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Featured review
Nakumuchi wa kiraida!!: Nii-san, I Don't Know What To Do
A solid first episode, as it establishes the context for the series quite well. The Enoki household changes irrevocably when Yukako, wife of Harumi, dies while saving her baby, Minoru. Harumi is a busy salaryman and has little time to spend at home, so his eldest son, Takuya, ends up doing much of the work of raising Minoru.
This episode shows the many ways in which Takuya's responsibilities to Minoru place a strain on his life. He struggles to complete his homework, his neighbors blame him every time Minoru cries, and he has little time to play with his friends. Takuya deals with these pressures as a 10-year old child and tends to absorb criticisms instead of confronting them.
One of the strengths of this episode is how much it presents of Takuya's state of being. While there appears to be more to explore with regard to Harumi's condition, the episode wisely chooses to focus on Takuya. His emotional stake in the situation he finds himself in is paramount, and establishing this early is beneficial for the show. Sure, much of the cast feels mysterious to me because of this, but centering Takuya centers the series.
Another aspect of this episode I respect is the way significant backstory is conveyed with visual information. Most noteworthy is the scene that depicts the circumstances of Yukako's death. The animators do just enough to make the geographical space clear: a truck is coming (and won't stop) and Yukako pushes the baby stroller out of danger. The following scene, in which Himaru tells Takuya about Yukako's death, is economical in a different way. This scene contains axial cuts between a one shot of Harumi as he walks toward Takuya and Minoru, both of which are contained in a two shot. The cutting stops once all three are in the same space and Harumi breaks the news to his children.
While I respect the way Takuya's life is fleshed out, as well as the formal choices used to convey important backstory, there were some choices I found grating. The rationale Takuya provides when asked Harumi won't hire a babysitter seems a bit cheap. It is surprising that the showrunners dismiss this obvious solution to Takuya's problems with something as simple as, "I don't want a stranger in our house." Then again, that is coming from me, who was baby sat by many people in my youth.
If I have another gripe, it would have to do with the animation quality. Character designs are often fine, but some of the animated movement left something to be desired. This was most noticeable in the school scenes. Two come to mind. The first is a scene in which a kid dribbles a football and the movement becomes disjointed and choppy relative to the more smooth movements of the characters performing simpler actions. Also, there is a notable scene in which a still image of Takuya's school campus is featured as audio of campus life plays over top.
On the whole, a fine start to the series. It does well to establish the emotional core of the series while allowing the viewer room to ruminate on future developments.
Score: 51/100.
This episode shows the many ways in which Takuya's responsibilities to Minoru place a strain on his life. He struggles to complete his homework, his neighbors blame him every time Minoru cries, and he has little time to play with his friends. Takuya deals with these pressures as a 10-year old child and tends to absorb criticisms instead of confronting them.
One of the strengths of this episode is how much it presents of Takuya's state of being. While there appears to be more to explore with regard to Harumi's condition, the episode wisely chooses to focus on Takuya. His emotional stake in the situation he finds himself in is paramount, and establishing this early is beneficial for the show. Sure, much of the cast feels mysterious to me because of this, but centering Takuya centers the series.
Another aspect of this episode I respect is the way significant backstory is conveyed with visual information. Most noteworthy is the scene that depicts the circumstances of Yukako's death. The animators do just enough to make the geographical space clear: a truck is coming (and won't stop) and Yukako pushes the baby stroller out of danger. The following scene, in which Himaru tells Takuya about Yukako's death, is economical in a different way. This scene contains axial cuts between a one shot of Harumi as he walks toward Takuya and Minoru, both of which are contained in a two shot. The cutting stops once all three are in the same space and Harumi breaks the news to his children.
While I respect the way Takuya's life is fleshed out, as well as the formal choices used to convey important backstory, there were some choices I found grating. The rationale Takuya provides when asked Harumi won't hire a babysitter seems a bit cheap. It is surprising that the showrunners dismiss this obvious solution to Takuya's problems with something as simple as, "I don't want a stranger in our house." Then again, that is coming from me, who was baby sat by many people in my youth.
If I have another gripe, it would have to do with the animation quality. Character designs are often fine, but some of the animated movement left something to be desired. This was most noticeable in the school scenes. Two come to mind. The first is a scene in which a kid dribbles a football and the movement becomes disjointed and choppy relative to the more smooth movements of the characters performing simpler actions. Also, there is a notable scene in which a still image of Takuya's school campus is featured as audio of campus life plays over top.
On the whole, a fine start to the series. It does well to establish the emotional core of the series while allowing the viewer room to ruminate on future developments.
Score: 51/100.
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- MrPeterJohnson
- Aug 11, 2022
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What is the broadcast (satellite or terrestrial TV) release date of Nakumuchi wa kiraida!! (1996) in Australia?
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