Tamako Market

hamletsmage Feb 14, 2016

7.5

I am not one that usually likes slice of life anime. However, this particular anime had just enough comedy and weirdness to keep my interest.  Story: This was probably one of the weaker points for me. The story is very slow, and the main action of the anime is only brought up towards the end. For the most part, each episode has its own small problem that must be solved, like the market isn't festive enough for Valentine's day. Stuff like that. It's all very mundane, but thankfully, the comedy and liveliness of the characters makes the anime watchable.  Animation: The animation is very moe, and very much the style of Kyoto Animation. In a word: adorable. Aside from the character design, I loved the look of the shopping arcade. Everything was brightly colored, detailed with just enough character, and felt inviting.  Sound: Aside from the OP and ED, which I felt suited the anime very well, there was the cafe that played music. At one point, even Toccata and Fugue in D minor was used, very effectively. At no point did I feel the music didn't suit the anime. The only question I had was the choice of Daisuke Ono for Kaoru's voice, until I learned that Kaoru is possibly transgender. Progressive anime is progressive.  Characters: The characters had a wide range of personalities, from the always upbeat Tamako to the shy and calm Shiori. There was a lot of effort put into giving the side characters back stories or something that made them unique. The only points I docked from the characters was due to my annoyance at Dera's vanity.  Overall: I felt like this anime flew under my radar when it premiered. This was an enjoyable watch. I learned a lot, actually, about mochi from this anime. I'll probably think about this anime the next time I eat some mochi. 

RinReborn27 Feb 24, 2014

7

Story With the main protagonist being a cute and energetic high school girl you can expect most of the things you'll see in the anime. For example, her friends, her school, her club activities, but most of all her families mochi shop. Of course something strange happens in the beginning, that triggers the main storyline. But most of all Tamako drags us with her over the market and in her life. We get to see her interactions with her friends and family who all have very individual personalities. Most of all we get to see how they all care for one another and how everyone interacts. It truly is a cute, slice of life anime, maybe a tad to sweet for some, but certainly worth watching. Animation The director for this series is Naoko Yamada, that means the animation looks a lot like Hyouka, K-On! and Kyoukai no Kanata. This fits the cute and energetic fibe the characters have, making you love them even more. It also means that the attention for even the smallest movements is present. A really good job on the animation, but nothing greatly impressive. Still a great choice for Tamako Market. Sound Beginning with the opening and ending songs, these songs will lift you up and make you feel good about yourself, certainly fitting the personality of the main characters. The souds thoughout the episodes are mostly really simple songs, that fit the situation. Except for in the coffeeshop, where the guy plays records and these always seem to help out the situation. Either in a emotional one or just for the comic relief. The sounds and music are befitting for Tamako market. Characters Sweet and caring, but still individuals with their own problems, businesses and love crushes. Everyone fits in, making conflict somehow something of another world. While the energetic characters really help to draw you in the story, they maybe a tad to sweet for some people, but that just goes hand in hand with the whole series. They fo fit perfectly for the story and they are pleasent to watch. Throughout the anime, we see things about the characters and find out about their lives. No one is just there for appearence, everyone has a story. Overall Tamako Market is a light, easy-to-watch series. With sweet and caring characters, if you like this kind of thing or just really want to watch an anime and not think to much this is certainly something you would enjoy. It's also one of those anime that is you start watching, you'll watch it straight through.

goodycandy741 Mar 30, 2013

8.2

Tamako Market follows Kitashirakawa Tamako as she lives out her daily life in the Usagiyama Shopping District with the sudden intrusion of a talking bird named Dera, who brings about a flurry of unusual, interesting activities. An adorable story with lovable characters is truly what sums up this anime. This is a typical Kyoto Animation anime and I loved it with all my heart. (Well, I loved it with enough of my heart to give it four stars...) Story: 15/20 To be honest, the plot was probably the weakest part of this anime and that's still saying something because it's pretty good. The plot that was introduced in the first episode (Dera, who came from a faraway island in the south, ends up in Japan as he searches for a bride for his young prince) was buried under several other plots throughout this anime until the final episode, where it resurfaced and was like "Hola, bitches~ You forgot about me." Of course, there were numerous reminders about the fact that that's the main plot every few episodes, but that still didn't stop me from forgetting about it. One thing I particularly love about the story is that it seems very light-hearted at a glance, but if one digs deep enough or simply looks a bit further into it, one will realize that it there are many underlying feelings. (Details in Character section.) Animation: 9.5/10 Tamako Market's animation is exactly what I'd expect from KyoAni. It's smooth, bright, and has an extra touch of "kawaii-ness" (aka "moe")! It really suits the plot and characters of this anime. I won't forget to mention that it's close to being flawless! This animation is without a doubt one of the best of Winter 2013. Sound: 8/10 Suitable openings and endings are a must for me and Tamako Market met both of those requirements. The opening drew me in with the vivid-coloring and bright, peppy emotion within the voice. It's perfect for an anime like Tamako Market! As for the ending, I believe it represents the more mellow, melancholy aspects of the story and certain characters' emotions. They're both very wonderful. The voice-actors did a fantastic job! (I can't believe Daisuke Ono voiced Kaoru. It shattered my image of him being a 100% ikemen, but my respect for him has grown tremendously.) Characters: 9.5/10 I strongly feel that the characters are what make this anime as great as it is. The plot is basically built on layers and layers of characters' bonds with each other. KyoAni excels at creating character bonds, and this time they really went all out and magnified the bond of the Usagiyama Shopping District as a whole. Every character contributes something to the district and when one person suffered, everyone suffered in some kind of way. That was truly amazing and it was something I've never seen accomplished so well before. Every character has unique, memorable traits and quirks that make me it quite easy for me to love all of them. (I can easily name an odd trait or two about each character on the spot, but that'd take up too much room. It's rare for me to remember the name of every single character in an anime, but it happened with this one!) I could go on and on for days about the characters of this anime, but I'm sure you guys wouldn't like that. I'll just settle with saying that the characters are easy to relate to, fairly realistic, and will make you feel some kind of an emotional attachment, one way or another. Overall: 8.2/10 This may truly be my favorite anime of Winter 2013 because it's so cute, light-hearted yet emotionally stirring, and fun to watch. I didn't have a moment of tedium in the 12 episodes of Tamako Market! If you're looking for a sweet, slice-of-life anime, you may want to look into adding this to your to-watch list. Looking for sci-fi/action? It'd probably be best for you to stay away because you're definitely looking in the wrong place!