Trapeze (Kuuchuu Buranko) is an excellent show. It’s funny, educational, dramatic, deep and above all creative. In my personal listing I rate Trapeze as the second best anime of 2009 after SHAFT’s Bakemonogatari. But of course, you say, since Nova loves obscure shit for the sake of itself. However under the gimmicky appearance lies a show that meets every requirement I can think of for excellent visual entertainment.
Certifiably nuts. Yep.
Trapeze’s obscureness only goes as deep as its audiovisual look. It’s not filled with either deep and vague or shallow and blatant symbolism that one must grasp to fully enjoy the show. Nor does it rely on abstract cultural references and language jokes. Trapeze is very straightforward at what it does – portraying several kinds of mental illnesses and how they impact a person’s life. And I believe that for this very purpose Toei has chosen the abstract and unconventional visual look.
DAT EDGE.
As the mental conditions twist and manipulate the patients’ perception of themselves and things around them, this kind of audiovisual trickery is more than necessary to make sure the audience is effectively following the show from the right perspective with the right set of mind. Trapeze isn’t about a crazy psychiatrist treating patients – it’s about patients themselves. Although Irabu is present in every episode, the patients are the actual protagonists whose POV the audience is suppose to take.
Of course Trapeze has a bunch of puns and symbolism hidden between the lines – such as Irabu’s personas referring to Freud’s structural model of the psyche, and the second episode effectively being a huge pun in itself. But these are not really necessary for full enjoyment. As for psychiatric lingo, Dr. Fukuicchi’s occasional commentaries provide sufficient knowledge for the audience. That said, I found myself looking stuff up on Wikipedia just out of pure curiosity. Before watching Trapeze I didn’t even know such condition as yips existed.
Best ending frame of all time. But imma let you finish.
In each of us resides a motorcycle-riding caveman and an elitist critic bastard. Trapeze will hardly please the former but will make the latter jump in joy. Like someone put it on IRC, it’s an anime that was not made for anime fans – which is why it blows in some fresh air into the stagnant scene. Highly recommended.