The Eccentric Family - Episode 12

Thanks to Kaisei's intervention at the end of last week's episode, it's up to Yashirou to save the day as the rest of his Eccentric Family are in dire straits.

All of them, that is, except for Yajirou - frog at the bottom of a well he might be, but Yashirou has a cunning plan to lure him out to help his brothers, and like all of the best cunning plans it involves alcohol.  Before we know it, the False Eizan Electric Railway is back in business, and its first stop is rescuing Yasaburou from the clutches of Ginkaku and Kinkaku.  Although this proves simple enough, there's still another trap laying in wait for this tanuki turned runaway train, although Yashirou even seems to have thought this possibility through and saves the day once again.

With a little (okay, massive) just of wind, the now-free brothers literally plough into the midst of the Friday Fellows meeting, causing sufficient chaos to free Yaichirou and send him on his way to the big meeting which will decide the next Nise-emon.  That problem solved, the only remaining question is how the brothers can save their mother, but with Benten playing along Yasaburou manages to ingratiate himself into the Friday Fellows as they relocate their party.... right next door to the tanuki Nise-emon meeting, of all places.

I'm not sure The Eccentric Family could have found a better way to speed onwards to its finale - this crazy and chaotic rollercoaster ride felt like a pinnacle of the series as its titular family come together against the odds to use their idiocy in the name of justice; the result was both occasionally hilarious and feel-good entertainment as it presses all of the right buttons.  Hopefully it still has enough in store to create a fitting finale, and at this moment in time I don't doubt that it will be a thing of beauty as all of its pieces slot into place perfectly.  Perhaps the biggest question of them all is how Benten will fit into the unfolding events, but however it pans out I really can't wait.