Summer 2014 || Barakamon || 12 episodes
Barakamon is one of the anime recommended to me – under the tag ‘Comedy’ and ‘Slice of Life’, to my surprise, it excels in both. Barakamon tells the story of a narcissitic caligrapher Seishuu Handa who was sent to a rural island for punching a veteran caligrapher that criticized his winning-piece as ‘unoriginal’. On the island, he must try to find an unique writing style while adapting to the nosy villagers and annoying children. It soon became an experience that he never wished for, but could never forget, that changed his life forever.
I didn’t make a complete review on it because I find it better to summarize the 5 things that I’ve learnt from it and to perhaps, inspire you.
#5 Hard work is the best talent there is.
We often admire those who have natural talent, who can instantly finish and excel in something that we worked hard on. Sometimes, we might lose motivation of it because no matter how much we tried, we will be enough. To Handa, that’s not true at all.
Having talent does not only serve as something to boast around but to boost himself to achieve a greater goal, by keep practicing and learning, repeating until a decent result is achieved and then start all over again. He’s shown that, only by hard work, we could appreciate the taste of success even more.
#4 Do things at your own pace.
Basically, take it easy. Everyone has different methods of doing things, it’s better to respect your own methods to get the the result you want than to completely abandon it for a faster route. But what if you try and try and try but just couldn’t keep up or fall way back behind because of it?
” If you still can’t make it, then say ‘Go ahead’ to them. ” – the wise old woman who inspired Handa. We could never be the first to everything, but we could at least do our best to perfect and polish the things that we have. At least, we can get the satisfaction we want. Handa, the sensei did.
#3 Departure is another beginning.
Departures are always bittersweet, but it is inevitable and it is something that we have all experienced before. Departing from Tokyo, Handa as a city boy now has to adapt to the customs of island and the quirky villagers, embracing a whole new experience.
Departure is the thing that makes him appreciate more on the moments he share with those who are around him. Same thing applies to us even though we know departures are not the end. Because we realize how painful parting with others can be, we learn to cherish the little moments, that makes us learn the importance of living in this very second, creating memories that never fade.
#2 If you’re stuck, stop everything.
Be it a tough assignment, a hard decision, an idea for a thing or choosing a great anime. Breathe twice, look up the sky and move away from what you’re doing. Go around, go in circles, anywhere that isn’t related to what you’re doing. Inspiration can emerge from the most unexpected place.
#1 Take the first step.
.. and keep going. Doing something new, like climbing up a wall with a thin rope while a child offered her hand in the middle of nowhere is never easy. First steps are always uncomfortable, far out from our comfort zone but having taken it could be a life-changing experience that we’d never expect.
The key is to keep it going after the first step, settle the uneasiness aside and bring out the courage for that moment for a memory that we’ll never regret.
End notes:
Slice of life without much drama, I’d recommend Barakamon if you opt for something simple yet inspiring and entertaining. Thanks for reading! ( 9/10 )
Anime as a Cup of Tea 