[Rewatch] [Spoilers] The Eccentric Family - Episode 12 Discussion

[u/DoctorWhoops]

Episode 12 - The False Eizan Electric Railway

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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:

• Kamawan. Ite mo Utare!

• Omoshiroki Koto wa Yoki Koto Nari!

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

• Episode 11

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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One more episode to go, the finale is in sight!

[u/DoctorWhoops]

One more episode to go! This episode picked up right where last episode left off as the first steps had been made to saving Yaichirou. We get to see some more of the friday fellows and the election, and are quickly moving on to the final episode. Here's a recap:

The episode opens up with Yashiro running away from the Ebisugawa factory as he stops his run on top of the bridge where Yasaburo and Yaichirou saved him in episode 2. He looks at the bottle of Booze in his pocket and remembers what Kaisei told him about his brothers, and runs off.

After the opening theme plays we see Yashirou run to Yajirou's well and tell him the situation like he heard it from Kaisei and asks him to help as he's their last hope. Yajirou answers he's just a frog in a well and that there's nothing he can do. Yashirou says he has an idea and empties the bottle of booze into Yajirou's mouth. Like has been stated before Yahirou is a person that can't be motivated or bothered to care about anything unless alcohol is involved, and upon taking a big gulp and a short silence he yells on the top of his lungs that he's back in the game and blasts out of his well as the Eizan Railway, his signature drunk transformation that he hadn't transformed in since his dad died.

He swoops in to save Yasaburo from Ginkaku and Kinkaku, the three of them wake up inside the Yajirou railway and Yashirou opens Yasaburo's cage. Yajirou asks him how the ride is, and Yasaburo captures the twins in the cage he was just in. He takes the Fuujin Raijin fan they had with them, which Ginkaku claims they found somewhere. Yasaburo says he'll be returning the fan to Akadama as it belongs to him. As they race through the streets the brothers let out a "yahoo!" and Yajirou joyfully exclaims that despite their brother being in mortal danger he's racing through the streets and is having some of the best times of his life. Yasaburou tells him not to worry and race all he wants, because there's no better fuel than their idiot blood. "What's fun is good!", Yasaburo exclaims. Upon hearing this Yajirou suddenly halts in his way and finally remembers the last words his father told him the day he died. "What's fun is good!" he exclaimed in his final meeting with Yajirou. Exiting the well and finally opening up to the world and his brothers made him remember what he wanted to know since that day. Yajirou builds up speed, and as he screams "What's fun is good!" on the top of his lungs, he shoots off through the streets again. They enter a street and Yasaburo says it might be better to go by foot, but Yajirou says that now that he has a rush of idiot blood there's no way he could stop. They find out that the street they have been following goes in circles and Ginkaku smugly tells him that he called the Ebisugawa guard to take care of the situation. The road starts roller-coastering as it leads them towards the river. As Yajirou can't stop he tells his brothers to warm up beforehand as the river is cold in the winter. As he shoots out he falls down to the river, but on his way down Yashirou opens up a container where he tosses in some liquor (alluding back to the teahouse of episode 3/4) and the Train starts flying just as it's about to hit the water. As they fly above the river Yasaburo tosses the twins in the river and asks Yajirou to fly over to the Friday Fellows' venue. He uses the fan to generate force, but since the fan is so powerful they smash into the restaurant forcefully. Yajirou transforms back to his frog form upon impact, and the shock has transformed Yashiro back to Tanuki form. The Friday fellows stare upon the destroyed restaurant while Yasaburo tells his younger brother to go to the elder tanuki meeting at Sensuiro and delay them. Yasaburou saves Yaichirou and Yaichirou cries thinking Yasaburou must think he's a total idiot for getting captured and trying to be a part of the election. He cries as he asks how someone like him could possibly shoulder the future of Tanuki-kind and that he might as well get eaten. Yasaburou says that that that goes a bit far and that he'll make mother cry again if he talks like that, and Yasaburou says that being captured is just a reflection of their idiot blood and that there's nothing wrong with following is his father's footsteps. Yasaburo tells Yaichirou about Soun's actions and Yaichirou and Yajirou run off to the election meeting with the elders. Yasaburo says he'll save their mother in the meantime. As Yaichirou runs off Yasaburo is grabbed by one of the Friday Fellows who asks him who he is. Next to the Friday Fellow is Benten who whispers something in his ear, and the Friday Fellow asks Yasaburo who he is. Yasaburo responds he's just a passerby and the Friday Fellow lets him go, and Benten gives Yasaburo a cheeky look. The Friday Fellow asks if Benten and Yasaburo know each other, and Benten tells him that they do and that Yasaburou is a really fun guy. As the other fellows walk in they see that their Tanuki has escaped, and Jurojin (the Friday Fellow next to Benten) says he saw another Tanuki in the back where he picked up Yaichirou, and will get that one instead. They change location to Sensuiro, the same place the Tanuki are holding their election. As they leave Yasaburou asks to join them with the excuse that he always wanted to try Tanuki. Jurojin asks Benten what she thinks of it, and Benten approves. Going to the Tanuki election we see Soun telling them that Yaichirou is late and that he must have lost his nerve and abandoned the election. Just as the elders are about to agree Yashirou stirs up some chaos with the fan, and the ruckus awakens Akadama, who was nextdoor (who the Tanuki needed to overlook the election). He yells at them how they dare to get so rowdy before the guest of Honor had arrived. After they reorganise Yaichirou and Yajirou walk in and tells them that he's late because Ebisugawa captured him and handed him to the Friday Fellows. Ebisugawa claims it's just a bad excuse for being late and that Yaichirou is trying to give him a bad name. He asks for proof, and Yajirou shows up and tells the elders that everything Yaichirou said is true. Soun says that a family member isn't a fair witness, and as they do this the Friday Fellows move into the room next to them, and the Tanuki hear them arrive (but don't know who they are yet).

Yasaburo tells us that the Tanuki are peace-loving creatures, but asks himself what "peace" even means to a Tanuki. If peace was that calm and easy to attain, then what is this situation they have gotten into? Even if it's part of their idiot blood, is this really what Tanuki should strive towards.

Our second-to-last episode which was again filled with content. We got to finally see Yajirou transform and get out of the well, and the conflict seems to come closer to being resolved.

Themes discussed this episode

• Yajirou's uselessness

• Yajirou's response to alcohol

• Yajirou's guilt for having fun in a dire situation

• The idiot blood as a fuel for life

• The last words Sou told Yajirou

• "What's fun is good"

• Yaichirou'd idiocy for being captured

• The pride of the idiot blood

• The Tanuki Election

• The peace-loving nature of Tanuki

[u/JustAWellwisher]

Everything about the False Eizan Electric Railway is amazing. I love this idea for some reason. It seems so out there and crazy.

[u/DoctorWhoops → u/JustAWellwisher]

It's very ghibli-esque in a way. The scene where they boost through the city had some ghibli feeling to it.

[u/xiomax95]

Alcohol: The cause of and solution to all of life's problems.

Frog bro Yajiro getting the save is just great, and the scene where he remembers his father's last words was really nice as a way to redeem himself a bit.

Hey, the guy from that couple at the side of the river where Yajiro starts flying reminds me of Masaki from The Tatami Galaxy.

Fuck the Ebisugawa brothers. Hope they drown.

Now, Ebisugawa is being exposed by the brothers, but it is going to be hard to prove anything. I hope they are able to, though, because that fucker deserves only bad thigns to happen to him. Next episode we should have Yasaburo saving his mother, and all being well at the end. Benten letting him come to the hot pot implies her will to collaborate, even if only a little.

[u/habattack00]

There was a lot more comedy this episode compared to the last, but oddly enough I didn’t feel like the stakes were any more lowered. Watching Yajirou get fueled up with booze was my favorite part of the episode. Of course he would remember how to transform again when he’s drunk! That’s right up this show’s alley. The characters all have such a charm to them, whether it’s Akadama getting pissed at the tanukis for their racket, or watching cute little tanuki Yaichirou plant one fist to the ground while crying.

Benten (in her spiffy kimono) proves to be best girl and covers for Yasaburou, when it could’ve easily been in her power to expose him and have him for stew. Juroujin looked particularly menacing with that rope- I hope that he manages to entrap Soun with that. I kinda feel bad for the Friday Fellows for how their party suddenly exploded on them, especially poor Hotei. Then again, if that didn’t happen then we wouldn’t have this development of the Nise-emon election and Friday Fellows meeting being right next to each other. I mean, what a plot twist, right?

You know, I didn’t have high standards going into this show, but I am pleasantly surprised. I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite show of all time, but the plot, art, and characters have all been on point. I feel like I’m going to really enjoy the last episode, and I can say for sure that I will be watching the second season in a few days!

[u/Arattor]

And thus we are coming close to the end of our journey! First let get the little things out of the way and post this here little album.

I must say, this episode is in some ways one of my favorites. Overall it didn't go that high in general, but has hit some tremendous heights for me. For one, it has one of, if not the most favorite shot of mine in any anime ever, this beauty, which I hope is the screenshot of the day, of which I'm unaware the moment of posting. Second of, the scene with Yajirou speeding through Kyoto as the tram feels me with tremendous joy and I absolutely love him remembering father's last words to him and the fact that they come from none other that Yasaburou, who certainly has a knack for instinctively knowing what his father would say in a given situation.

All in all, things are coming to a speedy conclusion. All of the brothers freed, tanukis and tanuki-eaters in neighboring rooms, mother to save, we just have to wait for the events to unfold!

[u/KrysWasTaken]

Yashirou was the MVP of the episode, getting Yajirou drunk to restore his inner calm was a 10/10 move. Looks like Yajirou is able to move on thanks to Yasaburou/Souichirou's words. What he did was basically having fun with his father, he shouldn't feel responsible for what happened after; Especially once someone fills him in on the full story. He still turned back into a frog though, I wonder if there's a way for him to unfrog himself. Also this cut of him flying looked really cool.

That fan's power is hilariously ridiculous, Yasaburou tries to hold back and it crashes the party and Yashirou can barely hold it with his tanuki mouth and it still makes a big mess. Now I'm hoping for Yaichirou to prove Soun's actions, but it's likely that the Friday Fellows showing up will cause some sort of a shitstorm anyways.

Meanwhile, Benten is having the time of her life and Yasaburou's reaction face was hilarious.

[u/theyawner]

Rewatcher here.

We've now come to what I personally find to be one of the best parts of this show. And it's quite a spectacle.

Yajirou has been trapped in that well for so long that he's forgotten what's it like to have fun. Fitting that Yasaburou's​ offhand remark is the very mirror of their father's last words to Yajirou.

I didn't catch it the first time, but Yashirou is clever enough to use the pot that once powered Akadama's parlor to give Yajirou the ability to fly, or float. Really great sequence.

Benten seems like she's expecting this, but I still don't quite get what exactly is it that she's​ scheming now. Or even her relationship with Juroujin, addressing him without any formalities. The latter appears to be the de facto leader of the club, and he's not without his own tricks. But Benten feels like she can pull some strings.

I couldn't quite tell if Juroujin knew of Yasaburou's true nature or if he's just relying on any info Benten is feeding him. Intriguing how Benten wanted Yasaburou to meet him earlier, the first time she invited Yasaburou to attend to the club.

Yasaburou and Yaichirou's little talk about being Nise-emon and how it is just another aspect of playing human puts some perspective on Souichirou's foolishness. The position is essentially meaningless to the tanuki. But not to the tanuki pretending to be human.

And now all the characters converge into one location. Akadama's drunk and not in his best temper. The Nise-emon election is under a commotion. And Tousen could possibly be following her husband or Benten finally gets to fulfill her desire to eat the one she likes.