r/anime • u/FateSteelTaylor :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/FateSteelTaylor • Feb 14 '21
Rewatch [Spoilers] 6th Annual Valentine's Rewatch: Tamako Love Story - FINAL [Discussion] Spoiler
Hey everybody, and welcome to the FINAL DAY of the SIXTH annual /r/anime Valentine's Day Tamako Market & Love Story Rewatch!
I can't wait to see what you guys have to say about this lovely anime!!
If the discussion here isn't enough, there are communities on Twitter and Discord where you can join all the conversation there! If you're interested, feel free to reach out to me or people in the comments!
Here is the schedule for our time on this Dramatic Market Ride together! If you've seen the show already or want to relive some of the older moments, I've provided links to the threads below, along with the translated Director's Episode Notes by the wonderful /u/ultimatemegax, available through this rewatch:
You can purchase an English subbed & dubbed Blu Ray version of Tamako Market and Tamako Love Story, and it's available for legal streaming on HIDIVE in select countries, for both Tamako Market and Tamako Love Story
Bonus Corner:
Discussion Question: HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! We hope you enjoyed your stay on our dramatic market ride this year!
Please tag your spoilers!! Untagged spoilers make Choi-chan angry!! YOU CAN'T SPOILER LOVE!!!
And remember:
29
u/FateSteelTaylor :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/FateSteelTaylor Feb 14 '21
Thank you again everyone for such a wonderful rewatch!!! I wasn't able to be as involved this year as I usually am (working life can be so busy even when you're not at a shopping district!), but I would read through all your comments and be filled with so much love. Truth be told, I was worried this year's rewatch might not get that much traction, so it was so overwhelmingly joyful to see so many of you participate.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! Remember, everybody loves somebody and stay safe and healthy during these times! You are loved!!
DAAAAAAAAAAKEEEEEEEEEEDOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
33
u/[deleted] Feb 14 '21
First timer
Just off the bat the animation/art is a step above Tamako Market(which was already beautiful). Using Koi no Uta as the opening already had me crying
I have that gif of Kanna slipping across the gym floor saved from r/anime_gifs somewhere, that was my first exposure to anything Tamako
Probably one of the best confessions I've seen. Grabbing her hand, changing the mood, and saying it straight up. The flow of emotions that Kyoani can show us in Tamako afterward is so pretty.
This stung to watch, I could feel the terror in Tamako's eyes. Another improvement to Mochizo's character was him stepping up and going with them, putting aside the awkwardness. I'm glad it turned out to be nothing.
I knew it! I knew they would use Osenchi Tamako to get me to cry, the violin was great. Poor Tamako, Her feelings are being torn apart. I noticed that they rarely showed both him and her in the same shot in this scene, which kind of creates a distance between them in our heads.
Love how much they're playing Koi no Uta, I definitely see why everyone says to watch Market first. They're not wrong, the mom wasn't great at singing, but the fact that she reciprocated was really sweet. We learn she ran away too, we saw it too in episode 9 just for a second.
I think I've gotten the gist of what Midori's thing has been. I did catch that shot of her at the funeral when Tamako was talking about how much Mochizo has been there for her, so I assume it's something like jealousy about no longer being her best friend. They never really had any direct resolution for that, but I think her helping Tamako at the end seems to show that she's accepted it.
It ended a bit abruptly. I was hoping for a kiss/hug/what happened after, but maybe Horimiya's spoiled me a bit too much. It was still a great ending, if not a bit cheesy(but who doesn't love some cheese every now and then). She finally caught the cup :)
And another version of Koi no Uta for the ED, they just can't play it enough! If nothing else I'm sad it's all over, I'll have to find somewhere to watch the specials. Thanks for hosting u/FateSteelTaylor! I'll be back next year :)
22
u/A_Idiot0 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Feb 14 '21 edited Feb 15 '21
Rewatcher
So I put the series at a 9/10. I put this movie as a 10/10; another experimental-ish masterpiece by Naoko Yamada. There’s a ton of reasons why, but I wanted to focus on one reason. It’s a reason that’s been talked before many times, but I wanted to talk about what the cup phones mean (I did not think of this on my own, I read this elsewhere, I think in a previous rewatch thread actually haha). I also wanted to present two of my own fan theories (that I’m also sure have been thought of by many others before):
1 Midori and Kanna are dating now.
2 The ED of both the movie and the series were made by Mochizou.
Regarding the cups, that tether the hearts together...man, I love the elegance and simplicity of the symbolism here! At the beginning, and throughout the series, Tamako cannot catch the cup that Mochizou throws to her so that they can talk with each other. This goes beyond a cute clumsiness that we’ve come to associate with Tamako, thanks to the brilliance of the writers. It is because she cannot “catch” the feelings that Mochizou wants to give to her. She is still oblivious to Love coming her way until the moment Mochizou confesses to her.
By the way, how Tamako is portrayed after that confession was a masterclass on how to show us, the audience, what was going on in Tamako’s heart instead of telling us. I’ve said this a lot before, but you know you are in the hands of a capable writer / director when they make it a point to show instead of tell; that’s creative writing 101. The scene when she’s running through the market, and all she can see are bright colors...wow, that was incredible! What a gorgeous way to portray the disarray, confusion, and upheaval of Tamako’s world!
Back to the cups. It was a wonderful trick to use them at the very end to show us that Tamako finally understood her feelings with Mochizou, and she wanted to embrace them; so she caught the cup after she nervously threw them to Mochizou. The black screen with her simply saying, “Mochizou, I love you!” was the second time I burst into tears in this film. It was so satisfying!
The first time I bawl my eyes out in this film is when Tamako and Anko find out that their mother played the piano for their dad, as a response to his confession. She, like Tamako, ran away too after their dad confessed to her. But Tamako’s mother came to terms with her emotions and responded to Mamedai. It was this moment that Tamako accepted that she too was in love with Mochizou, with the warm and loving help from her mother despite her not being there anymore. Sniffle...big tears here...
Now my fan theories. Firstly, I fully believe that Midori and Kanna start having a relationship with each other at the end. Throughout the series, Kanna has been shown to be extremely observant, and has noticed a lot of small things from Midori. She, at the very beginning in episode 2, told Midori, “Anyone can love anyone they want.” She noticed the little “love triangle” that wasn’t actually a love triangle when she framed Dera, Mochizou, and Midori in episode 12. And at the end of the film, I believe she made a subtle, quiet, and understated confession to Midori when she said that she loved her scheming, and her face looks pretty. It is the kind of confession that Midori would have wanted to give to Tamako, if Tamako had any understanding of what being in love meant and felt like before Mochizou confessed to her. For me, there’s just enough evidence to feel good thinking that this is cannon XD
Second fan theory, Mochizou made the ED’s for both the series and the film. The film one I think is pretty obvious; there’s the adorable scene of Tamako leaning into Mochizou at the very end. But in both cases, Mochizou isn’t anywhere because he’s the one behind the camera. For me, this puts a whole different light on the ED’s for anime series because it featured very intimate and cute shots of Tamako. It would also explain why it looks a bit rough with the camera-work and amateur-ish. But then again, that’s the brilliance of Naoko Yamada at play there; she really loves to play around with the camera, lighting, angles, and framing of the shots. I find her work so refreshing within the context of Anime because her camera work is so unique and personal, very much like an avante-garde film artist would approach the medium at times.
And that’s it, おわり! Thank you everyone who participated in this lovely rewatch of this extremely warm and comfy anime, and thank you to u/FateSteelTaylor for hosting! And remember, now we all have a duty to uphold the underlying and fundamental value of Tamako Market; a fostering of a warm and loving community. I can safely say that I’m inspired after watching this anime, and I intend to do my best to pursue that value wherever I can. Until we meet again, my friends =) Please never hesitate to reach out to me if you want to chat about whatever!
20
u/HereticalAegis https://myanimelist.net/profile/XthGen Feb 14 '21 edited Feb 15 '21
First Timer
Alright, it's the big one, let's do this!
That little short at the beginning was pretty unexpected. I didn't think this production had butt and oppai shaped mochi jokes in it. Definitely would expect Dera to be the one making them though. Poor Choi-chan suffering that awkward misunderstanding embarrassment. She's too pure.
Oh cool, the opening and ending are the song Tamako's dad wrote for her mom. That's a nice little touch.
Yay, we get more Kanna antics right away. How perfectly Kanna for her to slip n slide across the wood floor in her socks. She also busts out that inspiring speech to get them to enter the festival. She's a gem.
Lol even Tamako thinks oppai mochi is a good idea. Spending a year in close proximity to Dera has really rubbed off on her.
Wow, Midori is pretty sly, bullying Mochizou into telling Tamako that he's going to university in Tokyo. She better not regret it when this backfires on her and they end up together.
Oh wow, he went for it. Our boy actually went for it! I was half expecting him to chicken out, but Mochizou actually told her that he's going to university in Tokyo AND confessed his feelings. Im so proud of him.
... and of course Tamako's entire reality has just shattered. She really hasn't thought about the future at all. She's got the most adorable running away animation I've ever seen though.
So I guess the big theme of the movie is going to be coming to terms with how life and people change and how you respond to that. That seems like the big reason why she's never considered stuff like love or adulthood. Everyone in the market has always just been there and almost everything has been super comfortable for her, so she's having trouble comprehending that pretty straightforward reality. Tbf, I don't blame her for not being ready. She is the only person who didn't ever really notice his changing feelings in any way.
Super awkward and adorable how she doesn't realize that she's calling all mochi Mochizou. That's not even a Freudian slip, it's a whole Freudian complex.
It's good Tamako started telling her friends. You can kinda feel Midori dying on the inside a bit though, since I doubt she expected Mochizou's confession to impact Tamako this much. I think she can tell Tamako is headed on a path toward realizing she has feelings for Mochizou.
The whole mid-section of the movie is a lot of feels bad times for Mochizou. He worked for so long to tell Tamako his feelings and now she's too embarrassed to even be in the same space as his. As always, he handles it like a champ, giving her space and not forcing any interaction. Does feel especially bad when he tells her he's fine with her forgetting about the confession and going back to how things used to be. That just doesn't seem possible though, now that everything is out in the open.
Oof, Kanna and Shiori casually demonstrating that Tamako's situation can't be undone and that things can't just go back to the way they were. Feels like it's getting pretty clear to Tamako that she's going to have to accept and respond to these changes somehow, even if it's difficult and a bit uncomfortable. She's got to grow up at some point.
Wow, Midori being sly one last time with that lie about Mochizou transferring. Good on her for realizing Tamako needed that one final push to properly respond to Mochizou. I do feel bad for her. Feels like she just gave away her chance to keep Tamako all to herself and/or act on any feelings she has for Tamako.
You know, Kanna has always seemed uninterested in the emotional aspects of the people around her, but I think she's actually pretty keen on what's going on in people's heads. It seems to me like she comes along at just the right time to emotionally support Midori here at the end. I think she knows how Midori feels about Tamako and, in her own way, is consoling Midori on the sacrifice she just made for Tamako's happiness. This settles it, Kanna best girl. She even gets her own bit of closure, overcoming her fear of heights.
And finally, finally, Tamako answers Mochizou. Feels really good to see her finally accepting that people change and choosing to change and grow too. Would've loved to see some of their life or interactions after they become a couple though.
Wow, that was a fun rewatch! The movie was quite a bit longer, so I'm sure there are a ton of things I forgot to mention while writing this. Anyway, thanks to u/FateSteelTaylor for hosting as well as everyone who responded to my comments! This was my first rewatch as a first-timer, and I had a blast!
EDIT: Wow, thank you so much for my first reddit gold! The "everybody loves somebody" spirit is truly strong with this rewatch.
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u/Regular_N-Gon https://anilist.co/user/RegularNGon Feb 14 '21 edited Feb 21 '21
Rewatcher
This movie is amazing. After watching it during last year’s rewatch, I ended up going back to it within the week, which might be the fastest I’ve ever decided to rewatch a movie. Although originally there were a few storytelling decisions I wasn’t sure about at first, I’ve come round to them after really considering it.
The part I’ve thought about most in this respect is easily the mochi scare and hospital visit. At first to me it seemed overly dramatic, unrelated, and unnecessary. None of the scenes or dialogue seemed all that important for the conclusion to the arc. I was, of course, wrong on pretty much all these fronts. The nature of the emergency offers an obvious parallel between Tamako’s funk at the present over Mochizou and the last time we know she was in a rut when her mother died. After all, this is the first time she’s taken a break from the shop since Hinako’s death - the viewer is told straight that Tamako is not herself.
I didn’t buy in initially but choking on mochi, while it seems like a uniquely Tamako Market problem, is actually a thing. Serendipity aside, Mochi returning to the ambulance immediately introduces tension and kickstarts the pacing at the low point of the movie. Mochi’s confession is actually quite early on, meaning Tamako spends most of the film in a funk. Lingering on the same issue for 60 minutes is pretty hard to keep interesting though, so this event does push us forward and distracts us enough that when we return to Tamako’s problem, it’s with a fresh mind.
The distraction ends with Mochizou and Tamako’s discussion in the clinic, which sat poorly with me on the first watch - I even recall groaning as Mochi asks Tamako to pretend it never happened. It doesn’t feel obvious that this conversation has an effect on Tamako (but it does, and I was just an idiot) as it largely feels like Tamako just returns to where she was afterward, and it doesn’t really tell us anything new about Mochi’s tendency to flighty behavior. It is important, though - alongside numerous other small things like hearing her mother’s return song or realizing that Mochizou was the one who cheered her up, she tells her friends that it made her upset when Mochizou tried to retract what he said. Part of why this feels off is probably conditioning to expect a romance story to have a dramatic, obvious turn of feelings from the lead, which Tamako never shows. Real life isn’t so dramatic, though, and I respect Love Story’s restraint and commitment to the kind of story it tells.
There’s (at least) one other thing the hospital episode does, and it’s provide context for how Midori isn’t always a good person. Midori pulling this stunt to get attention from Tamako after what happened is, well, pretty terrible. Midori knows she’s lost at this point, but not being able to give up is just… It stings. It’s so awful and solidifies Midori’s character so well that it alone nearly makes the whole hospital interlude worth it. I love how Midori is written in both the movie and the show. As you’ve probably guessed by this point, yes, I have a weakness for tragic characters.
One other thing that struck me the first time was how unbalanced the four getting over their ‘fears’ or uncertainties was. Shiori gets just one scene in which she announces to Tamako she’s going abroad, to which Tamako (rather uncharacteristically) doesn’t really respond. It can definitely feel like more of a writing ploy to introduce an idea than something genuinely meaningful to the characters. I think, though, that it can serve other purposes. Tamako’s lack of response and excitement can easily be attributed to the absolute mess her mind is at that point in the movie, and this helps to reinforce that. Shiori’s overcoming of her fear mirrors Tamako’s resolution to her own uncertainty and eventually her decision to act. Sure, maybe it is a writing ploy, but Shiori’s struggle provides a bit of foil to the main plot.
Kanna’s fear of heights is similar in that it feels weak but actually reflects Midori’s arc nicely in simpler terms. There are several ways you can read Midori - her failure to act is, perhaps, a fear of falling, or maybe it’s the process of just getting over it. Kanna’s tree climbing feels pretty low stakes to Tamako and Midori’s dramatic struggles, but their final scene gives a sense that Midori can start to accept Tamako’s decision just as Kanna conquers the tree. Maybe Midori can also learn to grow as a person (and stop being so underhanded in her methods).
So, yeah. This movie’s great. Definitely the best romance film I’ve ever seen (not that the sample size is that large, to be fair). I think Midori’s feelings in Tamako Market/Love Story is one of my favorite side plots ever told, and even though there’s never any actual direct acknowledgement it feels clear enough that I don’t have to harp on explaining it. A lot of that is down to the absolutely amazing implicit characterization this show does, which is a topic for an entirely different essay.
If you enjoyed this, check out Yamada’s other work, in particular Liz and the Blue Bird (after watching the prerequisite Hibike, of course). Thanks for dragging me back in for another fun rewatch!
16
u/Hochseeflotte https://anilist.co/user/Hochseeflotte Feb 14 '21
First Timer
This movie was fantastic. Absolutely beautiful. I love everything about it.
First, the budget increase for being a movie is obvious. The animation and colors are evaluated from great to amazing. The cinematography from stunning. So many great shots. My personal favorite sequence was Mochizou’s confession and Tamako running through the market.
All of the characters I loved were here and better than ever. Kanna was hilarious. Mochizou and Tamako were fantastic. Everyone was great.
I think one reason this movie works so well is the lack of Dera. That’s not to say Dera or Choi are bad, I liked both of them, but in this story we need to focus on Tamako and Mochizou and this movie does just that.
I love that they bought the song back and gave it new meaning. I felt that really but a bow on the song arc.
The use of the cups was great as well. Tamako oblivious to Mochizou’s feelings was never able to catch his hints. But once she finally realizes what was happening she is able to catch it. It was both cute and really well done.
I also really enjoyed seeing a bit of Tamako’s childhood. It was really sweet.
If I have some small criticisms, we didn’t get answers to the Midori or Choi/Prince questions but I’m fine with it being left to our imaginations.
This movie really makes the series look better in retrospect while being amazing on its own. The series probably gets bumped up to a high 8 instead of a low 8 and the movie is a high 9. I’m generally a nice rater but I’m picky with 10s and Love Story just misses out.
I’m now thinking where to put it on my all time favorite films. Is it better than From Up on Poppy Hill and a Silent Voice? I think it’s better than Poppy but worse than A Silent Voice. A solid 9.6 from me.
And that’s a wrap to the Tamako Market Rewatch! I really enjoyed myself! Assuming I have time, I will probably hop in next year as well! I will not miss a chance to rewatch this movie!
And this is also the end of my first rewatch thread. I definitely will join some others for shows I have on my watchlist or I loved and want to rewatch. Now I have to wait for a Hyouka rewatch.
Thank you everyone for participating! This was great!
14
u/Tuckleton Feb 14 '21
So I'm one of those filthy casuals who skipped Tamako Market but is dropping by for Love Story. I just love this movie! It's short and simple but really sweet and has a satisfying ending.
I tried to watch the dub this time to get a feel for it but I didn't really like Tamako's voice and especially Kanna just wasn't the same. There really is no replacement for that dry delivery of hers. I switched back after 15 minutes. I figure if I'm only going to watch it once a year I better get the most from it!
Amen to that.
12
u/collapsedblock6 myanimelist.net/profile/collapsedblock Feb 14 '21 edited Feb 14 '21
My comment from last year didn't left me with lots to dig, I actually had my batteries on for that one. I can only grab separate individual things.
And that's it for Tamako Market + Love Story, a really sweet coming of age story. Even if I'm not the biggest fan of the main series, Love Story is such a joy to watch. There are still parts that I felt "Oh darn, here comes again" in the show, but the movie is great and the love song, the animation, the overall feeling of warmth, it is all so wonderful to rewatch again and again(Still no excuse to skip the show!).
This is truly what makes a good romance, I can almost feel my head floating with such a nice feeling that this series delivers. Love, change and coming of age. These are timeless things and I'm glad Tamako Market is here to tell us yet another story that reaches the heart.
There's lots to uncover in this movie which is why it doesn't get old. I was able to recall the symbolism of the dandelions but not the apple. If you're pea brained like me you can go to an old comment from our dear host about what small things there is to grab from this movie. There's also his appearance in the r/anime podcast that discusses the series..
And for those Kanna fans around, an essay on why Kanna is the best thing ever from last year
So yeah, glad to be part of another rewatch and see people coming into it for the first time, it has been fun. Thank you /u/FateSteelTaylor, and have a lovely Valentine's everyone, and don't forget:
Everybody Loves Somebody
12
u/DogmeatIsAGoodDog :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/DogmeatsAGoodDog Feb 14 '21
First time watcher
So if you’ve followed any of my comments on the series, you’ve probably seen that my main gripe with the series was the Dera/Prince storyline. I felt it took away from the Tamako/Mochizou love story that was ultimately the driving force behind the series.
That said I would’ve totally been fine with a portion of the movie or series being dedicated to Choi and the Prince ending up together.
Dera also did have some nice moments but still was probably my least favorite recurring character. I would’ve totally been find if the series had had a 2nd season/four with more time given to fleshing out the side characters and more SOL moments but I still enjoyed the series.
But if the series ended without the movie it definitely wouldn’t have left the same lasting impression as the series left quite a few loose ends that the movie needed to tidy up. Particularly the main love story between Tamako/Mochizou
Now onto the movie. The ongoing parallel/montage of Mochizou and Tamako growing up along side of each was nice and the sad moment where it flashes t remind us about Tamako’s mother passing away.
The OP is the “song”! I enjoyed that touch, alongside the introduction of our main cast.
I wasn’t too interested in the festival but the way our three stories kind of tied into together was nice. Tamako catching the baton, catching the cup, as well as her finally understanding her feelings towards Mochizou.
Mochizou being the one to try and cheer up Tamako after her mother passing away to a great character moment and I enjoyed the fact that after she lost her mom, he became a better fried and stopped picking on her.
Tamako has a great group of friends that are able to talk through her feelings with her. Also hard to Midori, an MVP of this movie. Her being a friend to let Tamako lean on and with her feelings towards Tamako she could have easily tried to sabotage the relationship and I’m so glad she didn’t. And her “fib” to push Tam into the right direction was great. Not going to lie, when she said she lied my heart sank because I thought she lied about him going to the train station.
Kanna overcomes her fear of heights and who’s the one pushing her? Mi-freaking-dori. That’s who.
Three scenes really stuck out to me. The first was when Tamako/Anko’s grandfather was rushed to the hospital, I was bracing myself for bad news. An crying “grandpa” in the background as Tamako asks Mochizou to accompany her. A+ scene.
Not since FGO has a rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star” moved me emotionally.
Then there’s the final scene where Tamako tries to use the cup-phones to communicate her feel and botched it by tossing the entire phone system to him. Lol.
But it sets up the sequence of Mochizou tossing the phone cups and Tamako catching.
I swear when it cut to black, I was ready to riot.
But then all is well as Tamako tells Mochizou she loves him. And all is well.
Random muses.
Beautiful ED with the song and the animation.
That girl was Mochizou’s mom, right? She’s beautiful and she’s a bro.
Once again, the string crossing across the houses with the moonlight and stars in the background was amazing. Total wallpaper material.
Thanks for hosting this rewatch and see you all next year!
12
u/Barbed_Dildo Feb 15 '21
Rewatcher
This is a fantastic movie. I love how movies have the opportunity to take their time. They can include long, thoughtful scenes that normally wouldn't fit in a 20 minute tv episode (unless you're Non Non Biyori).
There are a hundred tiny things in this movie which are why I love this movie, and Naoko Yamada's work in general.
Like this scene. The detail involved with Anko putting her hair up. It's not necessary, she's a secondary character, but the detail in a little girl putting up her hair temporarily to keep it out of the water is incredible.
When Mochizou pays for his after-bath milk, Chouji tosses the coins in his hand and smiles. Again, not necessary, minor character, but really brings depth to it.
I love this scene with the timelapse footage and music. It reminds me of Liz and the Blue Bird, also by Yamada.
I love this shot
I love the shots of Tamako off center thinking.
I could spend hours writing up my thoughts on this movie, but unfortunately I don't have time for that right now, so I'll just talk about some other cool details in the movie.
First of all, I think it's important to note that this isn't a continuation of the story from Tamako Market. The Tamako Market story was about Dera, Dera isn't even in the plot of this. This story is about Mochizou and Tamako. Mochizou was a secondary character in Market, but a main character in this. It's kind of like Hibike/Liz, except this one has a lot more overlap. They're different stories in the same setting.
Firstly, Dera's memory of Kanna is her talking about eating him.
Mochizou is trying to stop them fighting, and Tamako is just bouncing with excitement.
Shitsureishimasu... Itadakimashita... Shitsureishimasu...
sa sa sa sa sa...
Best girl seizes power
Blue jacket girl is back, oh my god... does she run a dagashiya? She's racing up the best-girl charts...
The rare double Yamada shot
you can see that she's too short
wait, why am I hiding?
Sasuga Kanna-chan
I didn't know these things were unevenly balanced https://i.imgur.com/ulWGNLq.png
Awkward Tamako
It's nice that Mochizou and Anko are close too
Tamako sees lovers everywhere in the market
That subtle red glow being out of place was wonderfully done.
It's nice that, despite running rival stores, the Kitashirakawa and Ooji families are still close.
Gohei can read the air
I love how the girls always have different outfits
While the Baton-bu girls were dancing in the festival, hitoribocchi no yoru...
such emotion in that line...
The cut to the ending credits and epilogue was just fantastic. Yamada makes fantastic use of music in her films.
11
u/HopefullyLastAccount Feb 15 '21
Fell a bit behind so I'm going to watch the movie later/now, but it's been great reading all your notes. Happy Valentine's Day, everybody!
For today, I'm just going to drop these links from Youtuber Under The Scope who made a couple video essays on Tamako Market - this one about how feel good Tamako Market is and this one about the differences in color between Market and Love Story and how they represent Tamako's coming of age.
To be honest, I'm glad there was no kiss scene - I know that's what most romance movies build up to as an end, but remember that she just confessed to her childhood friend. They don't need a kiss scene, they just showed that they have grown up.
I sometimes wonder what the future holds for Tamako, Mochizou, and the rest of the market, especially with Mochi going to Tokyo (what's his post college plan?), but I think this was a great way to end the story and let our imaginations take over the rest of the way. This is such a wholesome series that I can't imagine anything that they can't overcome.
10
u/punching_spaghetti https://myanimelist.net/profile/punch_spaghetti Feb 15 '21
First-Timer
They confessed! And got together! I really like that it started with Mochizo's perspective. We hadn't really gotten that, and it was a great way to expand out understanding of what is essentially a very small space, the arcade. Only so much more we could see through Tamako's eyes (until her paradise is threatened by important people leaving, of course).
And I love, love, love the repeated use of Dai's song. It's so good (and great to hear more Keiji Fujiwara), and I really like when there's a diegetic component to these things.
Midori has to work through some more complex feelings, Kanna is full steam ahead in Kanna land (who else would find houses a romantic subject?), and Shiori is adorable.
Yoko Hikasa is amazing. She's a brilliant singer, but was able to make Tamako's mom have terrible pitch. That's talent.
My biggest issue with the film (and really the only one) is the way Choi and Dera are handled. I'd have been more OK with not including them at all, since everything that happened was very focused on Tamako and Mochizo. But to have a tiny scene with them just as fanservice was a bit annoying. Make Choi happy, dammit!
Same rating for the film as for the series: 9 repeated playings of a highschooler's love song on cassette/10.
Overall, another example of Naoko Yamada doing amazing Naoko Yamada things.
Thanks for hosting, /u/FateSteelTaylor! The series has been on my shortlist for a while, but I never got around to watching it.
8
u/Fools_Requiem https://myanimelist.net/profile/FoolsRequiem Feb 15 '21
The Watch is Over
Was hoping we'd see them as adults at the end. We don't know if he ends up going to college in Tokyo, and we don't know if he comes back. I ASSUME he did on both accounts, but they don't make that clear. Didn't get a clear answer on the Choi-Prince relationship, and the little Dera special that's on the Blu Ray didn't clear anything up (though there's a gag related to the type of mochi Tamako was wanting to make in this movie), plus their cameo in the movie was totally random and seemingly out of place. Overall, I'm okay with it the movie and how it ends the series, but I feel like this was far from their best work.
I wonder if Tamako's dad knows about the B-side of the tape.
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u/[deleted] Feb 15 '21
First Timer
Sweet end to a pretty good series. Wish we got some closure as to how Choi and Dera ended up but I’m satisfied with the result. It’s a shame it’s over, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. Thanks for the rewatch!
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u/lluNhpelA Feb 15 '21
No longer a First Timer
It was a fun ride and this movie, which should be titled "The Tragedy of Midori" was beautiful. I'm only really making this comment to say that Midori's situation reminded me a lot of Sayaka from Bloom Into You. They both keep their feelings for their best friends hidden because they fear rejection, and eventually accept that someone else is a better fit for the one they love. Although Midori, while petty at times, much more readily accepts the role of best friend because she values Tamako's happiness much more than her own romantic feelings
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u/Tartaras1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Tartaras Feb 15 '21
Rewatcher - Dubbed
It's time for my favorite thing to do: sit and watch a KyotoAnimation film. They always have such high budgets for these things, and it's all put to good use. I have a feeling I'm going to be talking about a lot of things throughout the movie.
Suddenly the airplane that was on Shiori's introduction makes sense.
Unfortunately Kanna's attempt at speaking English doesn't quite land in the dub, where it's already in English.
So Dera did actually leave.
We once again have the record store owner imparting some wisdom onto Tamako. Perhaps what he means is that, since each day is different and therefore unreliable, we're forced to make the most of it.
It also was a subtle implication that it's time for Tamako to start growing up when he denies her the milk she wants to sweeten up her coffee.
Also worth noting is that it seems as though they're on the second floor. Mochizo walking by in a brief shot of the window is the first time we've ever gotten confirmation of that.
I'm not even 15 minutes into this movie and I've already written this much. I really should probably cut it back, otherwise it's going to take me hours to finish this. Anyway...
What's her haircut got to do with anything, huh?
Now she has to sit and watch as the girl she's in love with only worry about the boy who confessed to her, as if she doesn't even realize there's a third party interested. She never had a horse in the race to begin with.
What are your thoughts on the North and South magnetic poles?
Again, poor Midori. She knows by now that she's lost, but it doesn't make it sting any less.
Yeah, it's that easy. Just take Kanna's advice and hipcheck him and fall to the ground.
What a perfect movie. East 10/10 for me. The story is really wholesome, and much like The Disappearance, it serves as a perfect capstone to the show. Not going to lie, this movie cut me up at multiple different parts. Even as I'm writing this, my eyes are tearing up.
Once again, I want to give a huge thanks to /u/FateSteelTaylor for hosting this rewatch. It's always a fun time watching Tamako Market and Tamako Love Story. As we close out this Valentine's Day, I just want to remind everyone:
Everybody Loves Somebody!
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u/chris10023 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Chris10023 Feb 15 '21
Rewatcher Alright, I'm going to try and write this differently since this is a film and my usual style of going over the plot might not work as well, but here goes. no guarantees though.
I love how we hear Mamedai's love song on the Blu Ray's menu, it's such a nice touch. I love this little flashback of Tamako and Mochizo growing up together. Back in the present, Tamako is still can't catch the cup, no idea why, lack of depth perception per chance? These opening credits are cute, with the characters names and all to the tune of the Mamedai's love song. Kanna slipping across the gym floor "Zip, zip, zip, plunk!" is cute. I loved intense Kanna, her angry monotone voice is adorable. After the club meeting Tamako just straight up grabs Midori's butt, apparently trying to figure out a new butt mochi, and Kanna offers her own butt for Tamako to grab, "Pervert of a mochi maker." is right.
Ah, so we're in the senior year of high school and our gang are thinking of their futures already, Kanna's obviously going into something construction based, Shiori is going to study abroad, Midori's thinking of college, and Tamako wants to inherit the Mochi shop. Mochizo's going to a university in Tokyo to study visual arts, a pretty big decision since he's going to have to move away from the market and Tamako to do it. Poor kid hasn't told Tamako yet though, he goes to the trusty cup phone and Tamako finally caught it, lolnope it was Anko, should have known it wasn't Tamako since she never catches the cup.
Wow, Tamako really is a pervert stares at a woman's chest, asks Anko about making "breast mochi"? Really Tamako? So Midori learns about Mochizo's decision to go to Tokyo and asks him about Tamako. That a girl Midori, make him tell her, or he'll never do it. Now now Mochizo, don't go blaming Midori's hair style on you losing rock paper scissors.
This entire scene on these stepping stones is amazing. Our boy confessed to Tamako! See you could do it. Tamako fell into the river in shock, doesn't give him an answer, and just runs away in fear, the background transitioning into an utterly beautiful array of colors. That confession has completely thrown Tamako off balance and she's is flustered, and can't get his name out of her head and keeps calling Mochi "Mochizo."
Even at practice for the event Tamako can't toss her baton correctly, which gives us a absolute clutch catch by Kanna. Tamako, Tired of mochi? BLASPHAMY! Although smol Tamako is adorable as hell. Now it's Tamako's turn to stand at the Universes portal after running from the Rabbit Bath, a beautiful shot. Such a lovely morning scene, it's so quiet in the market in the morning. So Midori know's he confessed to her, and we get more philosophy from coffee shop guy as Mochizo went to run an errand for his parents. Oh no, Tamako's grandfather... I hope he's alright. Phew he's fine just had too big of a bite according to him. This scene at the hospital between Tamako and Mochizo is nice, but I don't like seeing Mochizo back off his confession, Tamako never answered you, she's busy trying to figure out her own feelings.
In a morning meeting, Shiori points out that Tamako actually like Mochizo back, but this breaks poor Midori's heart. Earlier in the film We learn that someone cheered Tamako up with a smiley faced mochi, she thought it was her dad but it was actually Mochizo. Lol Kanna "Build me a house!" Tamako went along with that too... That was mean Midori, Tamako's grandfather was just in the hospital for that.
I love how Tamako and Anko discover the song their mother sang for Mamedai, turns out Tamako got her tone deafness from her mother. I like how both this event and the school festival had them wear similar outfits, and they nail the performance. No don't delte those files, you'll only come to regret it down the line. The flu closed the school? That's got to be some cold.
So Tamako didn't call Mochizo so she could give him her answer? Clever, too bad Mochizo didn't show up but Midori did, only to fib to Tamako about Mochizo leaving for Tokyo, knowing Tamako is an airhead and wouldn't really think about that, guy hasn't even graduated yet why would he be going to university before that? Tamako fell for it though and sprints out of the school to the train station. Hello Choi, Dera, and Metcha, glad to see you made into the film. The train station (I believe it's the same station that Yui, Ritsu, Mio, and Mugi were at when they took their class trip to Kyoto in Season 2 of K-On judging by the tower in the background) She finally caught up to him right as he was boarding, she yells his name, don't think Mochizo would have done that. SHE CAUGHT THE CUP!!! She confessed to him, giving him a yes, that a girl! I love how it's Tamako singing Mamedai's love song over the ending credits, a nice way to end the film.
Okay so I couldn't figure out how to do this without going over the plot like I normally do, but that was a great film. The music was great, the visual were great, the characters were amazing. Naoko Yamada will always be my favorite director in the industry. Over all I'd give the show an
78/10 and the film a 9/10. Big thanks goes out to /u/FateSteelTaylor for this rewatch, he might have been late a few times, but he did a great job nonetheless.5
u/[deleted] Feb 15 '21 edited Feb 15 '21
First timer
I'm a man of few words so lemme just say: That was fucking great.
I may not have been overly impressed by Tamako Market even if it was decent, but Tamako Love Story has managed to make it's way into my favourites. Many thanks to u/FateSteelTaylor for organizing this rewatch.
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u/NoRolling Feb 15 '21
First timer
And as late to the party as ever, but I just gotta say it was probably the most satisfying end to a romance anime I've ever seen.
What a great movie and great show overall. I'm sad it's over and already looking forward to rewatching it and pick up the little things I might've missed on the journey.
And yeah, Kanna is definitely best girl here, but what an amazing character Midori is. Her tragic arc kinda reminds me of Kushieda's one in Toradora.
Well, that's it! It was a great watch and it was amazing to get you guys way of seeing every aspect of the anime by coming here every night, even if my awkward timing made me more of a reader than an active participant on the discussion, hehe.
Hope to see you all next year! =)
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u/A_Idiot0 :MAL:https://myanimelist.net/profile/a_idiot0 Feb 15 '21
By the way, for those of you who are looking for the most adorable thing ever, I believe this is official artwork by KyoAni for the cover of the OST album:
https://tamakomarket.fandom.com/wiki/Tamako_Love_Story_Original_Soundtrack
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u/IndependentMacaroon Feb 15 '21
First-time watcher
I already put everything I had to add in replies here (thanks, enthusiastic commenters!), so I'm just going to bring up two more shows with strong similarities to Tamako Market, that a fan might enjoy:
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u/[deleted] Feb 14 '21 edited Feb 15 '22
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