Every season, my anime viewing list gets that token one title that make me scratch my head when I try to describe its plot. Such was the case with winter's Thermae Romae, which featured Romans, bath architecture and time traveling.
And such is the case for my recent spring pick Tsuritama, which features a socially inept boy, a boy claiming to be an alien, fishing and a turban wearing spy with a duck.
For some reason, I just had to watch it.
Sanada Yuki, a high school student who suffers from really bad cases of panic attacks every time he finds himself in social or stressful situations, moves with his grandmother Kate to Enoshima Island. On the same day of their move, Haru arrives in town and after seeing Yuki and Kate drive by, show up at their home, tells them that he is an alien and declares that he will be moving in. Haru, with the help of his trusty mind controlling water gun, enlists Yuki to fish with him in order to save the world. Haru also recruits their classmate and local fishing expert, "Fishing Prince" Usami Natsuki, to teach them how to fish. Meanwhile, a group of turbaned operatives from the organization DUCK (Defensive Universal Confidential Keepers), headed by Akira Agarukaru Yamada who is accompanied by his trusty duck sidekick Tapioca, observe Haru and try to find out what brings him to Earth.
Now, while that summary is accurate enough to describe the beginnings of Tsuritama, it does nothing to prepare the audiences for what unfolds afterwards. Everything about Tsuritama pointed to the series being labeled a quirky comedy. The series is abundant with caricature characters, the animation is bright and colorful, and people have a tendency to enact the Enoshima Dance when they are under the influence of alien water guns.
And then, there's the fishing, which is the common factor between characters who never would have become friends in the first place. Natsuki's reluctant participation as a teacher eventually transformed into a genuine interest to impart his knowledge. Yuki somehow comes out of his shell slowly as he starts to grow fond of the activity, fueled by his desire to catch something despite his limited experience. Yamada's role as an observer took a more direct approach because he liked fishing too much. And Haru... well, Haru just wants to fish with Yuki and the others, even if he couldn't tell them what they ultimately had to fish for.
So, there it was. I watched a new episode of Tsuritama every week thinking that I was watching a comedy that featured fishing. Which was the case for the first few episodes, with the added fun of watching Haru create friendly chaos in Yuki's life and the DUCK operatives make that ridiculous duck salute.
Then Tsuritama became something else.
And it became harder and harder to peg it as a simple comedy about friends who liked to fish. It turned out that I was wrong on two things. Tsuritama is not a comedy. Sure, there were funny moments, but it's not a comedy. And the fishing is so much more than just a hobby.
There's a deeper kind of storytelling in Tsuritama, one that was worth the wait until it showed itself midway through the series. It's no secret that Haru is actually an alien and not just some crazy hippie person pretending to be one, and the reason why he and his sister Koko came to Earth would become the eventual focus of the series. It was a mystery that brought challenges and tested bonds.
But it was that very mystery and the plethora of negativity that came with it that brought out the best in the series. It was the reason why caricature characters became fleshed out individuals who would learn camaraderie and their own self worth. It was the reason why the bright and colorful animation was parallel to the beauty of what the characters wanted to protect. And it was the reason why as an audience member, you wouldn't want to watch the world end up doing the Enoshima Dance in unison.
Tsuritama showcased some of the best character developments that I've seen in recent anime viewings, which have been a lot. And most of that can be attributed to the beautifully established connections and relationships between the characters. The individual's struggle is ultimately connected to the struggle of many, and the resolutions they arrive at are uplifting and touching to witness. And those resolutions are all the more satisfying because the characters worked so freaking hard for them, whether it involved finding strength, placing faith in friends or just trying to catch that damn fish.
Tsuritama is an excellent anime title featuring an adventure that would eventually become epic in proportions. You feel the pressure and excitement mounting every time they played the music reminiscent of those 80s and 90s anime series featuring monsters and robots, even if the fighting done in the series mostly involves fishing. Despite the fact that the series never really deviated from comical elements until the end, the drama, danger and stakes continue to incrementally rise as the episodes unfold, until you find yourself invested in Yuki, Haru, Natsuki and Yamada (and yes, Tapioca, too)'s final stand on that small fishing boat surrounded by large battleships and monstrous waves.
At this point, I have to tell you that I'm not really doing a good enough job of giving you a clearer picture of what Tsuritama is really about. Nor do I think I ever could without giving out too much of the relevant plot lines that could ruin your viewing experience. And I wouldn't want to do that.
That's because I want you to watch it yourself.
I make a lot of anime recommendations, mostly since I pretty much watch whatever anime comes my way and I tend to only dislike those that feature lazy storytelling. But this particular title is something that I would really, really want you to watch.
Because I would never dream of keeping something this good all to myself.
Happy viewing!!Labels: Adventure, Anime, Drama, Must-Watch, Sci-fi, Tsuritama, TV
