By way of housekeeping, let’s start with the logistics of this unusual series. We already knew that Karaoke Iko! and Muchuu sa, Kimi ni. would be sharing a 10-episode cour. That’s possibly a first just for starters. But as it turns out Karaoke Iko is going to be episodes #1-4 and 10, with Captivated by You taking #5-9. I suppose this is being done because the finale – both of Karaoke and the “series” – is going to be an anime-original episode. Which is even more interesting given that there’s already a sequel manga (Fami-res Iko.), though that one is ongoing.
Bearing all that in mind, this sort of is and isn’t a series finale. And that’s exactly what it feels like. We begin with a shift – for the first time – to Kyouji’s POV. This comes in the form of a flashback and it mostly in a pretty light-hearted vein, though it’s intended to foster the impression of his life flashing before his eyes as he meets his end. His fate, Kyouji declares, was set in motion by his grandfather spilling cigarette ash on his birth registration form and changing the kanji in his name in colorful fashion to try and cover it up. This fate led him to an encounter with his future yakuza boss while working as a part-timer at a karaoke joint, where in fact he was the guy who planted the idea for a karaoke showdown in the boss’ head.
As for Satomi, he’s unsurprisingly pretty freaked out by what’s happened. Especially as his last communication with Kyouji wasn’t exactly cordial. Under the circumstances it’s not too surprising that he can’t bring himself to go and sing at the choir contest (which he was probably relieved about, to be honest). In the end my impression that Wada-kun was a snake in the grass proves more or less on-point, though to be fair he’s probably not entirely wrong in his assessment of Satomi as a coward. About some things, anyway.
Instead, the boy decides to go to the bar where the karaoke contest is being held (the second time he’s ignored Kyouji’s admonition to stay out of that neighborhood). There, he’s told by the boss that he got a call from the hospital and Kyouji has “gone to Hell”. I suspected almost immediately that this was a ruse but it plays out for quite a while before that’s revealed. Satomi scolds the yakuza for merrily singing away when their comrade has just been killed, and when he tries to leave the boss stops him, shoves a microphone at him and tells him to perform a requiem for Kyouji.
As ridiculous as this scene is, it’s certainly effective. A major reason for that, I would argue, is 2024 LiA Best Actor winner Horie Shun. Horie, for the record, is 32 years old. But his authenticity when portraying a boy in the throes of puberty is quite astonishing – he proved it in Bokuyaba, and he proves it in quite a different way here. He chooses “Kurenai” (Crimson) as his requiem, as that was the one song Kyouji always sang when they hung out together. It can only be described as a remarkable performance – tortured, strained, and totally heartfelt. It’s been quite the anime week for X Japan – appearing in proxy form in Dandadan, and now getting a spotlight moment in Karaoke Iko.
Satomi’s recollections of this performance are pretty hilarious, especially when he can’t think of anything to say about Kyouji after “he let me order as much food as I wanted”. As it turns out they’re actually in the form of his high school graduation essay, where he’s finally coming clean about his weird encounter with Kyouji. If nothing else one can say Kyouji did the right thing by dropping out of Satomi’s life for the duration of his childhood, though he does reconnect with him at the airport as both of them are getting ready to fly to Tokyo for very different reasons.
In hindsight I think Karaoke Iko works better when one doesn’t try and reconcile it as a realistic coming-of-age story. It’s a fantasy and a comedy in the end, and should be treated as such. That leaves the BL subtext in a less disturbing place too, though I have no idea if Fami-res Iko. ups the ante on that part of it. Once Satomi is more or less an adult, he can make his own choices – though if Kyouji were to move predatorily on an 18 year-old I think that would still be pretty disturbing. Better not to go too far down that road, and if one doesn’t I think this series comes off an an entertaining diversion. I’m not sure I see why it became one of the most nominated and awarded manga of the decade, but that’s not the fault of the series itself, or its author.
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