I'm a bit late this week, but no surprise this was another very strong episode. My goodness, the mental fortitude it must have taken Yotaro to give such an outstanding performance while unsure of his master's life! My god those tears at the end of it! And in the car with little Shin asking why they were crying...such a good boy. That and their tearful reaction at seeing Yakumo wake up at the end really tug at the heartstrings. So they're trying to close down the old rakugo hall eh? I couldn't help but compare the hall to Yakumo himself in that scene, aged and in danger of dying. Well next week looks to be even more emotional with another trip down memory lane due to this Sukeroku video recording. For Konatsu and Yakumo both if he sees it most likely.
Finally, I don't really want to bring this up because frankly I'd prefer if the matter was already settled, but...considering Konatsu's reaction to that guy's "Finally looked my way" line I'm wondering if we've found Shin's actual biological father...or if I'm just being paranoid.