Rakugo Tennyo Oyui - Review and impressions of the anime that depicts the fascinating world of traditional performing arts

Rakugo Tennyo Oyui - Review and Recommendation

Overview

"Rakugo Tennyo Oyui" is a TV anime series that aired in 2006, based on the manga "Rakugo Tennyo Oyui" by Ikeda Takashi and a novelization by Katsura Kajaku. The series aired from January 6 to March 24, 2006, with a total of 12 episodes broadcast on Television Saitama (TVS) and UHF stations. Animation was produced by TNK and the series was directed by Takamoto Norihiro. The story is about modern high school girls who awaken as "Tennyo" (celestial maidens) and fight demons and monsters in Edo at the end of the Edo period.

■ Story

One day, six modern-day girls, Tsukishima Yui, Asukayama Masa, Yanaka Tae, Koishikawa Suzu, Sengoku Ryo, and Naito Akira, suddenly awaken as "Tenjo". They are summoned to Edo at the end of the Edo period by the guidance of a jewel and must fight demons and monsters. Yui awakens as a "Rakugo Tenjo", Masa also awakens as a "Rakugo Tenjo", Tae awakens as a "Divine Rakuten Tenjo", Suzu awakens as a "Strategic Tenjo", Ryo awakens as a "Swordsman Tenjo", and Akira awakens as a "Machinery Tenjo". They each demonstrate their powers as a "Divine Rakuten Tenjo", Suzu awakens as a "Strategic Tenjo", Ryo awakens as a "Swordsman Tenjo", and Akira awakens as a "Machinery Tenjo".

Fighting alongside them are real people such as San'yutei Encho, known as the god of Rakugo, Hiraga Gennai, and Hijikata Toshizo. They grow up not only through fighting but also through interactions with the people who live in the tenement houses, in a society with values ​​different from ours. At the climax of the story, as the barrier protecting Edo is about to be broken, Yui and her friends use the power of words to give people hope and stand up to the enemy.

■ Characters

Tsukishima Yui

Yui is a second-year student at Nihonbashi Gakuen High School and is a member of the Rakugo Study Group. She has a bright, lively, and honest personality, and helps out at her parents' monjayaki restaurant. Even in the Edo period, she quickly captured people's hearts and came to be known as "Oyui-chan." She became interested in Rakugo and applied to become a disciple of Master Katsura Utamaru. She is good at all kinds of household chores and loves to eat. She has no romantic experience and has only ever dated her father.

Asuka Yamaga

Miyabi is a second-year student at Nihonbashi Gakuen High School and the daughter of the multinational corporate group "ASUKAYAMA." She has the looks and outstanding proportions to rival any top idol, but she is naive and arrogant. She lacks the ability to live independently and has no physical strength, but she has a strong sense of pride and hates to lose. Although she is rivalrous with Yui, she feels a hidden friendship between them.

Yanaka Tae

Tae is a second-year student at Nihonbashi Gakuen High School and Yui's classmate. She has a slightly gloomy personality and a low presence in class, making her the complete opposite of Yui. Having seen her father, a politician, and the people around him, she is sensitive to the two sides of people and is skeptical of Yui's straightforwardness. Her only source of support is studying, and she has a strong instinct for self-preservation, but she grows as a person through her interactions with the people of Edo.

Koishikawa Rin

Suzu is a graduate student at Nihonbashi Gakuen University and a genius girl with an IQ of 300. She passed the American GED at the age of 10 and has already graduated from university. She is intelligent and has a deep knowledge of Edo and Rakugo, and calls herself an "Edo otaku." She enjoys learning about the Edo period, and is best friends with Akira and Yui. She is smart and knowledgeable about all kinds of academic subjects, but she also has a strong curiosity about love and the adult world.

Ryo Sengoku

Ryo is a second-year student at Nihonbashi Gakuen High School and is a perfect beauty who is devoted to swordsmanship. He is tall, muscular, and silent. He lives a disciplined life, waking up at 5am and going to bed at 9pm, and forges ahead on the path he is meant to follow. He enjoys steady effort and attracts the attention of the media as a beautiful sports girl, but he is not interested in her. In the Edo period, he goes to a famous dojo to train and hone his sword skills.

Akira Naito

Akira is a 23-year-old graduate student at Nihonbashi Gakuen University. He is a geek who likes tinkering with machines and believes that automata are his only lovers. He is not proactive in finding a boyfriend because he lost one in a motorcycle accident in the past. He is the oldest among Yui and the others, and takes the lead as an older sister. He is optimistic and has a nice body, but is unaware of his own charms. In the Edo period, Hiraga Gennai falls in love with Akira at first sight.

Sanyutei Encho

Encho is the father of modern Rakugo, and in order to prepare for the battle against demons, he trained Rakugo Tenjo who fight using the power of words and the Shinran Tenjo who fight using acrobatics. He himself fights against demons using the power of words. Although he is an Edokko and has a gruff side, he has a strong presence as the teacher of the Tenjo.

Gennai Hiraga

Gennai is a scientist and naturalist who travels back in time to the end of the Edo period. He is bold, confident, and has a light-hearted personality, but he is hesitant towards a woman (Akira Naito).

Sakyo Kozukahara

Sakyo is the demon who turned Kyoto and Osaka into demon cities, and is Ukyo's older brother. He personally leads the charge, and now that the barriers have been removed, monsters and demons are rampant in Kyoto and Osaka. He is currently using the army of monsters and demons to attack Edo.

Ukyo Kozukahara

Ukyo is a demon who secretly works to turn Edo into a demon city, and in his public life, he is a kabuki actor. Although he has a beautiful face, he is cold-hearted and ruthless, and will use any means necessary to corner Yui and her friends in a sinister way. He also easily discards allies who are no longer useful. Currently, a barrier exists in Edo, making it impossible to summon strong monsters and demons. He respects his older brother Sakyo and has a brother complex.

Katsura Utamaru/Fujiko

Utamaru is a popular Rakugo performer, and although he is strict with Yui who wants to become his apprentice, he watches over her growth as a person. He teaches Yui that "art is the person," and his wife Fujiko, who cannot stand up to Master Utamaru, supports Yui's apprenticeship.

Ponta

Ponta is a raccoon dog who came to the human world from the country of raccoons to train, and he can transform into anything. He falls in love with a certain person, but...

Silver

Ogin is a Rakugo celestial maiden and the leader of six Edo celestial maidens. Her parents were killed by demons, and she fights to prevent others from experiencing the same sorrow as she did.

Long time no see

Okiku is also a Rakugo angel, and using the power of words, she fights on the front lines alongside Ogin.

Flowers

Ohana is a scheming celestial maiden, and is the commander in chief of the celestial maiden's battles. She is unable to use the power of the jewel freely, and is the most unstable of the Edo celestial maidens. Ukyo takes advantage of this, but...

Festival

Osetsu is a divine woman who uses ropes, tops, balls, and other items to attack in a variety of ways. Her specialty is the 'Harimi' technique.

Osaki

Osaki is a mechanical angel who uses tricks to provide logistical support. She is always with Ohana and is concerned about her unstable condition.

Ona

O-Natsu is a swordsman celestial maiden, and although she cannot fly, her combat abilities are the highest among the celestial maidens. She is searching for a mystical technique that is said to be able to defeat even dragons.

■ Production staff

The original work is by Katsura Kajaku, directed by Takamoto Nobuhiro, series composition and script by Yoritsune Yasushi, original character design by Horikoshi Kazune, character design and chief animation director by Oshima Miwa, creature design by Miya Yutaka, art director by Miyano Takashi, color setting by Ueki Yoshinori, director of photography by Sawa Naoto, editor by Sakurai Takashi, sound director by Takakuwa Hajime, music by Ichikawa Jun, producers by Ogura Takayuki, Hidaka Isao, Nakabayashi Futoshi, Uto Takahiro, Mihara Hiroki, animation production by TNK, produced by Rakugo Tennyo Production Committee (Toshiba Entertainment, Three Fat Samurai/Solblade, Amuse Soft Entertainment, Mouse Promotion, TNK).

■ Episode

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• First Place: A Heavenly Maiden Dances in Blooming Edo (2006/01/05)
• Second Place: Yui reflects on her school festival! (2006/01/12)
• Third seat: Run! Defeat the demons (2006/01/19)
• Fourth Place: Rakugo Tennyo Oyui makes her appearance! (2006/01/26)
• Fifth Place: Oh, hohoho! Rakugo Tennyo Miyabi makes her appearance (2006/02/02)
• 6th Place / The Destination of Love: Each Awakening (2006/02/09)
• 7th Seat/Ryo, Awakened! Duel! Takadanobaba (2006/02/16)
• 8th Place / Love's Destination Again: Edo Bay Showdown! (2006/02/23)
• 9th Place / Black-robed Bride: Secrets Revealed (2006/03/02)
• 10th Place / Demon Army Invasion! Fires and Heavenly Maidens are the Flowers of Edo (2006/03/09)
• The 11th Seat / The Final Battle: Lost Lives (2006/03/16)
• 12th Place: Believing Words, Connecting Hearts (2006/03/23)

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme, "Sakura Saku," was written, composed, arranged, and sung by Little Non. The ending theme, "Hanafubuki, Koifubuki," was written by Shimoji Akiko, composed by Mori Sotaro, arranged by Nonaka Yuichi, and sung by Kashima Hiromi.

■Review

"Rakugo Tennyo Oyui" is an attractive work with a unique combination of beautiful girl action and rakugo. The setting in which modern high school girls travel back in time to Edo at the end of the Tokugawa shogunate and fight demons and monsters has the power to draw viewers in. In particular, the scene where each character awakens as a different "Tennyo" and demonstrates their individual abilities is worth watching.

Tsukishima Yui, who is at the center of the story, is charming with her bright and lively personality, and it is impressive how she quickly captured people's hearts even in the Edo period. Her story of growth resonates with viewers. In addition, the characters' rich personalities, such as the arrogant personality of Asukayama Masa, who is Yui's rival, and Yanaka Tae's dark personality, keep viewers entertained.

In terms of the anime's production, the character designs and background art are beautiful, and there are many depictions that evoke the atmosphere of Edo. In particular, the Rakugo scenes visually express the power of words, giving a sense of visual beauty and depth to the story. The music also plays a role in enhancing the atmosphere of the work, and the opening and ending songs are also memorable.

However, it is difficult to depict the growth of the characters and the development of the story in a short episode length of 12 episodes, and some parts feel a bit rushed. In particular, if the backstories of each character and the relationships between them had been explored in more depth, the work may have had more depth.

■Recommendation

"Rakugo Tennyo Oyui" is recommended for those who want to enjoy the unique combination of beautiful girl action and rakugo. It is also suitable for those who like time-travel stories set in Edo at the end of the Edo period and those who want to follow the growth stories of the characters. In particular, you can enjoy the drama of unique characters such as Tsukishima Yui's cheerfulness, Asukayama Masa's arrogance, and Yanaka Tae's introverted personality.

It is also recommended for those who are interested in rakugo and traditional Japanese culture. The rakugo scenes depicted in the anime are visually beautiful, and convey the power of words and the depth of the art. You can enjoy watching the adventures of modern high school girls while experiencing the atmosphere of the Edo period.

This work is enjoyable not only for those who like beautiful girl anime and action anime, but also for those who are interested in rakugo and Japanese history. Please give it a watch.