The Eccentric Family / Uchōten Kazoku

The Eccentric Family / Uchōten Kazoku

Eccentric-Family-1
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Genres: comedy, drama, fantasy
Themes: family, Folklore, Gender switch, Shapeshifting, youkai
Objectionable content: Mild
Plot Summary: Shimogamo Yasaburō is a tanuki who is the third son of the Shimagamo family, who lives in Kyoto, along with humans, tanuki, and tengu. One day, Yasaburō’s father is eaten as a hot pot by human members of a group known as the “Friday Club”. As Yasaburō takes care of his teacher, an old tengu, fights with other tanukis, and plays with a psychic human girl, Yasaburō approaches the truth about his father’s death.
Number of episodes: 13
Vintage: 2013-07-07
Opening Theme: “Uchōten Jinsei” by milktub
Ending Theme: “Qué será, será” by fhána

ANN Info Page
Official Japanese Website

The Eccentric Family 2 / Uchōten Kazoku 2

Eccentric-Family-2

Genres: comedy, drama, fantasy
Themes: family, folklore, gender switch, shapeshifting, youkai
Plot Summary: The election of the next Trick Magister may have been postponed, but that doesn’t mean things are settling down in Kyoto. Yaichiro’s passion for public service has him reinstating a shogi tournament his father once established, while Yashiro is still working at the family factory. Yasaburo would like to sit back and spend some time indulging his passion for tsuchinoko hunting, but it seems fate has other plans. The return of Akadama-sensei’s son Nidaime soon upsets the balance of power in Kyoto, and with Yasaburo acting as the go-between for father and son, it seems likely he’ll get caught in the crossfire. With Akadama’s original student now fighting for territory, who knows what will happen once Benten gets back in town.
Number of episodes: 12
Vintage: 2017-04-09
Opening Theme: “Nasugamama, Sawagumama” by milktub
Ending Theme: “Moon River” by fhána

ANN Info Page
Official Japanese Website

Episode 1 –

spoiler

Can humans, tanuki, and tengu really coexist? Yasaburo is a tanuki that takes human form and what an interesting one it is in this episode! LOL It was funny to see him smoking, and walking into a bar as a young school girl. Yasaburo’s only purpose in life is to lead an interesting one. With the very strange assortment of characters introduced here, I think I’m going to enjoy this!

Episode 2 –

spoiler

It was really sweet of Yasaburo to transform into Benten for the professor’s sake. I enjoy his quick changes too.

Yasaburo also has another brother that had turned into a frog and forgot how to turn back. But he seems content to be living in a well.

Mom pretends she’s a prince and she’s deathly afraid of thunder. The boys are very protective of her during storms. For all their problems, they really are a close knit family.

Episode 3 –

spoiler

When Yaichiro fails to obtain a leisure cruiser for the family’s Fire Festival celebration, the task falls to Yasaburo. But where will he get one?

It’s really funny that every time little Yashiro gets a little scared, his tail pops out. He’s so cute!

Yasaburo asks Akadama if he can borrow his inner parlor – “that little flying tearoom thing” – but he gave it to Benten. It’s sad that the old tengu is still in love with her, but she seems to care nothing for him.

Yasaburo asks Benten for the use of the inner parlor and she just laughs. It seems that the Ebisugawa family doesn’t want her helping the Shimogamo family or getting involved in their family feud. However, that doesn’t really concern her and she will let Yasaburo borrow the inner parlor – but for a price. If the inner parlor gets damaged, Yasaburo will have to present himself to the Friday Fellows and may end up in a hot pot!

I think Yasaburo may be half in love with Benten himself as he watches her with the whale.

The inner parlor flies on Electric Brandy! I wonder if it gets drunk. LOL

Episode 4 –

spoiler

That was a very elaborate song and dance that Yasaburo and Akadama went through just to get Akadama to go on the cruise. They all knew he wanted to go anyway, so they really didn’t need to go through all that. LOL But it was kind of sad that he expected Benten to be there as well. And he was horrified when Yashiro poured the Electric Brandy into the “engine”! LOL

The Ebisugawas have a very regal looking cruiser, and Yasaburo can see that Benten is aboard. Akadama really takes offense at that and the family feud continues as fireworks from the Ebisugawa cruiser are aimed at the inner parlor. This is how Yasaburo’s family lost their last cruiser. Soon both sides are tossing fireworks at one another.

Things get pretty dire, but Benten has loaned Yasaburo her fan. She watches as Yasaburo makes the Ebisugawa cruiser crash, but the inner parlor has run out of fuel and is falling as well. Akadama has the last of the brandy, but would rather drink it, so the inner parlor crashes too. Not only does Yasaburo now have to face Benten for damaging the inner parlor, but he’s also lost her fan! It’s going to be the hot pot for sure! He decides to flee and becomes known as “Yasaburo the Fugitive”. LOL

Episode 5 –

spoiler

Yasaburo the Fugitive has been hiding out in Osaka, but Benten is still looking for him and eventually gets him. Now, he has to keep his promise to entertain the Friday Fellows and if he fails – hot pot! I like how Benten rubs it in by telling Yasaburo how delicious his father was.

At least they feed Yasaburo dinner before the entertainment portion of the evening. He does a few transformations, but I think the one the men liked most was Benten. He started to do a strip tease, but then Benten threatened him, so he had to stop, much to the men’s disappointment. Then the men find out that Yasaburo is a tanuki. They enjoyed his performance, so Benten forgives him, at least for the night. She still teases him about tomorrow though. And with her, you never know.

It turns out that one of the Friday Fellows, Yodogawa , had actually saved Yasaburo’s mother a while back, when she had been injured. He took her to his home, tended her injury, and even fed her rice balls. Yasaburo realizes that the man is talking about his mother when he mentions that the tanuki was afraid of thunder. When she was healed, Yodogawa released her in the mountains, but he remembers the way she had kept looking back at him. Such a sweet story! How can this man bring himself to eat tanuki if he likes them so much? He says it’s just good manners because he likes them so much.

Benten gets bored with the drunken men and takes Yasaburo outside. She likes the beautiful full moon and tells Yasaburo to go and get it for her. Of course he can’t and she calls him a good-for-nothing. Benten is a little sad because she tells Yasaburo that she will have to eat him at some point. She likes him, so she will have to eat him, but if she eats the thing she likes, then that thing won’t be around to like anymore. Such a dilemma! Yasaburo just calls her spoiled, but I think he enjoyed his evening with the Friday Fellows despite them having eaten his father. Perhaps he can return home now and give up being a fugitive.

Episode 6 –

spoiler

So, Akadama kidnapped Benten when she was just a young school girl. I’d like to see more of that story.

The same night of the Friday Fellows dinner, Benten takes Yasaburo and Yodogawa on a moonlit excursion over the rooftops. It’s hard for the guys to keep up with her, but in the long run it’s worth it as they end up on a rooftop with beautiful fall foliage. As Yasaburo takes some pictures, he realizes how much Benten has changed.

Yodogawa reminds Benten of the first time they met when she had just joined the Friday Fellows and he saw her lying next to the caged tanuki, sleeping. She doesn’t seem to like that story and when Yodogawa falls asleep, she leaves them. When he wakes up, he shares a snack with Yasaburo and they talk about Benten. The talk eventually turns to a tanuki that Yodogawa once knew and ate. As he tells the story, Yasaburo realizes that the tanuki was his father.

Yasaburo turns into a frog and visits his brother. He tells Yajiro the story Yodogawa had told him of the tanuki, but tells Yajiro that he can’t hate him for eating their father. In fact, Yasaburo really likes the man. He also confesses to having a crush on Benten, another one he should hate. As they talk, Benten comes to the well. Yajiro tells Yasaburo that she never says anything, she just sits there and cries. As her tears fall into the well, they speculate on why she cries. Yajiro says that “a child is someone who cries for no reason”. For all her sophistication and talents, Benten is really very lonely.

Episode 7 –

spoiler

All that just to get a stinky old tengu to bathe! LOL And just like a child, once he’s in the water, he doesn’t want to come out! It also seems that Akadama figured out that Yasaburo has a crush on Benten, although Yasaburo can never admit it to him. The nice relaxing bath is ruined when the Ebisugawa twins show up with their goons, but they are quickly dealt with. Then the twins try to implicate Yajiro in the death of his father. Could it really be true?

Yaichiro questions his brother at the well and finds out that it is true and it’s just heartbreaking. No wonder Yajiro closed himself off from the world. It must be guilt that prevents him from transforming and not just forgetfulness. Still, I hope this doesn’t prevent Yaichiro from being elected.

Episode 8 –

spoiler

Yajiro tells his version of events the night his father was eaten. It was very sad and he does feel guilty over the whole thing. The only way he could deal with it was to give up being a tanuki and become a frog in a well.

Akadama was furious to be left at the bath house. But as Yasaburo takes him home, he tells Akadama about Yajiro being the last one to see their father alive. Akadama confesses that he was actually the last one and tells Yasaburo the story.

And when Yasaburo faces his mother, it turns out that she already knew about Yajiro, and begs Yaichiro not to be too hard on him. But Yaichiro already understands. Yasaburo says that each of Soichiro’s sons inherited something from their father. Yaichiro received his sense of responsibility, Yajiro received his easygoing personality, Yashiro received his innocence, and Yasaburo received his idiocy. But Yasaburo is also the one most like his father, and their mother’s love hold the brothers together. Again, this was sad, but ended on a good note.

Episode 9 –

spoiler

The Shimogamo – Ebisugawa feud continues and with the election for Nise-emon right around the corner, I can only imagine what will happen next. Throw in the annual Friday Fellows tanuki hot pot and things are even tougher.

A tengu is needed to witness the election proceedings and Akadama is chosen. But knowing him, I doubt he will cooperate. Sure enough, they need Yasaburo to talk him into doing this. I think Akadama is more annoyed that he wasn’t the first choice. He also thinks that the tanuki society doesn’t respect him. Between flattery and cajoling, Yasaburo gets Akadama to agree to go – maybe. But a maybe from Akadama usually means a yes.

Yasaburo goes to the bathhouse and while there, speaks with Kaisei across the partition to the women’s side. It was nice to see a little more of the mysterious Kaisei in this episode. It was funny when Yasaburo asked her to come to the men’s side, so he could finally see her. He was all ready for her response too. When she threw the bars of soap over, he had a rinse bucket on his head, ready and waiting! LOL But she manages to get him anyway. Too bad their engagement was canceled – I think they make a cute couple. At least they seem to get along well enough.

Kaisei is finally shown! And she’s so cute! Yasaburo brings up the election and Kaisei says that Yaichiro won’t win. She gives Yasaburo a warning for his brother as well. Her brothers are planning something again, but Kaisei doesn’t know what it is. It seems Kaisei hates Benten too – jealousy perhaps? LOL I think she knows that Yasaburo likes Benten.

Kaisei suddenly leaves after apologizing, and Yasaburo tries to go after her, but can’t find her. Her humbleness was a bit ominous and now Yasaburo is worried. There is a nice moment with Yasaburo’s family as they light the Christmas tree and it begins to snow. But Yasaburo is still thinking of Kaisei and her apology.

Episode 10 –

spoiler

The time for the Nise-emon election has arrived and it’s also the anniversary of Soichiro’s death, as well as the night of the Friday Fellows year end tanuki hot pot. Who will be eaten this time? It was funny to see mom pouring energy drinks down Yaichiro’s throat!

Yasaburo tells Yaichiro about Keisei’s apology and warns him that the Ebisugawas might try to do something. However, Yaichiro doesn’t take it too seriously. The family sends Yaichiro off for the day and Yasaburo gives him a final warning to be careful.

The Ebisugawa brothers lock Yashiro in a warehouse and he overhears the plan for snatching the rest of his family. It seems that his Uncle Soun is behind it. Could this be why Kaisei apologized to Yasaburo? Yasaburo visits Yajiro at the well and as they talk about Kaisei, Yajiro tells his brother that he has a feeling that something terrible is going to happen.

A storm begins and Yasaburo senses that someone has found the Fujin Raijin folding fan and used it. Yajiro tells Yasaburo to go and take care of their mother. Again, Yajiro has a bad feeling and I wonder if he knows more than he’s saying. Yasaburo runs off and as Yaichiro sees the coming storm, he also worries about his mother. Distracted by this, he seems to have run over a tanuki and is thrown from his carriage. He changes form and isn’t hurt, but this was a set up with a stuffed animal and Yaichiro is kidnapped!

Yasaburo runs home, but can’t find his mother. Then his brother’s empty carriage shows up in the courtyard. Kaisei shows up in the nearby bushes and tells Yasaburo what her brothers did and that his mother has been taken. She also tells him that her father plans to boil Yaichiro in a hot pot – just like Soichiro! Wait – did Soun have something to do with Soichiro’s death?

Kaisei confirms this to the shocked Yasaburo. Never in a million years would I have thought Soun responsible for his own brother’s death. But as Kaisei tells the story, it becomes apparent just how evil Soun is. And Benton is just as bad. It was the saddest thing when Soichiro realizes that his own brother betrayed him, and he resigns himself to his fate. And when Benten asks Soun if he’s okay with it, the cold hearted bastard just turns his back on Soichiro and walks away. Kaisei is crying now and apologizes again, but Yasaburo kind of suspected that’s what had happened all along.

Soun appears now with his Elite Guard and surrounds Yasaburo. Soun tells him to pay no mind to what Kaisei has said, for the girl is a delicate child and has trouble between dreams and reality. Lies! Soun invites Yasaburo to a banquet with words that echo what Soun had once said to Soichiro. Yasaburo declines, but Soun insists, even if he has to use force. As the Guard closes in around Yasaburo, I am still in shock. I can only hope that Yajiro finds the courage to save the day, because I don’t think anyone else will be able to. Since the Ebisugawas didn’t think Yajiro worth the trouble, I hope it comes back to bite them in the butt! I can’t believe this episode brought out so many strong emotions in me. This anime is truly a surprise!

Episode 11 –

spoiler

While Soun has Yasaburo surrounded, Benten shows up and saves him. I wonder why she did that. She even pretends ignorance of the situation. Yasaburo brings up his father too, and Benten just says that he never asked. She also doesn’t seem too concerned that she might be eating Yaichiro in a few hours. Yasaburo asks her to save him, but she doesn’t seem to want to. However, she does give Yasaburo the location of the dinner, and a few other details as well before driving off. Yasaburo sees Yodogawa across the street and he looks like he’s carrying a cage! Yasaburo follows him.

Yaichiro is in a cage and is reunited with his mother, who is in another cage and ill. The Ebisugawa twins have tricked Yasaburo, and drugged him. He’s the next one to be put in a cage. Yet, the twisted Soun plans to keep their mother for himself. I knew his affections for her made Soun betray his brother, but now to take her sons from her as well - the man is just a monster! It gives me chills! Yaichiro and his mother pin their hopes of salvation on Yasaburo, but they know that he must be captured as well. C’mon Yajiro! I know you aren’t a complete coward. Get out of that well!

The Ebisugawa twins taunt Yasaburo as he tries to convince them to let him go free. Yasaburo refuses to give up. Soun coldly turns his nephew over to Yodogawa. I hope Soun ends up in next year’s hot pot! Mom makes a final plea for her son and I couldn’t help but tear up. Yashiro is still locked in the warehouse, but he’s trying to find a way out. Kaisei escapes from her room and helps Yashiro get out. She fills him in on what is happening and they try to run. Sadly, they are caught by Soun’s Elite Guard, but Kaisei still finds a way to help Yashiro escape. However, what can the little guy do by himself?

Episode 12 –

spoiler

Yashiro is free now and runs straight to his brother, Yajiro! Yashiro tells him what happened, but Yajiro says that he’s just a frog in a well. But Yashiro has a plan – he gives Yajiro some liquid courage and suddenly he’s “back in the game”! Yay! Go Yajiro! His train is back in business!

Yasaburo is saved from the twins first, and Yashiro lets him out of the cage. Everyone is taken for the ride on the train and the twins are terrified. LOL Yasaburo teaches them a lesson that they are never going to forget, and they are soon caged by Yasaburo. Perhaps he should trade them for his brother! Yasaburo also gets the Fujin Raijin folding fan back as well.

After going in circles and almost falling into the river, Yajiro finally gets back on track, so to speak. Quick thinking Yashiro feeds alcohol into the fake engine and the train flies. Too funny. I also loved all the reactions from the people, especially when the train stopped and the bystanders started taking pictures with their phones. Anyway, Yasaburo has had enough of the twins and tries to throw them into the river, but they hang on to his arm. He then gives them the choice of the river or the hot pot and they choose the river before he can even finish the sentence! LOL

Yasaburo uses the fan to give Yajiro a tiny boost, but the fan’s power sends them flying into the second floor of the restaurant, destroying most of it. And Benten saw them coming too. But Yajiro loses his form and I wonder if he’s a frog again. Yasaburo gives Yashiro the fan and sends him off to delay the elder’s discussion. Yasaburo finds Yaichiro right away and frees him from his cage. Yaichiro berates himself for being a failed tanuki, but Yasaburo assures him that it’s just their idiot blood.

Yasaburo gives Yaichiro a pep talk and tells him that it was Soun that gave him to the Friday Fellows, but didn’t Yaichiro already know that? Yajiro, a frog again, hops over to put in his two cents and Yaichiro is surprised to see him. Yasaburo sends Yaichiro and Yajiro off to the elders and promises to save their mother, but Yasaburo has just been caught! However, Benten convinces Jurojin to let Yasaburo go. Apparently he doesn’t know that Yasaburo is a tanuki.

But with the loss of Yaichiro, the Friday Fellows have lost their tanuki hot pot. That is, until Jurojin mentions that he saw another tanuki at the Electric Brandy shop, and Yasaburo realizes that they are talking about his mother. They will also need another restaurant and Jurojin tells them that he has a back-up reservation at Sensuiro – the very place where the elders are meeting! This is just too much. LOL Yasaburo asks to accompany them on the pretext that he’d like to try a tanuki hot pot, but would also like to see a live one. Jurojin agrees, but puts him to work, carrying the Electric Brandy to the other restaurant.

At Sensuiro, Soun is in the process of convincing the elders that Yaichiro ran away and isn’t fit to be the Nise-emon. Yashiro arrives with the fan and tries using it. It’s heavy for a little tanuki, but the tiny bit he does move it is enough to do some damage and disrupt the meeting. Akadama bursts into the room to see what all the fuss is about, and I loved that he had all those liquor bottles sticking out of various places! Yaichiro arrives during Akadama’s rant and praises Yashiro for a job well done, telling him to return the fan to Akadama.

Soun must have died a thousand deaths to see Yaichiro enter the room, alive and well. Yaichiro explains why he was late, and places all the blame at Soun’s feet, telling everyone that his entire family was captured because Soun wanted no opposition in becoming Nise-emon. Of course, Soun keeps a neutral expression on his face and denies everything, saying that a tanuki would never be cruel enough to do that to another tanuki. But Yajiro the frog hops forward and tells them that it is the truth. As Soun stands up to increase the intensity of his denial, the Friday Fellows arrive and are right next door! Perhaps they should just ask them who supplied the tanuki! LOL Wonderful episode, but I’m still worried about mom.

Episode 13 –

spoiler

Yasaburo brings the liquor to the restaurant just as his mom is delivered for the hot pot. But Yodogawa seems to recognize it as the tanuki he once saved. Next, door, Soun is still protesting his innocence. Yaichiro has had enough of his lies and now brings up the fact that Soun gave up his own brother to the hot pot. But Soun points out that it’s just a story, since Yaichiro has no proof. Yaichiro brings up Kaisei as a witness and Soun says that his daughter is just a dreamer. He puts it to the others, asking them if a tanuki could even do that to another tanuki, and Soun makes a very convincing case.

Once Soun begins to insult Yajiro and put the blame on him for his father’s death, Yaichiro has had enough and turns into a tiger. Things are getting loud and the Friday Fellows can hear them. Soun suddenly bursts into their room, followed by the tiger. The others see Benten and turn back into tanukis. Just to be on the safe side, Jurojin pulls the caged tanuki closer to him. Soun looks up with a gasp to see just who is in the cage.

Jurojin greets Soun, and Soun asks him what he’s doing with that particular tanuki. Of course they will boil her in a hot pot and Soun digs his own grave. I hope the elders are listening! As Soun argues with Jurojin, Yasaburo tries to get closer to the cage, but Yodogawa grabs the cage and tells the others it’s the one he saved, so he won’t let anyone have her. Faced with being tossed out of the Friday Fellows, Yodogawa is suddenly against the tanuki hot pot tradition. Yodogawa runs with the cage into the next room and more turn into tanukis, realizing that the Friday Fellows are there.

Jurojin is pleased to see so many tanukis and says they can have as many hot pots as they like. This causes complete chaos as the tanukis run for their lives. The cage ends up being tossed in the air as Yodogawa loses his footing, but the tiger catches it. Just for good measure, it growls at the rest of the Friday Fellows and scares them. Yajiro hops onto Yasaburo’s shoulder and mentions what a mess things are. The doors open and Akadama enters the room with his fan. I can just imagine what is going to happen next!

He’s just mad about being kept waiting so long. Yodogawa is still on the floor and Yasaburo pushes Benten onto his lap. Looking at Akadama, he says that they have been caught in a compromising position! LOL This only enrages Akadama even more and he announces that he despises everyone present. He opens the fan and lets loose! And another restaurant is destroyed! LOL Yodogawa is running for his life now with Akadama following him. The Shimogamo boys are following him, and Yasaburo is trying to talk Akadama out of doing anything rash. But Akadama is beyond reason. He even turns the fan on the boys, but Benten saves them. She is the one to finally calm Akadama down and get him home.

The boys are reunited with their mother over the phone. Yaichiro will never make Nise-emon now and apologizes for that, but after all the things that Soun said, he won’t be elected either. Yajiro makes up with mom too. She tells them that everyone is at Akegarasu with her, waiting for them.

The New Year brings a crowd to the temple and Yasaburo greets Yodogawa. He can’t really remember what happened that night, but he did get tossed out of the Friday Fellows. Akadama and Benten are there as well. She seems a little more attentive to her former master now. The family also bumps into the Ebisugawa twins and Kaisei. Yasaburo still doesn’t know what Kaisei looks like, since he’s never seen her human form. Soun has gone on a trip and may never return. That would be for the best.

Yasaburo asks if he can see her this time, but Kaisei says that he’ll never find her. Sure enough, when Yasaburo turns around, Kaisei is gone. Benten and Yasaburo meet at the shrine again, and Benten prays to meet the one she’s destined for. When she asks Yasaburo about his wish, he really doesn’t have one. A tanuki doesn’t need anything as long as he’s having fun and leading an interesting life. Well, I’m glad to see that everything worked out in the end. It was funny to see Yajiro the frog sitting in a saucer of water during the end credits. I guess he still can’t remember how to turn back. This show turned out to be a real surprise for me. I didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did, but I really got caught up in it. Bravo!

NIS America Licenses The Eccentric Family for Retail Release

posted on 2013-10-25 20:45 EDT
Tatami Galaxy author’s comedy of shape-shifting raccoon-dogs designed by Zetsubou-Sensei’s Kumeta

I’d prefer if NIS would just stop licensing. They have no chance of ever dubbing a series.

Now that Sentai and Funi are going full-bore with sub-only releases there’s no reason for them not to pick up everything. I’ve come to the conclusion that the chance of a dub beats out the lack of a NISA limited edition (especially since only Sentai ruled out such an offering, Funi did not).

Interview: Masayuki Yoshihara, director of The Eccentric Family

by Hope Chapman, Jan 6th 2015

FEATURE: Cruising the Crunchy-Catalog: “The Eccentric Family”

August 28, 2016 2:05pm CDT
It’s all fun and games until someone ends up boiled in a pot…

‘The Eccentric Family’ Project Gets New Announcements in September

posted on 2016-09-04 16:00 EDT

The Eccentric Family TV Anime Gets 2nd Season

posted on 2016-09-17 21:30 EDT
Main cast, staff return for new series adapting Tomihiko Morimi’s 2nd novel