user60989

*Note: This review will cover the entire Tamayura series which includes; this OVA, the sequels, Hitotose and More Aggressive, and the four movies which conclude the series. This review was written two years ago and has been edited to bring it up to current standards. [_Tamayura_](https://anilist.co/anime/9055) is an uplifting and healing experience that will show you the unseen beauty of life through the eyes of an ordinary lens. Written by [_Junichi Sato_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junichi_Sato), the director of similar anime, [_ARIA_](https://anilist.co/anime/477/Aria-the-Animation/) and [_Amanchu!_](https://anilist.co/anime/21406), it is a coming-of-age slice of life and is an excellent illustration of the phrase, "less is more". ~~~img375(https://static.zerochan.net/Tamayura.full.923949.jpg)~~~ From the outside, _Tamayura_ looks like it doesn't have much to offer. There are many fancier, funnier, and familiar slice of life anime out there. So why should one consider watching something that looks so, normal? For that very same reason. _Tamayura_ tells a simple story that takes place in a regular town populated by ordinary characters. It teaches us that life is what you make of it. It reminds us that pain, no matter how heavy, is only temporary. It shows us that life is forever moving, and that if we want to grow, we too must keep moving. It pulls at our heartstrings, enveloping us with strong and genuine emotions. Truth be told, there's nothing really special about the story. These themes have been said and done many times before it. But that is where the anime's strength lies. _Tamayura_ is able to get its message across because it is so down-to-earth. It focuses on the mundane and ordinary aspects of life, giving us something to easily relate to. Despite its slow pacing, the show never gets stale. There's meaning behind the story, it's not just here to entertain us. It's complete, well-rounded and rewarding. >"A great enough sorrow can stop time, but someday, time will start moving again. No matter how many years may pass." – Fu Sawatari's Grandmother The characters are simply wonderful. Being able to watch them grow as they go through the same motions as us, the same challenges and struggles, make them feel more like your close friend rather than characters you see on a screen. There is a good amount of character development and the show portrays it in a very realistic manner which further strengthens that familiar connection that's established by the show. The soundtrack is, unfortunately, a bit forgettable. The openings and endings are really good but the rest of the soundtrack is nothing to write home about. The artwork is calm and clean. It does a good job of bringing you into the world and reflects the show's feel. Needless to say, it does improve as the series goes by, especially for the four short movies, but overall, it's not incredible by any means. >"Even though we weren't able to meet him directly, Dad's heart was definitely captured in that photo." – Fu Sawatari, Tamayura Episode 4 _Tamayura_ is an extraordinary slice of life that offers more than what it appears to. Its gentle pacing coupled with a heartfelt story and delightful cast put it above most other shows of similar nature. But it lacks the colors, the flashiness, the wow factor that attracts and captures viewers. It's simple, that's all there is to it, but simple doesn't necessarily mean it's bland or boring. This anime is certainly not for everyone. If you are looking for a relaxing and peaceful experience, this might just be for you. Just like the story portrays, through even the dirtiest and oldest of lenses, you can still see the beauty in everything around you. It's simply a matter of changing your perspective.

Reeyzinzkr

(May contain spoilers) For her first year of high school, family circumstances force Fuu Sawatari to move to Takehara, a scenic old town near Hiroshima on the Inland Sea and live with her relatives. Her father, who has passed away, grew up in Takehara and always spoke fondly of his childhood while living there. Sawatari learns to love taking photographs with his old film camera, a Rollei 35S while making friends and learning about the town. img1000(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/798291340495945752/844576105066135592/20210519_101239.jpg) Tamayura is another one of those "Hidden Gem" anime or better saying a work in which it deserved a little more recognition, even more with the story having beautiful and exciting messages. Tamayura is a great Slice of Life anime and with a very good narrative , and not to mention that the anime has Junichi Satou (Director of Aria) who manages to transmit incredible things to the viewer. Photography has always been something I admired and how I find it sensational in how photography itself can convey incredible things to those who are watching it and create a spiritual connection between people and this is what happens between Fuu and his father's photography together with several dandelions. img1000(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/798291340495945752/844576780253659177/20210519_100010.jpg) (The dandelion represents each phase of Fuu's father's life.) The dandelion is also related to the idea of ​​detachment and travel. The seeds of this plant seem to represent perfectly as phases, the life cycles that each one of us has to fulfill. Initially, the seeds attached to the delicate appendix, do not seem willing to stand out. But, slowly, they are blown away with “receiving” at first, but increasingly determined to embark on a new journey and experience new adventures. Having overcome their fear or initial reception, they let themselves be carried away by the flow of life, curious about new discoveries, and ready to create a new life. This path is a perfect metaphor for the life of each of us: in order to fly and take advantage of all the opportunities in life, it is necessary to let go of one's own origin, face the new and the unknown. img1000(https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/798291340495945752/844577257120858112/photoGridMaker_20210519_003542310.jpg) Yet another meaning is the representation of the dandelion as a symbol of childhood and innocence. And it is especially the children, in fact, who delight in blowing and dispersing like seeds of the dried fruit of this plant. An image that represents childhood in its dream of a better future for everyone. Typical of childish joy, innocent and carefree, that we need to recover and rediscover in adulthood.

Gaoz99

TAMAYURA Non sono solito a fare recensioni belle lunghe, ne feci solo una per hikaru no go e un'altra per fireworks che sbadatamente fu cancellata aggiornando la pagina. Bando alle ciance cominciamo, Tamayura è una serie prodotta dallo studio TYO animation dai creatori di Aria sotto la direzione di Junichu Satō, noto per aver diretto in Sailor Moon, Magica Doremi, Keroro, Princess tutu e appunto Aria come citato precedentemente. Tamayura è una serie composta da 4 ova(visibili in due episodi), due stagioni animate e 4 film che concludono la sua storia. Quest'ultima è una storia dove praticamente non succede niente, se non la vita quotidiana di una ragazzina e le sue amiche in città e delle loro prime scelte/sogni. Quindi se siete a interessati a serie movimentate, d'azione o amorose siete fuori strada. Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/gj0XmAy8) TRAMA La storia è ambientata nella città di Takehara con protagonista Fuu, che si trasferisce nel paese natio del padre defunto, e appassionata alla fotografia grazie alle memorie con il padre e l'utilizzo della sua macchina fotografica, narra la la sua vita quotidiana insieme alle amiche Kaoru, Norie e Maon con la quale creeranno legami e i ricordi, che saranno immortalati nelle fotografie, con gli altri personaggi e la città. Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/g0ZKmaW8) TEMA Qual è il tema di quest'opera se prima ho detto che non succede niente? Semplice, sono i ricordi, nati da ciò che accade nelle varie situazioni e che vengono impressi nelle fotografie. Oltre a questo, ci son altri temi ovviamente come quelli dell'amicizia, il raggiungimento dell'età matura e quindi le conseguenti prime scelte, la famiglia. Tamayura tratta questi temi in modo molto dolce e rilassante, anche se non parliamo di alto livello di dettagli e complessi come in altre opere, ma è questo tamayura, si prende così com'è. PERSONAGGI Tamayura propone un perfetto mix di personalità dei vari personaggi come quelli principali, dal personaggio più timido e buffa come la protagonista Potte, alla responsabile e tsundere Kaoru, alla esilarante comicità di Norie, alla tranquilla Maon oppure quelli secondari come Sayomi o il Professore Dougo. Questo mix rende perfetto le varie sequenze, il quale passano da uno stato più rilassante a uno comico oppure uno più emotivo e così via, senza far pesare allo spettatore il cambio di tonalità. Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/gpYeZLZ4) APPARATO TECNICO Abbiamo uno stile non troppo complesso ma molto curato nelle ambientazioni, ricordo che la città di Takehara esiste realmente (vedete poi nelle foto), e nei personaggi. Mentre per quanto riguarda l'apparato sonoro è perfetto, sia dalle sigle d'apertura e chiusura sia nelle inserti songs, che calzano perfettamente a ogni contesto che la serie propone. Realtà Takehara Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/4yql2yD4) Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/8DlxZkO8) Anime Takehara Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/G7BKMk28) Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/gpYeZ6N4) Anime scene Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/GaxQBn58) Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/8nl5LY2g) Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/GolOMnMg) Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/GW19PNJ4) Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/gpYdjBd4) CONCLUSIONE A mio parere quest'opera merita più fama di quel che ha, lo ritengo un must Watch di questa tipologia di genere(iyashikei sol), consiglio a chi è amante di quest'ultimo oppure a chi vuole una serie rilassante. Img250(https://tlgur.com/d/8DlxZ7R8)

pseudo

__This review (very broadly) covers the entire *Tamayura* franchise, which is listed below in chronological order. However, it will not spoil anything beyond what is immediately exposited in the description & the tags for this OVA entry.__

* [*Tamayura (OVA)*](https://anilist.co/anime/9055/Tamayura/) (you are here) * [*hitotose*](https://anilist.co/anime/10232/Tamayura-hitotose/) * [*More Aggressive*](https://anilist.co/anime/15731/Tamayura-More-Aggressive/) * [*Sotsugyou Shashin Parts 1*](https://anilist.co/anime/20805/Tamayura-Sotsugyou-Shashin-Part-1--Kizashi/) through [*4*](https://anilist.co/anime/21554/Tamayura-Sotsugyou-Shashin-Part-4--Ashita/) ___ ~~~img700(https://i.imgur.com/Lli6kBq.jpg)~~~ Much like many other SoL series along similar notes, *Tamayura* is best described as a simple, modest story. It’s set in an unassuming town with ordinary characters that do mundane things in each other’s company. Rather poignantly, this is where the beauty of the show lies — the single greatest strength that *Tamayura* displays, which both informs and rounds out its entire progression from start to finish, is that it is more than what meets the eye. This is not to say that it conceals the types of inquisitions it embarks upon, but rather that the humble candor of its various ingredients represents the very essence of its subtle but substantial nuance, and leaves viewers with a beautifully inspirational message that transcends the bounds of its concepts. The structure which best explores *Tamayura's* supposed thematic breadth is the role of photography in its storytelling. This is the premise which incites the events of the first installment, and serves as a medium which connects the present-day disposition of the main character (henceforth referred to her nickname of Potte) to her late father, who was a photographer himself. The show doesn’t shy away from using spoken dialogue to express the emotive power of photos, such as how freezing a moment in time can tell a story that’s only visible through still life, how they serve as tangible legacies for pasts and experiences left behind, and how photos can articulate feelings that escape written word. It’s clear how much its main character loves taking pictures, but beyond allowing us to listen to Potte’s sales pitch, the show immediately compliments its script by demonstrating its control over the various adjacent and spurious motifs that evolve from the simple triggering of a shutter. While the show is not wholly about photography, its various abstractions within the context of *Tamayura* are relevant to the entire show all the way to the final movie. ~~~img700(https://i.imgur.com/DeJzC8J.jpg)~~~ The framework of loss is a very consistent idea throughout that bears its fangs in various magnitudes. Perhaps more important is what can be gained from its loss; not in spite of it, but because of it. The most evident aspect of loss in *Tamayura* can be seen in the fact that Potte lost her father when she was young — and how she moves to the city he grew up in and takes up his hobby in his stead. There’s even a photo of him taken by Potte on prominent display at the front of the photo store where she gets all of her films developed (pictured above). The conceptual impetus of photography goes hand in hand with these narrative elements to demonstrate how both Potte and *Tamayura* frames its revival — its abstract dimensions exemplify the duality between impermanence and legacy — the simple act of taking a picture both preserves the moment, while also relinquishing it to the past. The photo of Potte’s father is perhaps the most significant indicator which advances part of this idea, that he is no longer in his family’s life, Moreover, the fact that her daughter is choosing to pick up his camera for herself represents the complementary desire to confront this loss and overcome it in her own way; that is, by creating new presents and pasts that can sit alongside her cherished memories of her father rather than “overwriting” them altogether. Its message is never explicitly spoken, but the gentleness of its plea is nonetheless vibrantly portrayed: to let the warmth of its here and now — and the gratitude of what came before it — frame the optimism of what’s to come. It’s important to note that initially, Potte’s pursuit of photography follows __directly__ in her father’s footsteps. Aside from using the same camera that he used when he was still alive, Potte also seeks out places which resemble the same views and landscapes that they experienced together, as if to “re-live” what passed her and her family by — in other words, what she chooses to see through her viewfinder is identical to what her father saw. This is how *Tamayura* chooses to begin its journey of loss, and as the series progresses, both her and the show itself demonstrate a desire to learn more about the discipline itself, become more involved in the diversity that the world has to offer, and create photos that Potte can claim as truly her own: never ceasing to take inspiration from her father, but eventually diverging from his path. The aptly titled third installment in *More Aggressive* is a good indicator as to the direction that *Tamayura* eventually takes — it does well to linger on its memories and legacies, but eventually, it recognizes the need to embark on new chapters of its narrative. This neatly transitions into the nature of photography as a hobby, and how it relates to the rest of the cast that I can finally talk about — the evolution of Potte as a character is adjacent to how the show progresses its overarching ideas separate from photography and the relationship she has with her father. The wonderful ensemble cast capitalizes excellently on the motifs explained earlier, how each of them have their own sets of passions, goals, and pursuits that serve as guiding points as well as obstacles towards cognizing their futures. All of its characters have to struggle with loss and new discoveries in one way or another; namely, in the fact that the safety and modest comforts of a hobby do not necessarily translate to a concrete path for the future. There’s a tenuous yet meaningful uncertainty to how the show advances itself, and this becomes more and more pronounced as you approach its conclusion. After all, a major focus of *Tamayura* is letting itself indulge in what its today has to offer. This is of course represented quite rudimentarily by its main lead taking photos in the wake of her father, but it also entails the cast growing their friendship with each other, finding happiness in routines and activities which illuminate their everyday, and living the most fulfilled lives they can with what they know best — themselves, and each other. ~~~img700(https://i.imgur.com/KM9zPAs.jpeg)~~~ This blissful comfort comes to a head as the show transitions towards focusing on the inevitable future which awaits it: how graduation will necessitate that its cast go its separate ways. An absolutely fitting nod to how Potte must learn to capture a present and a future where her father is absent, and how the rest of its cast must reconcile and find assurance within what’s guided them up to this point to inform where they go henceforth. Managing an inn with your parents is a wonderful way to spend time with your family, and learning more about yourself through making pastries and sweets is a beautiful way to include your loved ones in your avenue of self-expression. As aforementioned, photography is more than just a hobby for Potte, it’s her way of connecting, reconnecting, and preserving her link with her father. But are all of these *career* paths? Are they what its characters want to do for their foreseeable future? *Tamayura* uses these various threads, thematic junctions, and abstractions to frame its journey of self-exploration, the magnitude to which it lets its past stand alongside its present, and to shape what the faraway yet imminent concept of the “future” means to each and every one of its characters. Junichi Satou’s wields a masterful control over all that the show’s motifs and abstractions have to offer, and this control is embedded into the day-to-day lives of its cast in such a gentle manner that the breadth of his kindness escapes complete articulation — the best way to grasp its scale is to watch and cherish his story. “Photography” is so much more than just the act of pressing a button and having a photo come out. What it most importantly entails within *Tamayura* is how it creates lingering memories, and how these memories adorn what’s to come. The intricate subtleties that each episode and each character possesses are an ode to this duality — a warm, softhearted inquisition into how its cast wrestles with and moves on from losses of various magnitudes. The comfort that their hobbies and passions once gave them in the wake of an insurmountable graduation, the time they spent with each other that can no longer persist in the same manner… the death of a loved one and how life must be lived beyond their presence. Slowly but surely, this show depicts how lovingly thankful it is to have experienced its past, and how this gratitude must inspire & revive what lies beyond the experiences its characters have had the privilege to cherish. As I explained in the outset of this review, *Tamayura* is a simple show with a welcoming non-complicatedness. And yet, to truncate what it has to offer to merely its simplicity is a disservice to the vibrancy which it displays in subtle yet full force. It’s a beautiful story about overcoming loss — no matter how mundane or significant they may be, there will always be a discomfort to parting with what once gave you joy. *Tamayura* embraces that uncertainty, made all the more powerful by its leisurely approach to its everyday, and its eventual resolution surpasses even that. All of its themes lovingly compliment each other to deliver an ending that resoundingly concludes the individual journeys of its cast and the ideological progression of its story. It certainly holds everything that makes a photo so emotive — and it also demonstrates how embracing the temporal significance of our lives shines a gentle light on what we’ve lived through, allowing us to earnestly look towards what we’ve yet to experience. ~~~img700(https://i.imgur.com/z33j6gJ.jpg)

Thank you for reading :)~~~