I’m fascinated by cognitive dissonance. It’s one of the fundamental parts of being human, this paradoxical ability we have to contradict ourselves and not see it or be troubled by it. And it’s certainly no stranger to the realm of online discussion, which I monitor and inhabit far more than I should.
I’m over-generalizing, but jaded anime fans love to complain about how formulaic everything is and how much they’d love to see something totally off the beaten path. I’d like to call bullshit on that complaint right now. If all those people actually meant it, I wouldn’t be the only one watching Hyouge Mono.
The hero of Hyouge Mono is an aesthete of 16th century Japan named Furuta Sasuke. He’s a dapper, oddly mustachioed character obsessed with craftsmanship and beauty, able to get excited over things like a finely baked piece of pottery, ceremonial dress, or a wooden tea scoop. His hobbies are in constant conflict with his work life, which involves answering to Oda Nobunaga, a powerful warlord well on his way to unifying Japan.
I think there’s a lot to like in the character of Furuta Sasuke. I’m a big fan of dwelling on art, though many balk at a definition of art so loose as to include what I write about on this site. I enjoy finding something I have a positive, visceral reaction to and then articulating all the components which contribute to that reaction, leading me to explore more material with those same qualities, and in turn obsessing over them. The closest I feel to achieving a deep understanding of a piece of art is when it helps me to better understand myself, a sort of mirroring process gained by really engaging with the material and staring it down. I didn’t think of myself as an aesthete before watching this show, but I certainly do now.
Pardon the sophistry, but Hyouge Mono is weirdly philosophical, with reflective characters who spend equal parts acting and reflecting on their actions. The show doesn’t seem to establish any kind of overarching atmosphere or mood, so the result is most often unsentimental, unstyled talking.
But it’s in those seemingly uneventful conversations that the best things happen. The edges of the narrative begin to fray and a larger, more sinister picture comes into focus. Furuta Sasuke isn’t merely a self-interested character trying to get through the day, he’s a vassal to the greatest military leader in all of Japan, affording him a role in all manner of conspiracy and backroom dealing, in ways of which he’s often blisteringly unaware. Hyouge Mono is hilarious and interesting at the same time, a rare combination in any medium, let alone anime.
In closing, if you enjoy your Sunrise regurgitations and neverending Shonen Jump anime, more power to you! I still have a place in my heart for some of those, too. I’m just advocating the people who are vocal about the state of anime be willing to spend more than a couple of minutes seeing what’s out there. Furuta and I would agree that finding the art which brings you the most happiness most often requires taking an active role in seeking it out.
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When I originally saw this anime listed on “The Chart”®© I was super excited to see it. I have been unable to find any way to watch this subbed (although I assume raws are available). I check the several legal streaming sites I use as well as fansubs, couldn’t find one. I’m jealous.
Naturally, there was no shortage of availability for “Lotte’s Pedophilia” or whatever it was called.
It’s being fansubbed, man. That’s the only chance in hell I had of understanding it.
I guess I’ll have to search again, it has been a while since I checked. I’m glad it’s being picked up by someone.
It sounds like anything official is completely unlikely.
Stranger things have happened, but you’re most likely right. It’s an anime based on an award-winning seinen manga, so why would North American anime fans buy it? Just like Souten Kouro and Rainbow, also reviewed on this site.
Hello there, you fan of Hyouge Mono. I stumbled upon it by chance too and found it totally exciting and interesting. I wasn’t expecting anything but the show’s absolutely exquisite I think.
There is fansub available, by only one team so far and well, 8 episodes if I’m right (although I haven’t checked since a week).
I was really baffled at the emphasis on characters, and the thoughts of Sasuke and his hard life. It’s an anime clearly uncommon, but with lots of things to think about, and the concept of Cognitive Dissonance was a part of my studies past years in psychology, funny to see it here and now. I especially enjoyed his first meeting with Sen no Soeki, the heavyness of this little and “perfect” room, his mind running like a wild horse, the tense and in the same time calm mood of the place. Clearly one of the best scene I’ve seen for ages.
It’s clearly not a show that a wide range of people could see, but it’s clearly a good response to those moe fans or angry peoples finding always the “same anime on screen”.
And well, it could the only one good anime of Bee-Train, and THAT is something important :p.
Thanks for commenting! I think you’re right on all counts. The tension of Hyouge Mono often hangs in the air around the characters, unexplained. That’s pretty rare, anime usually beats you over the head with its tension, not that it’s always a bad thing. But Hyouge Mono is definitely a rare find.