After Action [COMPLETED]

[WS] "FORMAL REVIEW: 'TAMAYURA' "

Written 29 July 2019

'Tamayura': The story of a town that welcomes

So we're now on the third (formal) animé review for this page, and I've got to say I am totally proud of being "one of the locals"―if only for a short period of time. And if the title doesn't give you a clue as to what I have finished watching . . .

'Tamayura' is more than just being another animé that highlights the beauty of its featured place/s―e. g., places surrounding Mount Fuji for 'Yuru Camp'; Ooarai for 'Girls und Panzer'; Hokkaido for both 'Gin no Saji' and 'Golden Kamuy' (in the case of [Siscon The Unconquered]'s recommendation for 2018, Hokkaido's historic scenery); Central Honshu for 'Non Non Biyori', and many other animé that uses real-life locations in Japan as its setting.

'Tamayura' is the story of a seaside town called Takehara, located in a place that became one of the only two casualties of a singular horrific event that happened at the end of World War II―Hiroshima. It features characters that might as well be inspired by the real residents of the aforementioned town, as they live their lives day in and day out. However, 'Tamayura' manages to find the right balance of showing viewers the beauty of its setting―hidden and exposed―and telling the story of all characters, as seen from the lens of an old camera―and the appreciative eyes of a young girl who once left and was welcomed back with open arms. It is an adventure―albeit an uneventful one―that left unforgettable memories of the sights, sounds, scents, and colors for each passing season. It is an adventure that can be described best by only a few photos. It is an adventure that goes beyond one of the show's central themes: photography.

Strangely enough, this Internet "mercenary" felt warm and happy when 'Tamayura' ended―i. e., I have finished watching the two-season animé, the two extra episodes for each season, the two-episode OVAs that complemented the first season, and the four-part movie―which is a stark contrast to the feeling of sadness whenever I finished a great animé. Maybe it was because 'Tamayura' has allowed the viewer a once-in-a-lifetime experience to become "one of the locals" over the course of the whole series. And that experience has turned me from becoming unnaturally cold towards my hometown (this has just occurred to me during my own journey), to appreciating the one place that witnessed mostly my hardships―if only for the slightest. Who knows, I am just starting a "new" adventure in my otherwise bleak life; I can only hope that someday I might actually thank the people that actually made 'Tamayura' possible. For now, however, I can safely say that 'Tamayura' is a great slice-of-life animé that will welcome the viewer as one of its esteemed locals.

[Note: As of now, that feeling of sadness has assaulted me once again, which is destroying me from inside out. Thanks to the complete version of "Natsudori -Uta to Piano-"―the ending song for the second episode of 'Tamayura ~hitotose~' (Season 1), in addition to its original ending, "Kami-sama no Itazura".]