The Eccentric Family seemed to step back into the mode of the first season this week, offering the same sort of rambling afternoon adventures that defined the original’s first half. I was perfectly happy to see that – The Eccentric Family excels at its own whimsical interpretation of slice of life, and this episode was no exception. The Eccentric Family’s hell is a pretty great time.
You can check out my full review over at ANN, or my notes below.
“Arima Hell”
Yodogawa, Yasaburo’s professor friend, is implicated in some sort of sexual harassment scandal. He’s advised to stay “in the forest” and conduct his research until it blows over
Mom tanuki sends a gift with Yasaburo for saving her life
“It’s a coup d’etat by the associate professors. The Friday Club is trying to get back at me”
Suzuki, a guy who seems to be the professor’s assistant
Tenmaya seemed to contribute to the professor’s downfall, and has returned
They’re literally living in a cabin in the woods, surviving on pheasants and boars
The Friday Club will be at the Arima Onsen tonight
Remembering his dad in the hot spring
Kaisei appears. Well, not “appears,” but you know
Kureichiro, apparently another Ebisugawa son
Yasaburo talks about how well he understands Benten, but he can’t provide a satisfying answer to Kaisei’s simple “why don’t you ask her how she feels?” He is not legitimately supportive of her
Yasaburo tailing the Friday Club
They go into what looks like an abandoned building. Yasaburo follows, and finds… his father?
Excellent shift in tone here, managed largely by the lighting
The portal to hell
Soun is getting the professor’s vacant spot in the Friday Club
“My brother managed to destroy all my prospects in this life.” Once again, the question of what being a tanuki means, along with what is the value of a life. Yasaburo’s father may have died, but he still “lived life to the fullest” – Soun has not had that chance
Soun has become a mythic figure
Oh my god, he’s actually in the painting. Incredible
This vision of hell is so good
An industrial hell, where everything feels artificial and broken down
Yasaburo runs into the stall Tenmaya ran in the painting
He’s getting hit on by an oni lady. This is pretty great
The logistics of commuting in hell
“The industrial revolution of Hell”
The different styles of oni in these crowd shots are great
Benten of course spends her leisure hours wrestling demons
“I come down once in a while to gather oni horns. It makes for a great workout”