Recommended
“Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi” is a very free adaptation of the lives of some of the authors included in the famous poetry anthology "Hyakuninisshu" (100 poets, one poem each). Story – 9 The anime centers in the love poems of the anthology and narrates the events and relationships that gave rise to some of them. However, such events should not always be considered faithful to history, as many of them didn´t happen, or happened differently in reality. But it doesn´t really matter. The core of this anime isn´t the portrayal of actual events, but rather the spirit of poetry in the Heian Court, which is successfully rendered.Love poems were the way to court women, and poems came along with a lot of other things which are beautifully shown in the anime: care for calligraphy and presentation (poems were usually sent together with a flower or a branch, for example), the excitement with which the poets waited for an answer, the screens that separated women from men in their encounters. The anime also shows the main characteristics and themes of heian poetry, such as the grief caused by impossible love.
It is divided into two sections: the first half deals with the early Heian poetry and the Rokkasen (the six best waka poets), Ariwara no Narihira and Ono no Komachi being the two characters that are more deeply developed. The second half deals with the late Heian Period, and introduces several poets, but –for some reason- there are more chapters devoted to Sei Shonagon, author of "The Pillow Book". I would have liked to see more of Murasaki Shikibu, who only appears in one chapter.
The manga is episodic. Each chapter tells a different story, but some characters are protagonists in more than one story, and those who are main characters in one of the episodes, may appear as secondary characters in another one.These chapters are all presented by Fujiwara no Teika, the anthologist, whose poetry is shown in the last episode. At least one of the poems of the Hyakuninisshu is recited and explained in every episode, together with other poems by the same authors, not included in the anthology.
Characters – 10
As most stories are told within a sole chapter, some of the characters appear briefly and there isn't much time for development... but there are characters, such as Narihira, Komachi, Yasuhide and Shonagon that appear in several episodes and are more deeply developed. There is little known about the real lives of some of these poets, especially the ones of the early Heian period, but there are many legends surrounding them. Much in the anime is based on these legends.
The best character, in my opinion, is Narihira. No matter how little we know about the real Narihira, I definitely can imagine him behaving as he does in the anime. I am not that sure about Murasaki Shikibu. She appears too little and I don't know how faithful to reality her story was. I would also have liked to see a chapter devoted to any of the poems in her novel "Genji Monogatari", which is the work she is mostly remembered for.
The characters are restrained by the rules of the Court as well as political an social issues, especially women. The anime reflects successfully the ways of the Palace and the distinct feature of most of the poets' personalities, as history has come to remember them.
Sound – 9
The opening and ending songs are both good, and although there isn´t really a traditional feel to them, for some reason they go well with the story. I usually like the strange mix between the old and the new. It gives a refreshing and original touch.
As for the seiyuus, I must applaud that most female characters don´t sound childish and annoying. And there are a lot of male characters with beautiful voices. The only one that might feel a little exaggerated at times is Yasuhide, but then again, he is one of the characters that brings humor to the story. I liked Narihira´s seiyuu especially.
Art – 9
The art has been frequently criticized for being flat and lacking in animation. I particularly loved it. It is true that there isn´t much animation… but I found it very original and appropriate for the story, with emphasis on the outlines and on color. It was strange to see blond and red-haired Japanese poets, though.
Enjoyment – 10
“Chouyaku Hyakuninisshu: Uta Koi” is definitely underrated. It may be because of its topic. But those who like poetry, or Japanese traditions and esthetics, should watch it. Those who aren´t familiar with Japanese poetry but like love stories or historical plots should also give it a try. It is very interesting. Furthermore, despite the tragic and sad nature of most of the stories, there is a great deal of humor in the anime. 10 for enjoyment.
