IMHO. 'Tamayura' ~ OVA, 2 TV series and specials, totally made of kindness

When I first watched 'Tamayura hitotose', it was just a short series for relaxed entertainment. What I didn't expect is that by the end it would turn out into such a wonderful coming of age story with the characters so deep and the story so full.

Speaking coolly, I can say 'Tamayura' is a great source for learners of the Japanese language and culture. It brings out many important aspects of the Japanese society such as taking bath together with friends and family members, even if they happen to be of the opposite sex:

gratitude and respect towards parents and relatives:

proper attitude to serving the clients:

and the importance of supporting and inheriting the family business:

But the main idea of 'Tamayura' is that this world is entirely made of kindness. To an unprepared person it will seem saccharine sweet. Especially if today in the morning you had to make your way into the bus with your elbows lest you fail to secure a seat in the bus. Especially when a couple of days ago another suicide bomber killed a dozen of people in some country.

The idea of total kindness and happiness appears the very moment 'Tamayura' starts and does not leave the screen even for a second. Happiness is everywhere, in the head:

in drawings:

 in photos and memories:

 in sweets:

 in fairytales:

Next time you worry about entering a new collective, try to whistle.
Okay, just a bit more happiness

 aaaaand

However, after watching lazily the first episodes about peaceful everyday life of several teenage girls eating desserts and having fun, I gradually noticed myself taking one by one paper tissues to wipe the tears streaming down my cheeks. By the last episode of the specials, I realised how grave the issues in the story had become, and how realistic the way the girls were dealing with them was. If some stories may be called 'bittersweet', this one I would call sweet-bitter, in the order of appearance.

graphics

If the first episodes may be simpler in terms of shapes and details of different things including faces, the last specials change very much adding even more lustre to everything. However the backgrounds were gorgeous from the very beginning. That wonderful ability to create beauty in everyday life and notice beauty in ordinary things is probably something I respect the most in Japanese.

music

If there must be a fly in the ointment, it will be music in 'Tamayura'. While the background melodies were good and always fitting the situations, the OPEDs were extremely weak expressing nothing in particular, being just average tender songs performed by average singers. The best songs in all 'Tamayura' parts were 'Yasashisa ni tsutsumareta nara' and 'Sotsugyou shashin', both performed by Sakamoto Maaya with her soft voice, but both being songs of the legendary Matsutoya Yumi. Which proves her legendary-ness once again.

voice acting

Since seiyuus with soft voices will never cease to exist in Japan, there will never be a problem to find proper seiyuus for cute teenagers in Japan. However, I can probably say I am completely satisfied with the performance of the 'Tamayura' crew.

conclusion

As for me, I would never agree that living on memories is enough. Memories will not bring you a cup of hot tea when you catch a cold, will not fill your stomach when you're hungry and will not hug you when you feel blue. However, there's no argument to the fact that just being near each other is not enough. The saddest thing is that not everyone of us is blessed to live in the world similar to that of Fuu - a world full of kindness and of people who would welcome her back whenever she wants to return.

p. s.

and a tint of humour just enough for the story not to become too serious. A funny PE teacher:

 mom's old friends from a biker club:

 and his majesty the Pink Cat

my humble opinion on 'Mayoi Neko Overrun' ~ searching for some romance?

yes I was searching for romance. and tolerated 'ecchi' and 'harem' labels. in the end, however, it turned out I did this not because of the romance but because of the humour - the crazy, surprising humour I did not expect from 'Mayoi Neko'

plot and characters

humour is simply astonishing, at least for me- remember that I did not anticipate any serious comedy here. I just did not know there are ecchi harem school stories with this kind of humour. they did a good job - Itagaki Shin, I guess, and the company - with thinking up the battle between bloomers and spats lovers which included singing freaky songs

or the episode which totally trolled mecha-heroic stories

and this needs no comment

what we also get is ecchi which still belongs to the 'old' types with lost of pantsu-shots, ubiquitous nudity etc. but since nothing is drawn in detail (like in 'Campanella', for instance) there is pretty nothing to look at. a disappointment for ecchi-lovers, yes, but a good point for me, who had another purpose of watching

oh yes, I had another purpose which was eventually ruined and forgotten. I was hoping to see at least some romance. I get it now. so harems with AJS (average Japanese schoolboy) as the protagonist always end like this? I mean, even if there is a girl who is hinted to have more chances than other, although all of them have an eye on him, she gets pretty nothing in the end. due to the fact that our hero is too kind/caring/sympathetic/understanding... the type who cannot hurt others and ends up choosing rather no one than any of the harem

this is why except for a few very weak hints on possible thrilling situations we get pretty nothing out of 'Mayoi' in terms of romance

apart from humour, what made me keep watching was the idea of people who are not blood-related and meet by chance becoming close and thinking of each other as family. the truth is, though I usually like characters like Nozomi, she did not impress me much, but certainly I was moved by the process of her 'adoption', as well as that of Umenomori 

the other unexpected moral was when Nozomi explained why she ran from the academy

no, I did not expect this level of seriousness

seiyuus

Okamoto... go to hell. Okamoto as AJS is not even in the least interesting or attractive. much more interesting was Taketatsu Ayana voicing aloof and almost emotionless Nozomi. others were nothing beyond 'ok'

graphics

when I am dissatisfied with graphics like this I recall 'Noir' and realise that this is really, really good. with faces like this

 and backgrounds like this

music

like I said, I hate this kind of OPEDs. HATE them. when will they cease to write boring 'kawaii-genki' songs for the voice cast to perform?

unlike OPEDs, BGMs were good, and the 'troll-songs' were exceptionally good - the one about 'bloomers' had a very nice blues-like melody, and the 'mecha' episode had a truly old-styles heroic song performed by - this is really surprising - Yoshiki Fukuyama from JAM Project

conclusion

I guess I have to search for romance more carefully huh?

nevertheless, I had good time with 'bloomers'