deaths. The only thing I can think of is it’s like the crashing of the tea parlor and that magic doesn’t hurt people as much. This at least gave us a chance to finally get where Benten lies here. It seemed all she literally wanted was a good time, and now that the Shimogamo boys had done their part, she came in to bring things back to normal. I absolutely loved the call with their mother. In the end, the most important thing to them is that everyone is safe, and their lives are back to normal, or at least as normal as it gets when it comes to their family.

Final Impressions

As a great fan of the much under-appreciated Notamina show The Tatami Galaxy, I was definitely excited to hear about more from its author. While I was aware that these two stories would be much different, I went in with an open mined and was very impressed with the end result. The Eccentric Family was a great blend of fantastic visuals and carefully crafted characters.

The Eccentric Family‘s story may not have been the most complex, but that wasn’t really what mattered. From day one this was a story wholly focused on its characters, and shined through their great interactions. Yasaburo is probably one of the best main characters we’ll see in a long time. It’s nice that he’s an adult, as we benefit from someone who has a more mature outlook on life, but coupled with the idealism and rebelliousness of that stage before fully growing into adulthood. Contrast this with Benten, someone who has fully accepted adulthood, but still yearns for the more carefree times of her youth. I believe that is the main reason she keeps toying with Yasaburo. He keeps her with that connection to the past, and lets her feel young again.

The family itself was a great ensemble cast. Their mother certainly has her quirks, but you can tell the love she has for her children just by the way she speaks to them. Yaichiro was mostly a stick in the mud, but you could see he was trying to fill the gap left after his father passed away, trying to keep the family together and strong. He cares about his brothers, and on more than one occasion goes out to protect them. Yashiro was probably the least developed brother, but in him we see a child caught in the middle of the politics between his elders. He still does what is right despite his fears. Yajiro was by far the most interesting case. Originally a kind sage, we later see a troubled soul who refuses to forgive himself for his past mistakes. The phone call between him and the mother was the most touching scene in the entire show. So many years of anguish in so few lines, it really encapsulated the entire feel of this show.

Still, even with the best of characters a show can be marred by technical flaws. Thankfully, P.A. Works poured their heart and soul into this work. Every episode is a visual splendor, crafting detailed backgrounds with lush colors that really make the world feel alive. In much the same way as The Tatami Galaxy‘s style lent a great deal of body to its characters, the same goes for the care that went into The Eccentric Family. I only wish every anime could benefit from the kind of art that was displayed here.

What I found most interesting about this show was that, in the end, there was so much more to tell. This is a world that is not simply contained in the story, but lives beyond it as we get a small glimpse through the lives of these characters. Would I love to have known more about this family and their lives? Sure, but I still enjoyed what I was given, and any spots only give me more room to imagine what would be in store for this family in the future. In the end, I had a great deal of fun, and what’s fun is good.