The rating doesn't mean anything.
As expected of the allmighty Yuasa(worshipped by the scum that has LoGh as a fav before having seen it) he manages to make his work unique in every category, be it plot, narrative, characters, characterization or use of art, without seeming to brag about it. Good shows offer me the possibility to express, what I feel, makes a good show in general. If the show really is good, it will probably have done something different, so I will try to put special emphasis on just that.
Since I'm not supposed to write a synopsis, you should know about the general setting already.
...
Good? Good.
The way the show works is that after an episode is finished, everything resets for the next one and the main character can choose another path to take in order to achieve a successfull and fulfilling college life...and a girlfriend, he wants a girlfreind too. Now while this is not the newest concept in itself, one can be assured to find all kinds of hints to what is going on or how everything is connected with each new repetition. While many things are different each time, there are some scenes, or objects that occur in every episode. Could these perhaps have a special meaning? Could symbolism play a part in all this too?
Look, I don't need to play the over analyzing nerd who watches a show four times to grasp every hidden detail, because Tatami Galaxy is NOT difficult to understand. The symbolism and metaphorical meaning of...everything basically is not all that cryptic. It's not necessarily obvious for anyone either, but with a bit of attention, and the knowledge that you have to look for these recurrences, you'll not just be able to understand everything easily, you'll perhaps even be able to guess ahead on what the story is going for. Though I didn't manage that beforehand, since the way everything is connected at the end is probably the most genius aspect of the narrative. Again, it's not difficult to understand, but it's nonetheless clever and what's more: Satisfying. I appreciate work that is properly thought through from beginning to end.
What about the characters? Well the main character (I shall name him „Elitist Prick“, as he does not have a name otherwise) is an elitist prick visiting college, while being unsociable and speaking very fast*cough*. His inner world and „everyday“ issues are what the show focuses on. It's when the expressive art is most useful, since you'll get a very good impression of what kind of person he is. And to make this clear: If you are watching Tatami Galaxy, he's probably you.
His journey shines the brightest during the final episodes of the show. If the name „Gregor Samsa“ tells you something, you'll see the similar approach the anime is taking, while still doing it in a refreshing and, I would say, more meaningful way.
The strengh of the remaining cast is everyone's affinity to being a bit stranger than anticipated. Normal people are boring, why focus on normal people? Wether your character is a mischief-causing unloyal little asshole repeatedly compared to the devil, an antisocial stuck-up bitch who still comes off as sympathetic(and surprisingly manages to not be a tsundere) or a popular jock who has a sexual relationship with a love doll, originality should be a given. These characters and their relations to each other and to Elitist Prick are really refreshing and you will definitely miss them during the few episodes that only focus on Elitist Prick. And the thing is: That, to an extent, is the point of these few episodes.
When your chosen medium is animation, why don't you try to utilize all the advantages that medium can have? A thousend ways to reinforce your narrative through the art and you choose to simply write a script, have someone read it out and put some pictures above it. That's what most anime(even ones that don't warrant a naturalistic approach at all) are like in my view. You could show your character's emotions and situations through visualized metaphors, that you could sometimes even logically incorporate into the "normal" environment. You could exaggerate certain interactions, making them less naturalistic, but in turn more expressive. Or why don't you subtly include some life action frames to create a more uneasy, disturbing feeling of alienation? There's not even a need for something as sophisticated as that. How about you just literally visualize what your character is describing at a given moment, instead of having me look at him describe it. So please shows: Show, don't tell.
Does Tatami Galaxy show me? Yes, it very much does. Does it also tell me a whole fucking lot? Yes, it unfortunately does. But I'll get to that in a moment.
The artstyle itself is rather unique, since again: This is Yuasa. It is always refreshing to see something like this, but the most remarkable thing(as you may have guessed) is how the art is used to strenghten the narrative. You can always be sure that what is said in a scene is supported by the visuals in one way or another. It can be something grand and sophisticated or something simple and obvious. What matters most is that your experience as a viewer and your understanding of a character's mind can be greatly enhanced, as many emotions can not be conveyed with just words alone. That is how atmosphere is created. Yuasa understands that, since he is one of the few who actually try to employ any of these ideas and so he does with this show.
I unfortunately can't say the same about the music though. It's simple to find out if the music used in a show is outstanding or not...do you remember any music? Well, I don't, I just know that there was some. The ending song is great though. It saddens me just a little bit though, because I know what Yuasa can do in this field. It doesn't do the show great harm though.
Now coming back to the topic of telling me a whole fucking lot: What is the first impression one will have when watching this anime? „Who put the speed on x2?“ comes to mind. This is an important issue and it's not as harmless as fans make it out to be: Everyone speaks way too fast most of the time. It is very stressing to have to pause at any given moment, just to be able to read the subtitles. The reason you can't say „That's how it's meant to be“ is that that's clearly not how it's meant to be...well, yes the speed of speech may be supposed to be that fast, but clearly you're not supposed to watch this with subtitles at all.
You're supposed to understand japanese, because if you do, it doesn't really matter how fast they talk, since listening is way easier than reading. That way you'll be able to follow what is happening easily and moreover you'll still be able to experience the art. THAT is how it's supposed to be. This show is anti-subtitles and has no dub, which can make the watching experience stressful. Why is this even important? Because it really is the worst aspect of the show...and it's not even the show's fault, it's our fault. Anyway, you have to know for yourself if you can handle this and fight yourself through. I recommend trying.
Despite the exaggerated presentation of normal college life(library police=mafia), the strangeness of the characters, and the expressive use of art, the show manages to be relatable and believable. Next to all the unfamiliarities thrown at you, you'll see how much this anime has to say about life in general.
It would be a shame to miss out on that, wouldn't it? Yes, it would. So do it.
Btw I don't hate Elitist Prick, but he's an elitist prick.
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Dec 17, 2016
Yojouhan Shinwa Taikei
(Anime)
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The rating doesn't mean anything.
As expected of the allmighty Yuasa(worshipped by the scum that has LoGh as a fav before having seen it) he manages to make his work unique in every category, be it plot, narrative, characters, characterization or use of art, without seeming to brag about it. Good shows offer me the possibility to express, what I feel, makes a good show in general. If the show really is good, it will probably have done something different, so I will try to put special emphasis on just that. Since I'm not supposed to write a synopsis, you should know about the general setting already. ... |
