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larryhammerIt probably won't surprise anyone to learn I've enjoyed the heck out of the first 4 episodes of Uta Koi,* being a currently broadcasting anime adaptation of a manga of "super-liberal" interpretations of poems from One Hundred People, One Poem Each -- that is, linked short stories each depicting how particular poems might have come to be written. Despite the lovely visual stylizations, with bright colors, clothing with ostentatiously non-moving patterns, and rainfall marked by ripples across the screen, the best part so far just may be the depiction of Ki no Tsurayuki as a complete dork. "Those were not compliments. Those were insults."
It took me more time than I like to admit to work out the chronology of stories** -- the creators are sticking fairly close to known official history. Here's what I have so far:anachronistic timeless.)
I'm impressed by the choice of stories for the first two episodes: Narihira's lesson to Yôzei about how poetry can be used to tell the truth slant is key to the whole enterprise, the elaboration of a sort of secret history for the poems, and they wanted to clue the audience into this as quickly as possible -- which could be done only once Narihira was established as an exemplar. (See also Tales of Ise.) Also, who Munesada/Henjô's poem was written about is kinda brilliant, in a couple different directions. I want to see where they're taking that thread, you betcha.
For course, part of the fun for me is catching the occasional unmarked reference to other poems of the era, outside Teika's One Hundred People -- mostly from the Kokinshu and Man'yoshu, but I suspect I'm missing others. (Note that the poem of Empress Jito that Yoshiko recites in ep.3 is also from OHP.) I'm pretty sure the stories stand on their own without this background, though. The references to some of the darker political overtones are more important, and they explain those.
* Link is to Crunchyroll, which works in the US -- I have no idea whether they'll stream outisde the country, tho'.
** Aside from Narihira's age getting misstated, it's is not as confusing as I initially thought. Tho' drawing all the principals as if in their early 20s, even when they're in their teens or 50s or 70s, is a bit distracting.
It took me more time than I like to admit to work out the chronology of stories** -- the creators are sticking fairly close to known official history. Here's what I have so far:
- Munesada's and Yasuhide's stories [ep.3 & 4] - late 840s (Munesada took orders in 850)
- Yukihira's story [ep.1 part b] - 855
- Narihira and Takaiko's affair [ep.1 part a] - 859 (the year she was a Gosechi dancer, at age 17)
- Sadaakira/Yôzei born [not shown] - 868
- Yôzei enthroned/Narihira's poem [ep.1 part a] - 877
- Yôzei tutored by Narihira (not recorded in history that I'm aware--tho' the frog-and-snake incident is) [ep.2] - 877-880
- Narihira dies [ep.2] - 880
- Yôzei forced to abdicate and marry Yasuko, writes poem shortly thereafter [ep.2] - 884
- Tsurayuki visits Kisen (not recorded, unlikely to have happened) [ep.3 frame] - c.905
I'm impressed by the choice of stories for the first two episodes: Narihira's lesson to Yôzei about how poetry can be used to tell the truth slant is key to the whole enterprise, the elaboration of a sort of secret history for the poems, and they wanted to clue the audience into this as quickly as possible -- which could be done only once Narihira was established as an exemplar. (See also Tales of Ise.) Also, who Munesada/Henjô's poem was written about is kinda brilliant, in a couple different directions. I want to see where they're taking that thread, you betcha.
For course, part of the fun for me is catching the occasional unmarked reference to other poems of the era, outside Teika's One Hundred People -- mostly from the Kokinshu and Man'yoshu, but I suspect I'm missing others. (Note that the poem of Empress Jito that Yoshiko recites in ep.3 is also from OHP.) I'm pretty sure the stories stand on their own without this background, though. The references to some of the darker political overtones are more important, and they explain those.
* Link is to Crunchyroll, which works in the US -- I have no idea whether they'll stream outisde the country, tho'.
** Aside from Narihira's age getting misstated, it's is not as confusing as I initially thought. Tho' drawing all the principals as if in their early 20s, even when they're in their teens or 50s or 70s, is a bit distracting.