I have also encountered periods where I will find an unspoken little anime of which no one has ever spoken about and I question why the gems are resting there in slumber simply because they did not become huge successes. Saraiya Goyou belongs to the number of such irrelocal and silent programs that pass by unnoticed. I was surprised that it was so interesting and liked it, which I could not have ever thought a slow-moving series would be. It was like being in a small room with a candlelight and individuals whose lives seem easy to the latter are full of a lot of silent suffering beneath the water.
It narrates the story of a shyness ronin known as Masanosuke. He is a good swordsman whose character makes him not be able to hold down a job easily. It is because he is weak in the eyes of people even though his heart is pure and sincere. He meets a man Yaichi, one day, who leader of a gang dealing with kidnappings. It is the only arrangement that makes a contrast to the usual action samurai shows. There is decency of insults, without melodramas, without glittering heroism. Instead the anime plods along at a very slow rate like a watered down breath through a antique wooden avenue.
It is the silence of the mood which renders this series so special. The action is not so quick and not always uninteresting as the world appears to be the real one. The characters are low toned and they swivel their heads when uncomfortable and do not mention things that matter until they have to confront them. It reminds me of the events in real life where humans hide what the truth is under their straight face. Masanosuke is at cross roads in his attempt to understand himself and Yaichi is accusing his heritage. The way in which they build this odd relationship is what made the story warm and heavy at the same time.
Probably, it is also one of the reasons why this anime was not popular due to its art style. It is not similar to regular anime. The character designs are sketchy and appealing, colors delicate and all these render everything archaic and quiet. It is not flashy, which may be avoided by other people. But to me that was more real the style of the world. Its backgrounds are similar to hand painted paintings. The sun is only pale as it seems that time had cleaned the sceneries and applied a second and third touch. It rendered the anime such a sense of peaceful sadness that remained longer in me even after I had read it.
One of the areas that I have found the most practical in the anime shows is loneliness. Masanosuke wants to be a strong man, however, he wishes to be accepted. He goes on with his work to heal himself as he is inferior. I think that the majority of us know that. The desire to wish to be good, the dread of not doing so, the confusion of not knowing our place. These sentiments are never screamed in the anime. It enables them to just sit and sit in the back till by and by they grow inside you.
Yaichi is however another individual who smiles so as to hide his darkness. He is the leader of a group and such group is involved in evil though he does not consider himself an absolute evil. His eyes are sad and one wonders what he is fleeing away. He appears to be clinging onto some aspect of himself whenever he talks. The anime is at its finest when Jonas is observing his past falling down in front of him.
The television series is not an action based series to be clung on to. Instead of the dialogues, the pauses, the minute movements are loaded. The silence between the characters is made beautiful. They simply sit together at times and talk in a lackadaisical manner yet the moment is full of tension or comfort. The anime also brings to fruition the degree to which a person can express themselves without speaking a single word.
The atmosphere is befitting well to the music. The music instruments are sparse and conventional, which blend with the environment. It seems like it had been a warm blanket on the story. Nothing loud or dramatic. Very minimal music which makes you believe that you are walking along quiet streets in old Japan.
What impressed me in fact is how the anime addresses the issue of morality. None of the characters is perfect. Even the ones that seem innocent possess weak points and fears. It exposes that past and choices are the factors that affect human beings. In other scenarios, some people find themselves engaging in evil acts since even they do not know why they did it. Due to this moral gray territory the story has a sense of grounding. You are able to find some of yourself in them, which you with no choice would make.
Towards the final episodes I was overpowering with the desire to experience something soft and heavy in my chest. It is not among such shows that make attempts to shock you. It is a show that slowly accumulates upon you to the point that you fall in love with these characters without even realizing it. It brings about a melancholy tranquility when it ends. Not that sort that kills you; the sort that sits you down and makes you.
Saraiya Goyou is not flashy. It is not famous. You will not find such a recommendation everywhere. But it has a soul. Other, an unrepresentative, delicate, humanly wretched soul. This anime can eat up your time, in case you are interested in the animation that will enable you to spend a quiet evening in a pensive silence and a peaceful burst. Others do not like it which makes it look more personal because you get to feel that it is like something of a hidden treasure that has been discovered by chance.