Tamayura

Title: Tamayura Genre: Comedy, Slice of Life Rating: 8.3/10

Summary: For her first year of high school, Fu Sawatari moves to Takehara, a scenic old town near Hiroshima, on the Inland Sea. Her father, who has passed away, grew up in Takehara. She loves taking photographs with his old film camera, a Rollei 35S. The story follows her and the friends who gather around her as she comes to love her new home.

Review: After watching Tamayura and reading Yokohama Kaidashi Kikou I think I have become a fan of slice of life anime. There really isn’t anything complicated, no twists or epic battles but it does give you a fuzzy feeling in your chest. I think that the calm of Tamayura was a good break from all the hectic anime also released these past two seasons. A simple life of taking pictures and hanging out with friends seems ideal when dealing with the stress of reality.

The art was very well done, it really kept the calm atmosphere that the anime was striving for. Soft colors and bright lighting created a drama free world that I’m sure a lot of people look for in these short slice of life OVA’s. I really enjoyed the opening by the art alone. They used a “picture within a picture” look that fit perfectly with the story. The cute expressions also helped put a smile on my face the whole way through.The art wasn’t very detailed, but I think it is acceptable in this case. The illustrator kept a strong focus to the center of the screen the whole time. The scenery was beautiful when it panned out, but like I said the focus remained in the center of the image. I guess the same could be said about pictures.

The soundtrack matched the art style just as well. There was no upbeat techno/rock thing going on. The opening consisted primarily of the singer. I’m generally one to shy away from those types of songs, but this one caught my attention. The ending was of the same genre. Both seemed to keep a steady pace that would be perfect for getting to sleep.

The story was equally satisfying for a slice of life, probably the best of its genre. I really enjoyed watching the friends go to different areas of Japan taking photos. Each of the characters had their own tastes and reasons for liking photos which I feel relates to real life as well. I’m actually not a big fan of taking photos (they suck your soul away every picture… right?), however, I couldn’t help picking up my camera and taking a few shots here and there. After watching Tamayura I found a new appreciation for photos.

Final statements: This anime didn’t really “wow” me per-say. I didn’t get an adrenaline rush or think deeply about my life choice. However, I would still consider it a high priority watch and ask people to watch it to take a break from hectic  life styles and intense thinking. It’s good to sit back and enjoy the ride some times.