So I’ve finally gotten some time to sit down and watch a few of the series that I’ve neglected for about a month or two, especially Barakamon. This show really is something special in how delicate it portrays its characters.  We’re back to the same sort of formulaic setting we had in the first six episodes, as the first half was giving us this realistic view of children living in a small town and the second half added to it with a candle lighting ceremony.

Seishu is very much getting acclimated into the cultural and social side of things here, as we see him trying all he can to catch beetles and trying to make his own place into the town by the kids.  If Seishu had done this on day 1 of the series he probably would have shouted his mouth off and left the kids to do kid things so to speak, but this was powerful to place this scene here.

After being considered too unoriginal for his calligraphy and being sent to the island there’s this huge weight tying him down– acceptance.  An overall theme that has been placed on Seishu from the start and now that he has grown out of it the results are hilarious:  Kentaro gives him a beetle and Seishu claims he’ll give it to Naru and ends up unknowingly killing it.  The old Seishu would never have even cared for Naru to go this far, but it’s in the second portion of this episode that widely opens the viewer’s eyes to this.  It’s Naru’s birthday party, bubble wrap  and leaves are given to her, but Seishu’s gift were more important to her than anything.  The request card he gives to Naru reflects how much they need each other to be happy and strengthen their bond–  this was a great way to see her reaction when she received it!  Her parents are somehow absent from this show so far, and Seishu especially here is genuinely worried about her every step of the way.  Great contrast here between the two of them.   Refreshing to see how their relationship pans out each episode as the feeling of acceptance is shown here–  the candle lighting ceremony ended up being a big indication that she’s missed out on a parental figure and Seishu is the closest person to a parent that she will ever have.  Fantastic episode!

OVERALL IMPRESSION: 8/10

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