Barakamon — A touching story of artistic and humanistic redemption
For a laid-back slice of life anime, Barakamon has a rather violent start, with its protagonist Seishu Handa punching an art curator square in the face for criticising his work. The critic calls Handa’s work akin to something you would find in a textbook, rubbing salt on the wound by further telling Handa that his art currently faces the wall of mediocrity that he must, at the very least, attempt to climb.
While Handa’s anger is understandable, considering he has dedicated his life to his art and his outburst and subsequent action of punching an aged art curator is harder to justify. Handa gets sent by his father to a small rural island to cool off and find new inspiration. Through Handa’s monologues, we find that Handa understands where this criticism came from, yet he cannot bring himself to accept it. To him, art is meant to be meticulous and precise and the only way to achieve this end is by following the fundamentals of calligraphy. Handa is stubborn, unwavering in his belief of what art should truly be. This is where the importance of his time at the island truly shines.
On his very first day at the island, Handa feels completely lost, struggling to adapt. But the people of the island don’t share that problem, they accept him instantly and help him move in. Handa meets a little girl of seven years named Naru. Of all the people through which Handa changes and grows as a person, Naru is certainly the biggest influence. A scene in the first episode beautifully delineates what Handa needs to learn the most. Naru wants to take him to watch the sunset but Handa resists, saying that it is too cloudy, that it would simply be a waste of time. At this, Naru, completely unaware of what Handa has been through, says that they can’t know if they don’t look, that there is simply no harm in trying. This hits home for Handa and at this point, a question arises about whether it is his unwavering belief in his principles of what his art should be or a fear of trying something new, a fear of failure that has been holding him back.
Handa climbs up to the viewing spot with Naru and realises that before him shines the most beautiful sunset he has ever seen. Like the waves that rise and fall in the tiny rural island, a wave of newfound inspiration rises within Handa as he rushes home to work on a new piece. While Handa enjoyed painting in a new style, he is soon back to a slump. He feels as though it is a betrayal of his old style, something his art isn’t supposed to be. Naturally, change is hard to bring about.
Between bouts of creative inspiration, Handa spends his time with the children and the people of the island. In these exchanges, Handa often realises something about himself or his art. In one episode, during a mochi-catching competition in the village, Handa suffers setback after setback, failing to secure a single bag of mochi. Defeated he sits back and watches the others play. Even though this is meant to be a comedic moment, Handa has a touching exchange with an old woman. He asks her what he should do when no matter how hard he tries he still loses. The woman tells him to gracefully accept it and let it go. Nobody has to win every single time, who knows what tomorrow will bring, you win some, you lose some. Somehow, unintentionally, the villagers always end up saying what Handa needs to hear the most. Especially at this point where he had just lost a calligraphy competition.
In the moments shared between the children of the island and Handa, one can’t help but feel sorry for him. Handa was essentially treated like a child prodigy, growing up. He was the child of a renowned artist and carried the great burden of living up to his name. Calligraphy has taken so much from Handa. Before coming to the island, he barely had one friend, He never got to enjoy festivals with other children, never got to play with others his age. In many ways, his time in the village feels like a revival of his childhood. The island gave back what calligraphy took from him, like fresh water to a withering plant. It is also quite beautiful that despite knowing what calligraphy has taken from him, he holds no resentment towards it. He still loves it the same, and time on the island only makes him love it more.
Eventually, Handa learns many things there. From learning how to catch fish and cook, to learning to try out new things, take risks, and finding joy in the simplest of things. Handa’s art now feels inspired, it has heart, it has a piece of himself and a piece of the island that inspired it. The anime doesn’t end with a triumphant win for Handa at a calligraphy competition. It instead ends with him apologising to the art curator he had punched, gracefully accepting 5th place in a calligraphy competition and him returning to the new place he now calls home.
Barakamon is an endearing anime, it is sure to make you laugh with all its comedic gags but it will also leave you with a full heart and a smile of contentment. It is a short 12 episode anime, perfect for a quiet weekend that can be enjoyed by just about anyone!
