Review: Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (Tatami Galaxy)

Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei (otherwise known as Tatami Galaxy) might be the most peculiar anime series that I have ever seen. Its protagonist and narrator is an unnamed college students whose search for a “Rose-Colored Campus Life” and obsession with raven-haired maidens lead him to many failures, only to go back in time to try all over again. This basic premise is interesting enough, but it failed to really enthrall me. While Tatami Galaxy is far from compelling, it doesn’t really try to be. What it does try to be is different, and it is in that aspect that it really succeeds.

I want to start by saying that the way Tatami Galaxy uses its animation style is something that  I have never seen before. The series has a perfect combination of manipulated real-life scenery and whacky cartoon animation which gives it a tremendously abstract feel. This approach to visual style was a bold move by Gonzo, and one that could easily have gone awry. Striking this perfect balance made the series what it is. If it had been unsuccessful, Tatami Galaxy would have been totally ruined for me. The character designs, which lend themselves well to the visual style, are  easily stretched and distorted to match the fluctuating animation. Every character can fit perfectly into the situations which they are put, and their reactions are never boring or repetitive.

My biggest problem with Tatami Galaxy isn’t necessarily even a problem. I don’t really dislike anything about the series, but the pacing and storytelling failed to really pull me in. I never felt a strong emotional attachment to any of the characters, and the first half of the series got really repetitive after a while. A lot of the things that felt annoying early on in the series did end up serving a purpose later on, but the pacing never really made me feel like the series was building up to anything. However, I didn’t get the feeling that the writers wanted me to be engrossed in the story. There were no half-assed attempts to be deep, nor were there any signs that they didn’t know they were being repetitive. What I did sense from the creators of Tatami Galaxy was a desire to do something that had never really been tried in the medium of anime before, and it is here where they really shined.

Unlike most series I don’t really like, Tatami Galaxy didn’t feel disengenuine. No attempt was made to trick the viewer into thinking it was deep, nor did they resort to cheap tricks to make it seem that way. While I may not have thoroughly enjoyed myself with the series, I did experience some things that I never have before and doubt I ever will again. Tatami Galaxy is a nice little art project of a series that proves there is still potential for new ideas in anime, even this far into the medium’s existence.

Best Episode: Episode 6

Overall Score: 3/5

Review: ef - a tale of memories

Ef - a tale of memories-hereby referred to as ef for the sake of my sanity-is a series about memory and being remembered. It’s a drama about finding your path in in life and getting over personal baggage in order to see that path clearly. Ef is a heartfelt story about many characters’ intertwining stories in one high school that sets itself up to be amazing, but at times it struggles to be truly memorable.

I want to start off the actual, pun free, review by talking about my absolute favorite part of ef-the animation. I guess it’s really no surprise, but SHAFT does a fantastic job with making this story really pop. The studio uses a lot of really amazing ideas to increase the tension and especially the beauty of this little series. I’m not sure exactly how much I would have enjoyed ef if SHAFT hadn’t animated it. Many of my favorite parts in the series were either because the animation really enhanced the emotional experience or were animation decisions themselves. It’s for this reason that I’m willing to watch pretty much any series that SHAFT turns out.

That being said, the character designs were pretty annoying, specifically their heads and hair. I mean, what the hell is that weird cowlick thing on Renji’s head anyway? The girls were cute enough, but there were times that I just couldn’t get over the way they were designed. It wasn’t enough to seriously impact my enjoyment of the series, it just would have been nice to see some good character designs to go along with the impeccable animation. The only good part of this aspect was Chihiro’s eyepatch, because who doesn’t love a shy anime gal with an eyepatch?

The story of ef is well done for the most part. All of the character relationships are set up well and they refrained from making the intertwining story lines confusing, which could have very easily been done. All three relationships are identified early on and the writers were very delicate with how the stories were interwoven. The result is an easy-to-follow series that never really gets boring. The relationships are mostly believable, with some minor cringe-worthy details. Ef definitely delivered on the romance, and the story of Renji and Chihiro was especially compelling. 

Unfortunately, the way the writers chose to develop the stories took a turn for the worst around the middle of the series. Some choices are made in the course of the relationships that seemed forced and unrealistic. Many character motivations are unclear or shallow. A lot of the drama seemed to be thrown in simply to have more “twists” that ended up simply being predictable. They continued with this tactic until almost the very end,  at which point it had become tiresome. Even my favorite relationship in the series suffers from this to a certain extent. This kind of series usually makes me cry at least once. I was brought close to tears only once with ef, and I’m convinced it was because of that odd twist gimmick.

All in all, ef was a good series that was predictable, yet still compelling. I really liked most of the characters, but some were just fake and corny. If it wasn’t for the story of Renji and Chihiro, I’m sure this series would have been a lot worse, but luckily the inclusion of their relationship saved it. If different decisions were made in the progress of the stories, ef really could have ended up being a stellar experience, but some unnecessary plot twists made it significantly less enjoyable. That being said, if you like romantic drama series and can fight through some disappointment, I would recommend giving ef a shot. Hell I’ll recommend it on the basis of its animation alone.

Best Episode Part: Chihiro!

Overall Score: 3/5

Review: Tari Tari

Tari Tari starts as any high school slice-of-life drama does: A group of high school students-some friends, some just classmates-preparing and leaving for school. It’s an approach that I’ve seen may times before, but this time things felt slightly different. What I thought at first would be a decent enough thirteen episode series ended up affecting me way more than I thought it would, providing a thoroughly enjoyable and emotional experience for those who are willing to give it a chance. Also, it’s one of the funniest series that I’ve seen in this genre.

The story begins with lovable spitfire Konatsu, who wants nothing more than to sing in her school’s choir group despite an embarrassing, albeit comedic, accident at last year’s Big Competition. She attempts to complain to the club’s advisor, but ends up doing what anyone with a short temper and no filter does in this situation: She quits. However, she wants so bad to sing  that she forms her own group. Eventually, through a few close calls and some ill-advised antics, Konatsu ends up with a club of five distinct characters.

While it would be easy to place Tari Tari’s central cast into anime character stereotypes, it’s the little things that these characters do to break out of these definitions that really endears them to the viewer. For example, Wien is the token foreign exchange student who, unlike most characters of this type, actually has a emotionally poignant story tying him back to the place he moved from. They all seem more natural and realistic than most anime characters. Their relationships develop quite naturally and there is no shallow romance thrown in just to have it there. Each character has his or her own conflict that is smartly woven into the overarching storyline. No one overshadows the others and they are consistently touching and detailed. Some character motivations seem shallow and out of sync with their story, but this is easy to overlook for the most part. For the most part, the characters grow simultaneously as friends and people as they each come to terms with their own problems.

What really sets these characters and Tari Tari apart is their sense of humor. Hands down, my favorite part of this series was the subtle comedy. The conversations of the characters all feel very natural. The voice actors each deserve some serious recommendation for pulling off the scenes where characters talk over each other, which is both refreshing and genius. The inclusion of this also leads to some hilarious conversations that need to be viewed twice to get the full humor. There are also some callbacks that provide an essence of nostalgia to the humor. I laughed out loud more than a few times, which is usually rare for anime comedy.

The art style is well suited to the subject matter and the character designs are very cute, if not a little generic. P.A. Works did a predictably beautiful job with the animation, as I have always experienced with series that they produce. Every character’s movements are fluid and their expressions accurately convey their emotions. The dances that the characters do while they sing are especially well done. There are no huge sweat drops or stress veins and it is all kept really tasteful. Tari Tari’s animation and art are very natural and an active pleasure to look at. 

The parts that were really sad brought me to the verge of tears, sometimes farther. The jokes made me laugh more than they probably should have. My emotions went up and down with the characters and I was relieved and happy with the conclusion as it stood. There are some minor knots that weren’t tied up, but as with the motivations, they were negligible at worst. Tari Tari was more natural and realistic than most slice-of-life series and, as a result, is much easier to relate to. It’s not the best series I’ve seen in this genre, but I’d be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t feel something at one point in the series. Overall, Tari Tari is a consistently entertaining and enjoyable story of friendship and music that I think fans of the genre realy need to see.

Best Episode: Episode 10

Overall Score: 4/5

Review (Sort Of): Paranoia Agent

I started Paranoia Agent with the intent of watching the whole thing in one sitting and writing a review about it, but I’m not sure if this is going to really be a review. Not in the common sense of the word. I guess that’s befitting of a title as unconventional as this one. Bare with me, as this is going to be a bumpy ride.

Paranoia Agent starts off in an episodic case to find a street attacker referred to as “Shonen Bat,” roughly translating to “bat boy.” They call him this because of his preferred method of attack: a twisted golden baseball bat. The detectives question the victims and look for clues, just like any police investigation. However, as the show goes on, the victims become more connected and any semblance of an episodic series quickly melts away. Trying to keep up with the story certainly keeps you on your toes. At least it never becomes repetitive, as some mystery series tend to be.

About halfway through, Paranoia Agent completely abandons the mystery investigation format to provide completely episodic tellings of people just living their lives, with the sole connection being that Shonen Bat appears in all of them. I said episodic, but every episode has a format that is completely it’s own. if they didn’t share certain characteristics, each could be easily mistaken for an entirely different series. Everything from housewives swapping stories to the goings-on behind the production of an anime are given that special Paranoia Agent twist. Especially worth noting is the eighth episode, of which I believe the premise could function as a completely enjoyable OVA or it’s even it’s own anime. It's worth seeing this whole series for nothing more than to experience this tale in context.

The characters are all believable, if not somewhat idiosyncratic at times. Each character is a little exaggerated, but this is anime, so I’m not going to put it past them. No individual character stands out right away, but eventually minor characters become the most important in the entire series. Just like the story, the characters of Paranoia Agent cannot be done justice with a simple explanation.

Paranoia Agent’s art style is simple and basic, but it leaves the animation team room for some great surreal sections once the series starts losing it’s focus, which is very early on. The character’s expressions are great as well and the way their faces are animated conveys their emotions very well. The animation team deserves a pat on the back for this one, as their treatment of the more abstract areas of this show are superb. I suppose I’m not spoiling too much by saying that the animation of cute mascot character Maromi is especially adorable and great.

The lack of detail I’m putting into this review isn’t because I didn’t enjoy the show, because I did enjoy it. Very much so. My reasoning is half because I’m not sure I could do the series justice, and half because I think everyone should see this show for themselves. Paranoia Agent almost defies description. Ultimately, it is a show that provides a great social commentary on the attitudes and behavior of society in the modern age, specifically focusing on the juxtaposition between old and new schools of thought. Paranoia Agent explores the escapism that many of us, including myself, seek in fiction. whether this be through lying to get out of something stressful, or through media like anime and comics. Even though i disagreed with some of it's views, Paranoia Agent really made me think. This is the only piece of fiction thats has actually made me question my fundamental beliefs. 

The bottom line is: watch this series. Whether you end up liking it or not, I believe it is something that should be experienced. Especially if you believe as strongly in the value of escapism as I do. I'm sure Paranoia Agent will stay with me for a very long time.

Rest in peace, Satoshi Kon. Your vision did not go without impact.

Best Episode: Episode 8

Overall Score: 4/5