Barakamon

About Barakamon

Barakamon (ばらかもん) blends slice of life by Kinema Citrus (2014). Below is a fresh retelling of what the story is about. In short: Seishuu Handa is an up-and-coming calligrapher: young, handsome, talented, and unfortunately, a narcissist to boot. When a veteran labels his award-winning piece as "unoriginal," Seishuu fast loses his cool with severe repercussions.

From there, as punishment, and also in order to aid him in self-reflection, Seishuu's father exiles him to the Goto Islands, far from the comfortable Tokyo lifestyle the temperamental artist is used to. Now thrown into a rural setting, Seishuu must attempt to find new inspiration and develop his own unique art style—that is, if boisterous children (headed by the frisky Naru Kotoishi), fujoshi middle schoolers. The newest addition to the intimate and quirky Goto community only aims to get some work done, but the islands are far from the peaceful countryside he signed up for.

With slice of life at the core, small, quiet moments and character warmth are the main appeal. Voice work is led by Suzuko Hara as Naru Kotoishi and Daisuke Ono as Sei Handa. If you count yourself among viewers who want a calm, character-first watch, put it on your list. The run is 12 episodes in total, so you know what you are signing up for.

Production & Appeal

Kinema Citrus is the studio behind Barakamon, and its direction shapes everything from character design to motion. The slice of life focus matters here: small, quiet moments and character warmth are the main appeal. A community score of 8.2/10 puts it among the better-received slice of life titles. Voice casting, including Suzuko Hara as Naru Kotoishi, adds to the appeal for fans who follow seiyuu. It aired in 2014, which makes it easy to place in the wider anime calendar.