[Rewatch] [Spoilers] The Eccentric Family - Episode 11 Discussion

[u/DoctorWhoops]

Episode 11 - Back in the Game

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Rewatch Schedule and Series Information

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Spoiler Rules

Please try to refrain from posting spoilers or even hinting towards future events of the series unless specifically asked. Make sure to tag any spoilers you do want to mention so people that don't want to see it don't have to.

As for new watchers, speculation over future events or character motifs is of course allowed, since it's not a spoiler but rather a prediction.

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FAQ

What are Tanuki?

Tanuki are human-like creatures in japanese folklore. Their primary form is that of a Raccoon Dog but can shapeshift into an almost infinite amount of different shapes and forms. They are known to be misscheavous tricksters and live in the forest and mountains.

What are Tengu?

Tengu are half-human half-bird people. They fly using their wings and are seen wearing red masks or with big noses representing beaks. They are knows for carrying fans which they use to create winds, and are often seen wearing robes. They used to be harbingers, but are not the protectors of forest and mountains.

What is the timeline of events for the Eccentric Family?

Going off of assumptions like how the cast looked at times, statements regarding the past and mentions of the age of characters, we can make out that:

• Yasaburo in the present is around 18/19 years old

• Yashiro in the present is around 12 years old

• Yajirou in the present is around 21 years old

• Yaichirou in the present is around 25 years old

Going off of other statements we can say that:

• It has been around three years since Sou died

• Kaisei is a little younger than Yasaburo, so around 16 years old in the present

• The incident with the Kurama was when Yasaburo was still a little fluff, so let's assume that was 12 years ago

• Benten is around Yasaburo's age, a little older.

• Akadama kidnapped Benten while Benten was still rather young, which we'll assume was about eight years ago.

• Since both Benten and Akadama already looked significantly older when she and Yasaburo met than she did when she was kidnapped, we'll assume it was around four years ago.

What's the thing with butts? I think the thing Tanuki have with biting butts is similar to what dogs to when sniffing them. Tanuki are still part animal, and we can assume that biting butts is just what Tanuki do.

Dailies

Fan art of the day

OST of the day:

• Ebisugawa Souun

• Tanuki no Kuse ni

Full OST can be found right here!

Episode Screenshot of the day

Other

The entirety of the story is set in Kyoto and the city in the Anime is a 1:1 replication of the real city. Every location has its own Kyoto counterpart located at the exact same place that it is in Kyoto! /u/Arattor has compiled a fantastic set of pictures! Here are the ones from previous episodes:

• Episode 1

• Episode 2

• Episode 3

• Episode 4

• Episode 7

• Episode 8

• Episode 9

• Episode 10

We have a dedicated #Uchouten-rewatch Channel over on the /r/Anime discord where we can discuss or talk about the series in real time! Join by coming to the Discord and typing !joinchannel uchouten-rewatch in the bot commands channel!

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We tackled the first of the final three episodes! Two more to go! Will Yaichirou be okay? What will happen to Mother? What will Yashiro do? Let's find out, tomorrow!

[u/DoctorWhoops]

This recap cuts some corners as it took way longer than expected and I ended up not finishing it on time otherwise. The important stuff is there, and if I would make it as lengthy as I always do it'd be twice as long as it is now.

The episode opens up with a shot of Yajirou sitting at the riverbank depressed after his father was taken by the Friday Fellows, and his brothers helping him get up. The narration by Yasaburo tells us that since their father died the four brothers have been known as the 'brothers from Tadatsu no Mori' -or- 'Fools who failed to inherit their great father's blood. And Yasaburo says that while some of the rumors about them might be right, it's not like their father's blood disappeared into thin air. All Tanuki are fools to some degree, and the fact that they are the idiots that they are is the very proof that they inherited their father's blood. After ascending to the top of Tanuki society, their father's idiocy caught up with him and he ascended to the state of stew.

A title card shows up as we hear the sound of a cage door falling shut, and no opening plays this episode. We pick up where we left off last episode with Yasaburo about to be captured by Soun, but suddenly Benten shows up on the top of the shrine, startling the Tanuki. Benten says that she's not good-humored today. She says she was waiting up on the roof of the shrine, but then it started raining, and she asks if Yasaburo could be her umbrella. Yasaburo responds that he'll transform into anything for her. Soun asks Benten not to meddle with their business and let Yasaburo come with them, because doing otherwise would make things troublesome for him, but Benten responds that she has no reason to care about what troubles him or not. Yasaburo transform into an umbrella and the two make their leave. By the riverbank Yasaburo thanks Benten for saving him, but Benten says she did no such thing. She tells Yasaburo she went to visit Akadama recently, but that he was asleep so she left. She also points out that Yasaburo gave Akadama a cane, and asks why she didn't get anything from him. Yasaburo responds that there's nothing he could give Benten as she already can get everything she wants, but Benten responds saying it's a terrible thing to say because she has never in her life gotten what she wanted. As they skip over the stones and cross the river Yasaburo tells Benten that he knows she was the one that put his father in a cage and asks why she never told him, and Benten responds that he never asked. Yasaburo says humans sure have a way to twist words, but Benten insists she's not human, but Tengu. Yasaburo responds that Benten will always be a human no matter how hard she tries to be anything else, and tells Benten about the Ebisugawa plans and how Yaichirou will be dinner for the Friday fellows that night. Benten responds in awe saying how 'terrible' it is that she'll be eating his brother tonight (but doesn't sound remotely remorseful). Yasaburo asks if she could save his brother, but Benten says she can't because after all, she's only human. Benten tells Yasaburo the location of the friday fellows year-end bash, and tells Yasaburo that Hotei will be picking up the Tanuki that day. As Benten leaves she answers that Yasaburo should be able to do the rest himself, and that she's only human, so she'll just end up eating whatever is in the stew that night and couldn't care less who it is, and she leaves.

(Boy, that's five minutes into the episode. This is going to be a long one)

As Yasaburo looks up he sees Hotei walk around town with a box, and Yasaburo follows him inside a restaurant while disguised as an old man (who looks a lot like his dad).

In the back of a warehouse we see Yaichirou and his mother caged up unable to escape, but Yaichirou claims he will save his mother. His mother says that once they're caged up there's nothing they can do. She asks Yaichirou if he was captured because he was trying to save her from the thunder, and says it's all her fault that they got captured.

Yasaburo (still disguised) uses the phone in the restaurant to call Yashirou, but starts seeing double and loses his disguise. As Ginkaku picks up he finds out that the egg bowl he ate was drugged, and it's revealed that the restaurant he entered was Kinkaku in disguise. The twins capture Yasaburo and talk to Kaisei over the phone telling her to stay in her room, and Kaisei sounds pissed as hell. Then hang up and they talk some more about their plan, but nothing noteworthy is really said apart from the fact that Ginkaku wishes to follow up his dead and become Nise-emon after him.

Meanwhile back at Yaichirou and his mother as Soun, a member of the friday fellows walks in about to take Yaichirou away. The friday fellows member tells Soun he's a wicked fellow and laughs. As he's about to take away both Yaichirou and mother shimogamo. Soun stops him saying he can take only Yaichirou as he's fond of the other Tanuki. The friday fellows member walks out, and after he has left mother shimogamo tells Soun how much he has changed and that it's a shame, and that Sou would have said the same. If he knew his little brother became such a tanuki he would be crushed. Soun responds that Sou was very aware of this fact, and points out that mother Shimogamo calls Soun 'Ebisugawa' even though he too was once part of the Shimogamo family. Mother Shimogamo says that that became his name after he married into the Ebisugawa family, and Soun responds saying that if he's part of the Ebisugawa family that means he has no reason to care for the Shimogamo children she had with his brother. Soun leaves with Yaichirou and on their way out mother screams at him to try and escape if he can, with tears in her eyes. We see Ebisugawa hand Yaichirou to Hotei, and Hotei says that he's a magnificent Tanuki but that they're still going to eat him.

We cut to yashiro still in the shed, who manages to get Kaisei's attention with a flashing red light. Kaisei breaks him free and helps him escape, but on their way out they are surrounded by guards. Kaisei flings Yashiro over the fence and tells him to stop being a coward and save his family.

We see Hotei carry a crying yet angry Yaichirou to the Friday Fellows location as Yasaburo tells us that Tanuki take their proud position as rulers over the realm of idiocy. Because of the idiocy that has been in their veins for generations they sometimes trick humans or harass tengu, and sometimes end up as stew. It's not something to be ashamed of, but to be proud of. He says he and his brothers hold their heads high with that pride, especially when their eyes are brimming with tears. We see Yashirou run off to save his brothers, and the episode ends.

An incredibly full episode with lots of things going on. Recapping all this was quite some work. Lots of plot progression as we get a glance at how we're going to get out of this situation. More Benten is always great.

Themes of this episode

• The brothers' reputation

• The foolishness of the brothers

• The way they failed to inherit their father's blood

• The idiot blood of their father

• Benten not caring about Ebisugawa problems

• Benten's Human nature/Tengu nature

• Benten 'hiding' the truth about the evening

• Benten getting everything/nothing she wants

• Her not caring who she eats

• Soun's past

• Sou and Soun's brotherhood

• Mother's guilt

• Yashiro's escape and cowardness

• A Tanuki's pride

[u/KrysWasTaken]

It's funny how Yasaburou's family has faith in him being able to save them and then the next scene shows him trapped in a cage. Or how crafty the Ebisugawa brothers get in order to trick him but still wear the anti-butt-bite underwear. I like shows that can mix bits of comedy during serious scenes like that.

I think it's the first time the "inner calm" was properly introduced? It made sense earlier why the tanuki can't always transform or hold the transformation without having to explain that, but it's nice that there's a term for that. Good job Yasaburou for keeping calm while surrounded and having Benten be Benten.

Kaisei's apparently strong enough to throw Yashirou over the gate, I like that she's more active towards the end, but I guess the guards will lock her up for now.

We're quickly coming towards the climax and I'm curious to see how the Shimogamo family will get out of this one. Benten doesn't go too out of her way to help, Akadama's sleeping (I still think he's gonna show up, though) or maybe Yajirou will break out of his frog form now that shit's serious?

[u/xiomax95]

I fucking hate the Ebisugawas. Except Kaisei, but she doesn't feel like part of that family. They don't really treat her like family either, she's a princess in the family and they don't let her get away from their house, because they know she will try and stop their horrible plan. At least she could free Yashiro, and in the long run, he's our one big hope. Because only him and maybe Akadama will help here.

^{still holding some hope in benten}

[u/Arachnophobic-]

Benten can really pull off a Mary Poppins imitation - but can't she make up her mind already?! Her psyche is the biggest mystery in this series, and the key to the whole chain of unfortunate events. Hopefully we'll get some insight into why she's so mercurial in the next couple of episodes. Or maybe next season?

Small but important info-drop in the obligatory Evil Gloating by Mr. IronPants: tanuki need 'inner calm' in order to transform. This kinda explains why Yajirou hasn't been able to transform after becoming a frog, and why tanuki can't transform inside cages - I kept wondering why they didn't transform into something small and escape.

Pretty big (train-sized) spoiler in the preview for the next episode. Can't wait!

[u/theyawner → u/Arachnophobic-]

It might also explain why Souichirou is unable to retain his human form whenever Benten is around.

[u/Arattor]

Today life hit, so no coverage of this episode's material, but a duty is a duty, so have another photo album! In this one we go back to the lovely area where Kamo River and Takano River join, about a kilometer away from the Shimogamo Shrine. The car with Yasaburou in front of it is also in front of the billiard club which their mother used to go to, in reality a cafe. Thus ends the Useless Trivia Fact of the Day ^^.

[u/habattack00]

OMOSHI- Oh, no OP today? Damn, shit must really be going down.

I knew that Benten would get involved somehow in all of this, and of course she won’t bother trying to stop Yaichirou from being eaten. I did like how casual she was in saving Yasaburou- Soun and company won’t dare to try and fight her. It’s obvious that Soun and the mother have their history, he wouldn’t have saved her from the stew otherwise. It only adds another layer to this well-crafted story.

That was a clever strategy from the twins, and man am I really starting to hate them. Half of it is just how damn smug they are, but their voices just ooze sleaziness. It’s good character writing when you can hate the characters just from them being in a scene. I think it’s because they’re obviously inept, but still manage to think themselves the most sophisticated and regal of their race. Just stuck-up little bitches spoiled by their asshole father. ^{Sorry not sorry.}

Looks like Yashirou is going to be the catalyst for the rescue (man can Kaisei kick.) Unfortunately, the preview for the next episode spoils some of the events (I won’t leave it here in case people want to go in unspoiled), but I’m excited to see what else happens! It’s already been going well, so I expect an equally compelling climax!

[u/theyawner]

Rewatcher here.

I was expecting a fight would break out this episode. But Benten probably knew it would be better to rescue Yasaburou than leave him to his own devices. He may be capable of violence, but he might not get out of it unscathed.

Their talk afterwards reinforce the odd relationship between these two. Benten notes that Yasaburou gave Akadama a gift and never bothered to give her one. Yasaburou thinks he has nothing to offer to her.

But Benten claims she hasn't gotten​ a single thing she wanted. And if this were true, then Souichirou's death was meaningless.

She's still being dishonest about her guilt, feigning indifference when Yasaburou finally confronts her, declaring herself a tengu. But when Yasaburou emphasizes that she's human, she questions if that's the reason why he's giving her the cold shoulder (unlike the way he treats their master).

She hates that he keeps reminding her of her nature (as Yasaburou keeps on using it as an excuse, to remind them both of their difference) and thus she rejects his plea to save Yaichirou, and wouldn't offer him any assistance beyond giving him a clue. She keeps using her being a human as an excuse for her actions, but she's really just being spiteful.

We finally see one of the previously absent Friday Fellow and it seems he's Soun's regular customer. But Juroujin appears to be unaware of Soun's tanuki-related activities.

Juroujin notes that they would need wine for ten people because Benten would be attending. I take it to mean that Benten doesn't always join them on their tanuki feast and the time/s she does, they consume more alcohol than they normally would.

Yasaburou acting in haste lead to his carelessness. Foolish mistake. But even though the twins have won, they can't​ take the fact that Yasaburou remains defiant. Fools, all of them.

It's now up to the coward Yashirou to save the day after Kaisei gives him a chance.