The appeal and reviews of "Trapeze": A moving story and deep characters

"Trapeze": A fusion of a mad psychiatrist's unconventional treatment and human drama

"Trapeze" is a TV anime series that aired in 2009 and is based on Hideo Okuda's novels "In the Pool," "Trapeze," and "Mayoral Election." The series tells the story of the unconventional psychiatrist Ichiro Irabu and the unique patients he treats. Below, we will introduce detailed information and reviews of this anime, as well as recommended points.

■Overview of the work

"Trapeze" was broadcast from October 16, 2009 to January 1, 2010. It was broadcast on CX, BS Fuji, Fuji TV TWO, and Animax, with each station having its own broadcast schedule. It consists of 11 episodes, each 30 minutes long. Animation was handled by Toei Animation, and the director was Kenji Nakamura.

■ Story

In a town in Tokyo a week before Christmas, circus trapeze artist Yamashita Kohei is suffering from insomnia after repeatedly missing a fall. At the hospital, Kohei meets a mysterious costumed psychiatrist, Irabu Ichiro. Under the guise of making house calls, Irabu follows Kohei around in his life, and the people who appear before him are all a little odd, such as a timid ward office worker and a yakuza wearing ski goggles. Will Irabu actually treat Kohei, and will Kohei be able to overcome his mental illness? This is the story that unfolds.

■ Characters

The appeal of this work lies in its unique characters. The main character, Irabu Ichiro, is the heir to Irabu General Hospital and a psychiatrist who practices unconventional treatment. His treatment methods are unconventional, and he simply gives vitamin injections to patients who come to see him. Irabu's assistant, Mayumi, is a grumpy-faced nurse who wears a sexy nurse's uniform that reveals her thighs and cleavage, and who gives injections to patients while they are distracted.

Other characters with various occupations and conditions appear, including trapeze artist Yamashita Kohei who suffers from a sleep disorder, ward office employee Taguchi Tetsuya who suffers from impotence, romance novelist Hoshiyama Junichi who suffers from obsessive-compulsive disorder, and Tokyo Yakult Swallows third baseman Bando Shinichi who suffers from the yips. How these characters change through Irabu's treatment is a highlight of the show.

■ Production staff

Many staff members were involved in the production of "Trapeze." The original story was written by Hideo Okuda, the plan was created by Yoko Matsuzaki (Fuji TV), the music was by Eiji Mori, the series composition was by Manabu Ishikawa, and the character design and general animation director was Takashi Hashimoto. Additionally, the art design was by Shoji Tokiwa, the color design was by Rumiko Nagai, the CG producer was Yukiya Imamura, and the CG chief director was Nobuhiro Morita. The sound director was Yukio Nagasaki, and the series director was Kenji Nakamura.

■Cast

The voice actors are also impressive, with Mitsuya Yuji and Park Yumi as Ichiro Irabu, Sugimoto Yumi as Mayumi, Morikawa Toshiyuki as Kohei Yamashita, Sakurai Takahiro as Tetsuya Taguchi, Miki Shinichiro as Junichi Hoshiyama, Namikawa Daisuke as Shinichi Bando, Hirata Hiroaki as Tatsuro Ikeyama, Irino Miyu as Yuta Tsuda, Takahashi Hiroki as Seiji Ino, Iwata Mitsuo as Yoshio Iwamura, Hatano Wataru as Hiromi Yasukawa, Okiayu Ryutaro as Mitsuo Tanabe, and Furuya Toru as Hideo Tsuda. These voice actors bring life to the characters.

■Subtitle

The subtitles for each episode are as follows:

• Episode 1: Trapeze (2009/10/15)
• Episode 2: Hard as a Rock (2009/10/22)
• Episode 3: Romance Novelist (2009/10/29)
• Episode 4: Hot Corner (2009/11/05)
• Episode 5: My Father-in-Law's Thing (2009/11/12)
• Episode 6: Friends (2009/11/19)
• Episode 7: Hedgehog (2009/11/26)
• Episode 8: Still Standing (2009/12/03)
• Episode 9: Genius Child Actor (2009/12/10)
• Episode 10: Owner (2009/12/17)
• Episode 11: Canary (2009/12/24)

■ Theme songs and music

The opening theme is "Upside Down" by Denki Groove, with lyrics, composition, and arrangement by Takkyu Ishino and Denki Groove. The ending theme is "Shangri-La (Y.Sunahara 2009 Remodel)" by Denki Groove, with lyrics by Denki Groove, composition by Denki Groove and Bebu Silvetti, and arrangement by Denki Groove and Y.Sunahara. These songs add to the atmosphere of the work.

■ Evaluation and recommended points

"Trapeze" is a fascinating work with its unique story and character settings. The highlights are Ichiro Irabu's unconventional treatment methods and the human drama of the unique patients he treats. Each episode also has a different theme, so viewers will not get bored.

In particular, the character of Ichiro Irabu is very memorable, and his treatment methods and words and actions bring laughter and emotion to the viewers. In addition, the backgrounds and worries of each character are explored in depth, evoking sympathy from the viewers. Furthermore, the voice actors' performances are excellent, and the characters' emotions are expressed realistically.

This work is a story about people with mental health issues, but it also contains a lot of comedy elements. Therefore, it has been praised for its good balance of being able to entertain viewers while dealing with serious themes. Also, each episode features characters with different occupations and symptoms, providing fresh surprises for viewers.

The recommended points include the following:

• The unique treatment method of the unconventional psychiatrist Ichiro Irabu
• A human drama featuring characters with various occupations and conditions
• A well-balanced storyline with comedy and emotion
• Realistic acting by a gorgeous cast of voice actors
• Each story has a different theme and surprising developments

"Trapeze" is a work that depicts the story of people with mental problems, but also provides viewers with laughter and emotion. It offers viewers a new perspective through the human drama of unique characters and unconventional treatment methods. Please give it a watch.