As a little girl, Fuu Sawatari’s father taught her to love photography. They took pictures everywhere
they went. But after he passed away, seeing those photographs only served as a reminder of her loss,
so she locked them away to be forgotten. Years later, her brother Kou finds their father’s picture
album, and as he flips through its pages, the pictures remind Fuu of all the happy memories of her
father that she will carry with her forever.
Now, as the shy Fuu enters her first year of high school, she once again takes up her father’s old
camera, determined to take wonderful pictures that will bring joy and happiness to others.
(Source: Nozomi Entertainment)
_~~~Note: This is a review for “Tamayura: hitotose” and its OVA (EP5.5), the prequel and sequels are not included. (haven’t watched the sequels)~~~_ It is no exaggeration to say that Tamayura is one of the best SoL series in the anime history. With its low popularity, I would call it a hidden gem that most people have missed. If you think Tamayura is just an average cute girls doing cute things anime that is similar to most other SoL series, you're totally wrong! While the show focuses primarily on female high schoolers and their daily life, it is definitely an unique story that can't be more natural and relatable. In addition to its slice of life settings, the anime focuses on the development of those likable characters with heartwarming moments here and there, which makes it also a persuasive coming of age show that is not forced at all. --- Story: 10 Slow pacing? It is, however as a person who usually watch anime at 1.5x to 1.8x speed, Tamayura is just so relaxing for me that I choose not to watch at higher playing speed, and I find no problem with the pacing: it just suits the story too well. This show is episodic yet has fully developed stories in a smooth run. It's not driven by an ultimate goal that the MCs will achieve but events one after the other that lead the characters to a more stable, positive and confident mindset. I as an audience also learn a lot from the stories. The stories make you cry, laugh, or feel calm every now and then. It's the kind of show that you should experience yourself as everyone will have different feelings upon watching it. It also got a nice ending, all characters are already different from the past selves, and the happiness will keep shining in the brand new year — with a greeting to Fu herself and her father in the heart. --- Characters: 9 They are relatable. They are likable. The 4 MCs as well as other side characters in Takehara (竹原, where the story takes place) are like a family, where members support one another when they face problems or are in bad mood. The characters all get their deserved screen time and are developed well throughout the story. Just like people in real life, the characters in Tamayura are rather relatable. It’s not only their characteristics but their interaction and thoughts. When I watch the series, I’m into the show and see how they deal with the problems they confront, the enjoyment they have. I can see myself from the characters, and I grow up with them. --- Sound: 10 Music fits the plots and atmosphere perfectly. The OP, ED, and inserts are all slow calm songs with touching and intriguing lyrics which are related to the plots. They reflect the mind or belief of the characters as well. In many episodes my tears burst out upon hearing the songs (they are played at important scenes so yeah, emotional). However, it is sometimes unexpected to have ED being played right after the insert ends. The insert song could have been used as ED instead. --- Art/Animation: 8 Though there is nothing fancy, I see nothing bad and the atmosphere is soothing. It is simple yet lovely. --- Overall: 9.3 The people are connected with one another and the town they live in. They have fear when pursuing their dreams; they are captivated by past experiences; they have hardships that cannot be easily overcome; they are confused by the unknown future… Everything is just so authentic. However, sometimes we just need someone’s company and encouragement; sometimes we just have to discover something that we have long ignored. Tamayura successfully creates a place for all kinds of support, which is the ideal of a society we can try to achieve. It also provides answers to many questions that we may face on our road to become an adult. I feel like learning a lot from this relaxing series. As a person who also has the hobby of photography, Tamayura really hits me hard. It reminds me of the nature of photography and the happiness we can gain from it. I believe that the series’ main idea is just like taking photos: we can save our precious memories (the places, the people) through the camera’s viewfinder. Those are treasures we discovered, and it all depends on ourselves whether to recall them — the beauty of our daily glimpses. It’s a rare case that I cherish every moment in a story and indulge myself as if I were a part of the Takehara family. I would like to call it the warmth of “welcome home”. We may not find many quotes from the series, while the sentiments and messages conveyed via the dialogues/monologues of the characters can be deeply rooted in our mind, heartwarming and relatable. The feelings can hardly be put into words. With that being said, I genuinely recommend anyone who enjoys SoL anime giving Tamayura series a try.