Holmes of Kyoto Episode Review 6: The Connoisseur's Philosophy

We are six episodes into Holmes of Kyoto and we get to meet a cute new character who goes by the name of Rikyu. He doesn’t seem to want Aoi getting in between him and his beloved Kiyo-nii! He is just as much a wicked Kyoto Boy as Kiyotaka is.

Japanese Title: 目利きの哲学

‘That’s my philosophy as a connoisseur’

It is Seiji Yagashira’s 77th birthday, and he is holding a birthday party at his mansion in Kyoto. As Seiji is such a well-respected appraiser, there are famous faces from different fields in attendance. Amongst them are a popular magician duo and the producer of a TV program on which Seiji used to appear. His house practically doubles up as a museum, and the guests are invited to take a look at some of the items in his collection before the party begins. One of those pieces is a celadon vase, which supposedly gets smashed when the guests leave the room. The trick used is not all that mind-blowing, and neither is the motive behind it. However, what is pretty wonderful is Seiji’s reaction to the whole thing. Masamune’s actions were due to loss of the face experienced by a man who was a savior in their eyes. Seiji’s refusal to back down from his beliefs when it comes to correctly appraising items no matter the situation is impressive. It’s certainly a philosophy all appraisers should stand by.

The most impressive thing about this episode was actually something that might be lost on most viewers and that is the addition of Rikyu. Although Yoshie appears in this chapter, which is in the second book, Rikyu doesn’t make his appearance until the springtime in the fourth book. However, his addition was added in so naturally that it feels like he should have been there all along! Wanting to show off his knowledge, he explains important information to the viewer, which is a nice change from having Kiyotaka explain everything all the time. His judo skills also end up being very useful near the end! I’m very glad Rikyu’s appearance was sped up as the series needs his cheekiness!

This episode we got to see a bit more of Kiyotaka’s softer side when it comes to Aoi. We are sure he was very excited to see Aoi all dolled up.

In other news, didn’t Akihito look adorable in his suit? I couldn’t help but laugh at him yet again not being able to read the mood. Speaking of him, I was very disappointed to see that we didn’t get to see his appearance on Kyoto Days, although they were kind enough to show us what he looks like in a kimono (stunning, of course). For those of you who might be interested, in the first episode of Kyoto Days (where he introduces Nanzenji), he pretty much mimics Kiyotaka completely, haha. He later learns how to present using his own personality.

Trivia

77th Birthday

One’s seventy-seventh birthday is considered special in Japan. It is called 喜寿 (kiju) in Japanese, which means ‘happy year’. This is because the number 77 (七十七) written in cursive script supposedly looks like the kanji 喜 (happiness).

Here it comes again- Kiyotaka’s Dialect!

This episode we got to see Kiyotaka’s dialect in 3 main instances. As always, he used it when he is angry. We also got to see him use it with Rikyu, which is quite important as it shows that he is very close to the boy. Finally, Kiyotaka uses it towards the end when thanking Aoi. The final instance receives a cute blush from Aoi, and surely that is partly due to the fact that he was using Kyoto dialect, meaning he was talking from the heart.

Place That Appeared in Episode 6

Philosopher’s Path

Seiji’s house is located just off the Philosopher’s Path, which starts up near Ginkakuji and continues up to near Nanzenji which we visited last week. The path follows a canal which is lined with cherry trees, making it one of the most popular spots for cherry blossom viewing. It’s usually pretty quiet, and a great place to go for a stroll and think about philosophy or your favorite BL ships. There are plenty of fancy cafes lining the path, and a few temples and shrines dotted around. Like most places in Kyoto, it also looks beautiful in the autumn when the leaves change color. It’s an essential spot to visit if you are in Kyoto.

Let’s start the appraisal

In terms of the trick happening this episode, it is not all that interesting. However, we see how both Seiji and Kiyotaka simply will not back down when it comes to their beliefs regarding antiques. We’ve already seen Kiyotaka get extremely angry on multiple occasions when it comes to counterfeits, and now we can see where he gets his attitude from. The episode also did very well in how it introduced Rikyu, so now we can enjoy a new character for the rest of the series!
Judging by the next episode title, next episode we will be going to another party! Living the life.

Don’t forget that we will be here each week with a preview of the next episode. You can check the stills gallery from Episode 6 here.