TARI TARI - Review

When you think about slice-of-life anime with music, popular titles from various subgenres come to mind—Nodame Cantabile and K-ON! are two very different but valid examples. The music aspects of these two titles are a big part of what made them successful, with elements like plot and characters also being important. But what happens when a show that's supposedly centered on music lacks for the most part that very same element? While that doesn't mean it's necessarily terrible, it's hard to deny that viewers will be left with a bitter taste in their mouth afterwards, feeling a bit mislead. And although this was more or less the case for TARI TARI, to what degree is left to how other supporting factors managed to make up for where it was expected to deliver.

TARI TARI - Episode 13

\(^o^)/\(^o^)/\(^o^)/

This was hands down the best episode of the series; fitting for a finale. Although not completely, the multiple insert songs in this episode made up for the lack thereof in the majority of the other episodes. It was very heartwarming to see what the power of community and friendships are capable of, even if they usually doesn't reach this extent of success in real life. All the trials and struggles the characters faced ended up not being for naught, which definitely brings a great feeling of satisfaction both to them and the viewer. Oh, and Kokoro no Senritsu is such a beautiful song; one of the best ones this season!

TARI TARI - Episode 12

The question now is, what will Taichi do with this lovely image?

In a world full of selfish and greedy individuals, it's nice to see the heartwarming scene of a community working hard towards a common goal together. In wanting to experience the spirit of the school's cultural festival one last time, Konatsu and the rest of the choir club spend the episode battling through the difficulties that came with the announced cancellation. Currently, it seems as like nothing they do will matter, but I obviously don't expect this to be the case in the end. With this being a penultimate episode focused on building up excitement, I expect the finale to finally show the choir club in action.

TARI TARI - Episode 11

One of Konatsu's many amusing expressions

As a student myself, I really feel bad for what the staff and students at Shirahamazaka are being put through right now. I believe it's morally wrong to rob youth of their chance to enjoy their high school life. The businessman involved was most likely once a student himself, so I question why he doesn't realize the consequences of his selfish actions. Because of one man's greed, the lively atmosphere in the school as the student body was preparing for a festival, and even the surrounding community, was suddenly flipped upside-down, resulting in an air of gloom.

TARI TARI - Episode 10

Mentally scarred for life.

Although it was more embarrassing to watch this time around, I also found myself laughing instead of wanting to facepalm, so I guess you could call that an improvement. The extremely cheesy battles between the pseudo Ganba Rangers and their "attackers" did not only entertain the children around, but also successfully acted as a form of advertisement, which I thought was quite amusing. Topping it all off was definitely when the five stopped the purse snatcher, with Wien taking center stage, thanks to his superhuman running (how was he able to keep up with a bicycle?) and spontaneous singing. I'm pretty sure the criminal would've wished to be taken into custody right when he was caught, rather than suffer the mental trauma that came with having to bear with five crazy singing kids in costumes surrounding him.

TARI TARI - Episode 9

Power Ganba Rangers, unite!

I'll be honest here. I find it's really embarrassing to watch high school students pretending to be superheroes, especially if they're taking it seriously. And while this wasn't the case for the girls, and Taichi to a lesser extent, I found it extremely hard not to facepalm at Wien's enthusiasm when it came to the rehearsing for the job. Fortunately, knowing that his memories of Jan were the driving force behind his actions made it easier to accept such awkward behaviour. Moreover, I felt sorry for Wien when he revealed to everyone that all the letters he sent to Jan were never received. Because of this, I believe the others will actually take this job more seriously, despite their personal feelings of dislike towards it; in the end, it's all for their friend's sake after all.

TARI TARI - Episode 8

Sabure: "What are you all looking at?"

Blogger's Note: So, apparently Daiz of Underwater is suffering from anime apathy and is therefore lacking the motivation (and funding) to fansub. Thus, after one episode of Underwater's TARI TARI, the switch back to Commie has been made.

Looking past all the clichés and cheesy friendship speeches, this episode is exactly what I expected from a show like TARI TARI; relaxing slice-of-life elements with a hint of drama that is easy to relate to. Regarding Sawa's arc, I think it's safe to say many people have been in her shoes (i.e. family troubles regarding one's future). Being able to relate to the characters is an important part in understanding and empathizing with them; both Sawa and Wakana are realistic characters with realistic problems. Thus, I can say that I'm enjoying this arc as much as I did the last. And although this episode was really great, it was unfortunate that there wasn't enough time to show the five singing together in joy and unity.

TARI TARI - Episode 7

Oh, Konatsu~ へ(゜∇、°)へ

Blogger's Note: Watching Underwater's releases now.

Inevitably, there will be times in one's life where the phrase "Life sucks!" can be rightfully applied. These can be times where anger, depression, and/or lack of motivation take over, changing a normally cheerful person into a gloomy and isolated individual. Earlier, we witnessed Wakana's battle with her guilt and regret, and how it turned her into a cold and unsociable person. And just when she managed to break free from the chains that were holding her back, it's now Sawa's turn to be consumed by the current negativity in her life.

TARI TARI - Episode 6

Awkward...

It was really heartwarming to see Wakana slowly coming to terms with her mother's death, thanks to the overwhelming support and advice she received from her father and friends. The death of a loved one is often a difficult event to overcome so by being able to finally accept it with an optimistic outlook (and thanks), rather than let it haunt her with regret, Wakana took a big step forward—both for her own sake and for the sake of Konatsu's choir club. On one hand, a huge burden has just been lifted off her shoulder, allowing her to live life more enjoyably now, while on the other, the choir club has just unlocked the potential within a talented vocalist. True, all this is just an assumption based on the direction the story seems to be going in, but realistically speaking, this should be what happens.

TARI TARI - Episode 5

The past is sometimes the answer to the present.

In what was a heart-wrenching episode in more ways than one, TARI TARI successfully delivered the drama that the series needed after a mediocre showing in the last episode. Not only did this episode expand on Wakana's tragic past and her attempts to forget about it, but it also served as a powerful reminder that, at many times, humans aren't aware of or don't appreciate the things they have until they're gone. And of course, when that happens, it's too late and all one can do is continue living with regrets. True, Wakana was undeniably very rude to her mother as a child, but I don't think it's uncommon for someone, an inexperienced child, no less, who's striving to do their best academically, to believe that nothing else matters. Add in the pressure of passing entrance exams and you have one stubborn little girl in Sakai Wakana.

TARI TARI - Episode 4

Angst

Well... what can I say about this episode? Don't get me wrong, it wasn't bad per se. It's just that nothing really happened. A bit of drama here and some singing there—the only notable event was when Wakana received a letter that her mother gave to the Condor Queen's. The contents of the message have not yet been revealed, leaving viewers with a cliffhanger. But whatever its contents are, they should have a considerable impact on Wakana's view on music. It's implied that there's some connection between her mother's death and the reason she quit music so maybe this will shed some light upon the issue.

TARI TARI - Episode 3

"I don't money!"

Slowly but surely, the new choir club is getting opportunities to prove themselves. Now with their group of five "real" members, and the new name of "Choir Club... and sometimes badminton", Konatsu and co. prepare for their first performance together. I think the recurring theme for each of the episodes is going to be about Konatsu's goal of working towards standing on the grandest stage, overshadowing her blunder at the last joint recital with a flawless one, this time with her new club members. And while that's going on, the side story added in this episode concerned Wakana's amusing encounters with the Spanish (?) foreigner. Throw in a language barrier, and hilarity ensues.

TARI TARI - Episode 2

Aww... poor Konatsu.

Although this was an entertaining episode, there was nothing really notable that happened besides Konatsu finally getting over her stage fright that caused her to make an amusing blunder at last year's recital. However, I am starting to wonder about the vice-principal's and the principal's true intentions. For the former, I have a feeling she's not just discriminating against Konatsu because of last year's embarrassment. In fact, I think her rude behaviour is what she intends to use to provoke Konatsu, attempting to act as a catalyst to uncover the hidden potential of the former choir member. Similarly, the principal is undoubtedly interested in Sakai, and given her mysterious (and possibly traumatizing past), I'm not surprised he offered to become the advisor for the new choir club after seeing her name on one of the applications. It's highly possible that the principal, in one way or another, was involved in/knows about the reason why Sakai stopped participating in musical activities like singing and playing the piano.

TARI TARI - Episode 1

Miyamoto Konatsu: My favourite character of the series after one episode.

I have a feeling TARI TARI will be one of my favourite shows this season. I absolutely loved every bit of the episode. The characters, the initial drama, the atmosphere—everything came together to make for such a relaxing and entertaining episode. As a introductory episode, it definitely made a good impression and I now have a rough idea of what the rest of the story is going to be like. The character designs are really nice, while the characters themselves have also got me interested. Right now, I think Miyamoto is probably my favourite character because of her energy and cheerful personality.

TARI TARI - Preview

Slice-of-life has always been one of my preferred anime genres. A lot of my favourite shows have had some element of slice-of-life in them, whether it's just there to fill up some gaps in the story or as a main genre. Like Hanasaku Iroha (also by P.A. Works), TARI TARI also focuses on the daily lives of a group of adolescents who are brought together by a common medium—a job at an inn in Hanasaku Iroha and music in TARI TARI. What I like about the latter medium is that it's easier for me to relate to; I've never been to a Japanese-style inn before, let alone worked in one, but I am exposed to different kinds of music every day. Thus, I have more confidence in my ability to get immersed into the story, effectively decreasing the chances of me dropping this on the blog like I did with Hanasaku Iroha. Lastly, the characters look more appealing in TARI TARI so that's a nice bonus, too.

Summer 2012

Naturally, I'd want to blog about all the series I plan to watch in the Summer 2012 season, but seeing as how it was so difficult for me to keep up with everything in Spring 2012, I have no choice but to cut down on the number of series I'll blog about. That's not to say I'll be watching a lot of series anyways; I have six hours less (excluding commute time) a week for myself in July and August since another one of my summer courses has started.

Now to get back to the topic of anime, judging by past experiences, I'm planning to stick to blogging about series which have the potential to incur lots of thinking and/or analysis on the part of the audience. That's not to say I don't enjoy slice-of-life or comedy shows; in fact, SoL is near the top of my favourite genres. As always, I'm open to suggestions as to what I should or should not blog about. And without further ado, here are my picks for the Summer 2012 season, now with some of my quick thoughts on each title.