Many patients with different problems visit the psychiatric ward of Irabu General Hospital; a trapeze
artist suffering from insomnia after suddenly failing his jumps, a gangster afraid of knives and sharp
objects and a business man who has an erection 24 hours a day. They undergo counseling by Dr. Ichiro
Irabu, who is the child-like son of the hospital director. His assistant is the sullen faced sexy
nurse Mayumi. With his mysterious injections, and advice that does not make sense, Dr. Irabu confuses
his patients. But at the end of his unique treatments, the patients are led to digging further into
their souls to find peace of mind.
(Source: fujicreative.co.jp)
Welcome to Irabu's Office is extremely surreal 11 episode psychological comedy about a psychiatrist called Ichirou Irabu and the patients that ask for his help. Each episode focuses on a different patient with a different (often ridiculous) psychological condition that interferes with their lives. The patients show extremely abnormal behavior that end up being manifestations or coping mechanisms for their individual struggles. For example, episode 6 is about a teenage cell phone addict that can't go without texting for any amount of time. He can't even put it down for family dinner and when his phone breaks he has a panic attack and immediately makes his mom buy him a new one. From the outside looking in it's easy to view him in a pretty 1 dimensional and negative way, but what this belies has more to do with loneliness and separation anxiety more than anything else. The people he texts? They're really the only contact he has and even then they don't talk face to face, they're just text buddies. Texting is easy, instant and lets you articulate yourself more carefully than IRL interaction which comes less naturally to people like him. When he texts his friends, it makes him feel connected, secure, and accepted. When he doesn't, those feelings go away and he's forced to deal with loneliness and the thoughts that come with it, which he can't handle and makes him panic. Lots of people have experienced things like this i'd imagine. Even if you don't even own a cell phone, his feelings of isolation and anxiety can resonate with you and even if you don't relate to any of it at all, it makes you understand those who would. This is all while the show is lambasting crazy trippy as hell visuals, changing art styles and even including real peoples faces overlaid onto the characters half the time. I'd hesitate to call the show's visuals "good" going by normal peoples sensibilities but it's at least one hell of a thing to look at and as someone that likes bright colors, surreal visuals and tacky aesthetics I was very much into it. The show also has an extremely memorable and varied OST which I still listen to months and months after initially watching it. There's a lot I love about this show, but what might've bumped it up to a 10 for me is the message it sends. Irabu himself is a very unconventional character and you could consider him a very unprofessional psychiatrist. He injects his patients with placebo shots, recommends them to do weird sometimes illegal things to treat their conditions, and generally acts in a very aloof, uncaring manner around his patients. Many cases are treated in strange ways such as when he tells his patient with OCD that obsesses over leaving hot objects like kettles in his house in fear that it'll burn down his apartment and everyone else's in the complex, even if he makes 100% sure to leave it off. Irabu's solution (for one of his anxieties, being cigarettes burning his apartment down) is to just put a bucket of water in his room where he can throw his cigarettes. You might think it'd help but ultimately his problems would just persist, but that's kind of the point. There isn't a pill for everything, no easy fixes, some problems just persist after any amount of introspection or psychoanalysis and that's okay. All problems have an underlying reason, but some of these reasons just stick with us for life. as the final scene of the show states, nobody's perfect. it's fine to struggle, it doesn't make you broken. If we could just see a therapist and fix all our issues shows like these shows wouldn't even exist. What we can do is try to understand our own issues and work towards minimizing them with the tools we have at our disposal, as well as trying to empathize with others, considering not just their actions but the reasons behind them as well. Thank you very much for reading this.
# Kuuchuu Buranko - Welcome to Irabu's Office _The story of a psychiatrist doctor and his patients suffering through various disorders and addictions. Simple story, weird animation and a life lesson you need to hear today._ Story: Psychiatrist Irabu Ichiro has it's own way of not only treating people's mental defects but also giving them a life lesson on who they really are and what is actually important. With his assistant Mayumi and horse injections filled with strange yellow liquid, they let your biggest weakness appear in form of an animal head. Your problem won't get solved so magically - it's on you to change your life, your fate and yourself. ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/x33Pcee.png) _Irabu is so ridiculous, I love them_~~~ Characters: Kooky Irabu-sensei, sexy Mayumi, yellow canaries and of course 10 patiens. Of course, Irabu and Mayumi would be the main character, but really... Aren't we all the main characters of our own story? That is the feeling I got when watching this. Tagged with 'episodic' there were a lot of moments in the show when the characters' paths crossed (even though they might not have realized it). Honorable mentions: Shinchi Bando - played by _Daisuke Namikawa_ <3 Fukuicchi - once you get used to him, you'll miss him ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/N2h80Ys.png) img220(https://i.imgur.com/ITxENOl.png)~~~ Life lessons I took from various patiens: Mitsuo Tanabe - Don't forget about your elders. They have amazing stories to tell and you will want to hear them. Eiyu Tsuda - Take a deep breath and look around yourself. We all need to take a break and be with those we love. Tatsurou Ikeyama - Never change yourself for anyone. People that love you, will love you just the way you are. Yoshio Iwamura - Be yourself and use it for your advantage. ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/sk1CMif.png) img220(https://i.imgur.com/7GWIqSA.png) --> *me ready for ugly crying, but not being there just yet* ~~~ Music: 10/10. The opening and ending were taken down but honestly, this stuff slaps. I am playing it on repeat. As for the soundtrack... yeah, it was all right. I doubt that you'd notice it, given all the unusual stuff happening around. Animation: You either love it, or hate it. Similar to Marmite, haha. For me, the animation was a pass. It was probably what made me want to finish quickly. At first, it was a huge shock to see all the real life faces and Mayumi was a big question mark... but in the end, you accepted it for what it was. ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/sId4PFC.png) img220(https://i.imgur.com/juOCaJJ.png)~~~ Entertainment value: 7/10. Good characters, some good storylines, great morale of the story, ridiculous moments... All good things. You have fun trying to make out something important for yourself each episode, which is also a big plus. Animation, art style, mix of real life and anime... those are my cons. ~~~img220(https://i.imgur.com/5WBVBJ4.png)~~~ Conclusion: Suffer through the first episodes and then ugly cry. Or not. We all are different. And we all have our own place in this world that only belongs to us. Fuku- Sen out. Bonus: ~~~img200(https://i.imgur.com/casPj2U.png) img200(https://i.imgur.com/ycjM6VL.png) img200(https://i.imgur.com/MBgzDRA.png)~~~~~~~~~
__~~~Kuuchuu Buranko~~~__ __Kenji Nakamura__ Whilst I stated my intention to follow Kenji Nakamura’s career in my previous review I didn’t give him a proper introduction. So before deep diving into his sophomore series we’ll investigate what lead him to this point. Born in Oogaki in 1970, Kenji Nakamura would get his start for the animation industry in 1997 working as a production assistant for Toei Animation. This role would quickly evolve into an assistant episode director role. Fortunately Kenji didn’t restrict himself to Toei, and thanks to his ventures away from the house of Mr Izumi Todo-san, Kenji would get the opportunity to work with future collaborators such as Chiaki J Konaka. He would also get the opportunity to join the long and illustrious list of Akiyuki Shinbo protégés, putting him in fine company alongside Yasuhiro Takemura and Tomoyuki Itamura. Through working with Shinbo on The Soultaker and Triangle Heart Kenji Nakamura would learn how to create an immersive atmosphere through unique and distinct direction whilst working with a tight budget. Continuing his freelance adventures Kenji would find himself working as assistant director to Mamoru Hosoda on Howl’s Moving Castle for Studio Ghibli. I would love to step into an alternative reality where Nakamura and Hosoda’s vision for Howl was fully realised. I controversially think Miyazaki taking over the production of Howl was the biggest mistake Ghibli has ever made. It showcased the studio’s resistance to invest in new talent and signifies the beginning of the end for the Studio. Howls production is one of the most fascinating ones the animation industry has to offer, and Kenji Nakamura’s involvement is yet another maddening development in the troubled history of Howl’s Moving Castle. I can only speculate but I personally believe the hellish production of Howl’s Moving Castle is what caused Kenji to return and ultimately settle down at, Ironically the studio Miyazaki once fled and co-lead a mass exodus form, Toei. Shortly after returning to Toei, Kenji would be intrusted to direct the final arch of the Ayakashi series entitled Bakeneko which focuses on a travelling medicine seller who seeks and banishes Mononoke. Following the success of the Bakeneko arch Kenji Nakamura would get the opportunity to prove himself as a series director expanding upon what he had started with Bakeneko. Continuing the tale of The Medicine Seller, Kenji Nakamura’s Mononoke would become one of the more notable series in one of the most notable years in anime history. Just as successful as the short it was based on Kenji Nakamura would round up almost the exact same team 2 years later to create, Kuuchuu Buranko. __ ~~~Welcome!!~~~__ The sophomore series of Kenji Nakamura somehow manages to be as overwhelmingly stylized and absurdly creative as Mononoke. Kuuchuu Buranko is a polka-dotted psychological, psychoanalysis of psychosomatic conditions which provides a reconceptualized interpretation of the "Mitsu no Kao" proverb. And that recontextualization is exactly what I’m going to be focusing on through three different patients across three different episodes. Finding their conditions form, truth and regret alongside the three faces that portray the multifaceted nature of the individuals in the unconventional care of Dr Ichiro Irabu and his lackadaisical nurse Mayumi. __2nd patient / 1st example: Tetsuya Taguchi __ Mr Taguchi-san wakes up one morning form the ultimate power fantasy to find he has the ultimate power boner. But morning glory remains in the evening’s inventory and Tetsuya is forced to face the brutality of what some men would wish to be their reality. This abnormality finds Tetsuya in the holistic hospitality of Dr Irabu. Aside from invading every aspect of Tetsuya’s personal life Dr Irabu's treatment consist of a sloppily administered mysterious vitamin shot form his possibly untrained and equally as mysterious nurse, Mayumi. Which, given the intense glare and perfuse sweating, probably leaves Dr Irabu in a similar state to Tetsuya. Alongside resupplying Tetsuya with some vitamin X this shot reveals the form of the condition and the face Tetsuya hides form the world. The anthropomorphised form Tetsuya’s condition is represented by is that of a Rhino because boner. ~!Except not just boner, but instead Buddhism. Sutra is Sanskrit for "thread" it's a piece of ancient literacy that looks to teach the reader a valuable lesson through the ideals of Buddhism. A notable sutra of particular importance is the Rhinoceroses Sutra, that advocates the merit's of solitude. Majorly ironic for a man struggling to handle his own. Perhaps the animal head which embodies the form of the condition also represents a lesson to be learnt. Tetsuya needs to discover the strength that can only be found in independence and become a man of his own merit, rather than one who's self-worth is measured by how other's view him. Or in Tetsuya's case how others use him.!~ The second face Tetsuya and the majority of people chose to showcase to the world is one of conformity. Unlike Mononoke the character designs of Kuuchuu Buranko follow a template, an archetypical design that displays an archetypical understanding of a universal standard. This simple, yet extremely affective design choice highlights the general limitations we subconsciously force upon ourselves. Especially in relation to our emotions and how we express or maybe more importantly chose not to express ourselves. Although it’s thankfully acceptable to discuss and display are mental health and emotions in many cultures and countries. There are still equally as many where said discussion is muted and an organic display of emotion feels like a borderline criminal offense or an open invitation to be lambasted as a lunatic. Obviously how we handle are emotions is and should be a matter of personal preference nonetheless I still believe, even if, subconsciously we still have some lingering primitive pathway or mirror neurons that leads to us emotionally restricting ourselves in social situations and Tetsuya is no exception to this social phenomenon. The third face is supposed to be that which is shown only to friends and family, but it’s this part of the proverb that Kenji Nakamura and crew look to substitute. The original “Mitsu no Kao” proverb is pretty soul crushing when you think about it. The idea that all people are inherently deceitful, that we’re all constantly hiding something form one another. There are worms under your skin, people living inside your walls, and everyone is a malicious disingenuous hatebreeder. Now whilst two of those things may be true not everyone is inherently insincere and the variation of “Mitsu no Kao” provided in Kuuchuu Buranko, is that which represents raw emotion. This is the realest face we have, it's less the face we hide form the world and more the face we can’t help but show. For Tetsuya this face is shown when in agony, anguish and a constant bombardment of excruciating pain. Despite or perhaps because of his flaws Tetsuya is possibly the most sympathetic patient that comes Dr Irabu's way. Nothing Is worse than knowing someone you care about is better off without you, it’s made even harder when you are undeniably worse without them. Tetsuya having gone through a divorce, struggles to cope with after many years seeing his Ex-wife dressing in a completely different style, strutting around with a new-found confidence and a freshly accepted engagement ring, All this whilst he sinks lower into a depression which has left him a pitiful mess ironically unable to stand up for himself. I won’t Spoil the tale of Tetsuya because the fist-pumping energy I felt by the end of the episode genuinely surprised the hell out of me. Much like Mononoke there’s heart behind the infinite layers of abrasive abstraction Kuuchuu Buranko offers, it’s the gold in the mountain of Ibaru’s madness. __6th Patient / 2nd example: Yuta Tsuda __ Alongside currently 3.8 billion people, (which is only roughly 48% percent of the population so nothing to worry about.) Yuta suffers form an extreme case of Cell phone addiction. Completely dependent on his cellular phone Yuta has aggressive bouts of anxiety when separated form his cell. Yuta’s Okasan looks to free him from his self-induced electronic enslavement by sending him to become the latest patient of Dr Irabu Ichiro. Getting his customary vitamin shot Yuta seemingly continues to compulsively tap away at his phone like a woodpecker does a tree. Throughout the episode we rarely get to see Yuta’s true face outside of the manic frenzy he enters when snapped out his favourite fixation. (And also, when ogling Mayumi.) But what has led Yuta to developing such a mentally debilitating dependency to his cellular phone. Yuta is constantly surrounding himself with others, forever socialising yet completely alone. It’s almost up to debate weather the people Yuta surrounds himself with are parasite’s leaching of an overtly awkward human shaped money bag. Or if Yuta is some blood-sucking bore that is obsessively trying to force himself into their group, a transparent figure that can tailor itself to any social situation but never be bold enough to thrive or even really standout. For this reason, the face Yuta shows the world is more of a representation of his condition than the woodpecker endlessly tapping away. Yuta’s cellular phone means he’s constantly connected, never alone, never neglected, never at peace. Through are cellular phones we have an unlimited wealth of knowledge that we struggle to reach through a sea of misinformation, we have an overwhelming amount of convivence that we take for granted and we are expected to be constantly connected never to have a moments peace through an endless onslaught of messages, email and notifications. The average attention span is being annihilated by videos of a diminished length and diminishing substance. You used to go to the cinema to watch a feature length 2–3-hour film, that became a 1-hour television show, then that became a 30-minute television show, then that became a 10-minute YouTube video which transformed into a 30 second TikTok. Technology out of balance, humanity out of balance and life out of balance. However, the point of this tirade isn’t to paint technology and cellular devices as some evil presence, the beginning of the end for humanity or some corrupting force destroying the sanctity of life. Technology is incredible in ways I literally don’t understand like how did someone even create the devices I use on a daily basis. Actually scrap that how did some create the devices that create the devices I use on a daily basis. It’s completely mind-blowing. And just like how after all that negativity and maybe even in spite of all that negativity I could still conclude that technology has had an overwhelmingly positive impact on are lives. And I can also conclude that there is a positive, yet totally misguided, change Yuta is looking to make in his life. The woodpecker in Buddhist mythology is connected to the anahata (heart) chakra, and that is what Yuta’s rhythmic drumming is trying to connect to. But he’ll never break through the surface typing typical replies, in order to truly heal himself of his condition and make the connection he longs for he’ll have to show the world his true face. __10th patient / 3rd example: Mitsuo Tanabe__ Mr Tanabe-san is the president of the great Japan newspaper company and owner of the Mighty Japan Great baseball team. Aside form being a very powerful man he evidently has an exceptional amount of praise to throw at this Japan country I keep hearing about. Nabe has enjoyed a successful career and become a media magnet thanks to his powerful political connections and proprietorship of multiple thriving business. Nabe is a conquer, imperially triumphant, starting form the ground and working his way up to the borderline of heaven. So why does someone so prosperous, so affluent and so head-strong need to enter the care of Dr Irabu, Fear. Everyone fears something, no matter how successful. Steve Jobs suffered from koumpounophobia, Thom Yorke has amaxophobia and I suffer from a completely rational fear of chimpanzees. No matter how smart, skilled or successful you are everyone fears something. Mr Tanabe-san is no exception, suffering from thanatophobia, a fear of dying. Death as an experience is impossible to comprehend, it’s the one certainty in life. I personally find a beauty in death it’s what gives us purpose, It's what motivates us to do something with are lives. It's what motivates us to make great discoveries and to overcome unbelievable obstacles. We will die so we ought to live. Tanabe is a winner, but he is confronted by the inevitable battle we’ll all lose. When given his vitamin shot Tanabe notably doesn’t turn into an animal, he stays human. Of all the animals are relationship with death is the most estranged, for humans it goes beyond survival instinct are relationship with death is oddly personal. It’s been stated that future thinking is what separates us form the rest of life on earth, our ability to live beyond the now and think to the future. And in every future is death. The face that represents the form of Tanabe’s condition and the face he shows the world is that of a younger self. So, what is the face Tanabe can’t help but show the world? It’s that of an old man who has accomplished so much. The world has changed not in spite of him but because of him, he changed the lives of those he loves, changed the sport of which he loves and changed the city that he loves. His is not a life to fear losing but to celebrate everything it amounted to. But weather that will come to fruition is up to Tanabe and weather he can overcome one last hurdle and conquer his fear of death. __ Patient 0 / Example 0: Dr Ichiro Irabu__ Kuuchuu Buranko is frankly violently psychedelic, sickeningly saturated, nauseatingly lit and one of my favourite looking animated series I’ve ever seen. Kuuchuu Buranko is tantalisingly tacky, gorgeously gaudy, brilliantly brash and Dr Ichiro Irabu is the perfect amalgamation of all these qualities. He dances so dangerously on the verge of being annoying but, for me, never crosses it. If you finish the 1st episode of Kuuchuu Buranko and think it’s a distasteful unattractive mess that’s perfectly reasonable, if you completely despise the manifestation of the series uniquely ugly aesthetic in Dr Ibaru that too is perfectly reasonable. I was perplexed by the 1st episode of Kuuchuu Buranko and a little bit disappointed, but with the 2nd episode something clicked, and I found that the continuing tale of Kenji Nakamura is one I’m glad to be on. So... Watch img220(https://falconhaxx.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/bscap0001yc.jpg?w=722) This img220(https://moesucks.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/trapeze.jpg) Show img220(https://www.animeclick.it/images/Anime_big/KuuchuuBuranko/KuuchuuBuranko35.jpg) Please I’m not sure it’s conceivably possible for the rest of his works match the experimental nature of Kuuchuu Buranko and I’m not sure I even want them to try.
_Content Warning: Vomiting, Child Neglect, OCD Triggers, Outdated Psychology_ ~~~_"No one is perfect!"_~~~ "Welcome to Irabu's Office" - also known as Kuuchuu Buranko - is one of the strangest anime I've ever watched. I have my issues with it, but I have a gut feeling that I'll never see anything like it ever again. The premise is simple; each episode brings with it a new patient with new issues, and over the course of the episode we watch Irabu "treat" his patients. Though the anime focuses more on the personal element to understanding yourself. Irabu's always present, but most characters find peace through understanding. They find ways to adapt to their conditions, they figure out how to break their thought patterns, they do most of the work. Irabu exists to push them towards healing, taking the first step for them. The depiction of mental illness in Irabu's Office is...strangely good? OCD makes up a vast majority of the cases in this anime, and some feel a bit awkward. Having a background in psychology, I can say that a lot of the treatment methods and practices shown are either out of date or grossly simplified. And while the show frequently pauses to explain syndromes and conditions, they're never quite thorough or completely accurate. But is that a problem? I don't think so. Because Irabu's Office captures the most important thing any show focusing on mental health can have; earnestness. This show feels like it's bursting with love. The conditions of the characters are rarely what's played for laughs, and when they are it doesn't feel like you're laughing at them. It feels as if you're laughing at the absurdity of the challenges the world is throwing at them. Whether it's erectile dysfunction, OCD, or addiction, the anime never blames any of the patients. And the accommodations they come up with, while a bit silly sometimes, aren't disparaged. This anime deeply respects the healing process, and while it's a comedy, it's impressively kind to everyone involved. That said, Irabu's office does touch on serious issues. Child neglect, arguments, PTSD, and more do lend a somber note to some episodes. But again, the show takes a unique position. It doesn't blame those who "bad things" because of their conditions, nor does it wipe their problems away. It's painfully clear that some of these characters have hurt others, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they don't deserve empathy. The only places the anime falters, in my opinion, are in the story structure. Without spoiling it, "Welcome to Irabu's Office" tries to go for a multi-layered overlapping chronology, where certain episodes are occurring side by side. And while this is fun, it does feel like a cost cutting measure. I also feel like the over reliance on OCD, at least from my perspective, was a bit disappointing. I was hoping for a bit more variety overall, and while I think the stories they told were good, I sometimes felt like the narrative didn't quite have enough time to differentiate one person from another. I may be hyping up "Welcome to Irabu's Office" a bit much, but I'm shocked to see an anime from 2009 tackle mental health issues so well. Some of the episodes had genuinely poignant emotional moments in them, and I feel like the episode with the baseball stadium owner will stick with me for a long time to come. "Welcome to Irabu's Office" isn't a masterpiece, nor is it profound, but it's a unique, wonderful, worthwhile eleven episodes that will tug at your heart strings. Especially if you're familiar with mental health issues. I wholeheartedly recommend it.