Tamayura

A four-episode OVA series that should soothe any weary heart. As always, my reviews are spoiler free. Tamayura is a slice of life that consists of only four episodes, telling the story of Fuu Sawatari and her life as an aspiring photographer. Tamayura is directed by Junichi Satou of Aria, one of the most acclaimed SOL series of all time. It is called a "healing story", and this description is quite apt considering the atmosphere presented in this too-often overlooked series. This series was created before Tamayura: Hitotose, but actually takes place inside of Hitotose's timeline. I would advise watching theseOVAs first, however. Story - 7/10 Sawatari Fuu is an amateur photographer, trying to capture the moments of happiness around her with a camera left to her by her father. These moments of happiness, called "tamayura", appear as light orbs when the subjects of a picture are especially content. She is surrounded by her friends and family as she goes about her daily life and photography. As a SOL series, the story is very basic. However, as anyone who has watched Aria knows, Junichi Satou is able to create a remarkably peaceful world that the viewer can fall into and relax. The story is more extensively explained in Hitotose, which has a more definite beginning; keep this in mind as you are dropped into the middle of the story already taking place. If this is something that bothers you, go ahead and watch Hitotose first. Animation - 8/10 The style is somewhat reminiscent of Kyoto Animation titles. The character designs are very soft and cute, but still have a fair amount of detail. The backgrounds are well done, and especially diverse for a series of this type. Generally, a SOL is restricted to just a few areas like club rooms and bedrooms, limiting the amount of work that has to be done. However, Tamayura explores a much wider array of areas, and rather than the usual small town city scape Tamayura presents a traditional Japanese town with beautiful architecture. I understand that many of the locations visited in the series have real life counterparts that they are designed from. One interesting thing the entire franchise does is show still "photographs" that have been taken, and while these are technically not animated at all, I enjoyed looking at them being interested in photography myself. My main complaint with the animation is the character detail when not close up. This is a very common animation issue even in otherwise beautiful shows (check out the background characters in the TV and Blu-ray releases of Madoka). It's pretty easy to overlook though. Sound - 6/10 While Tamayura has a peaceful backing soundtrack, that is all it has aside from a slightly above average OP. The tracks are commonly repeated if you listen closely. The voice acting is done well, but there is nothing of particular note to set this series apart. The soundtrack might be nice to play while going to sleep or studying, perhaps. Character - 7/10 Like dozens of other SOL series, the main cast consists of four girls with several reoccurring side characters. What sets Tamayura apart is the focus on Fuu and her life. While the other characters are explored more in Hitotose, the theme remains that they revolve around Fuu. This is actually a refreshing change, as it sets a more defined theme for the story than others of the same kind. The cast consists of Fuu, who is kind, softspoken, and a bit airheaded. She can occasionally get herself into a bit of trouble with her enthusiasm for photography, ending up in some compromising positions and locations. Her friends are all likable, with the very quiet Maon, the boisterous Norie (who reminds me of Usagi from Sailor Moon), and the level headed Kaoru. They don't have much time for development in these 4 short episodes, but they are better explored in Hitotose if you find this series and the characters agreeable. Enjoyment - 8/10 This series is able to set a beautiful atmosphere and setting, just as Aria did before it. It has a theme, photography, that keeps the story flowing to some degree. This combined with an easy to love cast makes for a lovely series when just trying to relax and escape life for awhile. Other Thoughts Tamayura is succeeded by Tamayura: Hitotose and the currently airing Tamayura More Aggressive. They follow the same tone, but are 13 episode series that give more time to the side cast as well as explaining Fuu's life in more detail. I would strongly recommend them if you enjoyed these short OVAs.

I must say I'm a fan of slice-of-life series, since I can appreciate the slow pacing of the show and simply enjoy of atmosphere created by the series. I loved Hidamari Sketch and Aria. I even liked series like Sketchbook and Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou, though they was never my favourites. But I cannot seem to enjoy what Tamayura has to offer. First of all, the setting never really got to me. I have a bit of interest in photography, but I've never got the least interested while the cast is on the subject. Secondly, the cast is really, really boring. Fu and Kou are the onlynames I recall. I can only remember the rest of the cast as the whistling girl, the twin-tail who's always on high, and the nondescript ponytail. They do not seem to have any other traits I can remember. So in the end, I can hardly remember anything about the series, even though I've only just finished watching it. I could hardly pay attention to what little the series has to offer. I had expected more from Hal Films... The art quality is average and the music is forgettable. I feel that the seiyuus, even Kana Asumi, isn't doing a very good job with the characters even though she's more familiar with the genre. I really cannot recommend this to anyone since I cannot seem to find any parts of the series interesting enough to talk about. Plot/Concept: Fair Story Style: Meh Audio/Visual: Unimpressive Value: 3

I'll keep this short, just like the show itself. My expectations when adding this anime to my planning-to-watch list were rather low, yet I wanted to know what was to get a TV sequel. The description did not say much about the show, other than it is a supposed "feel-good"-anime. Tonight I felt so-so and looked for something short to take off my list, and I remembered Tamayura. The feel-good promise was no lie at all. Even during the first few minutes, Tamayura managed to make me smile. It introduced likeable, simple characters that complimented each other in ways that made their interactions pleasant and heartwarming to watch. Thisis no anime to watch if you desire action, non-stop die-hard comedy or show-off characters. There is character development in Tamayura, despite its short runtime, with Fu at the story's center. Her photographs are what connects all the characters in the show, and just as magically as the Tamayura appear on her pictures, smiles will appear on the audience's faces. I did not expect the clumsy, photo-loving "Potte" to actually fill me with positive energy, yet her pictures had exact that refilling effect. Tamayura achieved exactly what it set out to do. It delivers a warm and fuzzy story you can easily connect with, giving you more than enough opportunity to relax.

"Time cannot be stopped. Change is inevitable. However, so long as we never forget. The past will never be forgotten." Tamayura : An Anime All Highschoolers Must Watch [NOTE] This is an overall review of Tamayura including all of its ovas and movies. No spoilers will be given. Tamayura is the true meaning of Slice of life. Setting aside the excess of jokes and teases the show displayed which aren't funny at all. Tamayura is the most spectacular anime about highschool I've ever seen in my entire life. It really hits home for me, a person who is currently studying IB. The anime shows theaspects of hardship; happiness, sadness and sorrow of being a highschooler up until graduation. I really love this anime. It is the biggest hidden gem I've ever found. A hidden gem that could even be compared to my favorite show, Violet Evergarden. This show represents highschool life really well. So well that there are no other words to describe it other than "masterpiece". Makers of Tamayura, I sincerely thank you for producing such a masterpiece. A masterpiece that I will never forget so long as I continue living. Truly, Arigato Gozaimasu.

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