Bob-omb

On Friday the final episode of Shouwa Genroku Rakugo Shinjuu aired. After the previous week’s episode, where Kikuhiko (Yakumo) passed on into the afterlife with a smile on his face, viewers expected the beloved series to wrap up peacefully. But Shouwa did not go quietly into that dark night without first dropping a massive bombshell on us: that Kikuhiko may be Shinnosuke’s real father.

The following is this fan’s thought process on the implications of this twist.

On a Moral Level-

Does anyone out there remember the manga/anime Bunny Drop? Do you remember WHY it received the backlash it did? It’s because it’s the story of a man who raised his grandfather’s newly discovered toddler only to TURN AROUND AND MARRY HER WHEN SHE GREW UP. The series tried to make the argument that, because it was later revealed that Rin wasn’t actually Daikichi’s grandfather’s daughter, the two aren’t related by blood and therefore it isn’t actually incest. But incest isn’t the problem: child grooming is. Child grooming is when an adult raises a child in such a way to condition them to be open to sexual advances from said adult. It’s a real thing, and it’s disgusting.

The thought of Kikuhiko sleeping with Konatsu is horrifying: not because they are related by blood (they aren’t), and not because of the age difference, but because Kiku was a father figure to her through much of her life, including most of her childhood. He took her in after the death of her parents and raised her. She is the closest thing he has to a daughter. To turn around and sleep with her when she comes of age breaks any sort of familial trust that was established between them, and is an incredibly dishonorable thing to do to the child of your two closest friends.

On a Thematic Level-

Shinnosuke as the physical manifestation of the three original mains (Kikuhiko, Sukeroku, and Miyokichi) is an absolute stroke of brilliance. These three characters, who loved and were loved and never found peace with their situations, are finally tied together in a very real and tangible way. It is especially satisfying as you realize through his presentation and appearance that Shin-chan is the lovechild that Kikuhiko and Sukeroku would have had if their relationship had been pursued (and if there weren’t obvious physical limitations). It brings a level of closure to the relationship between these two men who, despite being very close, were always at odds with each other and the world.

My Personal Thoughts-

I don’t think Kikuhiko slept with Konatsu. It doesn’t make a lot of sense for a man who, despite being super far in the closet, never let Miyokichi (the woman he was the closest to) touch him, to turn around and sleep with her daughter. And do you think, even for one moment, that Sukeroku would have welcomed Kikuhiko into the afterlife with open arms if Kiku had been fucking his daughter?

One thing that is important to remember is that it is Higuchi who puts this theory forward. Higuchi, as a writer, is always looking for connections in things, and has put more than one false accusation forward in the past. Remember when he accused Kikuhiko of killing Miyokichi? We know from Matsuda’s account that Kiku was blameless in what happened to Konatsu’s parents. We also know that, as interested in Kiku as Higuchi is, he also held a vendetta against him for a long time: for both rejecting him as an apprentice and getting involved with a woman the young writer had feelings for.

Do I think it was actually the mob boss? No. Oddly enough, I always thought Mangetsu was Shinnosuke’s father. Why? Some of it was the child’s appearance. He had the black hair, the gray eyes, and the same sly smile as the rich medical student. But what really made me consider the possibility was a scene from episode 6, when Konatsu formally thanks him for helping bring Kikuhiko to the hospital, and Mangestu replies “You finally looked my way, eh?” Konatsu looks up quickly, taken aback. At the time I read this as Mangestu quietly commenting on the fact that Konatsu refuses to acknowledge the father of her child. It’s not a lot to go on, but I do think it makes a lot more sense than the mob boss or the mob boss’s son.

So the idea was put there merely because we, the audience, had thought of it as an interesting idea, a way to fill in some of what we wanted, a descendant of Kiku, a physical manifestation of Sukeroku and Kikuhiko. And of course it would be voiced by Higuchi, the man who, as someone else put it, could in a way be an example of us, the audience, who had watched from the outside as things unfolded and had questions about the gaps left in the story, so he could give voice to the theory. But yes, that doesn’t mean in any way his idea has any real merit to it, he too is just making conjectures, and honestly whose mind wouldn’t want to go to the juiciest way the story could play out. Because really, we could all just accept it was a random fling with anyone, but that wouldn’t be as fun as interesting, especially to Higuchi and us as an audience to this story. So yeah, I think we struggle with the fact that, wow wouldn’t it be, as you say, “an absolute stroke of brilliance” if it were true? And that’s the point, it’s supposed to look enticing, but when you look at it deeper, it’s kind of a ridiculous and simple way out of the story. 

First is the fact that ultimately nothing in the story seems to support in any way that there could have been a physical relationship between Konatsu and Kiku. I mean just watch their tense interactions in the beginning as they fight, as she holds grudges and still acts quite childish. I mean sure you can not get along with someone and still end up sleeping with them, but their interactions only ever come across as a daughter arguing and fighting with her father, nothing to hint at any odd feelings under the surface, just seems as she is a petulant child and he an exasperated father. Kiku raised her, really, as family, as a guardian of the child of the two people he loved the most in the world. And so we should also keep in mind the complete guilt Kiku had wrapped around his soul due to the deaths of Miyo and Sukeroku (I mean you really think he could have crossed a line like that with their daughter and not have felt guilty? or felt or thought something about it probably constantly? but it never comes up, and I believe there’s no way his conscience would have let that go. i mean raising her well was his reason to live, it gets mentioned several times how he felt it was a sort of penance, so yeah I don’t think he could have done it in the first place at all, but definitely not done it and not have it come up in the guilt he was constantly plagued by), Then there’s the fact that we know of Kiku’s lack of interest in women, that he barely even touched Miyokichi. I mean there is really no evidence that anything of the sort could have or would have happened between them when you really look at the facts I think. 

What I came to in the end was that just because Shinnosuke doesn’t have any of Kikuhiko’s blood doesn’t mean he is any less the embodiment of our main characters. And that’s probably even better, because you don’t need to be limited to just Sukeroku and Kikuhiko, but open it up even farther than that. Shinnosuke is the son of Konatsu - yes the daughter of Sukeroku and Miyokichi, but also completely raised, really, as Kikuhiko’s family, I mean look at this scene

And Shinnosuke is the son, also, of Yotaro. Yotaro and Kikuhiko may not be related to him by blood, but that’s not where family begins and ends, we know that. The immense influence they have had on him is obvious, as he still loves Kikuhiko’s rakugo and studies it intensely but also clearly has a beautiful and close relationship with his father Yotaro who calms his worries and encourages him (always the optimistic guy pushing our characters along a happier route). In the end, he gets to be that ray of hope, light, and goodness that exists only because of each and every one of these people. Without Kiku and Sukeroku’s influence on Konatsu, without Kiku’s influence and on his childhood, without the blood of Sukeroku and Miyokichi, without the bright light of life and optimism of Yotaro, Shinnosuke would not exist, not as he is. Just because we do not get to have that one enticing story doesn’t mean the less sensational one is any less amazing (again I think this is actually way better).

I mean look at this line. It puts it so well. Konatsu was the beloved daughter of Sukeroku, Shinnosuke was his grandson, but they also became Yakumos due to the love, influence, and guidance of Kikuhiko. Just because blood may not be involved does not make them any less a beautiful memorial of what those two lives could create together, each with their own influence. 

SNK FINAL EXHIBITION REPORT

drawn by No Regrets author Hikaru Suruga

I translated the various comments left by Isayama under some manuscript’s pages. Possible translation mistakes, let me know if you find any.

#1

“What Eren’s doing is the worst deed, but if you could feel a sense of exhilaration/invigoration there, then it was worth it to have drawn manga until now.”

#2

“I thought I managed to draw Levi’s face very well here, if I do say so myself.”